Emma’s December 1973 Travel Diary

I will try to capture quite a lot of pre-history to this trip from my 49-year-old memories. We will start with a memory that was Emma’s, not mine. In the first diary, she mentions going back to the Murray River for a holiday. Of more value that my fallible and spotty memory are Gary’s photographs.

Paul

Other Trips: Dec’72, Feb’73

Date: December 27th 1973

Place: Toowoomba

Weather: fine

Doug, Betty, Paul and I were in a Citroen Safari and Bernice, Arnold, Carol, Gary and Sharon left for our holiday. They were in a caravan. We had lunch in Goondawindi and stayed at a rest area until about 5 pm, then drove to Moree where we stayed in a caravan park – Doug, Betty, Paul and I in the tent.

The “Citroen Safari” is a story in itself. I can only assume my father wanted a camping holiday. This would need more room than a sedan. He bought an old Citroen station wagon sight unseen from a company in Sydney. When he drove it back from the train station Reg, who was following, noted that it was not tracking straight. This happens when the front and rear wheels go in different directions. It is caused by an accident bending the car like a banana. Being who he was, my father cut the back from another sedan and welded the Safari back in place. Fortunately, the roof was bolt-on. The stainless box on the roof covered the air-conditioner condenser.

Paul

December 28th: Left 8:30 am and had morning tea at Narrabri and lunch in a rest area a few miles from Coonabarabran then on to the Warrenbungle reserve, good camping ground

29th: The men took the children to the Minit park where all sorts of dinosaurs etc. I did not go. In the afternoon, they went cray-fishing and got a pretty good hall (delicious).

20th: It rained all day, so very everyone relaxed played cards, read or scrabble. The children played Monopoly. It rained all night but cleared in the morning.

31st: Cleared, so we packed up and left for Gilgandra, where we spent some time looking in an antique shop and then had lunch. We stayed the night at Lincoln in a motel – Avery is in their van.

January 1st: Carol’s birthday and Doug is not well. Drove to Cobar, but Doug got worse. The rest had lunch and went to Willcannia, but no park or motel, and after a few miles, Betty drove to Broken Hill, and we again stayed in a motel – Hilltop (well named).

January 2nd: Arnold’s birthday. Doug felt better, so we joined the Avery’s in a caravan park and hired an overnight van.

I remember little of the trip, but an anecdote from this night has stuck in my mind. Emma has apparently never been know for her sense of direction. This night she set off to the amenities block to clean her teeth – but she walked off in the dark in the entirely wrong direction. Meanwhile, the toilets were close and brightly lit.

Paul

January 3rd: Spent quite a few hours in an antique shop. Carol bought an iron bedstead.

I still don’t know how the Averys managed to carry the bedstead back home.

Paul

January 4th: We spent the night in the tent at Anna Darling River but left the following day because of the weather.

5th & 6th: Spent the two nights in overnight vans at Buranda park Mildura and spent time driving around sightseeing. Went through ??? – beautiful place.

7th: Went to the Murray River. We stayed two days and nights but again left on account of the weather. Fishing was poor on account of the flood.

So, basically a rained-out holiday.

Paul

9th: We left in cloud and a drizzle. After lunch, we stayed in a caravan at Boundry Bend.

10th: Still drizzling and everything wet, so packed up and came to Swan Hill, where again we had a caravan for the night at Kismet Park.

I don’t know, but I suspect that my mother had had enough tents by this time.

Paul

11: Went out to see the Tyntun Dyer historical Homestead and then left for Echuca. We broke a fan belt and ran out of water in the car. We had a spare belt but the wrong size but managed to get to Echuca. There was plenty of water on the sides of the roads. We stayed in a van again.

Ah, the pleasures of an old car. I know it well. I should. I drove the same Safari for my first year or so after getting my license. And I am not doing much better now, 48 years later, with my 18 year old Jeep.

Paul

12th: Called one Mrs Murphy at Ellen Tree Antique Shop. Betty and Arnold both bought clocks and other odds and ends.

13th: Still at Echuca and having a restful day. The others went to the museums.

14th: It started to rain heavily during the night and left in miserable wet weather but cleared as we drove further towards Griffith. We were staying in a motel again.

15th: After touring around sightseeing and Gary was interested to see the hospital where he was born. We went going to West Wyalong, where we again stayed in a van.

16th: We passed through Forbes and Parkes and stayed at Dubbo in a van, but we had the worst amenities.

17th: Between Gilgandra and Coonabarabran, we stopped at a picnic spot for lunch, and the scenery, including a good waterfall, was very pretty.

18th: We decided to stay at Coonabarabran, although it was early in the afternoon. Carol and Sharon went swimming. Gary and Paul went to the shops. Arnold and Bernice, Doug and Betty went to call on a couple who go in for antiques. I was not feeling well and stayed to rest.

19th: Next morning, well enough again, so got on the way and at Gunnedah Arnold, Bernice and family met their old friends Keith and Shirley Clements and spent a couple of hours with them. We went on to Glen Innes, where we stayed in a cabin. The flowers we admired last year around Guyra had passed their best as we were a month later, but the yellow everlasting daisies were profuse.

Left Glen Innes at 8:30 am, and only about 20 miles from Toowoomba, ran onto a broken bottle, and it slashed the tire and on jacking up the car to change it lost oil. Arnold drove back to buy some. Eventually, Arnold drove Paul and I home with them, and Doug & Betty came independently. Doug worked on the car here and finished another holiday as Doug, Betty and Paul left on the 20th and arrived safely home in Capalaba, from which they gave me a ring.

This part I do remember – except for the slashed tire. Citroens, between 1956 and 2016, had hydraulic suspension. This means no springs. Instead, a pump and high-pressure steel tubes between it and a metal sphere above each wheel. The globe has a nitrogen bladder that provides the suspension. The line is a weak point. My guess is that the flat caused something to hit the pipe and caused it to split. My father, super-engineer he was, cut the line and slid a sleave over the spot. I think he used his favourite substance, Loctite, to hold the sleeve. Again, the pleasure of old cars.

Paul