Countdown :: Dapope Hits The Road 13th July 2013

[Dot]

Thought you were going to bed Ray? Where is Martin??

[Greynomad]

Just going now, Mum!

[dapope]

Got a really dodgy connection at the Degrey river campsite north of port hedland. Discovered the first night out our fuel tank for the generator had been mostly drained by some kind person, they left us about 5 litres out of 110. we had enough to get us warm, and in the morning i used the batteries to run the fan heater. When i filled the tank at Cue i discovered its possible to get 113 litres in. Lat night we stopped at a campsite opposite Mount Meharry about 100 km south of the Karrajini turnoff. I successfully stopped the waterdrip from the water tank. Yay! Thought i would buy fuel and top up the watertank before we left port hedland, only to discover that the servos attitude was no drinking water unless you buy bottles. We didnt buy their water or their fuel. We had spent about a grand in the town, boss wanted a new tablet, and a couple of other sundries, so not terribly happy with the attitude!
Next time we will work on skipping the town completely. A balmy 27 at the moment, loving it.

[Dot]

What a rotten mongrel to do that to a fellow traveller, hope they get their comeuppences sooner rather than later and have also marked that town on the not go there place. Is there a letter to the council about the business attitude? Cool and raining here tonight. Safe travels.

[Greynomad]

Yup.
I've put them on my "Bypass" list, too.

[Keith Morris]

"tanks" here --- now in DARWIN N.T. How long before the "PopeMobile" arrives up here. Are you going to come this far up the Island or are you just going to do the W.A. side of it.

I started on my trip on 18 MAY and I have enjoyed doing everything I have done and seen --so far. There are some very nice places to free-stop and some great people to meet and travel with.
There are a few "rip-off" towns along the way and I get the feeling that caravans and m/homers are not wanted --as you have experienced. Water is a difficult one till you get closer to the ORD RIVER area.
I was told that most hospitals will let you hook up to a garden tap to fill your tank , and another m/homer told me that they have filled up at a few Police Stations without any problem after having a friendly chat with the local cops.

I arrived in Darwin today and I am parked at a friends place in FANNY Bay for a few days, while I try to get a small engine mechanic to work on my 3.5 kva generator. The "OIL ALERT" light comes on after the motor starts and runs for around 30 seconds, and then shuts down. I went to the HONDA people but they told me to take it somewhere else or buy a Honda, then they will service the unit.

If I can't get a mechanic to work on the thing then I will quit this town and just rely on the 120 amp solar panel and the Sprinter alternator to charge the 2 x 120 a/h batteries. When my generator was running I let a few fellow m/homers plug in to the unit [it has two outlets] to charge their batteries when we had several overcast days with little sun. My kindness has been returned with a couple of people letting me plug into their generators to keep my fridge running.---NICE TO MEET NICE PEOPLE !!.

Enjoy your trip and travels. I may be able to suggest a few places for you if I can contact you, but at a lot of the free-stops youn are not able to get a phone signal even with Telstra, and this means no laptop either due to no service. On my Telstra plan I have free calls from 6.00pm to 6.am . If you get to KUNUNURRA the ORD RIVER CO-OP have diesel 15 to 20 cents lower that the town servos, but you need a CREDIT CARD to work then bowser. The Happy Valley campsite is about $13 / night and is near the Distillery and Sandlewood factory.
Keith.

[Kelvin12]

There are some low life out there just waiting for an opportunity. Shame you didn't catch them in the act.

Another town to give a miss. Surely by now these towns are starting to get the message from the grey nomad grape vine. A letter to the council while may not get much action it would certainly make you feel better. Better still a letter to the editor of the local rag telling the story would be more pointed especially if other town folk are trying to get a bit of the tourist trade.

Dirk

[dapope]

Keith, thanks for the suggestions, we will look up the cheap fuel. We have to call into Broome to pick up the dashcam, never received the original, did not arrive. Might have gone to the same person who needed the fuel......
Not planning on Darwin this trip, but we may slip into Wolf Creek if we can pick up a couple of hitch hikers
Time for brekkies

[dapope]

At Goldwire overnight stop. Got to 33 today, had the air con going while driving, dem fangled batteries are smart!

[dapope]

At 24 hr stop about 80 k south of Fitzroy Crossing. Bagged the prime spot, and have decided to stay a 2nd 24 hrs(accrued from all the stops we did not stop at. Warm days, cool nights. Dashcam is a wee beauty, will post some pics into the thread when i haul out the laptop and download yesterdays 2 hr drive