Hi all.
Well our plans to visit the Flinders Ranges during the school holidays, heading as far up to Arkaroola were well and truly foiled by the rain rain and more rain as a number of you guys already know!
Plan B was The Warrumbungle National Park in NSW where we were able the bypass the floods in Forbes and Parkes (travelling from the south), camping overnight in Culcairn and then Cowra on he way up.
Towing our new Taj with Mr Outback heaven's BT50 was a dream although a bit thirsty at around 18 litres/100kms. We camped on a powered site (no mains water) at Camp Blackman in the Warrumbungles for $11.50 pp per night plus a National Parks entry fee. We managed to do a few fantastic walks while we were there when the weather permitted....Breadknife and Grand High Tops Circuit with the most stunning 360 degree views which we had done 30 years before when Mrs Outback heaven was expecting #1! A bit of a thigh screamer but well worth it. Also did the Belougery Split Rock Circuit which is also a brilliant walk but very steep, narrow and rocky in places and the last 150 mtrs is not for the faint hearted where faded splotches of paint tell you where to put your feet! There are number of terrific minor walks too within the park which also give great views.
A stark reminder of the devastating bush fires that raged through The Warrumbungles in 2013 destroying over 90% of the park.
We were fortunate enough to be able to visit the Siding Spring Observatory located close to Warrumbungles on its Open Day. Very informative lectures, stunning views from the top of the Observatory (open wire walkway got the heart thumping though and was super windy), shuttle buses to take you around and heaps of volunteers who clearly loved all things starry and planetary.
Next stop was The Great Western Plain Zoo at Dubbo which was such a fantastic experience if you like to be up close and personal with wildlife. You can take your own car around the 6 km circuit and simply park near the exhibits, get out and visit and then drive on to the next or you can hire a bike or even a golf buggy. We planned our day around the various ranger talks and feeding times. Very busy and crowded though as it was school hols. Stayed at the Big 4 (Discovery) right near the park. Secure, clean and heaps for the kids to do.
Used our caravan's own washing machine for the very first time and discovered that it's outlet under the van was not the one we thought it was so when the washing machine drained, we flooded the camp next door! Felt dreadful about this but our neighbour was terrific and she joked about their accidental jacuzzi. Lol. Straight to a local Jayco dealer in Dubbo where we bought a washing machine sullage hose! Problem solved and our neighbours stayed dry from then on! The washing machine by the way is a little beauty. Very easy and efficient. Note to self.....if you don't turn off the pump when you are using the washing machine you will drain the tanks very quickly even if you are connected to mains water! Ahhhh you gotta love these shakedown trips!
On our homeward stretch and we headed for Coolac just out of Gundagai for a Farm Stay run by Myles and Louise Sullivan. 3 well appointed, meticulously clean cabins plus powered and unpowered sites with sensation valley and mountain views on 90 acres. Country hospitality, a huge crackling fire pit toasting supplied marshmallows, tranquil location, mooing cows and no rain.. Heaven!
So, hereendeth our little jaunt. 2,000 kms in 2 weeks and our new Taj.....well we love it!
An external reflector fell off and the catch on one of the euro style blinds decided to stop catching on one side but apart from that everything worked really well.
We did have to have the shower tap turned fully to hot when using it for a comfortable shower temp. Apparently the hot water temp is fixed for safety reasons and can't be adjusted (according to the handbook). We found that it really wasn't hot enough though when washing the dishes so we supplemented it with boiling water from the kettle.
The freezer was a bit slower to freeze (even though it had been running for a week beforehand) than in our last van (Expanda) so next trip away we'll put already frozen meat into the van freezer instead of straight from the fridge. The freezer worked really well though during our travels even when we had to buy meat along the way.
Oh yes.... our new baby WeberQ that Jayco Bayswater threw in as part of our sales package was faulty so we couldn't use it but a call to Jayco when we got home and a new one is coming our way this week. Gotta love Jayco!
First mod will be a med sized storage box on the draw bar and a Stone Stomper.
First available time for the Taj's first service is mid Dec.
Next trip planned in Nov is a total bush one where the gas and the solar will be put through its paces. Better check all that out first though from the safety of our driveway...just in case!
