No Great Hurry – One Woman , one suitcase ,countless stories . – Page 2 – Anecdotes and Observations – travelling solo here there and everywhere

Dorrigo to Byron

Observations from my last destinations. I was always planning to stop at Dorrigo Holiday Park after a brief visit last year – loved the beautiful location with its peace and serenity. Dungog to Armidale proved enough driving for one day even though work has vastly improved the Armidale to Dorrigo leg. The Waterfall Way however closed a few kilometres south of Dorigo towards Coffs Harbour after a rockfall. It’s a beautiful but challenging landscape – rock and tree falls par to the course. Settled on a two night stop in Dorrigo to include a day to explore some of the spectacular national parks.

The Australia Day weather forecast is diabolical for most of the country. Dorrigo National Park is actually only about 1.5 K from the Mountain Holiday Park, a walk of about 900 metres down the main road, and then turn off onto another road, which is also fairly busy. Not the best walking surface. Not the best idea especially with the kelpie. Next time drive to Dorrigo National Park car park.

The big loop Wonga Walk is a decent distance, about six and a half kms along a very well maintained track. Very cool, mostly in shade – perfect for walking. I shouldn’t have actually had the dog there. Nobody said anything, and obviously she was on the lead. So we wandered along, came across some really lovely old trees and spectacular waterfalls, and not many people. But by the end I seriously questioned my decision to walk from the holiday park. Down to the pub for dinner at the recommendation of Pete, the fabulously bearded park manager whose mantra is “Whatever, mate, you’ll be right. No worries.”

Camped beside me was one of those little self-contained vans with a trailer + car on the back. Occupied by Mick from Melbourne (Gippsland ). He tells me it’s his home. With his wife in care in Melbourne, he’d had to sell the house to pay for it. It’s a familiar tale… but by the same token, he’s living his best life , first stop after Tamworth for the full fortnight of the country music festival. Another on my list of must dos. We had a bit of a chat that afternoon, touched base again the following day briefly, for more talk about places to stay in Tamworth , driving distances, and maps, and problems, and good things, and bad things about life on the road. It doesn’t matter where you are, there’s always somebody that’s up for chat.

I’d recommend the Dorrigo Hotel Motel to anybody. The only pub in town. Food’s amazing. They have 3 Nepalese chefs apparently and a diverse menu.

A challenging detour down the mountain because of the rockfall not far along . Pete assured me that it was okay, a bit narrow, but you take it carefully. A 10 ton limit, so no trucks.No trucks doesn’t mean no traffic, because, obviously, it’s the only way that people can get from Coffs Harbour or Bellingen to Dorrigo or Armidale, really. It was long- on many occasions slowing to a stop because oncoming traffic and very narrow roads don’t go well together .

My first impression of Ingenia Holiday Park, Byron Bay is that of another Bright. Code for check in, code for this, code for that. I venture off to find the site number, immediately take the wrong turn, heading down a one way street with nowhere to turn around. A park person does a bit of shouting and ultimately guides me to a different site. It’s really quiet right near the walk down to the beach. A lovely spot. And there’s a couple beside me that came to my rescue when I realised I’d left a hose fitting behind somewhere. They are living their best life in a caravan called Frank. The beach is just magnificent.It’s a dog off leash beach, and it’s long. The view of the lighthouse at one end. I’ve really never been to Byron Bay. We ticked the walk to the lighthouse off the list.

Young people make up the visible population of BB at the moment. Late teens , early 20s. On holiday from abroad, waiting for the uni year , whatever, not a lot of little children anymore; Byron Bay probably doesn’t attract young families. I’m amazed by the proliferation of e bikes seemingly to me the most dangerous looking things ever. People flying around the place with kids in the passenger seat. No helmets, what can you do? Can’t put brains in statues.

So I am about an hour out of Bris Vegas – Elliot’s birthday.A big hole in my heart.

To pack up and p… off has its hazards but they are far outweighed by the positives. I love the fact that there are no restrictions . It’s up to you where you stop. It’s up to you how long you stay. It’s up to you how far you drive. And what you do. The actual caravan set up is brilliant; perfect for one person. I would not want to be in this space with more than just myself and my age and stage of life.

So… there’s a whole new world out there. All I can say to anybody entertaining the idea of hooking up and taking off. Just do it. Don’t worry too much about where you’re going( of course Elvis/Tamworth are exceptions), although if you’re travelling as I was in holiday time, you have to deal with restrictions in terms of days and numbers because of holiday bookings.For me personally in future, I would choose little towns with the smaller parks or even just the local show ground.

After Ingenia at Byron Bay was quite lovely, it’s time to dole out a couple of awards. Byron and Dorrigo would be heaving at the height of holidays. Camping with just four or five others is blissful. The ladies’ amenities block at Dorrigo has a bath! We didn’t use it, but it has a bath. So they get a big tick. I think the cleanest and most modern up to date amenities award goes to Khancoban – a beautiful spot for a prolonged stay. On the lake, with the mountains in the background. The least enjoyable award goes to the Big 4 Holiday Park in Bright. Great for holidays with small children, but if you’re a single person looking for peace and quiet it’s not for you.

Hiring a van means you have tech support at the other of the phone -mostly. And there are always going to be glitches. Fortunately , nothing insurmountable this time but a better equipped tool kit next time. Enjoy !

HEADING NORTH

Ramblings from the Road – Crookwell , Dungog, Armidale, Dorrigo.

I should have given Crookwell more airtime. With Dungog, Dorrigo and Byron Bay locked in for the return journey, the stop en route had to have a caravan park – (obviously) as well as being a manageable distance from the next location. We set up at the Crookwell Caravan Park with the issue with the left indicator still to be resolved.

Crookwell must have more windfarms than any other area in the country . Why not – it blows a gale from every direction depending on the time of day. Highways out of town promote “Windfarm Viewing Area”. My caravan park buddy Tony earns a very tidy wage as a wind farmer – he lives at the park for much of the year. We have a chat. He’s from SA – but works for a windfarm company. It might be a little rough lifestyle wise, but the money is anything but . I ask Tony about wedgetail eagles arguing with the turbines. His take is that it is a crock of bs.

He also assisted me to check that the pesky left indicator was functioning properly . Earlier that day , Neil the Van Tech Man had walked me through some steps that did restore the connection. Tony produced a can of special stuff that blows everything out of where it shouldn’t be – a must carry next time. There are a few must haves in the tool kit for the van future trip.

So apart from windfarms and a whole heap of wind , Crookwell also has an amazing sock manufacturing business , using merino wool which is unfortunately produced in China , but still operating the looms in the room behind the shop. Really great to see. .

So Dungog Showgrounds from Crookwell is mostly highway driving. The scenic road is twice as long, and really, highway driving is a lot easier although not at all scenic – instead the antics of nutcase drivers weaving in and out of heavy traffic around Sydney requires concentration. Up the M 31, the M7 and onto the M1. Maitland and we peel off with another 50 or so K of ordinary road to Dungog. Their Showground is a beautiful spot, $25 for the night, power and water. I had never set foot in Dungog before today.- it’s a lovely little town, quite historic and many beautiful properties along the drive in. A lifestyle area in some ways, also lot of older, established properties with dairy or beef cattle. It’s green, which is nice, because everything south is pretty much brown or burnt.

An observation on showground camping, v caravan park camping. There’s no comparison if peace and quiet is a priority. Bright gets the noisiest, crowded award – lightly less babble at Beechworth. The NRMA Bright holiday camp are begging for a review – I won’t be going back there in a hurry. Here at Dungog, there’s me, and three or four others. Camping for different purposes.

Fortunately the indicators were working this morning for the trip up the highway – everything appears to be fine in that regard. So looking forward to meeting up with Jill and Ellie/Beyonce. Villanelle has been having the time of her life – she loves travelling and saying hello to everyone . I can let her off here and there are resident rabbits. She’s not into anything other than check out a burrow.

It goes without saying you learn – what works and what doesn’t – what you like and what you don’t, what’s good or what isn’t, assessing routes, times and distances. You also need to include a special kit for glitches – such as Tony the wind farmer’s special spray stuff.

After catching up with Jill and Ellie , I’m scooting up the highway to Scone. Typhoon Bassett is at Annabel and Rob Archibald’s stables there, and he steps out for his very first race on Thursday next, which is Elliot’s birthday. I wonder if there’s anything fortuitous in that. An add-on idea diverting not really out of my way through Scone. The plan is say hello, and hopefully somebody will show me the horse and I can give him a pat. And from there, we go on to Dorrigo, an overnight stop last year but beautiful. Worthy of a couple of nights at least. And then on to Byron Bay . Update – Dorrigo just a little too far for that drive – Armidale is the stop.

A lovely meeting with Jill, her daughter, Kel and Ellie, Ellipat Beyonce. Kelpie mother and daughter were reunited. Coffee and dog talk – lots of it. I am totally confused with the conversation going in various directions over canine families – father and brother and grandfather and whatever. They’re very nice people and I’m really happy that the puppy is so happy and loved. She’s a bit of an old-fashioned puppy, exuberant like her sister but they’re so similar, the 3 pups, in fact. I think now looking at, at Ellie – she’s probably more like Beatrice. They are certainly stamped with their father’s ears and neck. They’ve got quite ruffled necks these 3 girls, which is a good feature apparently. Their mother’s kind face and feminine manner. I do think they look more like dad than mum.

So that was Dungog – from there to Scone. Directions from Jill and Kel to cut through to Singleton, then it was up the highway. Needed to get fuel, and get the racecourse into the GPS . Arrived with the mercury rising at an imposing complex.

Where do I start? All these barns? However, nothing ventured nothing gained -he must be here somewhere. I follow boom box bopping to some young stable hands who steered me in the direction of two huge barns not far away. I found Chris, who was really nice and met Typhoon Bassett. They call him Typhoon. He’s a lovely horse and now I’ve got the visual of what he looks like in the flesh. It’s a fantastic facility , the racetrack, lots of big stable barns, walkers , swimming pools and a massive equine hospital. Scone has always been the heart of the thoroughbred industry in Australia . Annabel’s got something like 60 horses in 2 barns, as well as a property that’s within spitting distance, used to not so much spell ,but to give a horse in full work a couple of days break in a turn out yard with grass before they resume training with no loss of fitness. To forget about life for a while. It’s a fantastic strategy – she is very good trainer. Great to know she knows every single horse; she’s got 100’s of horses in training. But yet, Chris tells me regardless of the age and stage, Annabel will know exactly what it is, who it is, where it is at. And for every horse that races, all the homework on the others in the race is done. How she has the time to do that is amazing. The horse looks great. He looks really fit. He’s a tall, big, strong type. His 1st race is on Thursday – Elliot’s birthday .

I made it to Armidale. The New England Highway is much improved but the geography doesn’t change and it’s a real uphill chug most of the way. Signs from Tamworth to say that Waterfall Way is closed – may as well just stop in Armidale. I lived here for 6 years after – all a long time ago.

The long driving days can get a bit wearing. In future I’d be more inclined to travel shorter distances and be more destination selective. Instead of just 2 nights somewhere, stop for 4 nights, a big drive and then stop for another 4 nights. Avoiding overcrowded caravan parks with families and children at holiday time . An old duck’s take on things, but so be it. Here, it’s lovely. It’s quiet, and summer is the best season in New England . Now it’s Dorrigo and a delicious Australia Day pub dinner . …….

Highish country

Time for another episode (4)of Caravanning with the Kelpie aka ramblings from the road.

I’m now north of the border with Victoria – a drive from Khankoben. K-H-A-N-C-O-B-A-N. Lakeside Caravan Park to Crookwell – not far from Canberra or Goulburn. One of many historic towns dotted about the rich farmland sitting high on the Great Divide. It had its beginnings supporting agriculture – the potato industry in particular. Now there’s wine (of course) beautiful gardens, historic buildings, wind farms and a lot of sheep.

It’s a decent distance from Khancoban to Crookwell and I was wary of the drive. GPS and and the map apps are invaluable tools but relying on a route that is labelled ‘the shortest’ can mean trouble. I found out the hard way last year when I blindly followed apple maps on to Berry Mountain Road only to encounter ‘This route is unsuitable for caravans’ when I was too far in to turn around. Apps and artificial intelligence don’t necessarily go together and you can really get caught out, particularly, towing a caravan that’s reasonably large. I have a handy hard cover paper Caravan Parks around Australia in the passenger seat.

I was quite happy to leave Bright – which is no reflection on Bright itself . It’s a bit like Hastings Street, Noosa only in the mountains. Peace and easy access is in short supply at NRMA Big 4 camp in January. It’s packed and noisy – there are I discover, many caravan parks in the vicinity where the view from the van is much more desirable. A shoutout to the servo on the corner – selling the cheapest diesel in the country. $1.60 a litre. With hundreds of thirsty 4WDs incarcerated in the camp, they are raking it in.

So the route from Bright to Khancoben involves a heap of turns. I do mean a heap of turns. Ultimately and eventually we ended up on a piece of dirt road – not ideal. The route went through Myrtleford, a lovely town, well worth a visit – along the The Valley Highway, skirting around the edge of Wodonga before the turns really ramped up – a lot of lefts and rights and rights and lefts taking me basically along the Murray River which was fine but a much better option would have been the Murray Valley Highway instead of the river road. Even though it’s not very far from Khancoban, 25 kilometres of rough dirt is quite testing. Just after this cute one pub town on the mighty Murray called Jingellic. Here we stopped with only another hour to go. An hour on a rough dirt road.

A review of Khancoben -without a doubt the best thing is the caravan park , perfectly situated on Khancoben Lake. There’s a pub, there’s a chemist. I think there’s a couple of food places that close at 4 o’clock. But the actual campsite itself, or caravan park, is just lovely. The nicest setting that I’ve had so far. The most up to date amenities. It is sparsely populated; many moved when fire got going near Corryong. Put simply follow directions to evacuate, or risk getting stuck because the roads close.

A wind change over night is a reminder that the fires are still burning. It’s a really, really smoky morning and with Khancoben being the closest town to Kosciuszko Alpine National Park (originally built to house workers for the Snowy Mountains Hydro Project ) I decide to tackle the 57K drive to Threadbo. You don’t just go past Kosciuszko – the road winds up and down at least 3 different major mountain ranges ; Granite Knob , Mount Townsend, Mount Tempest as well as Kosciuszko. 57 k of hairpin bends. Up and down and up and down. Recommended drive time two hours – but I’ve never been to Threadbo so push on …… made it unscathed – but it’s a national park and dogs are prohibited. There’s lots of stuff going on – chairlifts are running so kids big and little are doing mountain biking and and all sorts of dare devil activities. Certainly a really attractive resort. I feel a cold coming on and not really relishing the thought of the trip back down the mountain so we head off. There’s not very much open – most ski resorts shut over the summer months.

Goodbye Khancoben you are on the return list, I was careful about the route, heading for Crookwell . Up the road from the dog sitting on the tucker box and Gundagai. Through 2 really lovely towns worth a longer stop. One was Tumbarumba and the other was Batlow. Then you head up through Tumut well, you bypass it – as you do most major towns. From there on to where I am now – Crookwell.

On my pre-departure check at Khancoban, a problem presented itself in the form of no left indicator. Not only not safe but illegal. Yass was the best option for assistance and courtesy of cyberspace a couple of options presented. Found a really lovely guy at JB Auto; I had to buy a new plug, but he didn’t charge me for his time to sort the cable – I thought that was great. Plugged it in and had lights. I’m not convinced about the indicators but let that wait till tomorrow.

Update on indicator. A combination of help from Neil the technician at the van company and Tony the wind farmer (yes they do exist) camping on site appears to have resolved the problem.

It’s totally freezing . And it’s summer? On to Dungog tomorrow!

Notes from the road episode 3 The high country – part 1.

Some notes from Victoria and the high country.

A long drive from Peak Hill that became a little hairy around Wagga Wagga as there was a bit of conflict between ChatGPT ,Google and Apple maps. And I didn’t do my homework properly . Trouble free down the highway for lunch / rest at Wagga then on the Olympic Highway but somehow or other went in the wrong direction only realizing at Junee and about 30 K out of our way. No choice but to turn around and back track adding an hour extra to that day’s driving. Otherwise a pretty uneventful sort of a day , expensive ; a big caravan and speed limit 110 on the highways does chew the fuel.

Thanks to the diversion, the cavalcade finally found Beechworth Lake Sambell Caravan Park around 7.30pm . Steve the manager was about to guide me in – Kevin from across the way wandered over to say hello. His dog Charlie – a fox terrier with small man syndrome, decided to show the kelpie who was boss much to her disgust.

That was night one in high country Victoria. No television reception whatsoever and as usual dodgy wifi. Good excuse to find a pub. Turns out if you want reception you need to pay $20 to hire a cable from the office. Refundable fortunately. The park is full of families enjoying the freedom of a caravan/camping holiday. But there are rules. No washing to be hung from van awnings etc – must go on the various Hill’s Hoists dotted about. (example below)

Beechworth is really lovely but smoky. It’s warm but nothing like Parkes -high 20s maybe. We had a wander in the Lake Sambell precinct followed by exploration of the town and clocked up 10 K. A beautiful oasis in a really historic setting. The discovery of gold in 1852 precipitated one of the gold mining booms that helped shape early colonial history . The historic precinct is fascinating and meticulously preserved. There’s the courthouse where Ned Kelly was trialed initially. An amazing collection of telegraph communication memorabilia and its evolution. You can still send an original telegram for a price from the telegraph bureau. A lovely town with very friendly people and well worth a visit. As I window shopped along the main drag I was stopped by a couple of red kelpie admirers. I have a home for a puppy from a future litter!

Some 60 K along the road is next stop Bright, a favourite holiday destination in the Snowy Mountain Alpine region. It’s anything but snowing tonight. We are booked at the NRMA Holiday Park for the minimum 5 nights. It’s packed to the rafters with generational holiday makers with teams of small people who come here year after year. The receptionist informs me that my booking was to be from the next day. Not quite sure what happened but I was allocated a spot.

This is a reasonable sized van and maneuvering into a 10 m slab with caravans, tents, cars, long draw bars and every other form of camping equipment, not to mention push bikes, dogs and small children within close proximity, requires finesse. After aborting a few attempts to conquer my allocated site (hoping I wouldn’t embarrass myself,) a good Samaritan called Peter turns up to offer a hand. Even with assistance, we admitted defeat. Luckily, there was a position further down which was navigated again with Peter’s help ensuring the van was absolutely symmetrically positioned on its gravel pad.

I have the setup process down pat now. I even found the fitting for the grey water outlets which was conveniently hiding behind the jack. The procedure involves various steps in whatever order – attaching the grey water pipe from the washing machine, shower, sink into the outlets, connecting the water, power, and gas. I had no sooner let Villanelle out of the cruiser when I was called to account by somebody claiming to be the manager demanding she be on a lead as well as informing me abruptly I had had one warning and next time I will be asked to leave. I absolutely get it…….but she wasn’t that friendly. This park is home for families with thousands of children and push bikes over the summer. The picturesque creek running through the park is the place to be – deck chairs in the water for the parents and kids armed with all manner of blow up props. It’s a beautiful spot and justifiably busy.

A new day and another challenge. Navigating the tricky 25 k of hairpin bends to the summit of Mt Hotham. followed by a ‘moderate’ hike of around 7k from Milky Way to the top of Mount Loch. It’s not called the high country for nothing. There’s a storm brewing and ominous rumbles of thunder getting closer. We huddled for a while in a guest shelter before gambling on the storm going round and pushing on. The Mount Hotham Visitor Centre was in site when the gods hit top gear with the hail. At least with hail, you don’t get wet! The car scored a free wash too. The visitor centre is pretty much deserted save for a couple of ladies also sheltering . I exchange notes with a Polish born hiker from Adelaide here with a group walking tour. Like most people, she is besotted with Villanelle.

Now to a not so desirable incident which is just one of those caravanning things. At one point, one night I became aware that the 240 volt power was off. My checks followed by a facetime consultation with the technician = no resolution. Call in Andy , a local sparky who assured me he would be here at some point. He turned up at 5.30 and close on 2 hours later, had isolated the problem to an internal cable that was causing the safety switch to trip.

Earlier, waiting for Andy we set off on the Canyon Walk along the Ovens River, an easy walk of about two kilometers before looping over a swing bridge and returning along the other side. All was fine until Villanelle spies a lovely spot for a drink. I left the lead on fortunately because no sooner had she set foot in the water was she literally swept away. It was touch and go for a terrifying moment. I struggled to reach her – the rocks were incredibly slippery and I am ridiculously incapable. Fortunately help arrived in the form of a fellow walker who was able to grab her lead and haul her out. Luckily tragedy averted and she had a bath if nothing else. It was frightening and another lesson learned for me. Do not let the kelpie loose beside deceptively fast running streams.

So it’s the third Saturday in the month and Bright’s turn for the local artists to showcase their wares at the market. There’s fresh local produce, lots of goodies, jams, preserves honey and all other manner of local paraphernalia . It’s very well patronized and we made some selective purchases.

An advantage of hiring a caravan like this is that you do have backup support when things go wrong. Without the backup of the technicians and the outstanding service from Andy the electrician I don’t really know what I would have or could have done. I guess the incident happening here at busy Bright was fortuitous. Andy, my cycling crazy but very likable electrician, even came back next day and he’s on call should I need him again. But from tomorrow – forget it, a cycling junkie he’s headed to Adelaide with some fellow lycra clad addicts for the Tour Down Under.

I am wrapping up this post to the strains of YMCA at the Bright Star Hotel. We ‘explored’ Mt Beauty today – a great gorge walk.

I think Bright is fabulous but at this time of year, peace and quiet is in short supply. That is not in any way a criticism, in fact the opposite. Families with copious numbers of children enjoying the very essence of Australia and given the totally prehistoric wifi, no access to ‘screens’.

Tomorrow – push on to Khancoban!

Notes from the Road – ELVIS

episode 2

Notes from the road episode 1 covered a bit of ground . 800 ks round figures .

This leg includes Orange and a night at Conobolas Caravan Park. It’s busy. Families, holidays, lots of dogs and no doubt a fair few permanents. The selected location to road test my conferred status of ‘Service Dog’ for Villanelle.First stop Coles, then the pub. Walking in looking official – doing what we had to do . No one even looked at us let alone said anything.

Over several glasses of sauvignon blanc with Cath and Trev we discussed anything and everything -politics, pandemics, dressage and lots in between. They live on a lovely ‘lifestyle’ block close to Milthorpe- beautiful part of terra Australis.

The road to Peak Hill backtracked to Orange and to the outskirts of Parkes before cutting through the back roads to the Elvis camp site .

On the way Jan Smith calls to fill me in with what’s happening with the worst fire crisis in Victoria since black Saturday. Bloody scary. She’s near Colac – not directly in line but I listen to the reports on ABC local radio Victoria. New fires igniting and taking off unchecked. There’s a change about to sweep through the south and west – they reckon dry lightning and wind gusts up to 175k.

Australia – burning at one end , drowning in the north .

The metropolis of Peak Hill looms. It’s 37 degrees , blowing a gale from the north west – the red dust finding its way over and all through things . I need to find Trev the caretaker. Like many small town showgrounds , the land area is vast and power and water facilities for campers are scattered haphazardly around. Trev jumps in his ute and heads along the ‘road’ to sort my spot . After a bit of mucking around, I have my patch of red dust – home for the next 3 days. Elvis is well underway but my enthusiasm is dimmed somewhat by the temperature. The original plan was to hop on the shuttle bus – i have a ticket for the main evening act – so decided to skip the bus today and head to Parkes by car.

A quick reconnoiter confirms that it is filthy hot anywhere outside . The Parkes Services Club beckons , so the kelpie and I join the throng of Elvis impersonators and washed up punters in the TAB bar – where i am able to access wifi and pass the time on the lap top comfortably .

As Australian towns go , Parkes is pretty much average . Average pubs , average shopping , average entertainment venues . The Leagues Club and the Services Club . Elvis central is Cooke Park , home to the main stage , hundreds of plastic chairs and the Festival Markets selling anything from parasols to pulled pork. It’s free ( not the food) – technically fans could attend the festival , bring their own everything , and not spend a cent . So for families everywhere struggling with making ends meet , it’s a no brainer . Of course it’s more appealing if you happen to love Elvis .

A dinky die Elvis festival participant requires careful planning. The devoted book their camp sites a year out and meticulously (well some of them) prepare their outfits, wigs , sideburns , gold chains – while the girls do their best Priscilla . With furnace like heat over the first 3 days, I suspect getting out of all that clobber would have been a task .

The Parkes Elvis festival attracts around 25,000 visitors from all over the country. Tribute artists fly in from all around the world- this year’s winner is a kiwi. There are ticketed shows at the clubs – the headline acts perform every day at different times and a ticket is $85 max . I lost count of how many renditions of Hound Dog , Can’t help Falling in Love and Burning Love were belted out to enthusiastic applause .They are good . Very good . Sweet Caroline , Bridge over Troubled Water and My Way get a run too. The feature artists are great , so too young 17 year old Charlie Gaylard , a star on the rise. The headline act for the last ticketed show looking all the world like a young Elvis . School friends with my good friend Jan’ s grandson. I had never heard of him but hadn’t heard of the others either !

My brief stop in Parkes during last year’s event whet my appetite for more and I think I got my money’s worth .Wangled my way into the supposed sellout of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist final. Eight guys costumed to perfection , wigged and sideburned belting out two songs each while a panel of judges sweat over scores. Then it was the final 5 and the final 3 . Honestly , they are all amazing.

Trivia question – how much does an authentic made to measure Elvis jump suit with the bling and the belt cost ? You will have to read on to find out .

I am putting this post together at the Royal Hotel – Sunday arvo and the patrons are warming up for the night ahead. Villanelle has been lapping up the pats all day – now the raucous crowd in the public bar are keeping her entertained . One wag wanted to know that, given her service dog status, if she would rip his arm off if he came close ……

She has done the rounds – one of the event staff claiming me for a discussion on the ins and outs on becoming a service dog.
So much cooler today – conducive to giving the plastic a workout at the markets. Wardrobe additions – a little pink Priscilla number complete with petticoat and belt and a cute dress made by a clever lady recycling bed spreads and lace doilies !

After an exhausting five days,the king has left the building.

Back to dusty old Peak Hill Showgrounds where it’s blowing a gale.

Tomorrow – Beechworth in the Victorian high country. Spared by the fires . Mustn’t forget the accommodation payment- $75 cash in the honesty box for Trev. Everything tinged slightly red courtesy of the gale blowing dust everywhere and through everything. Till next time!

ps – jump suit cost? $6,000!!

The Kelpie and the caravan .

Road notes: Days 1–3

There’s something buzzy about getting behind the wheel of my diesel-guzzling Toyota Sahara, hitched to the very fancy Jayco caravan, and heading off. It’s a sense of adventure with a little risk — nervousness touched with a dollop of freedom. Liberating. No domestic duties to speak of. Footloose and fancy-free, so to speak.

Have I planned the daily driving to cater for some less-than-friendly roads? Perhaps not enough. The first worst so-called highway award goes to Queensland. Cunningham’s Gap — one lane up, one lane down — get to the bottom and breathe again. The road to Warwick is mostly 60 km an hour. I’ve been driving it for fifty years. It’s never been 60, and it’s not in any worse repair than it’s ever been.

So when you finally set off, it’s a little anticlimactic. In the car with the dog, five hours of driving ahead, hoping your calculations — time and distance-wise — come good. It’s the bouncy backroads that link the little towns, some of which seem caught in an absolute time warp.

It’s technically day three. It’s hot — very hot. Mid-forties, according to the blonde little weather lady forecasting doom and gloom. It’s Australia. It’s January. And I’m on my way to sizzle at the Elvis Festival.

Be careful with the toilet. It’s great to have a loo on board, but they’re sensitive little creatures. Note to self: do not overload the toilet with tissues — from my nose or any other part of my body.

If I’m being super honest, caravan technology is brilliant. Everything opens and shuts beautifully. I’ve had a caravan before, so most things are familiar. I think I’ve got it all sorted. These vans are equipped with everything — shower, toilet, washing machine, air-conditioning, heaps of storage, retractable awning with LED strip lights, a pop-out bed. And yet there’s always something you don’t know until the chips are down.

I’m in Orange in thirty-five-plus heat, trying to work out how to separate the screen door from the main door.

All of a sudden:

“Hey lady — do you need a hand? Are you trying to separate your door?”

“Yes,” I say sheepishly.

“You just turn the handle the other way, love.”

Of course you do.

The first little hiccup was the fridge. First night, late-ish check-in. I go through the motions — connect the power, connect the water, check the lights, turn on the van power — but the fridge keeps beeping and flashing. What to do? Eventually, we establish that said fridge needs rebooting. Really? Anyway, it works. Hopefully the contents are okay.

Next thing: these caravans are amazing. I have more storage than in my own house. Everything is organised and neat — and then reality hits. You can’t remember where you put anything. Seriously. Big problem.

Yesterday was long — over 400 kilometres from Glen Innes to Tooraweenah. The roads weren’t especially user-friendly, particularly Inverell to Narrabri.

Today I’ve made it to Orange. I’ve also managed to connect the phone to the laptop, so I don’t need to rely on park Wi-Fi. The kelpie is happy — she’s had a bath and a treat from Petbarn.

I’m looking forward to a day with Cath and Trevor, then it’s on to Peak Hill, just down the road. Elvis Festival, here I come.

Trevor from Peak Hill Showgrounds has offered me a very large esky.

I’ve tested my Amazon acquisition — a support dog harness for my beautiful kelpie. We did the rounds today: Coles, the pub — no questions asked.