All dressed up

Since leaving Albany on Monday, I have travelled all the way to Cranbrook - less than a hundred kilometres. I knew some of the solos were coming here for a few days. I didn't expect to see about 15 of the Big Rigs and another twenty or so motorhomers as well as about 15 solos.For $5 a night, we have a lovely grassed area, showers and toilets and access to the Sports Club.

Yesterday we went to the Club for the Melbourne Cup luncheon. Somehow we all managed to brush up well enough to fit in to the large group at the club. The organisers were lovely and despite the fact that some of us had arrived too late to book, they set up an extra table and squeezed us in for the best $20 meal I have ever had - cold meat and prawns, amazingly original salads, pavlova and strawberries!

Melbourne Cup day is all about fashion - and we know how to be fashionable.  What elegance! It is quite amazing what we have stashed away in our small motorhomes and campervans.

Joan Collins

Nancy

Mel & Rosemary

Cathy, Cathy, Nancy, Margaret, Joan, Monica, Mel

Hilly in his best dress

Maggie & Kay

Alan Hill

Kev doing his Laurel & Hardy impersonation

I remember this

I remember Granny having these black and white catalogues delivered a couple of times a year. They advertised everything from prams to pantaloons, from crochet cotton to crowbars, from marmalade to milking machines. It is worth enlarging the photos to see the prices and descriptions.

Albany

I can't believe our ten days at Albany have finished.I have mixed feelings about it.The rally was, by CMCA standards, small with about 580 rigs and only a few trade stands. That was disappointing. I was also disappointed by the lack of a common area to meet fellow travellers.As the weather was less than perfect, there were not many opportunities to meet outside my existing circle of friends.

Having said that, I now know a lot of solos and probably a couple of dozen couples and we certainly managed to socialise. The solos met for happy hour every day and tried to get together at the evening entertainment. I went to the Rock & Roll lessons with Geoff and Carol and enjoyed both the exercise and the company.

As with any event, you can do as much or as little was you like. I met cousin Donna for coffee a couple of times, did a bit of shopping, played card games, had lunch or dinner at the sports club, attended a Poets' Breakfast, dressed up for the dinner dance and managed to keep busy.

Next year's rallies have been set - Forbes and somewhere close to Canberra for the solos, Bathurst and Canberra for the CMCA. The following year we will be in Tasmania. I could get used to this life. I will certainly try to get to the solos rallies and will see how I feel about the big ones after Bathurst which may have as many as 1500 motorhomes so will be a very different experience.

Wagin Solos Rally

Hello Friends,  I am having a ball. I travelled across the Nullarbor with a fellow solo and met quite a few travellers. By the time I got to the solos' rally at Wagin, I had met about 20 others. The first timers (50 or more) went in two days early and got to know each other before the next 120+ arrived. We had a busy program of dancing, technology, games, dinners etc, finishing with a talent quest on Sunday night. Without skiting ( well, okay, with skiting) I wrote a couple of campfire type songs that the entire group joined in. Lots of the oldies said it was the best first timers item they had seen - hence the skiting! I also did a news broadcast with several roving reporters. I wrote all the scripts with a great deal of humour. It was easily the best item of the night (skiting again). Oh, and our table won the quiz night as well!

I am currently in a convoy of about 20 solos going from Wagin to Albany, taking 5 days to get there. One of the WA women organised our accommodation and gave suggestions for side trips during the day. We meet up at night for campfires etc. Some travel together, some meet up at various places and others go straight to the accommodation and have a lazy day. Tomorrow I am sleeping in, driving straight to Walpole where we are free camping at the pub, and just lazing around. Friday we are due at Albany for 8 days.

After Albany, I will travel for about a month and then head home, hoping to be back in Brisbane by about 5th December.

Shannon and Margaret O'R

May, David, Jolanta, Monica

May, Russell, Jolanta, Monica

Cathy, Johanna, Lyn, David

Shannon, Jane, Angry, Carmel (hiding Russell), Margaret, Johanna, Cathy, Lyn, David, May

Margaret & Cathy (Johanna behind)

Lyn, David, May, Russell, Jolanta

Brian being interviewed by Monica

Ros being interviewed by Monica

Ros and her poem

Watching the talent

The two songs we sang were to the tunes of The Gypsy Rover and Rock My Soul.

 The Gypsy Rover

                                                

We’re friendly folk and we love to greet

Friends old and new that we me-ee-et                                                          

We spend some time and we’re on our way

Travelling the nation’s hi-i-igh-ways. Chorus                                             So give us freedom and wave us goodbye                                     Don’t ask when, where or wh-y                                         We pity those who will never know                           The joy of travelling so-o-o-lo.

                    

                                   

As you see, we’re a motley crew                          

Ex-cepting me and yo-ou                                                      

We travel a-lone but we’ll share your load                                            

Be-cause we’re mates on the  ro - o- ad

Chorus

                                           

It’s not about family or work or home                                   

It’s all about where we ro- oam.                                                            

It’s where we’re going and where we’ve been                            

And every-where in betw-e- een.

Chorus

Repeat chorus

Rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham

We’re saying goodbye to this rally for solos

We’re saying goodbye to this rally for solos

We’re saying goodbye to this rally for solos

We’re having a ball, oh Lordy!

Chorus

Chorus

Solos, camped to the left of us

Solos, camped to the right of us

Solos, camped all around us.

We’re having a ball, oh Lordy

Let’s give a hand to the organisers

Let’s give a hand to the organisers

Let’s give a hand to the organisers

We’re having a ball, oh Lordy!

Chorus

                  

Let’s say thanks to the volunteers

Let’s say thanks to the volunteers

Let’s say thanks to the volunteers

We’re having a ball, oh Lordy!               

Chorus

Raise your hand if you’re going to Albany

Raise your hand if you’re going to Albany

Raise your hand if you’re going to Albany

We’re having a ball, oh Lordy!

Chorus

We’ll see you all next year at Forbes

We’ll see you all next year at Forbes

We’ll see you all next year at Forbes

We’re having a ball, oh Lordy!     

Chorus

Repeat Chorus 
(We could have gone on forever but decided we should give others a go.)

                                                          

Tin Horse Highway

I spent the last couple of nights in Kulin. The town offers 72 hours free RV parking, with toilets and showers. Over the three days I was there, I met another 6 going to the Solos rally and probably a dozen couple heading for Albany at the end of the month. The camping area has a tin for depositing receipts. It gives the town businesses an idea of how much free campers spend in these small towns. Those I spoke to had spent anywhere from $50 to well over $300. It is easy to do. Just to fill the van costs me up to $100, depending on the local prices. Add a couple of meals at the cafe and a few drinks at the pub, and there is not much change from $200 - and that is without grocery shopping.

Having the NRL grand final on Sunday meant a long evening at the pub for dozens of eastern state football supporters.Just in case I forget, the Cowboys tied with the Broncos in the last minute of play and then went on to win by one point with a field goal by Thurston in extra time. This was the first all-Queensland grand final and was a cliff hanger to the end.

The big fund raiser in Kulin is the annual Bush Races over three days. I arrived on the last day and didn't go to the races. A few years ago a local lady made a tin and hessian horse to advertise the Race Day and mark the turnoff to the field. This became an annual challenge with hundreds of tin horses made over the years. Some have been there for years. Others are proudly replaced in time for the event. I drove the Tin Horse Highway three times and know that there were still some that I missed. I took far more photos than I needed to but couldn't resist just one more.

kulin.wa.gov.au/main/tourism/tin-horse-highway

Mainly Photos

The wild flower season i over but there is still plenty of colour

 

The causes of death - with so many dying of thirst!

 

These salt lakes are fascinating. A photo can't do
them justice - I should stop trying

The little town of Hyden is the closest to Wave Rock.
It has an imaginative way of portraying the town's history

Wave Rock - an amazing formation