The Latest News

Well the old girl (the QE3 not Miss Lizzy!) hasn't been out and about for some time now but we are getting ready for a voyage north around New Years Eve perhaps so we'll post the details here when we get them.

Voyage Statistics

Total Days - 5
Total Kilometres - 2247
States Visited - NSW & QLD
Luxury Nights (in the QEIII Royal Suite) - 1
Sook Nights (not in the QEIII) - 3
Whale Sightings - Nil
Kangaroo Sightings - 2
Moron Drivers Sighted - 100+ (mostly in NSW!)
Maximum Road Rage Level - 5 (out of 10) in NSW
Stopped By Police - Once
Stopped By Brisbane Lions Cheerleaders - Nil
Overall Stress Level - 2 (out of 10)
Overall Satisfaction Level - 8 (out of 10)

Fredo's Famous Pies

Does it seem like all we do on our voyages is eat? Maybe so, but we sure find some tasty gems along the highways and byways of Australia.

One of the most famous eatieries is Fredo's Pies at Fredrickton just north of Kempsey on the Pacific Highway.

Here is crew member Simon with the Marilyn Monroe firgurine which has been a landmark for many years.

They have about 80 varieties of pies, but I was keen to try a crocodile pie....

So.... here is a Man-Eating-Crocodile....

Very tasty I must say and about as close as I want to get to one of those overgrown lizards!

Farmer's Kitchen

The Farmer's Kitchen at Eungai between Kempsey and Nambucca Heads. This new roadside eatery is outstanding... good food, good service and good location. Definitely worth a stop to enjoy their fabulous food. Their GRILLED QUESADILLAS are to die for. (click back there for the recipe)

Check out their fresh fruit and veges... their selection of boutique sauces and condiments is amazing.

Click here to visit their website.

The Woodburn Cafe

The QEIII outside the 24-hour cafe at Woodburn. This cafe is one of the few good eating places on the Pacific Highway after hours, which is usually when we steam past. The interstate truckies also stop here during the night and the only problem is the unholy noise from the birds who roost in the trees opposite. You cannot hear yourself think at 2am when they screech and chirp non-stop.

A Hidden Gem

This quaint little cottage is on the highway just near the bridge at Wardell, which is between Woodburn and Ballina. Normally you wouldn't see it as you flash past at 100 kph but we were stopped by a roadworks crew working on the bridge so we were surprised to see such a hidden gem right next to us. Worth a visit next time we are coming north.

You can only imagine how old the cottage is. Wardell is an old sugar town and the wooden loading docks are still down by the bridge. In the old days they used to cut the cane, transport it via small gauge railway to the river docks and then load it onto large cane barges. From there they would take the cane to the local mill... in this case the mill at Broadwater.

Broadwater mill today. These days the cane is transported to the mills via a fleet of cane trucks which run back and forth 24 hours a day during the cutting season.

Cloudcatcher

A shot of Mt Warning, "The Cloudcatcher" or "Wollumbin" in aboriginal language, about 20 clicks away, taken from the Murwillumbah bypass. It is unusual to see the mountain without any cloud on top.

Read the story of Wollumbin here ----> Wollumbin

The QEIII @ The Gabba

The QEIII with Simon outside the Gabba in Brisbane. This is the home of the Brisbane Lions AFL team and is the main cricket ground in Brisbane.

The oldest QEIII Crew Member

Here's our oldest QEIII crew member, my mum Irene (Mim) who is 92 and thinks she is back on the Oriana, being served morning tea in bed by the cabin steward.

One for Mick the Engineer

This shot is for Mick our Chief Marine Engineer who reckons the QEIII weighs about 30 tonnes full loaded.

A Great Campsite

Here's our camp at the Pacific Sands Tourist Park at Nambucca Heads. Nestled under a canopy of trees and just 40 metres from the beach this park is a great spot for an overnight or maybe a longer stay. We have our own private ensuite with all facilities which makes for a very pleasant camping stay.

Click here for the Pacific Sands website.

North in July to catch the Sun

The Captain (Dave) and new crew member Simon ready to sail north to Brisbane where the weather will hopefully be a little warmer than in Sydney. We'll overnight along the way and maybe get to see some of the picturesque coastline of northern NSW.

Newest QEIII Crew Member

My nephew Simon Parkes is the newest crew member on the QEIII and here he is prior to our voyage north to Brisbane with his friend Jessica. He was presented with his QEIII cap and t-shirt at his Mum's birthday bash.

"Le Tour de Fairfield"

Latest QEIII Crew Member Ian Finlayson in the latest QEIII cap and t-shirt ready to depart on "Le Tour de Fairfield".

QEIII senior hostess Miss Lizzy and Ian.

The Crew Behind the Crew

The QEIII Maintenance Engineers prior to another voyage north.

It takes a lot to keep the QEIII shipshape and ready to handle the ravages of the open road. The Pacific Highway is a particular challenge, like the Pacific Ocean after which it is named! Funny about that.

Anyway, behind the regular cruising crew is a dedicated team of engineers who keep the QEIII seaworthy, not to mention roadworthy, and up to the strict maintenance standards of both the Queensland Transport Department and the Darling Harbour Maritime Museum.

Our engineers of choice are the team from Jim and Christine Baird's Penrith Ultra Service. Jim, Mick, Jarod and the other specialist mechanics are always ready to tackle any problems and maintain the QEIII to a strict maintenance program.

Jim is the boss and a very experienced engineer, an up and coming computer geek, a part time soccer supporter, a Mt Panorama Bathurst race-driver and a certified V8 petrol-head!. When Jim first laid eyes on the QEIII he shook his head in amazement. I think he thought that under the hood was a bucket with a whole lot of unconnected engine parts swishing around in there. He still shakes his head, but these days because of the eccentric behaviour of the QEIII Captain!


Chief Marine Engineer Mick. Mick reckons the QEIII has a displacement of about 15 tonnes and that some of the older bridges on the Pacific Highway will be under severe strain as we sail over them on our trips north.

Jarod is our problem solving genius and due to his dedication and tuning prowess has squeezed at least another 20 knots out of the old girl... the QEIII, not Miss Lizzy! He's not keen on the exhaust system though and we think he'd rather we fit a smoke stack in place of the standard muffler which is always causing him a problem because the bolts keep snapping. It's the speed Jarod... the speed!

Seriously though.... we can highly recommend Penrith Ultra Service for all your mechanical needs and their website can be found at ... http://www.ultraservice.com.au/index.htm

Thanks guys... you are the best!

Our new QEIII cap and t-shirt being modelled by Charlie.
Click for larger image.

New QEIII Crew clothing.

We've just received our new QEIII caps and t-shirts.