Camping under out under the 'Southern Cross' in the Australian Outback ~ something 'Team Rheged' does often. We consider ourselves very lucky indeed. Here we have stopped at Renner Springs in Australia's Northern Territory for the night. November 2013.
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Molly Jones (Grand Champ Arithon Eirian CCD RN) flying the Welsh flag & promoting her breed in our 'show camp', Royal Darwin Show 2016 ~ where she was sashed Best of Breed by Judge Ms. Yvonne Meinjtes (NSW)
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Sometimes we will take just 2 or 3 dogs away & on those occasions we may use our small trailer & as always, 'Wally' our camper with 'SPANIEL' number plates of course! Tennant Creek ~ March 2015.
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Team Rheged ~ Home away from home - our camper (named 'Wally') & the dogs Air Conditioned, Heated trailer on the road in the middle of nowhere!
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Setting up 'Camp Rheged' ~ with the dogs all safe & cool in their air conditioned trailer. With the 'Kosmos' Kennels Italian Greyhounds in the background! November 2013.
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Our camper (Wally) & the dogs trailer - Team Rheged's home away from home whilst travelling.
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Base camp, Alice Springs, July 2016. Nikki will often drive the 3,000 kms alone do the 6x July Ch Show circuit so tends to travel with less dogs. This trip she took 3 of our younger dogs ('Molly', 'Jester' & 'MeMe'). Being alone Nikki wisely opted to camp with our smaller 3x berth dog float & used shade awnings instead of our full sized heavy duty annex.
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Peter, 'Molly Jones' the Welshie, & English Springers 'Pork Chops' (underneath) & 'Meazle' (on top of the trolley) busy talking to the public about the joys of being owned by Springer Spaniels! Royal Darwin Show 2016.
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Another smaller camp with the 3 berth dog float & with just 'Wallys' shade awning being used. September 2013
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'Tally' (right - 'Supreme Champion Ricochez Auryn Talyessin CCD CD RN RE RA RAE') & 'Ruby' (left -'Champion Bethry Ruby Red Dress' owned by Chris Hawkins) ready to hit the road in Nikki's MGB named 'TARFGI' - which is the old name Welsh Springer Spaniels are sometimes known by in Wales.
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Camp RHEGED ~ Aug 2017. Nikki travelled the 3000kms alone, as she often does - with just Jester & Molly to show. A super, although cold weekend, with Jester being 'made up' to CHAMPION status with 3x Best of Breed & 2x Best Australian Bred in Group awards PLUS a very tidy Best Exhibit in Group win (Judge: Mr. M. Winch (Vic)! Molly was also highly awarded with 3x Best of Breed awards.
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Camp RHEGED August 2017. Nikki travelled the long 3000kms alone, as she often does - with just Jester & Molly to show. A super, although freezing cold weekend, with Jester being 'made up' to Champion with 3x Best of Breed & 2x Best Australian Bred in Group awards PLUS a very tidy Best Exhibit in Group win (Judge: Mr. M. Winch (Vic)! Molly was also highly awarded with 3x Best of Breed awards.
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Camping out in Alice Springs, October 2017. Just Nikki, Molly & Pork Chops - a girls weekend away! Molly, the Welshie, came home with a lovely Runner Up Best Exhibit in Show award (Judge: Mr Mark Johnson - NSW), plus a Best Exhibit in Group ticket, a Best Australian Bred in Show, 4x Best of Breed CCs & 2x Best Australian Bred in Group ribbons. Porky (ESS) was awarded 4x Best Intermediate in Group sashes & 4x Best of Breed CCs!
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Camper Wally & the smaller dog float taking a breather at Adelaide River - nearly home after another 3000km trip to Alice Springs. October 2017.
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Alice Springs November 2017. Nikki doing another solo 3000km trip with just Molly (WSS) & Porky (ESS). The dogs performed very well & 'the girls' came home with a swag of prizes including a lovely Runner Up Best Exhibit in Show sash (judge: Mr Mark Johnson - NSW), plus Best Exhibit in Group, Best Australian Bred in Show & 2x Best of Breed CCs - won by 'Molly'! 'Porky' collected 4x Best of Breed CCs & 4x Best Intermediate in Group awards.
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Our Springers are very well travelled & here is Molly Jones about to cross the Tropic of Capricorn - something she does several times a year! March 4th 2018.
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Nikki & Windy backstage - where they went onto win - BEST EXHIBIT IN SHOW, 2x BEST EXHIBIT IN GROUP & 2x JUNIOR IN SHOW at TCDSS 2x Championship Shows - July 2019. Judges - Mrs. Di Jovanovic & Mrs. Patrice Johaneson.
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"What are you eating? Can I have some please"? Nikki & Windy backstage - they went onto win - BEST EXHIBIT IN SHOW, 2x BEST EXHIBIT IN GROUP & 2x JUNIOR IN SHOW at TCDSS 2x Championship Shows - July 2019. Judges - Mrs. Di Jovanovic & Mrs. Patrice Johaneson.
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The dog float with lights on - the dogs are waiting for their tucker! Attack Creek, Northern Territory - October 2021.
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Camp Rheged all set up in Alice Springs (rear view of large dog trailer). October 2021
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Setting up for the night at Attack Creek Oct 2021.The Attack Creek Memorial is situated on the Attack Creek Historical Reserve, located on the Stuart Highway 74km north of Tennant Creek. The memorial recalls that 'On 25 June 1860 John McDouall Stuart & his two companions William Kekwick & Benjamin Head reached Attack Creek the most northerly point of that expedition. Hostile natives & illness forced the party to return'.
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Attack Creek, NT. A short walk down the creek from the monument you can see where the old Stuart Highway once ran to the east of the current road. Named by John McDouall Stuart following a rare confrontation with Warumungu Aboriginal people over dwindling water supplies in 1871. Attack Creek is marked by a roadside memorial stonework cairn.
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Mounted Constable John Charles Shirley memorial - who died of thirst near Attack Creek NT. He & a rescue party of 8x men & 18x horses set out in search of missing Brunette Downs Station manager Harry Readford & his party (all later reported safe). All of the search party, except Alan Giles & a native boy, died of thirst. Irish-born Shirley joined SAPOL in March 1877. He transferred to Barrow Creek in July 1882 & was the first police officer to die in the line of duty in the NT.
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Overnighting in the Australian outback - under the 'Southern Cross'. That's Peter rummaging in a fridge as Team Rheged await their tea in the comfort of the large dog float. Attack Creek, NT - October 2021.
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Windy & Nikki at the Tropic of Capricorn - side view.
(Info: The Tropic of Capricorn lies at 23 d 26' 22" (23.4394 degrees) south of the Equator & marks the most southerly latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead at noon. This event occurs at the December solstice when the southern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun to its maximum extent). October 2021.
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Bushfires, rain, wind, cold winds, hot winds, floodplains & stinking 40'C+ heat ............ as always we encountered it all. Here we are passing a late 'dry season' bush fire - in the middle of nowhere. Nothing to be done but drive through the smoke & keep moving.
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Wild parrots on the spaniels' crate. This is one is commonly known as a '28 parrot', but its real name is the 'Australian Ringneck' & is a parrot native to Australia. Except for extreme tropical and highland areas, the species has adapted to all conditions throughout the land. Alice Springs - October 2021.
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Peter mucking around with mixing salads in the middle of the Australian outback! He complained earlier that tea wasn't candlelit - So! Haha! Nikki produced a couple of battery candles that had been saved, & recycled from an ANZAC dawn service. Attack Creek, NT - October 2021.
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It doesn't matter where Team Rheged travel you can guarantee that we will encounter a set of traffic lights hundreds of km's from anywhere! Waiting, waiting, waiting! Stuart Highway, NT - October 2021.
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Nikki & Windy at the Tropic of Capricorn (front view). Northern Territory - October 2021.
The Tropic of Capricorn lies at 23 d 26' 22" (23.4394 degrees) south of the Equator & marks the most southerly latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead at noon. This event occurs at the December solstice when the southern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun to its maximum extent.
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Tennant Creek July 2019. That's Nikki saying 'so am I' in the caption! Yes! Windy & Nikki did win BEST EXHIBIT IN SHOW, 2x BEST EXHIBIT IN GROUP & 2x BEST JUNIOR IN SHOW awards this wonderful weekend (Judges: Di Jovanovic & P Johansen - far right of photo). It was the custom to 'salute the sunset over the headframe' from the towns 'look-out' hill. Unfortunately, this was the last time dog shows were held in Tennant Creek & just before COVID-19 put a stop to so many activities for so many of us.
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Camp Rheged at Alice Springs - 1st May 2022. Here we are using our new rear tent for the very first time! It worked a treat.
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Spaniel Cam is GO GO GO! We keep an eye on our precious cargo when on the road via a camera installed in the dog float with the viewing screen on the dash of our mini-bago!
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Camping overnight in the small mining town of Tennant Creek, NT - 2nd May 2022.
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Nikki & Lily crossing the Tropic of Capricorn - May 2022
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Lily & Nikki at Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles). These gigantic boulders have become an internationally recognised symbol of Australia's outback & are spectacular when the light of the morning & evening sun highlights their deep red colour. Karlu Karlu translates to 'round boulders'. This name is shared by the Kaytete, Warumungu, Warlpiri & Alyawarra traditional owners of the area.
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Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles) Peter, Cari & Tally having a Welsh stretch at this magical & sacred place. In a historic ceremony held here on 27 October 2008, ownership of the Karlu Karlu/Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve was officially given back to the site's traditional owners. The reserve is now jointly managed with the traditional owners & Parks & Wildlife rangers. This place has power.
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Bitter Springs our Never Never bush camp was our last overnight stop this trip. We love this natural style park situated in the Elsey National Park & we often stop here. The small town of Mataranka is renowned for its sandy-bottomed thermal pool & pastoral history is EXTREMELY popular with tourists. The area was made famous by the novel 'We of the Never Never' book & movie about nearby Elsey Station written by Jeannie Gunn the station owners wife.
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One of our larger base camps where we had 2x cars, both the large & the smaller dog floats & 7x Springers in tow! We won 2x BEST IN GROUP & 1x BEST IN SHOW awards with Meazle & many CLASS IN GROUP ribbons! Tennant Creek Shows 2016.
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'Jester' & 'MeMe' living it up in Camp Rheged, Tennant Creek, July 2016. This larger 6 berth float has reverse cycle Air Conditioning & all the mod cons!
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Sometimes we will take just 2 or 3 dogs away showing & on those occasions we may use our smaller trailer with it's internal fans, LED lighting & valuable 20 litre water tank all powered by the roof mounted solar panels. Tennant Creek early morning fog ~ November 2014. Photo by Jayden Probert.
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'Team Rheged' away camping & showing September 2014. We have 2 dog trailers & this, the largest one, is fully insulated, has reverse cycle Air Conditioning, internal travel lights, 'Spaniel Cam' & is powered by its own Gen Set or mains electricity plus many other features. A super trailer that we all love! Photo by Jayden Probert.
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Nikki & the Springles taking a well earned break at Adelaide River, only 50km from home, after a 3000km solo trip to Alice Springs. October 2017
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Our Springers are very well travelled & here is Molly Jones about to cross the Tropic of Capricorn - something she does, as we all do, several times a year! March 4th 2018.
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Camp Rheged in Alice Springs - October 2020.
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