EASTER IN THE MATRIX

Rhonda and I had decided before the new Matrix was finished that a good

initial run for the van would be to go away to a special place called Kilcowera Station.

Our first night was spent at St.George Caravan Park where we met some old friends and chatted into the night about our Victorian High Country adventures. Upon arrival we were very confused looking for the roadside camp at the weir but the entire area including the toilet block had been washed away in the recent floods. The van park owner kindly gave us his big back paddock so we were able to spread out as we settled in for wine o’clock.

Cooking inside the Matrix for the first time was a bit of a culture shock for Rhonda but the van is very comfortable and has lots of big windows so the cooking smells were no problem. Alan and I had a morning stroll to look at the weir gates and marveled at the engineering involved in making such a structure.

After St George  we spotted an abandoned wrecking yard and the little boy in me surfaced so we had to stop and have a look. The women couldn’t figure out the attraction but I guess it’s a bloke thing. I think everyone enjoyed the different shapes and colours as the photographer came out in us all. Chris tried to hitch a ride on an old bike but it had flat tyres so it was a no go and Al was too busy taking pics and looking for snakes to help.

On the road again and we headed for Nardoo Station, near Cunamulla, an “Outback Beds” stay where you camp on a

cattle station. By this time we had become used to Alan stopping to video and snap every movement anyone made. “In your face Al” was living up to his nickname. I must say that he was very unobtrusive and it was lovely to be presented with a fully edited video of the trip upon our return. Nardoo is a very interesting place to stay as the sites are grassed and flat, there is a big BBQ area with communal camp kitchen and big campfire area, good facilities, and is a working cattle property so there is plenty going on. The owners of the property have also set up a natural hot spa fed by artesian water. As this is where we met John and Kay we had a lot of catching up to do so we neglected to try the spa but it looked the goods. We also tried bacon and eggs on the Matrix BBQ. The s/s plate of the Sovereign bbq takes a bit to get used to so we have decided to use the Weber Baby Q in the Matrix 2 fit out as it may be more versatile and user friendly.

We headed south to Eulo and visited the store and the leather shop, this is a quaint little town and you can actually stay at the back of the shop in a very nice camp area. Finally onto some dirt and headed to Curawinya NP to have a look at the old woolshed which stopped working when the property became national park and is still in great working order.  There is a camping area here on the banks of the Paroo River which has secluded camping next to the river, fairly basic facilities and lots of birdlife.  We motored on up the road to Ten Mile Bore and were rewarded with the camping spot from heaven. Once settled in beside the pristine lake we decided to stay another night as it truly was a great spot. The lake is not huge; you could walk around it in about half an hour, but was surrounded by big shade trees with lots of birdlife and quite a few feral goats drinking at sunset. With the sun setting over the lake it was a photographers dream. “In Your Face Al” was in heaven as was Rhonda, the two of them up at the crack of dawn for the best light and some great pics. The rest of us just did our own thing and relaxed around the never ending campfire. On day two we took a drive and a walk to the “Granites”, a small version of the Devils Marbles. Climbing all over the rocks provided much needed exercise and an excuse for even more photos and views of the surrounding country.

The Ranger arrived and was a great source of local information.  Turned out no camping fees were payable because the land, although inside the National Park, actually belonged to the local council.  The camping spot from heaven was also free, what a bargain!  There were great dirt roads and suicidal emus on the way to Hungerford and a stop at the pub for fuel and water before Kilcowera. This really is a “must see” pub. The fuel is out the back on an old fashioned tank stand and the pub is a tin shed affair circa 1890. It used to be a stage coach stop so lots of history here. The couple that run the Pub are as funny as cut snakes, real outback characters. For the first time ever we found out how to make a $10 note stick to the ceiling in aid of the RFDS, a bit crazy but all good fun. John and Kay enjoyed the free muddies cooking out the side of the pub as Al photographed everything that moved or didn’t move. I just sat on the verandah and enjoyed the atmosphere.

We reluctantly left Hungerford and headed for Kilcowera Station. This property is massive and the drive in from the gate is a bit unreal, sort of like getting  lost in the outback and never reaching your destination. The camp spot was again spectacular, right at the edge of a beautiful lake and the owners had kindly placed a load of firewood at the campsite. Much to our surprise was a nest of fledgling Pacific Herons about ten meters from shore just above the water line of the lake. Mother Heron was a bit put off by our presence but eventually came in to feed the four chicks and this became a photographers dream.

The night skies were crystal clear and heavy with stars, the sunsets were purple and pink and the firewood  never ran  out. We sat by the fire at night and talked about the day’s journey, ate great food and drank some wine. The nights were very cool and afforded some ten hour sleeps, the sun rose over the lake, followed by 25 degree days with no flies and no bugs.

We did a day trip driving across the huge property to a saltwater lake on the edge of the national park and lunched in a dry river bed with tall stately gums growing out of the sandy bed. The lake was home to a huge pelican rookery which we could only view through binoculars, this was also something very special, the surrounding landscape dotted with the occasional eagles nest and red kangaroo. The trip back afforded a stop at an iconic creek brimming with water, birds and overhanging gums, truly a nature lovers dream.

We spent three peaceful days at Kilcowera and were sad to leave as the property is truly beautiful. It had rained overnight and this had settled the dust on the road to Hungerford.

We were trialing the new Matrix as well as our new Range Rover Sport and had become very happy with the performance of both vehicles. The towing ability of the Rangie is extraordinary and the road manners of the Matrix are as good as a Quantum so they are a great combination. We did however come across our first serious off road challenge. The rain the previous evening had turned a section of road into a 50 meter mud run, so I pushed all the right buttons to raise the air suspension and set the drive line into “mud” mode. I then sat there waiting for Al hoping he would go first. Al wanted to get a video of the Rangie coming through the mud from the front  so there was no stopping him. I tried, but he insisted and the result is some great footage showing how to get a Range Rover covered in lots of mud.

We motored back on the blacktop, fully relaxed from a great journey, truly a magic week.

The idea behind the week was to have a break and test the Matrix to see if our dust sealing system would work and find out if the van generally worked ergonomically and on the road. We had already decided to change the body design of M2 and had commissioned a new body before we left; this also has a new internal layout, similar to a stretched Quantum. The dust sealing didn’t work and we have decided to try a diesel cook top in M2 and no external vents, thus eliminating all dust ingress points as per the Quantum. This we know will work. The van is very easy to live with and should suit a couple touring for extended periods; the inside is very warm and very well insulated being full fiberglass construction. The tow ability is very similar to a Quantum and the high centre of gravity seems to be not an issue as most of the weight is down low. All up it’s a great little van with striking good looks, certainly nothing on the road like it. I can’t wait to trial M2.

To see the full Easter Gallery and Matrix gallery click here