Thu 13th, Charnley River Station

Pancakes for breakfast for a change this morning.

Couple of jobs to do this morning before we head out to some of the station's sights. Get the solar panels properly positioned so that they get sunshine instead of shade for most of the day while we are out. Set them up for some early sun, just before we are about to go I check the battery status display monitor. There is nothing coming from the panels. Check the display on the panels controller, it is blank, ie not getting any power from the battery. Pull out the multimeter, there is a break in the negative link to the Andersen plug. The solar panels a dead and need a repair job.

Decide to use the folding ones instead, I put them in the sun and test, all is OK, I move them into the shade where shortly they should get a full days sun.

We visit the Donkey Pools a series of pretty pools in a creek with water lillies, birdlife and a few aquatic animals. Unfortunately Chris stumbles on some rocks while turning and finishes up on her behind with a twisted ankle and a sore backside.

Next is Dillie Gorge, on the way in we pass a sign saying upper Dillie Gorge 200m, we continue onto the car park where we walk down to Dillie Gorge. We are in the middle of a couple of low level gorges with big water holes and not a lot of good water access for swimming. We have lunch and then relax in the rapids joining the two pools.

Following lunch we return to the upper falls sign and make our way into that gorge. Pretty, birdlife around but no good water access. We sit and watch quietly for a while before making our way back to camp.

Down stream.

Up stream

Cows on the road that won't get off!

Get back and the first thing I do is check the camper trailer battery after yesterdays fiasco. The camper trailer battery is reading dead, the foldable solar panel cable has become dislodged when I did the last shift. All we can do now is to connect the camper trailer to the car and run the car for as long for as long as we can until our camping neighbours return, the car has had a reasonable run so hopefully the connected pair will survive the night.

The wiring on the bloody solar panels that we bought though Modcon have now broken at the Andersen plug end through movement. The negative has gone and the positive has only days left. All I can do is affect a repair by rejoining the wires using solder. Ideally I need a new Andersen plug, add one to the spares list!

Communal fire again tonight.

 

Posted with Blogsy