Statistics

4 months, 118 nights, 5 states (theoretically) and 1 territory, 23 610kms travelled.

Here is the fuel (diesel) summary:

Date........Place......$/Lit...Litres......................Cost

9/06/2014 Sydney 1.548 61.......................$94.43
10/06/2014 Orange 1.639 48.14...................$76.97
11/06/2014 Bourke 1.699 153.1......................$260.12
13/06/2014 Cobar 1.689 34.13......................$57.65
14/06/2014 Wilcannia 1.79 49.16....................$88.00
16/06/2014 Tibooburra 1.755 76.93.................$135.01
18/06/2014 Camerons Corner 2.2 23.5............$51.85
21/06/2014 Leigh Creek 1.837 67.52............$124.03
21/06/2014 Copley 1.839 19.58....................$36.01
24/06/2014 Coober Pedy 1.739 18.72.............$32.55
24/06/2014 Coober Pedy 1.739 103.32............$179.67
26/06/2014 Erldunda 2.1 91.91......................$193.01
28/06/2014 Uluru 2.212 73.13........................$161.76
1/07/2014 Kings Canyon 2.33 42.92...................$100.00
6/07/2014 Alice Springs 1.799 75.12.................$135.14
8/07/2014 Alice Springs 1.799 95.45.................$167.90
9/07/2014 Tilmouth Well 2.25 27.98.................$62.96
9/07/2014 Yuendumu 2.489 16.23.....................$40.40
12/07/2014 Halls Creek 1.889 68.35...................$129.11
14/07/2014 Wyndham 1.75 75.41.................$132.00
15/07/2014 Wyndham 1.75 30.79......................$53.88
19/07/2014 Kunnunnara 1.949 66.7.....................$130.00
21/07/2014 Halls Creek 1.889 54.78...................$103.48
21/07/2014 Fitzroy Crossing 1.889 73.96.................$139.71
24/07/2014 Broome 1.769 76.49......................$132.25
30/07/2014 Broome 1.769 38.68.......................$68.42
4/08/2014 Broome 1.759 73.45........................$129.20
5/08/2014 Sandfire Roadhouse 1.968 58.2...........$114.54
6/08/2014 Port Hedland 1.679 86.73................$145.62
9/08/2014 Tom Price 1.789 67.27.....................$120.35
13/08/2014 Parabudoo 1.789 111.22..................$198.97
16/08/2014 Coral Bay 1.763 39.39.......................$69.45
20/08/2014 Exmouth 1.848 82.62..............$152.68
23/08/2014 Carnarvon 1.719 133.55...................$224.23
25/08/2014 Denham 1.779 177.9...............$183.56
29/08/2014 Kalbarri 1.79 63.62...................$113.88
31/08/2014 Leeman 1.559 49.74..................$77.54
1/09/2014 Perth 1.539 64.98........................$97.46
4/09/2014 Margereth River 1.619 70.91.............$114.81
5/09/2014 Augusta 1.569 41.43....................$65.00
8/09/2014 Pemberton 1.62 60.13......................$110.37
10/09/2014 Albany 1.569 53.97...................$84.68
12/09/2014 Albany 1.549 46.63.....................$72.81
14/09/2014 Lake Grace 1.554 70.37....................$109.35
16/09/2014 Esperance 1.619 76.83....................$121.32
18/09/2014 Esperance 1.619 105.11....................$165.97
19/09/2014 Norseman 1.609 38.05.....................$61.22
20/09/2014 Mundrabilla Roadhouse 1.89 60...............$113.4
20/09/2014 Nandroo 1.699 70.44......................$113.29
22/09/2014 Streaky Bay 1.619 40.39....................$65.39
23/09/2014 Port Lincoln 1.498 75.4..................$112.95
25/09/2014 Port Augusta 1.519 63.29......................$96.14
27/09/2014 Renmark 1.557 70.55..................$109.85
28/09/2014 Mildura 1.519 33.38............................$50.70
30/09/2014 Hay 1.559 62.37..........................$97.23
2/10/2014 Parkes 1.529 71.7...........................$109.69

TOTAL.......................3682.66........................$6287.96

3682.66 litres of fuel at the total cost of $6287.96 in 4 months. This equates to an average of 31.2 litres and $53.28 a day. Highest price diesel at Kings Canyon at $2.33/litre. Lowest price at Port Lincoln at $1.498/litre.


Here is the accommodation cost summary:

9/06/2014 Sals..........................................._
10/06/2014 Wanda Wadong......................._
11/06/2014 Bourke
12/06/2014 Bourke..............................$50.00
13/06/2014 Wilcannia.............................._
14/06/2014 Pincally
15/06/2014 Pincally.............................$50.00
16/06/2014 Tibooburra
17/06/2014 Tibooburra..........................$50.00
18/06/2014 Camerons Corner ...............$30.00
19/06/2014 Montcelino Bore ......................_
20/06/2014 Weetootla
21/06/2014 Weetootla ...........................$30.00
22/06/2014 Farina .................................$6.00
23/06/2014 Coober Pedy
24/06/2014 Coober Pedy ........................$50.00
25/06/2014 NT border .............................._
26/06/2014 Uluru
27/06/2014 Uluru
28/06/2014 Uluru
29/06/2014 Uluru ...............................$174.00
30/06/2014 Kings Canyon ........................_
1/07/2014 Tyler Pass ............................... _
2/07/2014 Alice Springs ............................_
3/07/2014 Alice Springs ............................_
4/07/2014 Alice Springs ............................_
5/07/2014 Alice Springs ............................_
6/07/2014 Alice Springs ............................_
7/07/2014 Alice Springs ............................_
8/07/2014 Tanami ......................................._
9/07/2014 Tanami ......................................._
10/07/2014 Tanami ..................................... _
11/07/2014 Tanami Wolfe Creek ........................_
12/07/2014 Halls Creek .............................._
13/07/2014 Wyndham
14/07/2014 Wyndham ................................$90.00
15/07/2014 Elquestro
16/07/2014 Elquestro
17/07/2014 Elquestro ................................$90.00
18/07/2014 Lake Argyle ................................. _
19/07/2014 Pernululu
20/07/2014 Pernululu .................................$50.00
21/07/2014 Fitzroy Crossing ............................ _
22/07/2014 Winjana ..................................$20.00
23/07/2014 Broome
24/07/2014 Broome
25/07/2014 Broome
26/07/2014 Broome
27/07/2014 Broome
28/07/2014 Broome
29/07/2014 Broome ...................................$245.00
30/07/2014 Dampier Penin ...........................$40.00
31/07/2014 Kooljaman
1/08/2014 Kooljaman ................................$150.00
2/08/2014 Middle Lagoon
3/08/2014 Middle Lagoon ............................$102.00
4/08/2014 Road side stop ................................ _
5/08/2014 De Greys ........................................ _
6/08/2014 Port Hedland ................................... _
7/08/2014 Albert Tognolini ................................. _
8/08/2014 Albert Tognolini .................................. _
9/08/2014 Paraburdoo
10/08/2014 Paraburdoo
11/08/2014 Paraburdoo
12/08/2014 Paraburdoo
13/08/2014 Paraburdoo .....................................$125.00
14/08/2014 Coral Bay
15/08/2014 Coral Bay
16/08/2014 Coral Bay ......................................$158.00
17/08/2014 Kurrajong
18/08/2014 Kurrajong
19/08/2014 Kurrajong .......................................$158.00
20/08/2014 Minilya Creek ...................................._
21/08/2014 Red Bluff .........................................$40.00
22/08/2014 Carnarvon ........................................$55.00
23/08/2014 Shark Bay
24/08/2014 Shark Bay......................................... _
25/08/2014 Whalebone ........................................_
26/08/2014 Carrarang ....................................... $10.00
27/08/2014 Galena Bridge ...................................... _
28/08/2014 Kalbarri ...........................................$52.00
29/08/2014 Cliff Head .......................................... _
30/08/2014 Moore River ........................................... _
31/08/2014 Perth Nicoles
1/09/2014 Perth Nicoles ..........................................._
2/09/2014 Pinjarra ............................................... _
3/09/2014 Busselton .............................................. _
4/09/2014 Rosa Glen ................................................ _
5/09/2014 Boranup .............................................. $21.00
6/09/2014 Reelemin
7/09/2014 Reelemin
8/09/2014 Reelemin ............................................$40.00
9/09/2014 Fernhook Camp .................................... $21.00
10/09/2014 Albany
11/09/2014 Albany ............................................... _
12/09/2014 Porongurup
13/09/2014 Porongurup ........................................... _
14/09/2014 Kulin ................................................... _
15/09/2014 Mulginup ............................................. _
16/09/2014 Cape Le Grand
17/09/2014 Cape Le Grand .................................... $51.20
18/09/2014 Norseman .................................................. _
19/09/2014 Madura Pass ............................................. _
20/09/2014 Nandroo .................................................. _
21/09/2014 Streaky Bay ........................................ $41.00
22/09/2014 Elliston ............................................... _
23/09/2014 Port Lincoln ........................................... _
24/09/2014 Whyalla ............................................. $10.00
25/09/2014 Cadell
26/09/2014 Cadell ............................................... _
27/09/2014 Mildura ............................................. _
28/09/2014 Yanga .................................................. _
29/09/2014 Hay ..................................................... _
30/09/2014 Griffith ................................................ _
1/10/2014 Forbes .................................................. _
2/10/2014 Forbes ................................................... _
3/10/2014 Bowenfels ................................................. _
4/10/2014 Dural ........................................................ _
5/10/2014 HOME!!!

TOTAL................................................................$2009.20

$2009.20 accommodation charges over 118 nights equates to an average nightly cost of $17.00 which is $3.40 per person! Can't complain about that! (admittedly the caravan is a considerable cost which must also be factored in)

We do not consider food costs in our statistics as these exist whether we are travelling or not.

Other expenses included mechanical, entries, attractions, tours.

Country towns of NSW

Over the mighty Murray at Mildura and we are back in NSW..... it feels good, surprisingly!
We camped again on the Murray at Bottle Bend Conservation Park. The river was again, like in Cadell, quite spectacular. We followed the Murray up to the Murrumbidgee, spending several night on it as well. Also beautiful. Previously never really appreciated the significance and focus and lifeblood that these rivers are to these areas. Over the next week we did a bit of a tour of some NSW country towns and the two things that hit me most were 1. how friendly and welcoming the towns were and 2. how reasonably priced, actually cheap, actually often even FREE where you would expect to pay something, everything seemed. I guess we are seeing this relative to WA. Here's the NSW country town tour inventory:

BALRANALD
The amazing and very interesting Yanga National Park. Camped there on the Murrumbidgee (no entry or camping fee cost which itself is astounding) Yanga was originally a huge sheep station for over 150 years years employing hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people, and at one point being the largest operating property in the southern hemisphere. Only recently has it become a National Park (around 2007) when the last owners left it to NPs for the public. The focal points of the park are the Homestead on Yanga Lake and the Woolshed on the Murrumbidgee. Both are amazing, the homestead particularly so because it is literally frozen in time; it was left to National Parks with absolutely everything in it, nothing removed, all furniture, books, documents, kitchen, pictures, the lot. And incredibly, you just pick up a key (and audio) from the office and wander at leisure from room to room and through the gardens, locking up behind you. What a privilege it was.

The woolshed.

The boys at Yanga Lake (at the homestead) and Ayla at the Murrumbidgee (at the woolshed)

HAY
What a welcoming and friendly town. Firstly council provide a lovely area on the Murrumbidgee River, Sandy Point, a short walk from the centre, for people to stay with self contained vehicles, and then they offer free bicycles from the visitors info centre. We took them up on both of these and had a lovely morning cycling along the river and through town and up to the Old Gaol Museum.

The Gaol Museum opens your eyes to another dark side to Australias history. The gaol has had numerous functions over its lifetime (gaol, POW camp, hospital) but also including NSW child welfares 'maximum security institution for girls' or literally a place of punishment for girls (13-18 years) transported from Parramatta girls home.

Before we headed out of Hay we had an excellent counter lunch (flathead) at the pub for the dirt cheap cost of $10 each.

GRIFFITH
Another council-provided free camp for self contained recreational vehicles on the lake in Willow Park and walking distance from Banna, the main street of town. Why would anyone stay at a caravan park? There was only two other vehicles there. The Aquatic Centre and City Park were the hits for us here, as well as the bakery where I continued my very own apple turnover tour of country NSW.

FORBES (AND PARKES)
Another one. Thanks again council. Right on Forbes Lake and a short walk over the bridge into the centre of town. This one is quite crowded with lots of other vans. One (I) is very inclined to spend lots of money in town when the town is so welcoming and generous to us. Parkes is only 30 odd km distanced from Forbes and we spent the morning at The Dish near Parkes, which, since my last visit has become a great educational as well as entertaining facility. It was also a very nice surprise to coincidently bump into Kai's friend Chris and family out the front. Reminded us we are now very close to home.

Forbes is the home to the Aussie Biscuit factory which is run by the House of No Steps, an enterprise providing business and job opportunities for people with disabilities. We did a tour of this delightful factory with its colourful workers and stocked up on lots of biscuits!

BOWENFELS
Here we are, back in Bowenfels, where we were Day 1, four months ago, with Susan, Stephen and Spike. We have done a full circle. The kids have been talking about Spike for the last 2 days, 'when will we be at Spikes', 'how long now till Spike', and now we are here, enjoying the comforts of a home. The final short leg back down the mountains to Sydney, Wahroonga, a drive we are quite used to, will eventuate a bit later on today and that will wrap up our 4 month journey, and we will have to start adjusting to life back home, with only the memories (and this blog) of the journey remaining. I guess also a fair amount of red dust, we will probably come across that in various parts of the car and van for months, probably years, to come.

If anyone is interested (perhaps planning a similar journey?!), we will be posting a statistics page outlining kms, petrol, $s etc, so stay tuned.......