YARRALIN NT LIFE - (was - time to hit the road... pack up your swag lets go)

[Bird]

Is a collar going to be OK for Miss Tilly?

I have a vague memory of them not being usable on pups up to xxx?

Seresto collar offers lasting flea and tick protection in puppies from 7 weeks of age. This easy-to-use collar is odourless and water-resistant.
https://www.vetsupply.com.au/flea-and-tick-collars/seresto-flea-and-tick-collar-for-dogs/p2021.aspx

[wakychapmans]

Is a collar going to be OK for Miss Tilly?

I have a vague memory of them not being usable on pups up to xxx?

according to the Katherine Vet... there are different sizes. It just has to be trimmed short on the end so that she can't get the extended bit to chew on it. (she has it on right now)

this is her in the home office beside me right now... (and now she's asleep already)

[GGV8Cruza]

Good news on Tucker, he wont know what hit him when he gets home. Will you get the AC fixed soon as well?

GG

[wakychapmans]

Good news on Tucker, he wont know what hit him when he gets home. Will you get the AC fixed soon as well?

GG

Slower process... mechanic needs to really inspect the vehicle to know what is needed to be ordered. So that implies a 10h round trip just for that purpose... then a return trip a week or so later for the fix... which would be *Shit*

However the mobile air con guy from Darwin did inspect it and has offered to chat to my guy about it.

Fingers crossed.

Got to go into the vet in about 3 weeks for a follow up vaccination for Tilly anyway...

[wakychapmans]

so Tucker came home friday evening with a friend that was in katherine.

he's very tired and very sick still. He has more meds than the average nursing home right now.

and... he's on two panadine forte a day.

He's moving slowly. Sleeping a lot. But he's home and (very slowly) improving...

He doesn't cope well with the tile floors here (his back legs slide outsideways). so we're putting down carpet hallways runners everywhere...

[Fizzie]

Good to see!

& his first comment was "What's this thing?"

[wakychapmans]

Good to see!

& his first comment was "What's this thing?"

"YOU REPLACED ME ALREADY???"

[wakychapmans]

so updates on Tucker.

after the first few days of him not being able to get up and down the three stairs into the yard... he's improved beyond all hopes.

He goes out and back in when he feels like it. He eats on his own. (his appetite is definately BACK now)

he still sleeps more than he used to... but that's to be expected. He's still on a massive range of drugs... but that's fine. long as he continues to get better.

His relationship with Tilly is... blase'... at best.

Monty is scared of her and comes over to me when she's loose on the floor.

[Traveller]

Great news Wayne, the pair of you must be very happy with his progress.

[wakychapmans]

considering that just on two weeks ago we thought he was a goner for sure... yeh. we're pumped.

[Fizzie]

The cage is to keep which one safe    

[wakychapmans]

The cage is to keep which one safe    

Tucker and Monty. They're both terrified of her...

"Bitches be crazy!"

[wakychapmans]

I know this will sound silly... (that we've just realised this) but for the last 2+ years up here in Yarralin, we've been doing monthy runs to Katherine for groceries and stuff.  (5h each way)

With that comes motel costs. during the dry, we're averaging around $199 - $279 a night (depending on if we have two dogs with us or not)

three weekends ago we picked up a third Samoyed puppy from Darwin airport and we used our (new to us) 2011 Kedron ATV. Caravan park cost - $65 at the Oasis Darwin and then $55 at the Big 4 Breeze in Katherine on beautiful green grass...

I know that it's a somewhat false economy in taking the van to Katherine *every single time* (tyre wear for one)... But for one... it's fun. And we're ok with two dogs and a puppy at the park. (and no $40 per dog cleaning surcharge at a motel) and bonus, we have the 190L van fridge for bringing food back.

We also have the option of leaving here on the Friday arvo and stopping at a rest area for the night on the way in. (need to increase the solar though)

So if you see a Sandy Taupe 2018 V8 Troopy (with an Alu-Cab roof conversion and PAWS plates) towing a 21' 2011 Kedron ATV parked up at any of the rest areas on the Victoria Hwy, between The Buchanan Hwy and Katherine... and hear some barking... and see white samoyeds... come over and say hi! (I promise *we* won't bite and the dogs are guaranteed to lick you to death... ok the little one "might try" at the moment, as she's at "baby velociraptor" age right now) 🐾🐾🤠🐾

[wakychapmans]

the weekends trip to katherine went well. Kind of.

Tucker is improving but the vet is still concerned about traces of blood in his urine and he's suffering a little from anemia. So I'm back in Katherine again in two weeks time for more blood work for him.

We took the Kedron and it tows a treat over the rough dirt roads.

Set up at the Big4 Breeze in katherine on a lovery patch of green(ish) grass and settled in.

We'd never opened the awning before... so that was a new skill to learn. Lift this, slide that, release this other thing... But Youtube is a great instructor.

Not so easy to get the water system(s) working... there are three water tanks. One is specifically for drinking and the other two are for washing/showering etc. (the previous owner had always run an inline filter when filling so all three tanks are drinkable)

The thing is... they all fill via a screw on fitting on the end of the filer hose into the one filler. I was of the mind that they would all fill in a cascading fashion, open all three filling valves (hidden under the fridge) and all three would eventually fill.

Nope. Advice from the Keddron owners group, explained that I need to close all but the one that i want to fill. (makes sense if you're actually separating the quality of water in each tank)

There are then two taps under the sink... (apparently refered to as "delivery" valves). I assumed that one was drinking water only and the other one was for the other two combined tanks.

Nope. The drinking water tank has it's own system and is 100% separate from all other water systems. It has a switch on the wall that runs the drinking water pump. The other two taps are actually for the two individual "washing" tanks. (again... I guess so that you can choose to use the tank of your choice, depending on the quality of the fill)

we also have some random switches here and there that appear to relate to nothing.

So much to learn.

In positive stuff... the bed is absolute heaven. The mattress and topper are sooooo comfortable.

also... ya know how they say that people start to look like their pets... I don't see it at all...

[xcvator]

If you can prick your ears up a bit, I recon you could almost be the father of the little one in the middle 

[wakychapmans]

Tucker updates:

the vet was very was happy with his bloods (mostly) He's still a little anemic so we're keeping an eye on that.

while he isn't required back again at the vets until his course of antibiotics runs out (about 20 days)

they do want a urine sample in two weeks time. (we're back in Katherine on the 20th for Tilly's *final* vaccination so that times well)

In town news... went for drive yesterday with the Ryobi One+ 12" chainsaw and got some firewood. Impressed with the little beast (for what we want to do with it).

An elder passed away yesterday so today is a "sorry day". (everything closes at lunch)

One of the AT's at the school, has a son in private school in Perth. He's 15 and has scored a try out with the Freemantle Dockers junior squad.

oh and I *finally* got round to fitting the 1Key locks to the Kedron van. One key for all the hatches and latches and the door. (only thing it doesn't fit is the fold down table). But switching from 8 keys back to 2... priceless...

In other news... the Starlink off the top of the Troopy appears to have lept to it's death somewhere on the 127klm track to the hwy... *goneski's*

[Fizzie]

Tucker updates:

Great news

a son in private school in Perth. He's 15 and has scored a try out with the Freemantle Dockers junior squad.

Good on him!

One key for all the hatches and latches and the door. (only thing it doesn't fit is the fold down table). But switching from 8 keys back to 2

Interesting idea!

Starlink off the top of the Troopy appears to have lept to it's death somewhere on the 127klm track to the hwy

So Mr Musk is no match for your roads!

[Bird]

So Mr Musk is no match for your roads!

nobody is... I've still got 3 bent rims on the commodore which have already been to John to get straightened in the past.. and thats on the "road" not a bush track.

[wakychapmans]

nobody is... I've still got 3 bent rims on the commodore which have already been to John to get straightened in the past.. and thats on the "road" not a bush track.

we cracked an ROH blackjack steelie at XMAS on the road on the way back from Melb.

ok... granted... we *did* drive over a dead roo at about 120kph...

[Foo]

Tucker updates:

the vet was very was happy with his bloods (mostly) He's still a little anemic so we're keeping an eye on that.

while he isn't required back again at the vets until his course of antibiotics runs out (about 20 days)

they do want a urine sample in two weeks time. (we're back in Katherine on the 20th for Tilly's *final* vaccination so that times well)

In town news... went for drive yesterday with the Ryobi One+ 12" chainsaw and got some firewood. Impressed with the little beast (for what we want to do with it).

An elder passed away yesterday so today is a "sorry day". (everything closes at lunch)

One of the AT's at the school, has a son in private school in Perth. He's 15 and has scored a try out with the Freemantle Dockers junior squad.

oh and I *finally* got round to fitting the 1Key locks to the Kedron van. One key for all the hatches and latches and the door. (only thing it doesn't fit is the fold down table). But switching from 8 keys back to 2... priceless...

In other news... the Starlink off the top of the Troopy appears to have lept to it's death somewhere on the 127klm track to the hwy... *goneski's*

I have the 14" one and couldn't be happier with it. Much lighter than a petrol, quiter, easy to use with one arm in tight under growth and cheaper to run than a petrol! 

Foo

[xcvator]

I have the 14" one and couldn't be happier with it. Much lighter than a petrol, quiter, easy to use with one arm in tight under growth and cheaper to run than a petrol! 

Foo

And you can use them in National Parks 

[Fizzie]

I have the 14" one and couldn't be happier with it. Much lighter than a petrol, quiter, easy to use with one arm in tight under growth and cheaper to run than a petrol! 

I've been running the 10" Ryobi & have had no problems at all, even trimming pretty big trees

Last year. also got one of these https://www.bunnings.com.au/ryobi-18v-one-6-pruning-saw-tool-only_p0637283 & got to say that for normal firewood duties, it's even  handier!

[wakychapmans]

And you can use them in National Parks 

not that we ever get to near national park with the floofy kids...

[wakychapmans]

DUNCAN ROAD. NT/WA

two weeks back we took a brief camping trip down the Duncan Road. We became aware of Duncan Road not that long after moving to the NT while on the way to Kununurra in WA. Just before the WA Quarantine checkpoint, there a left (south) turn with a sign that says "Halls Creek". So we looked it up.

Fast forward a year or so and Grahame from 4wd 24/7 decides to drive it and rave about it.

So we upped it to our short list. This year, with the new (to us, 2011) Kedron we figured why the hell not. How much more difficult could taking *three* dogs be? (instead of two)

We've been without air con in the Troopy for the last 6+ weeks now since the compressor died and we're just not had the chance to get to our mechanic to get it fixed. But we're used to having the windows down now. So it's not a big issue...

We had an interesting run out of town... schredded a van tyre in Jasper Gorge. Got to Kununurra (for water and groceries as it's only like 50klm from/past the turn off) and replaced it. Also the rim as it was cracked.

NT Roads app was showing the NT end of the track to the WS border as "closed - flooding". This seemed kinds strange as it's been dead dry up there for months now. Our back up plan was to drive it from the Halls creek end and check the app daily. We stopped at the WA quarantine check and the loadies informed us that people has been coming out off the track daily for the last few weeks. That sealed it for us. In to Kununurra for drinkable water, grab some groceries and then back the next morning. (FWIW... didn't see any water over the track other than a couple of inches on the concrete causeways...)

The Duncan road/rack itself...
what to say... some truly amazing campsites that I'm sure i would have enjoyed a lot more had the wonderful wife not passed her teachers flu onto me the morning of day 2...

Behn river camp was spectacular. Esp the river crossing with the off camber drop to get down to it and the large camp area... (and the freshie we found sunning himself there when we went to leave the next morning).

Negri River was interesting. Lots of very deep (and soft) large size river gravel. We pulled off the causeway, went up a slight rise and went down really fast. Thankfully I had the mind to *not* plant the foot and dig lots of holes in a gravel area with not even a winching bush in sight...

chucked it in low range, flicked on the rear locker and crawled out with 3.5T of van on the back...

The highlite of the trip was clearly Old Ord Homestead River Camp. A fun bit of 4wding down to the river and plenty of space for everyone to spreadout. (in the pics below it's the one with the large flat rocks)

All in all... a brilliant trip and a great "short cut" between the NT and Halls Creek. We only had 6 days to check it out but I could easily stay at Ord River for a week or two... (esp if I wasn't beseiged by the flu)

But we'll go back for sure.

The dogs had a hoot.

[wakychapmans]

as we arrived back in Yarralin from our Duncan Road trip (see post and pics above) the day BEFORE Territory Day...

So this meant that we had fireworks to contend with on the evening of July 1st.

not wanting a repeat of last year where poor Monty lost his mind with the noise... we decided on a simpler solution.

We took the van and the dogs a few klm outside of town for the night and camped in the quiet. The track is really more of a quad bike/mtn bike track than a caravan track... but never dismiss someone with a V8 and a desire to get somewhere...

We also learnt that Tilly is facinated with the drone. (this may be a bad thing...)