King Ash Bay - June thru August

 0738hrs on the road with a late breakfast at Cowell – right on 2 hours and 161k’s. Thru Whyalla and refueled at Shell Pt Augusta 

Lunch at the Arid Land Botanical Gardens, driving conditions good the tail wind thru to Lake Hart

Stats for our 1st day - 541k's, Avg 81.4kph, drive time 6.8hrs, fuel 17.6lhk.

Wind chill factor COLD! With the BLOODY FLIES!! It’s indoors!! Crowded – 25+ van’s and a few camper trailers, view now stuff up with new signage!!

Prior to departure we raided Chris and Fayes chili bush - fresh and into the freezer. 

Whats this? Double 'C' rope track for our new Annex cover. 1 x 5mtr, 4 x 3.5mtr and 4 x 2.5mtr sections all attached to timber secured to the solar panel frames. With sections bolted and worm clamped secured 

Did not move over the 2,858k journey. All to be packed away in our resident 4.2mtr tinne on departure ready for next season 

Our our last stretch into King Ash Bay, overnight at Bullwaddy rest area with only 320ks to go!  0620hrs on the road – one road train, otherwise very little traffic.

Breakfast stop at Cape Crawford and onto KAB – road in – alas the awning outrigger fell twice by the 1^st 2 clips. 

1103hrs office busy so rolled thru and found a camp site on the river bank – next to Jimmy and Betty. Hire camper van leaving  the next day early AM, thus will wait and set up Friday. Meanwhile unloaded the rope track and canvas etc. And got our tinnie from storage, all serviced and ready to go. 

Visit folks – Barry and Annette in their usual spot. Mick and Netta same place as last year. Motor Home Bob this side of Errols usual camp. Brenda in her usual spot. Others unknown to us at this stage. 

0910hrs we hot located into our site, lined up after over night next to motor homers.

Our camp coming together with a brief stop for lunch

What a difference the extra shade over the entire annex makes. Plus the extended shading, now to add sun and privacy screens to the western side .   

Progress is being made, all fits together with enough poles, guide ropes and pegs. 

Tinnie ready to unpack, alas the jockey wheel has rusted off. Replaced with a complete new unit from TJS One Stop in town. No metal left to weld effectively 

All good, no vermin evident - unpacked and now to start the Mod's.

Old flooring with gaps, flooring removed to apply a good fish oil spray and reinstalled with stainless steel self tapers.

Next, marine carpets ex-Chooks horde, ex Boat Supplies as they had just replaced shop carpets. 

Installing with gauge and GPS console, rubber mounted c/w stainless steel bolts and spring washers

Jamie at the servo wired up the Yahama gauges, provided wiring loom not long enough for the tiller ignition power source. 

Day off  - it's a golf day, with my BEEMA golf buggy ex-pram, and Sue's $1 garage sale buggy, with some mods to support the golf bag

New Bimini installed - what difference this makes on a day on the water. Even with vessel and sun movement it's over 50% of the time you are in shade. Plus the advantage of moving around our big tinnie to sit in the shade when bottom bashing

Moorings in and good to go!!

'Boata Home Bob' in convoy so they don't get lost in the 'FOG'

Fully operational. The gauges tell the story - Max RPM only 5,100, 36KPH and 3.2km/ltr, with the existing propeller .

 Should be get Max 5,500 to 6,000rpm from the 30HP Yamaha. The upshot new propeller - 11-3/4 x 10-G only 1 degree pitch difference, but the overall improvement in performance is excellent. 
With Wide Open Throttle (WOT) Max. RPM of 6000rpm.   @ 5100rpm still 36kph with fuel at 4km/ltr. 

Golf day - robbed by the nearest the pin marker (on 2nd stroke) would have gone in or at least won closest for my 2nd. Moral is relocate the pin marker before chipping

Wassa picked up the ladies - 18 hole championship was a tad long

Winner with 5 pars = 2 beer voucher

The King Ash Bay - Golfers all suitably attired

Can't help myself with our new camp shading it's magic only taken 10 + years. Double 'C' rope track, with Keder tape stitched to all edges

Okay enough for now!

Lunch on the high seas - canned tuna, crackers and mixed nuts

Sue runner up, G runners up but missed out on a count back, but nearest the pin on the 4th. 

Off to the tree bend 12+ meter hole, good action and a Blue Nose Salmon – radio chatter – Mick and Netta in trouble down the Chadwick. Got on the radio after we realized no one was going to their assistance. Mark and Lyn offshore in their vessel were going to ring us via Sat. phone, but no #. 

1200hrs off to the Chadwick – Their lucky day – We knew the location and had an old GPS track, full fuel on-board, radio was working and ‘ON’, plus we were already on the water 10ks in advance of camp. 1 hour later arrived at their stricken location. 

Gear linkage would not engage. 1306hrs under tow. 3500rmp 12kph, 1.7 klm/Ltr. 1hr 20minutes Chadwick and thru the Rutherford to the McArthur. Dropped back RPM to 3400, 2 – 2.1klm/ltr still @ 12kph,  2hrs 25minutes to the boat ramp = 3.4hrs average 12.5kph  1625hrs home – all safe and very relieved!!

Sue giving me break on the tiller

Happy landings - no croc's

More carpet laying 

Spray contact adhesive did the trick, no more burnt feet, although the Bimini helps 

Beat up old propeller - came with the motor 2011, so done a pretty good job 

New propeller installed and now have a spare stowed  

Sue's Black tip Shark on lure up river

Another win - Handicap is coming down - now 3.

Majestic in flight

Saves cranking up the Troopy, plus good exercise 

How good is that!

Spot the Python - hint mid photo 

No introduction required

Golf day

Another rescue - Mick (again) ran out of fuel, just after leaving the Dugong, got 10ltr from a passing vessel. Whom on returning to camp alerted us to their predicament, they had made it to Mugs mistake - 20 minutes down river. 

He we go again - privacy screens in place

Home away from Home!! We can see out but no vision looking in - hence privacy screen

Rods now in place - clipped to the console

Console cover with VHF radio installed

Crikey we have collected some gear, 

 but it is our home for 3 months or so

Finally some fish for the table

Cat Fish to the birds

Couple of good size grunter

 A Professional 

Sue 'SMALL' sticks

Guess again - at least we got the jewellery back

A by catch in this muddied water it's 
any one's guess as to the species 

Good size Blue Nose Salmon for the smoker

Perfect, sampled by several whom also agreed

Servo burning off near their tank storage with favourable winds

We have fresh fish for tea - beauty Sue

Smoke haze

Jimmy and Betty are off home

Barra on fly alas under size

Dingo near the Carrington rocks

Beema put to work with our 'Night Soil'

Sorting out the Club House clubs with scrap flashing from the dump

Kaye shared her winnings with Sue. Why? it was Sue's sand scrape with a wobble ridge in it that Kaye's put wobble in off 

Boiled fruit loaf, perhaps easier in the oven. 

42cm Black Jew good eating size = TEA

MJ and Grunter

All legal requirements on-board

Toothy critter 

Still not legal, but good fun on fly!

Dave and Wendy our Ultimate neighbours back in 2006, 
ready for departure with their Spinifex and 
tray back V8 Cruiser in the back round 

Both runners up

Heaps of space with Jimmy and Betty departing early

Salvaged from the dump, now Chooks shade and wind protection over his veggie garden - 6 x 3 meters. 

Open wide to warm up

Navigating thru the fog as it's starting to lift

Working bee to oil the greens

How's that!

Another good fun species to land on fly - Queenie

Winner - Sue and runner up 

Golden Trevely for sweet and sour

Sorry - not legal 52cm

Margaret and Roger our neighbours whom put up with my workshop activities during our Tinnie mod's.

Yep! another practical use to drop off our gas cylinder on our way to golf. 

Sue's exotic species - Long-tailed Cat Fish Eel 

Another runner up for Sue

Now we have got the clubs organised - please keep it that way 

Finally a legal BARRA!

Trolling for approx. 3k’s, on the last stretch what appeared to be a sleeping Dingo on the bank, quietly did a ‘U-turn and push the tinny nose towards the bank and got off one photo – I got a ‘CAT’ about 1 – 1.5k from camp. Check out the size, at least 800mm body and a thick tail 2/3^rd its body length. Awake and he's was off in a flash. 

Mick and Netta are off home - we are not far behind

Moorings pulled and tinnie on the trailer, ready for packing, via servo for Jamie to decommission the motor for long term storage

Forward bulk head access for double 'C' rope rail lengths

Packed and _______

Wrapped complete with tie down ropes in the event of a cyclone.

An end to an era - long term regular Barry (80+) and Annette not returning next season.  
Barry has officially handed over Boat Ramp Masters duties to yours truly - fishing reports and assistance if required.

Farewells - Sueie, Brenda, Annette, Barry and Sue

Tinnie delivered and ready for storage

Camp almost dismantled - 4 days from pulling the tinnie 

Our well worn path direct from our back door

Panorama view of the river with our access track. 

0710hrs – Phil came out and Cheerio’s.  Dunny dump and ribbon at the office, 38 minutes to the Bing Bong road, breakfast at Cape Crawford (our own stuff) couple of pee stops and Hi-way Inn – refueled and a hamburger to share, off 114k’s to gravel pit 20k’s north of Elliott. 

Rolled on listening to podcast and observing the bleak dry landscape  

1330hrs - 446ks – Taylors Creek 5.6hrs enough for the day. 

Sue used the sat. dish phone thingy at the rest area to talk to the kids – good service. With the phone remains in the cradle in speaker mode, for those short of stature _____ 

A couple of resident paving bricks came in handy

 Breakfast at Tee Tree servo car park, onto Aileron for photos of the big man and were greeted with mum and kid.

Next stop Alice Springs - Shell servo fueled up and had a big lunch.  Hamburger with the lot and a rare 600ml coke $10. Sue had truckies breakfast – 2 eggs, 2 toast, 2 sausage, stack of bacon, 2 hash browns, grilled tomato and a coffee all for $12 – thus no tea required!! 

Camped at Desert Oaks – interesting folks – Japanese students, Kings roof top tent on car and all the stuff to camp out – jammed packed – going to climb Ayres Rock.  In the back of the car gas cylinder and a few pots and cooker – bear basics and off around Australia – climbed Ayres Rock already (he did) magic climb and easy. 

0710hrs – Whyalla and Westland shopping, to early for subway.  Coles shopping saves rushing out later at home to stock up. 
We are off down the road for our usual breakfast with fresh strawberries along with Sue's special cereal. 
Nearly home with a stop in Tumby Bay to wash down the van.

STATS: 2,828ks, 36.2hrs drive time ( over 5 days) 18.95LHK.

Till next time - CHEERS!