Category: Dispatches
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Arriving in Cairns: Swapping Outback Dust for Tropical Rainforest
Our First Few Days in Cairns: From Red Dirt to Rainforest We’ve been in Cairns for a few days now, crashing at a mate’s place while we hunt for jobs. It’s an odd feeling, swapping life on the road for something that almost resembles normality. The weather has been gloriously…
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Mount Isa Repairs Complete: Heading to Cairns via the Tablelands
From Mount Isa to Cairns: Back on the Road at Last At last, the Hiace is sitting in a Toyota workshop instead of making unsettling noises in caravan parks. We collected the new power steering pump from the post office yesterday and somehow managed to book the van in for…
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Camping at the Boulia Camel Races: Our First Night at the Racecourse
Our First Night Camping at the Boulia Camel Races There are certain milestones in life that deserve recognition. Graduating from school, buying your first home, falling in love. Today, I achieved my first proper shower in five days. We packed up camp this morning and rolled into Boulia to top…
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The Cost of Camping in Boulia: Outback Grocery Prices, Van Life & a Power Steering Fix
Yesterday was unexpectedly productive, which is not something I get to say very often these days. After ringing what felt like every mechanic within a three-hundred-kilometre radius, I finally found a Toyota dealership willing to fit a new power steering pump. Still, I’d need to supply the part. “We’ll fit…
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Free Camping at Boulia Before the Camel Races
Free Camping in Boulia Before the Camel Races Begin One of the unexpected side effects of unemployment is developing a very loose relationship with the calendar. When you don’t have meetings, deadlines or a boss asking where you’ve been, Tuesday has all the authority of Saturday. The only reason I…
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How We Accidentally Got Offered a Job at the Middleton Hotel
A Stop at One of Queensland’s Most Isolated Pubs It’s funny how opportunities present themselves. Some people network, others update their LinkedIn profile. I apparently repair cash registers in pubs that have been waiting for customers since the horse-and-cart era. Will and I left Winton this morning, continuing our slow…
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Van Life Problems: Power Steering Failure and a Slow Puncture in Outback Queensland
Power Steering Failure in Winton | Van Life Australia The mechanic finally managed to squeeze us in. He listened to the Hiace for all of thirty seconds before delivering the diagnosis with the confidence of a man who has spent decades disappointing travellers. “Power steering pump.” Apparently ours has decided…
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Bridge Creek Rest Area Review: Is This Free Camp Near Adelaide River Worth Staying At?
Free Camping at Bridge Creek Rest Area, NT If you’re leaving Darwin and heading south, Bridge Creek Rest Area is one of the first free camps you’ll come across. Sitting around 33 kilometres south of Adelaide River on the Stuart Highway, it’s an easy overnight stop for anyone travelling towards…
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Stranded in Winton: When Our Toyota Hiace’s Check Engine Light Came On
Stranded in Winton: A Check Engine Light, a Toyota Hiace and Outback Hospitality The trip from Walkabout Creek to Winton was considerably more exciting than we’d planned, thanks to a glowing check-engine light and what we’re now fairly certain is the power steering auditioning for an early retirement. When we…