Sunday, September 23, 2012

Loyalty to Musgrave Station 21-9-12

We have met some very nice people on our travels and Peter and Jenny are amongst them.  Peter has been a baker and now works for a very large food company called Kerry’s.  Last night he made us a French onion soup and brie damper and brought it up to the restaurant when we were having our pre dinner drinks.  Yummy!!  We had then had tea there so that we could get our cooking stuff packed for tomorrow’s take-off.

While we were sitting at our table, the crayfish men pulled in.  SIGH.  Have been waiting for them, but can’t buy a crayfish now that we are leaving tomorrow.

I thought I would mention some of the interesting people we have met (more for my own memory than any interest it might hold you)

Hani and Franz (from Switzerland but now aussies)

Anne (Loyalty camping ground, boy could she talk, but interesting)

Phillip and Sonja (South African ex policeman now aussie, wife Sonja – aussie who lived in Africa for many years – Rhodesia)

Shane the govt pig shooter

Eve and Chris, they seemed to follow us from camp to camp

Crazy Peter (we stayed at his park in Weipa)

Road crew at Musgrave Station – 11 /11 hour days on, 3 days off.  Accommodation, 3 meals per day plus smoko, paid for by the company.

DSC00674We stopped for lunch at Archer River Roadhouse and caught up with the friendly folk who gave us the fish at Vrylia, they told us that the fire that was burning when we were there, came through the track and some large trees had fallen across it.  This track is one car wide with scrub on either side, so it made it difficult to get out.  Apparently a bull dozer came in as well and made the bridge crossing a bit safer.

In the car park at Archer river was a Ute type thing with a tray, there were 5 or 6 very large dead pigs on it and three pig dogs in a cage.  We looked around the cafe and spotted some likely lads and asked DSC00667them if they were the pig shooters. “Pig stabbers” said one.  Apparently the pig dogs put the pigs at bay and the men come in and stab them.  Dangerous work.  There was a competition at Weipa for the largest pig.  As Tony said, can you imagine what it will be like in Weipa, hundreds of pigs, none gutted, 34C, Whew!!!  I wonder how they dispose of them?

On the way to  Musgrave Station Tony got a flat tyre, it was one of his new ones, but apparently his tyres have tubes in them and some of them are cheap  Chinese imports that split.  He has to check this out when we are camped. 

The school holidays commenced this weekend and we encountered convoys of campervans & tinnies heading north, resulting in driving blind following or passing..

As we went to start off after helping with the tyre, the Prado would not start, Michael tried again and she kicked over.  Hmmm

Got to Musgrave station, drove into our camp site, Michael went to move the car and……she would not start. 

We camped and went to tea, watch a bit of the rugby finals on the TV in the restaurant. We will try to jump start her in the morning.

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