BUSHABOUT - April_May - King Ash Bay

Two days on the road and KING ASH BAY is like old home week, Ron and Heather, Doug (Mavis in Paris) John and Liz, Ian and Marion, Eric and Peg - the list goes on!!

Setting up our camp and notice Doug having Sat. dish problems - what next an 'APP' on his I-pad with the elevations and heading required.

Our camp 90% setup - the afternoon sun taking it's toll with the side wall shading but radiating HEAT!! Hence the extra bit of shade cloth.

Yep! it's a jungle down to the river, but______

The hand slasher / or mallee root slasher we used as kid's
on the farm, it made short work of it all.

Tinnie's in the water a good to go!

Having removed the Sub Woofer box and Amplifier in the shed - 6kg less, it was time to look at the associated wiring, and 12 stack CD player that was surplus to requirements.

Another 3.5kg removed - BUGGER no sound! Opp's what have 'I' done now. Some one's not impressed!! Managed to get the external speaker to work. Then come Monday morning ring Daniel - who's Daniel you may ask, he was Sound In Motion's audio installer at Bushtracker back in 03. How do I know this - long story, the short version Doug whom is on his 4th Bushtracker we meet at the Douglas Daly gave me Daniels number whom now has his own business, if we ever needed any info or products for our BT. One call and Daniel had it sorted to get the AUX back on the radio. A complicated sequence but it now written down and it works. It will be needed again when every the unit is powered down completely - Whew!

Thought we had issue's - Bryson and Scott - way over loaded, with new suspension package shipped in. Real 'BUSH MACHANIC'S' The timber chocking was not going to collapse.

Our 1st Barra's this trip alas - under size!

Morning MAGIC!

More tagged Barra

Its' HOT! on the water with no breeze.

It's legal - 580mm - Dinner

Another project that did not get done in THE SHED. Battery box has been moving for some time only 4-5mm but enough to do some damage to the cable. Sure lucky both cables did not ware and ark out. Battery box only held in place with 4 wood screw's. It's now Sikaflex (marine grade) to the floor along with chocking block sikaflex externally around the box.

Sun-downer - Sue, Heather, Garnet, Joy and Ron.

Day o the water with Doug - live bait as we head out to the mouth of the Crooked.

Boat name = 'FILLET_N_RELEASE 11' They later held up 1/2 a good size Barra, with a good shark bite

More tagged BARRA

Up here they call it 'BOTTOM BASHING' - bait fishing, your got to be good to catch-em this small on 6/0 hooks

It's sit and WAIT!

We did get a good Blue Nose Salmon

The evening sky is filled with 'FRUIT BAT's' 15-20 minutes for this lot to fly past the camp.

Red Backed - tba

More yak time - Linday, Reg, Ron

Ladies in the shade - Heather, and Evylone

My orphaned chair found at the Mitre Eleven.

Sue's birthday dinner - roast PIG, with heaps of teeth breaking crackle. No teeth were broken by the way!

Heather with BUSH flowers for Sue's birthday.

Dougs setting up to set off some fire works left over from a party.

The fire crew - yes the grass below the river bank got alight, I did all the fire fighting - this was the back-up crew with water buckets and hessian bags at the ready.

Calm water's - GPS reading 38.5kph

In 'ACTION'

Fresh Water Croc's stalking us - just in case we get a big fish on.

Ron and Heather packing - we are off fishing!

Last pack of Coffin Bay Oysters - thanks Anthony, sorry Trudge!

Looks like a Thread-fin Salmon but no whiskers or forked tail and not in my fish I.D. book

Allan a long term resident - laid to rest. He wanted a Viking send off.

Baking day - Banana Bread fruit loaf

Evening cruise - trolling - no takers

Sitting around yakking at Bill and Luba's camp and this Fruit bat fell out of the tree - right behind Luba. Long handle shovel and he hit the briny.

A keeper - 720mm and 7lb or 3kg, alway's bigger fish in 'mm' and 'lb'

This little fellow was sun baking on the log until we came along.

Modification to battery box - 2mm timber sikaflex and screwed to top of the plywood box. Screw inserts to be added and a new lid installed - dead battery 9.09 volts. When removed found the battery had been dropped - creased corner, not noticed when I installed back in March 2010.

Car port shade did it's job, kept most of the tree and bird dropping off our Troopy.

Bill - is he an Aussie or ______ ?? The hat I salvaged from Mitre 11.

Time to hit the road. Luba's still in her PJ's.

Cheerio's to Bill, Luba, Lindsay, Helen & Evelyn

Next stop _____!

The BIGGEST camp chair you will ever see!

Yes! we are at the Banyan Farm on the Daly River with Doug and Mavis ( back from Paris)

This was a reccy tour - caught up with the owners of Bush Camping on the Daly - Jenny & Lee. David and Judy were out fishing for bull sharks just up the river at Bamboo Creek

Jenny and Sue - the flood level was above the bench seats.

Yep! it's a long way down to the pontoon, don't forget any thing

Looking up river towards Bamboo Creek - forgot to get some photo's of the camp ground - very well done so far. $30 power, $25 un-powered and $12 bush camping per night. They also have their own dump point for cassette toilets. Banyan Farms do not have a dump point!!

The old crossing

Another bush camping site - we get the message!! They have poster's every where - Budget Camping and PHONE # but no one answers.

Flood level 15th April 2013 - 1.18mtr

Bamboo Creek and an incoming tide

Picture book stuff - rack of Lamb, tasted even better.

Another friend made on the road!!

Departed Banyan Farm early and arrived at Hughes Air Field just south of Darwin and the road in now has a LOCKED GATE = BUGGER!!

Thus we ended up at the next best - Corroboree Park with power. We stopped at Beatrice Rest Area - another BT was parked up Rick and Jenny - they had also been at Batten Point just north of King Ash Bay - we spotted their BT when heading up Batten Creek. How ever they mention the MOSSIE'S where big enough to carry you away. Well Beatrice RA is in the middle of the WET LAND'S!

Checking out OUTBACK BATTERIES new show room. We are the 1st official customers at this store (4 new batteires to be picked up in July)

Airport Car Storage - very well set up $5 per day per vehicle, and $5 per day if you require power

$10 per day per vehicle for under cover.

Yes, it's a CATTERY

Contact details - 08-89855474 - 7am - 10am & 1600 - 1800hrs some one is on site feeding and looking after the cats. The owners live on site hence secure. They also have Battery pack to start your vehicle if you battery deplete during your absence. Its very close to the Air Port - $15 by Taxi

Next stop - BARRA FISHING in Songkhla Thailand!!