In 1999 I was due a long service leave from work and I always dreamed to the the "outback of Australia".
This is a diary and pictorial of our trip.
With a great help of seasoned travelers Barbara and Eric Skkaratt (Eric is VK2EKA) we more or less decided to go following way. The whole diary (and it is only a diary, which is not edited and which may contain spelling mistakes and "funny English". So please take it as is and try to share the experience with us.
Your comments and communications will be appreciated. The whole story is written from a point of view of radio amateur, but I believe if you "other" readers leave out the "ham" jargon, you may understand, that I'm talking about.
We were keeping in touch by checking daily into Pactor BBS of VK5RQ Joe near Adelaide (20 meters 14.072,5 mark frequency - now defunct, since Joe retired). My home BBS address was then: VK2BTA@VK5RQ.#SYP.#SA.AUS.OC.
It was possible to contact us via packet and pactor. It worked very reliably and for any intending travelers, I would like to recommend this mode of operation.
For Internet users it was possible to send a message at address: vk2bta@dur.win-net.org or vk2bta@bkk.win-net.org
We also used the services of many Internet café's and kept in touch via this medium too.
One of the best services to Amateur Radio travelers is provided by the "Travelers Net" on 14.116 daily at 0010 Z (GMT - Greenwich mean time, for the uninitiated). Peter and Roy and the rest of operators are providing sterling service to all Amateur community.
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