Our 10 Highlights of the Great Western Escape

1.    Favourite Location: Broome/Kalbari

2.    Most memorable: Pinnacles /Steep Point

3.    Best Value; Caravan Park/National Park: Busselton/ NT National Parks

4.    Scenic Drive: Kimberleys (from Fitzroy Crossing - to - Kunnunara)

5.    Most Challenging Drive: Branco's Crossing (El Questro)

6.    Best Station Stay: Home Valley Station

7.    Favorite Beach : Cape Leveque

8.    Things not to be taken for granted:
          Steven: phone/internet service
          Jenni:   running water from a tap/flushing toilet(s)

9.    Longest Drive:  Shark Bay, Denham - to - Steep Point WA return, 472 Kms

10.  Our Recommendation: JUST DO IT!

Trip Figures

The final trip fuel figures are in:

Total Km : 22 168Km

Total Diesel : 4868.65 L

Total Diesel Cost : $8113.38

Average Fuel Economy : 21.96 L/100Km

Most Expensive Fill : Mobil Nullabour Plains $2.06 Litre

Biggest Fill : Dubbo 106.51 L / Kununurra 106.37 L

Most Expensive Fill : Kununurra $197.74 (just finished Gibb River Rd)

Most Expensive Economy : Nullabour Plains 29.86 L/100Km JQ

Longest Single Towing Trip Without a Refill : 419.6Km Moree to Dubbo

Scariest Service Station : Wilcannia  NSW

Most Interesting Service Station : Yunta SA. V8 Supercar Transporters


Original Estimates

Fuel Calculation

Total Direct Km  13180 KM

Estimated Economy 21L/100Km

13180/100 = 131.80

131.80 X 21 = 2800 litres

2800 x $2per/lit = $5600

Double fuel Cost $11 200

TGWE, The Final Voyage

A quick tow

The Great Western Escape (TGWE) comes to an end.  Today we packed the caravan for the last time.   With no previous issues with the car we were laughing when the car would not start on our last trip home.  After a quick clutch start, aided by Grandpa, and two little boys giving great directions, we were on our way. Grandma and Grandpa took the boys home whilst Steven and Jen travelled in what seemed to be an eternity of peace without the boys.  

TGWE (The END)

Washing the Caravan

Steven, Jen, Jacob and Zachary are all helping to wash the caravan.

HOME SWEET HOME!

Hervey Bay

Hervey Bay

We surprised Grandma and Grandpa and arrived on Sunday rather than Monday.  The boys were beside themselves and had SOoooo much to tell G'ma and G'pa.  It has been great to catch up with family.  Gran and Pop were expected, but Pop pulled ligaments in his back poor dear.

Jen, Jacob and Zachary

    

Both Jacob and Zachary had a sleep over in G'ma and G'pa's caravan. 

Jen & Steven

Steven and Jen took off for the day and had lunch at a little French patisserie, walked along the jetty.  We ended the night at a lovely chinese restaurant and then finished with a movie, "Red Dog".  Which we might add, we drove past the Red Dog memorial twice when we were in Dampier for the day.  The movie bought back fond memories of the Pilbara, Western Australia.

Rockhampton

Jen & Michelle

We did an unexpected detour  into Rockhampton for a few days to visit Jen's close friend from school who lives near Emu Park, just south of Yeppoon.  When we arrived into Rockhampton we also were reminded that Steven's cousin, Phil and his gorgeous wife, Ren, live there, so we caught up with them.   Younger brother, Pete's,  mother-in-law, also lives at Emu Park, so we drove past, but they weren't home at the time.

                        

                              The boys played well together       The BEST spread to welcome us

Table check

 Steven would often place Zachary on top of the table to check that the table was tied down.  Thumbs up was our indication of a secure item.

Anakie

The Tree Of Knowledge

We drove through Barcaldine and saw The famous "Tree of Knowledge".

 It is said that in 1891 a group of protesting sheep shearers founded the Australian Labor Party under the tree. 

Richardson Street

We stayed overnight in Anakie where we discovered the caravan park is on Richardson Street.

Our new mascots

7.0 metre wide load (move on over!)

LSODE/Stockman Hall of Fame (Longreach)

Longreach School of Distance Education (LSODE)

For our teaching friends, you guys would find this incredibly fascinating!! 

Students work (LSODE)

Stockman's Hall of Fame

True Entertainment and lots of laughs

Shear enjoyment on Zachary's face

The boys loved the live show

Great Day

Tropic of Capricorn

Afternoon entertainment at the caravan park

Qantas Museum (Longreach)

Qantas Founders Museum

Secrets of the 747 Tour

Rolls Royce (RB211-524-D4) Engine

This is the only place in Australia where you're able to take a photo in a Qantas Rolls Royce Engine.

Boeing 747 - 238B VH - EBQ "City of Bunbury"

Boeing 707 Restoration Tour

The Boeing 707 fleet was the first civilian aircraft Qantas registered in Australia.  The 707 replaced the propeller driven Super Constellations, making the flight quieter and halving the flying time on Qantas overseas routes.  Qantas bought 13 of the Boeing 707 in its fleet and the above aircraft was the first, original aircraft.  This aircraft had been restored by a team of engineers and returned 47 years after it first touched down.  The 13th Boeing 707 aircraft is still flying and owed by John Travolta the actor/pilot.

Future Pilot?

Longreach

Steven surprised us all with a helicopter ride

Preparation with the headset

Jacob and Steven

Anticipation 

The eagle has landed

The shear joy on Jacob's face says it all!  A huge thank you to Pete and Kelly for a fun afternoon!!!

High five!

Winton

Entrance

This is the entrance to the Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways, Winton.  The building behind is approximately half an acre and designed to protect this magnificent dinosaur stampede.  

Dinosaur Stampede

 (look on the right of this photo under the lights, you'll see the meat-eating dinosaur track)

It is believed that Lark Quarry was part of a great river plain where dinosaurs used to gather and drink at the lake.  ~ 200 dinosaurs, ranging from the size of a chicken to an emu gathered to drink.  

"A huge meat-eating theropod, smaller than a Tyrannosaurus, approached the lake. It slowed, saw the other dinosaurs gathered at the water’s edge and began to stalk, then turned and charged. The stampeding herd of smaller dinosaurs left a chaotic mass of footprints in the mud as they ran to escape".  

Positive rock imprint of dinosaur tracks

Waltzing Matilda Centre

Billabong scene

Dinosaur prints in the Waltzing Matilda Museum 

Steven learnt how to crack a whip

Jen knows how to crack a whip, just not this one!

Musical Fence

The boys jamming 

The Musical Fence Park

Corfield & Fitzmaurice Building

This Building is located in town and shows a scaled model version of the stampede of what we saw out at  Lark Quarry. The building also housed a museum of Winton's history and a wonderful store with crafts handmade by the people of Winton.

Dinosaur stampede

Winton's rubbish bins are dinosaur feet. Very cool!