A Real Australian

There is a sign here that says "You are not a real Australian until you have been to Mount Isa", well I am in Mount Isa so I am a Real Australian. It doesn't seem any different, but it must be somehow.

The pic shows me at the Chinaman Creek recreation reserve between Mount Isa and Cloncurry where we went for a visit and a run.

I get a run in the dog park near the caravan park, and lots of people want to pat me here, so life is good in Mount Isa.

Gulf Girl

I am on the Gulf of Carpenteria's south eastern corner at Karumba Point. Hot during the day, and hot at night too. I can not go for a swim in the Gulf because there is an 18 foot crocodile that lives in the river mouth right next to the caravan park. Lucky for me the van is air conditioned or I would not get any sleep at all.

I was taken round the Baramundi Farm here, but all there is to see are tanks full of fish. KnK seemed interested in the farm but I found the lady with the bucket of fish food far more interesting.

Atherton Training

Last night I went to the Tablelands Obedience Dog Club at Atherton. (The pic shows me looking at the Tablelands)
The club made all of us welcome and I had a practice on their Agility equipment. I tricked Keith by doing the weavers perfectly from the left, but I would not do them at all from the right. I have to do things like this to keep him trying.
Anyway, there is a trial on Saturday and Sunday so I will be back for a visit then.

Quiet Time Out

We have settled in Atherton for a while. The park is not very busy and there is a big open area at the back for me to have a run. Keith set up some jumps and weaving poles so I have been doing some training as well as chasing a ball.

KnK found a dog wash and car wash. I went through both. Inside the car for the car wash, I saw this big scary thing spraying soap and water all over us and making a lot of loud noise. I was glad when that was over. Then they put me in the dog wash and cleaned all the sand, grit, mud, slime and anything else that had stuck to my fur while we were camping on the Cape. They turned the blow dryer on me and I attacked it, but it still got me dry.

Since then I have been having a lazy time, playing ball and sleeping.

Cooktown Rock

After being cooped up in a tent for a week, I have finally got a chance to have a good run. I am at Finch Beach near Cooktown where there is a huge rock that I could run up, across the top and then down the other side. It was just like a big dog walk really.

Later on I went along the edge of the sea and barked at the waves, sniffed all the mangrove roots and jumped all over Kathy leaving sandy, wet footprints all over her. Oh what happiness!

Number plates grow on trees.

At Bramwell Junction Roadhouse, I found out where number plates come from. They grow on trees. Here I am next to the number plate tree, and you can see there is a good crop this year.

Our last night in the tent was at Archer River with cows in the same paddock as us! We have had horses, kangaroos and now cows sharing our camp site.

At last I am back in the caravan and do not have to share my bed with wild animals.

PS, the number plates don't really grow on trees, those in the picture have been found on the road after being shaken off the cars by the corrugations. If you come up here, make sure your nuts and bolts are tight.

Tip Top Toller

Swimming on top of Australia

I am as far north as it is possible to go, on the Tip of Cape York at the Top of Australia, and the only Toller in sight.

Right next to the sign that said we were at the Tip was a rock pool that was free from crocodiles so I had a swim, chased fish and cooled down after the long walk across the beach.

The walk back to the car tired me out and I slept most of the way back to camp, except for the times the shaking of the car on the corrugated roads woke me up.

Tiffany of the Outback

For three days now I have been traveling on dirt roads, sleeping in a tent and going as far north as a Toller can go. I am nearly at the most northern point on the Australian mainland. Tommorrow will be the day we get there.

KnK took me through some creeks, but the Jardine River near the top of the Cape York Peninsula is too deep so we took the Ferry. I posed for a picture to prove I was there. We are camped on a beach but I am not allowed off lead on the beach because of the crocodiles, however I did find some Sea Glass for Auntie Wendy.

The Toller on Cape York

We stopped at a lookout on the way to Cooktown, and I posed for the picture of me on the start of the Cape York Peninsular.

All the rain that happened earlier did not reach here so we just might be going further into the Cape, going where no Toller has gone before, well at least not this Toller.

Lots of dogs at the Cooktown Caravan Park, and we are right in the bush too, so we have birds in the trees and those Bush Turkeys trotting around on the ground.