Big Adventures of a Little Muppet Dog - Part VI - Dogblog

Big Adventures of a Little Muppet Dog

June 29 to July 9

Day -119 to 129

Well, after the fright of thinking I'd been left at the police station and face planting on the path in Forsayth, we are off again! Berta -  the BT50, reaches 46,000kms, but for this trip we've driven over 15,000kms! I can't even fathom my paws waking that, I think they be totes worn out. 

We leave Forsayth very early, for us, and headd north to Normanton through a lot of ruff road. Ma sees a turtle crossing the road, her favourite animal, so the car is stopped and Ma helps it cross the other side of the road with ease.

Lots of bovine around and through Georgetown, Croydon we cruise and we stop at Normanton........

......but no free free camping here so the folks decide to keep driving north to Karumba, which is in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Ended up paying for a caravan spot, last spot available, but worth it for the amazing beach sunset. We seemed to have got a great spot as all other tin can spots look a bit squished. I think they'd hear me chasing bunny rabbits in my sleep, they are that close. We all feel lucky and set up camp for just one night. Karumba Point Tourist Park is a fairly big park that is well organised, friendly and clean and with many other dogs and friendly people, we all decide its a great park. I of course plank and observe how quick they set up these days, my favourite thing because I get more time for walks and cuddles. After watching yet another sunset we head back to the tin can for din dins.

Lots of kangaroos around and the biggest insects. Ma talks to Aunty Suse on the phone and it's funny watching Ma move around to various spots due to the insects jumping on her head or she'd put her hand on a fence stump and a huge insect be sitting there, woof! I continue laughing at Ma until I whine at a bandicoot or something little and furry. It smells me and dashes off. Stinky thing. After a cruisy night planking and chasing furry animals they pack up and head through Normanton but this time stop for a beverage at The Purple Pub before getting some grocery shopping done, very expensive I hear the folks say but has to be done. I hope they didn't skip on my food!

The folks eat lunch in the park whilst I quietly observe the kites flying above me. These birds are the seagulls of the North! After we head off I can't help but notice how many tin cans are on the road, oodles of them. We head south west, along the Burke Developmental Road and the Wills Developmental Road, to Burke and Wills Roadhouse for fuel. Between you and me I'm not so sure what the fuss is about with these two explorers. They weren't good trackers, didn't have a dog to show them direction and then they hid their food under a tree before they carked it along with all their explorers mates. I must investigate their history more and understand why they are such "legends". 

After a six hour, lllooonnnngggg, drive which we only covered 320kms due to rough roads, we camp at a free camp at Gregory Downs. We camp up in the allocated area and go for a walkie down to the riverbed where loads of tin cans are housed, even though they aren't supposed to apparently. It's nice and cool down there, humans have set up camp all along the river. We walk back to our campsite which hasn't the amount of vans like down by the creek, it's quiet here and I spot a few furrys around which is always a good sign. Another night goes by and I wake up the next day to the sound of small birds playing outside the tin can, Ma thinks I want a walk but I need to find where their poo is to roll in it and disguise myself and maybe eat one, I planned to do this, but of course Ma thought differently and the birds were long gone once I'd escaped the tin can. We saw the end of sunrise and before I planked whilst they set down, we were off again, heading west. The drive had extremely dusty roads with these loud frightening metal sounds would occur every so often (cattle grids -EN), and I peaked on this journey. Too much for a lil Muppet dog. Soon, my plan worked and I was sitting on Ma's lap getting extra cuddles. The rough roads was worth it as we settled into Adeles Grove for three nights, in the dog area which was of course the best area. I had so much fun here, big court style campsite where I could chase balls and bare my teeth to frighten any of the other dogs off, tough Muppet sometimes. Once we'd set up, the folks put me in my bicycle basket and we choofed off, when we got to the destination my toe got caught in some piece of metal from the basket and I howled. It felt like time stood still as EVERYONE looked at us and lots of "awwww's" were heard as the humans realised what had happened. Pa rescued me and all was well, laughed ensued and time ticked on again.

 

We swam in the grove although I was a bit scared as I heard crocodiles might be in here and if my folks were eaten, who'd look after me?! I wasn't enjoying it so I was taken back to the tin can by Pa and he left me there to return to swimming. I was happy with this, I dreamt of chasing crocodiles away and saving my folks lives.
 

When they returned, I was told I was seeing my Aunties again! Yay, Aunty Phil, Hauley, Rhonda and Jude. Licks and jumps all round. They were so excited to see me and had come a long way just to visit me. We all caught up over fish and chips, well I had a few wee bits snuck my way of course, it's amazing what these brown eyes can do, I must use them more to my advantage! Woof! 

The next morning, as the hopping furrys went past us, the folks had to leave me in the tin can as they drove to Lawn Hill, some people we've met say it's the best place in Australia. I'll never know as furrys aren't allowed there. The folks said I would have loved it and would have been no problem to the environment, they kayaked up two gorges and did heaps of swimming. Hot day today but comfortable for me in the tin can and when they came back I greeted them by my usual bouncing around and i did run around outside because it's one of my favourite things. The park here where we are staying is dry but comfortable. No electricity up here or down in the grove section. The Grove section is a lot cooler, greener and heaps more people. Apparently it's the popular part of the park but seemed very noisy when we were there, school holidays I heard which I think means the little humans aren't spending their day times in a room learning about stuff, they come to places like this and experience the real world.

 

The next day the folks and Aunties had to leave me again for a few hours as they went back and did some of the walks around Lawn Hill. Whilst they were gone i chatted to the dogs around camp as they'd been left alone too, it was fab to catch up with the gossip on the dog world, I can't obviously write a lot that I hear as its only for us dogs of Alveridgea.  After a third night we left Adeles Grove and headed south and after travelling back on that same rough road we got to Gregory Downs and the folks noticed they had a cut in the tyre. After some huffing and puffing, whilst I found a dead hoppy to sniff, it was fixed and to Cloncurry where we stayed our last night with the Aunties. It felt sad leaving them as I felt like they'd become part of the family. I made sure and gave them few extra licks the next morning so they wouldn't forget me, pfftt...as if!

So we become solo again and headed to Mt Isa for two nights, staying at a free camp at a truckie stop which was just north of the town. When you see the big truckie stop, just drive off to the dirt track and park there. We had two nights here, oh and the airport is next door.  I don't think any of us slept well that night with the road trains zooming past, and other weird night time noises. My Isa is a big town and Pa got some work done for the car fridge and whilst he was waiting he went to the cinema to see Terminator, Ma and I chillaxed in this weird camp spot. We all went to the look-out for sunset which was nice although being a mining town we watched it go down on the mountain just right of the mine structures! I had my usual food for dinner, ooh yeah dinner, my favourite thing, and Ma made pizzas. I think we all slept a tad better tonight and there was another camper here as well so we always feel a little more comfortable knowing someone is nearby, strange how that is.
 

The next morning Ma checked out the underground hospital in the city and we visited yet another cemetery before leaving town and visiting Lake Moondarra but no furrys allowed so just a drive through. What do humans have against our kind. Some mutt or human owner must have ruined it for the rest of us.

 

Off we continued to drive through sporadically spread gum trees and heaps of termite mounds, where many have clothes on them! They give me a fright as I think someone is in the bushes! We arrive at Camooweal and free camp along the river bed, not much water near the bridge unfortunately as I could feel a swim coming on, but what a huge place. A few humans in their tin cans but with so much room, we don't have to camp too near others. Although it seems the humans in tin camper vans seem to like camping right up the tin cans butts. I am left to my thoughts and devices as the folks head to the pub to watch some game called State of Origin. a few hours later when it was dark, I hear them try to find the tin can once the game was over and I did think I could bark to let them know where I was, but its too funny listening to them argue about not bringing a torch and having to download torch on their phones, my eyes water up with tears of laughter just writing about it. We all sleep well and the next day my eyes glaze over almost as much as Ma's when we hear about the huge win again and again but Pa was on such a high due to QLD winning so we endured it of course, we had to put a flag (found in pub - EN) up on the tin can as well. This high went for a few weeks and as I type Pa is talking to Aunty Scott about it, such passion.

 

As we pack up the next day, eyes a bit bleary, kites circle above me and I'm glad I'm tied to this lead otherwise I'd be bird food! So only a few minutes drive and we enter The Northern Territory, woohoo, (after about 97 days in Queensland and remaining on the Camps 8 book, page 17/18 for yonks, I can safely say we made it  - EN). Through flat landscape and seeing huge road trains that are 53.5 metres long - are you thinking what I'm thinking? -  A load of tyres to pee on, I know!! Pa enjoys the drive as its 130km/hour although with the tin can he doesn't drive that fast.......more on NT to follow....