Kakadu

Happy new year all, from Jabiru, in the world heritage national park of Kakadu, and must I say what a place! Or should I say absolutely stunning in the wet season with the wetlands full of waterlilys, birds and wildlife... Man! I fitted straight in.

Oh, and since I last got online I have fitted the Phantom with a split system air conditioner so now we are cool standing as well as running...  And the man cave now has a small 700 liter box freezer that I converted by moving the compressor around so I could lay the freezer on its side with the door now hanging and its working fine with a $4 lock latch to keep it closed. Also we have renovated the upstairs by removing 8 seats and two bunks making the Phantom a 14 seater and 8 sleeper, thus giving us the extra room we needed. Now we will be here for the dry season so look out for some great pictures... I hope... Kakadu is a must see... love it.

Jabiru in the wild

Wetlands. On the way to Humpty doo from Jabiru through the Kakadu.

Home for the season

Crocodile haven

Another Kakadu icon

Room to move

What a trip

Oh its so good to be back with the family, I left on Saturday morning for Brisbane in Diana the new, old bus that I found in the paddock, that had been sitting there for 4 years at least,   so they tell me. I replaced the clutch plate, cleaned it up and took it on a 6000 km round trip to pick up my boat. The old Diana drove well all the way there on 110 kms/hr non stop using 1ltr to 10 kms, and we arrived to the island at 4pm local time on Sunday. The next day I was booked on the barge at 1 pm, and we did make it with a lot of swearing, sweating and hoping to god the trailer hold up until I replace the tyres. All good by 2pm the next day, tyres, breaks, and lights all done on the side of the road heading out of Brisbane. Now my next biggest worry was the 900 meters above sea level nearly vertical climb up to Toowoomba: ha easy, no problem, all is good and we were on our way back home... Home is always where the family is, for me anyway...

Got to Blackall, a farming town in Central Qld and I noticed the temperature rising. After a quick diagnosis I found a pin eye hole on the radiator tank, so I pulled the radiator out, used some magic metal on the tank and we were on the road again. Got to Longreach, I noticed we were using lots of water and we were only towing at 70 kms/hr to keep temperature normal, so I limped into Mt Isa 700 kms away. Now only 989 kms home and the tow was as low as 40 kms/hr and nothing was going to stop me, so I kept going. 100 kms out of Camooweal I realized the problem was the timing belt had jumped a tooth or more causing the temperature to rise, so I gently bently my way into Camooweal. And I knew I had to get help, and I did in the form of my Ford Falcon being driven down to Camooweal 700 kms, by the local church pastor, god bless him... He got there at 4.30am Friday morning and I was as happy as Larry. Tied the tow rope to Diana, and the tow was on. Moving at 80 kms/hr, mini road train with two drivers and looking at getting home by 2 pm, only to stop 80 kms out of Camooweal: this time the old pastor used dirty fuel out of an old jerry can of his, and by this time I was thinking of changing my religion... Lucky I never had one! 

Removed the fuel filter, tried to clean it to no good, so I put a nail through the filter making it direct. Started up, and we were on the road again stopping every 50 to 70 kms to bang the fuel pump to unblock it. 60kms out of Cape Crawford I went to avoid a kangaroo making Frank push me along with Diana and the boat behind him - won't do that again - and at 40 kms out of Borroloola out came roo, now bring it on, I hit the bastard and didn't stop. I was going home, and home I went. What a great trip. Love it.

Home at last. For now.

To be fitted by the mechanic... myself, bush mechanic.

Facebook or facecrook?

I don't know what's going on, because facebook has ripped my page off out of its book as they reckon someone has tried to hack my account... What a load of bull dust, and if someone did try to hack my account on facebook what could they see or take, it's not like I bank or have monies in the account. Also anyone and everyone could see my page, it was there for the world to see... Okay they stopped my access to my page on facebook and asked me to choose three trusted friends in which facebook would contact, and they would send them a code which these friends would ring me back with, this is part of their security protocol. Now I picked my friends and facebook says no, I must pick these three people in which they picked for me,  which I thought,  hang on now they are picking my trusted friends for me, and not only that, when I declined  they also wanted a photo id, electricity bill or something of that sort! So I said ta ta, to facebook... and left it at that. Really when anyone joins up to facebook are they joining facebook or face crooks, well people can only wonder. You are not getting me on your one world book of individuals lifes or my face on the book of the new world order, thanks again you have done me a big favour, and to my friends and readers: you could always read my blog through the Phantom of the roads. Just be careful people you are giving all your personals, and life storys to someone you really don't know facebook, and the sad thing it's you and your friends and family too. THINK ABOUT IT, WHO IS FACEBOOK.

Father and son, splitting image

Highs and lows

What a weekend, full of action at the Borroloola rodeo, absolutely fun full and endless laughter. We went to the rodeo grounds at 10 am, and I thought we were going to be out of there within 3hrs max... ha!ha!ha! Had to hitch a ride back to the bus at five o'clock to watch my team get flogged from the all blacks, in training for the world cup... so I think... they didn't have to lose that way though... Ritchie Macaw you guru or you va curu.

Mum and the kids got home with the kids tired from a 8-and-half-hour-day at the rodeo, to a quite shattered dad, watching the end of the Bledisloe Cup... gutted... but it was soon forgotten when Diana arrived into the family of the Phantom of the roads in the form of a 14 seater Toyota commuter, and she comes with power steering, air conditioning,  344 000 kms on the clock with a diesel engine and a bugged up clutch plate on a five speed gear box... $600 as is, so I bought it. Now we have the full Phantom family assisting the family of MD Gypsy. What a team we will be. And together, all we need are the adventures... What a weekend... what a life... love it.

Rodeo Borroloola style

What a horse!

Mixing with the big wigs. Local chief.

Love the smile... Truly innocent.

Phantom and Hero, side by side

Here is Devil.

The Phantom's love, Diana. 

Renovation time

Thank you to our boys in the Wallaby's team for a great win, I can see the world cup is coming home. It's so good to be in town, and the timing, well Borroloola rodeo is on this weekend, how good is that... The kids are so excited, and ok me too.

I'm just sucking in the civilisation sort of speak as I will be heading back out bush early next week, only this time I'm going in the opposite direction from the Ridge (Wandala) to the Nicholson catchment which is a national park towards Burketown, about 400 km from here, for a renovation job on one house at the bush ranger out station. I will be going out under the escort of the gulf bush rangers and be out there all on my lonesome as the Phantom and family cannot get out there, due to a few river and creek crossings on a 100 or so kilometre supposedly sandy bush track... Now because of that its going to be a fast goes job as they say... Now the job has been given to me, and even though I haven't seen it I have taken it on so this trip will be to see what and how much materials I'll need to order... Should be good, real good. Now because of that I must go fishing for the rest of the week to stock up for the family and myself. Boy oh boy, just doesn't stop around here, what a life... love it.

The beautiful, pristine, untouched Limmen river

We are never lonely on a lonely highway

Fishing the Limmen, weary of the crocs

Awaiting for my return after deal is fulfilled

Big smoke

Last night at the ridge, heading out in the morning, with the famous words, "I'll be back !" The boss and all the little treasures are quietly excited, and I'm worried they might get town shock...  Mum badly needs a pedicure which I had offered to do and got knocked back and laughed at, I think she said something like you're not using that sand paper on my feet. No love, its wet and dry and shouldn't hurt... Have you used it before? No but... but no thanks... Well at least I tried! So in to town as we are, looking bushed up on the outside and full of love on the inside. Got some work lined up in town then onto the fishing. Ok I will update next from the big smoke! Good night.

Beautiful sunset at the ridge

Lonely highway out

Today's approaching bushfire

Afternoon at Alligator Crossing 

Riverbed animal tracking

Found it all

Time is out and we are moving on, moving to a spot in three-shop-town, Borroloola. I will be back to do the fit out and other little additions. I think our stay here has been an experience of a lifetime not only for me, but for all the family. As a family living out here for 2 months all on our lonesome with nothing but wild animals and the hard Australian bush. I have for myself found true content, something I never thought I would recognize here or for that matter ever. Thanks to everyone around me. Life is what you make of it... love it.

Jiniba, the hyeena-look-a-like, spoiling it for the rest on the pack leader.

Innocently taming the wild: it seems to be working.

Looking for contentment.

Another beautiful morning

Roadside butcher

All hands on deck