For the weekend of Friday August 26^{th – Sunday 28th several Highway Wanderers and Big Rigs Clan members met at Tressies Museum and Caravan Park at Karlgarin, WA for a fun weekend, the idea of Lance and Kay Trestrail in conjunction with Park owners Merv and Laurel Trestrail.}

Spotlessly kept ablution blocks, laundry and BBQ area plus a marvellous museum, set on just over 100 acres the museum is the retirement dream of 80+ year old Merv who has farmed here all of his life, he thought that the caravan park combined with his museum would be a good idea. His wife, Laurel, is also involved in hosting the park and both have a wealth of information about the local area, the history, crops, tourist attractions and life in general. The accommodation sites fit rigs of various sizes and cater for powered, unpowered and self contained sites, plus a selection of grassed tent sites, cabins and backpacker accommodation. Their newest addition is a "chalet" which is larger and caters for family groups. The Camp Kitchen is well equipped and the BBQ area was well used during the "Easter in August" weekend of the Highway Wanderers and Big Rigs Clan. We spent a lot of the time over there as we also had the urn on the boil there so didn’t have to move far to top up the coffee or tea mugs, thanks to Lance and Kay. Evenings were combined BYO BBQs and during the day although everyone self-catered we took our plates of food over to socialise during meal times. On the Saturday evening we had a dinner at the local Karlgarin Country Club, a three course dinner for $25 so did well there, and everyone had chocolate Easter Eggs to take home after dinner – even better!!

The Bush Skittles were brought out and had plenty of use, some folk had seen them before but quite a few hadn’t. Before we left the Park Andrew had made a set for Laurel and Merv and several others had planned to make their own sets along the way, or when they returned to base. Everyone who was staying in the Park during the weekend, whether Highway Wanderers, Big Rigs Clan, other motorhomers, caravanners, or other travellers were all invites to join in everything that was happening, the more the merrier. On the Sunday morning the local schoolbus driver (who had taken us to the Country Club for dinner the evening before, and returned us to the Park at the end of the evening) again provided the bus for a trip to Wave Rock and a tour of the district. It was an interesting day, we walked along Wave Rock and several of the group climbed to the top to view the man-made dam on top of the rock that was built as a water storage for Hyden. We visited the Wildflower Shop in Hyden (walls and ceilings are lined with dried flowers, as well as every type of souvenir you could think of), The Lace Shop where the displays of various laces types and many old lace dresses, etc provide a fascinating array, then on to "Hippo’s Yawn" – another rock formation to explore. On the way home we travelled various back roads through the mallee country stopping to photograph a "Mountain Devil" lizard and a Mallee Fowl which kindly wandered across the road for us.

 Andrew & Ev Verschaeren "Wheel Estate" Q43431

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  Seasons Greetings.

Hi all

Christmas 2010 has arrived, as we get older so Christmas gets here earlier and earlier.

We have had a great year, travelling the East Coast of Australia, we were supposed to go to a Music Festival at Nardoo Station near Cunumulla, to start our year away, but the rain came down and we decided that 6inches of clay under the boots was probably not what we wanted, that left us with a whole month to fill in back in April (I think) so what do we do?

The organizer was looking in the Sunday papers and found a special, 2 days later we had booked a trip to Russia ( yes Russia) cruising the rivers from St Petersburgh to Moscow, what a great experience ,great cruise ,great people, once again great food onboard.

We also visited Japan on the way home for 8 days, loved the Japanese people, their customs, friendliness and cleanliness. Spent many hours on the bullet trains , local railways and never once got lost EXCEPT on Tokyo Railway Station on our last day. We somehow managed to lose one another as one went left and one went right at a large pole. Each followed the signs to the airport platform, over 1 hour later with one reporting to the guards at the Lost & Found Counter on the correct platform that their husband was lost, the other asking at the Information Desk about 8 levels above have you seen my wife, well………………we were finally re united and had 4 little Japanese people bowing to us as the train pulled out, you could read their faces………..Thank goodness those idiot Aussies are out of here.

We then jumped in the Motor home and hitched up a trailer, put the Subaru on top and headed North, went up as far as Cairns, Mareeba Normanton & Karumba across to Burketown to see the Morning Glory Cloud ( which of course did not appear over the 10 days we were there) we will be going back in the next couple of years to see same but will leave our arrival till at least a month later.

During our travels we met some amazing people, we travelled with them on and off and hope to see them all again in 2011 at Deniliquin first in April, then another couple in June in Alaska ( yes next year we are going to Canada, Alaska and the U.S.A.) we then will head West and be in Kalgoolie sometime around Sept/October for another get together with the Highway Wanderers.

We have since sold the Subaru and trailer and bought a Suzuki which we will flat tow behind the motor home, so independence can be at our finger tips, no more packing down the motor home to go to the shops or spending nearly 30 odd minutes putting car on or off trailer to go and buy a paper.

We are heading to Yass for Christmas and then down the South Coast till end of January when we will come back to Sydney for a weekend and then head South again until we head West in late March

To all those we missed as we passed through your town we sincerely apologize, we had all good intentions , but time and that road we had never travelled took us the other way, the discoveries were wonderful.

Have the most amazing festive season with your loved ones, keep in touch.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Peter Gallagher