At the Silver Wattle Caravan Park

I arrived back at the Silver Wattle caravan park on the 29th September, 2015, when I couldn't get a spot in the free site in Emerald at two o'clock in the afternoon. It was 8pm when I arrived and although I was apprehensive about the timing, I was assured by Margaret that it wasn't a problem.

On the 3rd of December there was a brief but strong afternoon storm which folded my awning up over the top of the van and ripped a small section out of the top of the wall.

This along with the two bent arms that hold the awning up was the extent of the damage. But given the way the cladding on the walls is installed, it all has to be removed and replaced, about ten days work which should be done in the next fortnight. Thank heavens for insurance, I couldn't afford this out of the pocket.


Although the Silver Wattle guard dog, Beau, was present at the time as she is now, she was no help at all. She can't hang onto the guy ropes and she can't type.

A ferocious guard dog with the killer instinct who has been gainfully employed of late exterminating some of the vermin, but not all of them.

Really just a pussy cat who enjoys sausage and cheese followed by a banana smoothie for lunch.


The weather here at the moment is hot, 35 to 37 most days, and very humid. Thunderstorms most afternoons with some spectacular light shows after dark and a lot of rain.
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 This is Sarah, manager of the Silver Wattle Caravan Park in Mount Morgan.

There are motel rooms, cabins for singles up to families of 5 and powered and unpowered sites for vans and tents. But don't cook or eat food prepared in the camp kitchen, there are good reasons not to and you probably don't want to know.

The Mt. Morgan Motel and Van Park down the road is thirty percent cheaper, and yes they do have some permanents, but surprisingly they are not a problem, no fowl language and no pestering other travelers for anything. The only time I have heard fowl language, was from the drunken permanent at the silver wattle, and in front of children.

The silver wattle caravan park is now up for sale for $1,150,000 on one site and $1,160,000 on another. That was 19/7/2016 and I was told it was no longer for sale, BUT, both for sale signs are still active 25/5/2017

Water Pressure

In my van I have a pressure / flow rate regulator valve of the brass variety and the pressure, or should I say the flow rate inside the van has always been very poor, ie. wait for ages to fill a bottle. I had a look on the net for any mention of this problem and someone mentioned that the easy fix was the spring (C) inside the valve.

When you dismantle the valve, you only need the take parts (A) and (E) apart and then remove the spring (C). In the photo I have expanded all the parts so that the viewer can understand the way it works.

When the pressure in the van increases, it pushes the plunger (D) compressing the spring (C) back into the regulator part (B). It is a little hard to see, but part (B) has some small holes around the middle where the water entering the device through (A) continues to the inside of (B, C and D) and exits through (E). The pressure inside the van forces the black tip of (D) back inside (B) and thus closing the holes in (B) and thus reducing the amount of water able to flow through device.

The only thing you need to do is to stretch the spring (C). It is a tough little bugger and it took all of my strength to stretch it just an eighth of an inch or 3 millimeters. The holes in (B) aren't much bigger, so it would be pointless to stretch the spring (C) any more than that.

Reassemble the device being careful not to damage the 'O' rings. The pressure in my van now is such that I can easily wash all of the soap off me in an instant.

Living Edge Caravan

Back in February I bought a new Living Edge caravan from Kratzmann caravans at Burpengary. I would suggest that people don't buy Living Edge and don't buy from Kratzmann.

I have been having an ongoing problem with the water pump, which I have isolated to the pressure switch. After several calls and emails to kratzmann caravans I was told to take the van to a repairer and get them to call living edge to authorize the repairs. If you call living edge the call always goes to voice mail, EVERY TIME. So taking the van to a repairer is a waste of time. I finally got a call from Rick (living edge) on his mobile phone but there aren't many repairers in Dimbulah and Charters Towers or Emerald. After several events under the van, I have got the pump working, but I don't know enough about it, so I don't know why it is working or how long it will work.

Another problem I had was the sliding door into the bathroom, which had drooped on back edge so that when you closed the door, it would drag on the guide for the last nine inches and become stuck. When I spoke to Rick about it, it was obvious that he had no idea how the pelmet was attached to the wall.

Today I had a bit of spare time so I decided to attack the sliding door no matter the consequences. I carefully removed the five screws (screw 2) I could see in the middle of the track above the door inside the pelmet, expecting that at any moment that the door would fall away from the wall. It didn't.

I accidentally touched the pelmet and it moved, so I pulled it away from the wall and then I discovered that there were five more screws (screw 1) holding the track to the wall. You will need a number 8 metric spanner to adjust the height of the door and a number 10 to adjust the stops at either end of the track.

With living edge it is easier to fix it yourself.

Wolfram and Northcote

Northcote is about 20km north east of Dimbulah and is now on private property. Almost all trace of the town has disappeared.

Wolfram is about 22km north west of Dimbulah and all but the last 7km is bitumen. When you get to the junction of Wolfram Camp Road and Bullaburrah Creek Road you will see this sign.

UPDATE: The sign is gone. A South African bought the farm and cleared all the trees and planted macadamias instead.




At this junction, turn right onto the gravel road. If you have a UHF radio, start to monitor channel 11








7km later you arrive at the junction of Wolfram Camp Road and Main Street which veers to the right in this picture.

The road straight ahead only leads to a private property 200m further on.


Main Street is about 500m long and there are small metal signs suggesting where different establishments were once located.

At the far end of Main Street you will cross this causeway

After the causeway you will see this yellow sign and to the left is a holding area

If you hear the message 'vehicle leaving gorge access road' park in the holding area until all out going vehicles pass you

Using a UHF radio broadcast the message 'vehicle entering gorge access road'

If you don't have a UHF radio, be very careful on the next 700m of single lane road. If you meet a vehicle leaving YOU WILL HAVE TO REVERSE back to the holding area

At the end of the single lane you will see another holding area and when you are leaving you will have to follow the previous instructions

The road here turns right but you CANNOT continue to the mine until they come and get you


The two wheel track going straight ahead leads to the Wolfram Cemetery and there are two gates which you must open and then close each time you go through them.

Chillagoe

On Tuesday the 8th September I made a day trip to Chillagoe, some 98km to the west of Dimbulah.

The road as far as Almaden is all bitumen. Between Almaden and Chillagoe there are four sections of gravel, the longest being 6km.

Between Chillagoe and Almaden there are a number of holes like this beside the road where they use small tractor like machines with very long chainsaws attached to carve out blocks up to five feet cubed of what appears to be compacted quartz stone. It is mostly shallow and at the surface barely covered with little soil.

In Chillagoe there is what remains of one big mining operation which was at its' peak around 1900.

A large portion of this mine is fenced off because of hazardous waste including asbestos.

Not much remains, and that which is still standing is also crumbling.

 In this mine they treated several minerals including copper, gold, silver and lead.

West of Chillagoe there is over 500km of gravel road to Normanton.

Thornborough, Kingsborough and Mt. Mulligan

On Sunday the 6th I did a day trip to these three localities, localities because most of what was once there is now gone.

My main interest was Thornborough, because my paternal great grand mother, Emily DAVIS (nee CHAPPEL) is buried there.

Thornborough Cemetery

Thronborough is 29km north of Dimbulah on the road to Mt. Mulligan.

I wasn't expecting to find Emily's grave and wasn't disappointed when I didn't, after all she died 20th of September, 1880, and 14 days short of 135 years, is a long time for a headstone to survive, but there are 24 headstones in the cemetery.



After Thornborough I turned east for 6km to the Tyrconnell mine.

This mine is a popular place for visitors.

500m east of this mine is the Kingsborough Cemetery where there are only 4 headstones surviving.

Then it was back to the road junction at Thornborough and then 29km north to Mt. Mulligan.

The sports oval

Harris Street

Part of the old mine

Another view of the mine

All the roads just out of Dimbulah to these localities are gravel and while you could take a caravan as far as Thornborough, camping is not currently allowed in any of these places.

For anyone who is interested in the history of this country the trip is well worth the drive.

The Fletch

Fletcher Creek on the Gregory Dev. Road is a popular free camping stop about 30km north of Charters Towers. It has a dump point and showers but no drinkable water.

Here are a few photographs of the site on both sides of the road and the creek taken on the 5th of September.

North side of creek and east of the road

North of the creek and east of the road

North of the creek and east of the road

North of the creek and east of the road

Looking east down the creek

Looking west up the creek