Sunday, September 09, 2018

Home, sweet home

The sun is setting on this holiday. We are home, seeing the spring blooms, cuddling the pets (Nelly the cat is currently on my lap as I type this), and re-familiarising ourselves with it all.
For the first time in many years, I am looking forward to going back to work after a holiday. That speaks volumes.


This trip was different to many of our usual caravan adventures. We didn't do nearly as much remote exploring, free camping, or visiting destinations as normal. This trip was all about catching up with people. It was a really nice change and we enjoyed the many opportunities to spend time with so many lovely people. In chronological order:
- Neill and Jude - we love our caravan adventures with these two beautiful people and even though we couldn't do that this time, our three days together on the banks of Lake Maraboon was idyllic and great friendship time.
- Ally and Terry - after meeting Ally on the cruise last year, and hearing her say how much we would like her husband, it was truly delightful to spend time in their home and visit their farm. A real highlight
- Maggy - We spent some lovely times together on the cruise last year and it was great to spend time with Maggy on her home turf. Even better, that Ally was in Yeppoon at the same time so it was ironic and fun that the four of us were the last to leave a couple of restaurants again in Yeppoon - just like we were on the cruise!
- Janne. We love Greg's aunt and don't see her nearly often enough, so it was perfect to spend some low key time with Janne, and Bevan. Although the whale watching while we were there was a holiday highlight for me, Greg got to spend some quality time with his aunt and that was truly appreciated.
- Andy and Mayo. Greg has spent so much time with this delightful couple that it was a real trip down memory lane to visit again and catch up. We really hope to come back and spend more time in the not too distant future.
- Andrew and Courtney - this was our third visit to my brother's new place and we were really pleased to be able to get the van in and spend some relaxing time with them both. Courtney fed us so well and it is so quiet in Ewingar, that these five days were truly relaxing.
- Rob and Kylie - the best housesitters we have ever had, but this time we got to meet on their turf. And this presented us with an opportunity to visit places we would normally not visit. We were so grateful for this.


Back in Melbourne, we got to see Stu and Eleanor and the girls, Scott and Julie, Auntie Mona and my cousin Leonie, Lisa, Paul and Marg. Just wonderful.


We travelled approximately 6,200 kilometres, set up camp 14 times, and loved every minute of it. Yesterday, we parked the van back up at Marg's place and put the heavily loaded car back onto the Spirit of Tasmania for one of the best crossings we have ever had., to arrive into Devonport at 6am today for the drive home before breakfast.


Better start planning the next trip.......

Tuesday, September 04, 2018

Reid's Flat to Chiltern

I'm writing this around the campfire, as all good camping trips should end. Technically, today is our last day on the road, as we will head to Greg's brother's tomorrow and spend a couple of days catching up with people in Melbourne and packing up the caravan.


We awoke in peace and quiet in Reid's Flat this morning, but it was a little cool so we fired up the diesel heater - if only to make Rob and Kylie jealous as they don't have one. I don't know how they survive.....! We had our morning cuppas in bed, then showers, and then headed back to Rob and Kylie's campfire for a fry up for breakfast. The sun was shining very warmly - we almost didn't need the campfire! Eventually, repleted after a wonderful breakkie, we packed up, said our goodbyes and headed back out of Reid's Flat. Thankfully, we didn't need to go back to Corowa, and instead headed for Booroowa. After the narrow windy roads to get there, the Lachlan Valley Way out of Boorowa to Yass was a much better road - but imagine how easier my driving got once we hit the Hume Freeway! The speedo got up to nearly 100km/hr and the miles melted away.


We stopped at the Dog on the Tuckerbox in Gundagai for lunch and fuel. We didn't really have plans for today's destinaton but I knew I didn't want a big day's driving. We got to Albury/Wodonga and I was nearly over it already. Reflecting on my lunchtime research of campsites south of there, we decided on the Ironbark National Park in Chiltern and so pulled in here at 3:30pm.


The ozpig got set up, firewood collected, beers were out and we were relaxing by the fire quite quickly.
This is a very small little campground but we are here by ourselves so we can't complain. As the sun set, the night cooled off and so I started cooking dinner on the fire. Vegies boiled in the billy and T bone steaks from our own boy cooked over the fire, this is a truly wonderful way to end this trip's adventures on the road.


Tambar Springs to Reids Flat

When you think how many hidden corners of Australia there are, it's understandable one will never see all of them. But sometimes it's good to have a reason to explore some of the real hidden places.


It's fair to say we would never have come to Reid's Flat if we hadn't had a reason. I'm sure most of you (especially the Aussies reading this) will have no idea where Reid's Flat is. We didn't either until we messaged Rob and Kylie a few weeks ago with the intention of meeting up with them somewhere near Emerald. Rob and Kylie were our last housitters. They spent 8 months in Tassie from last September through to May this year, and house sat for us three times. We got along really well with them and they had planned to go fossicking near Emerald in July/August so we tentatively planned to catch up there.


Until they put down roots in Reid's Flat. Well, they have seedling roots. They bought 500 acres a couple of months ago and so are living on the property in the caravan while they build a house. A slightly different path from fossicking in Emerald so we decided to go and see this little known corner of Australia.


We were up early in Tambar Springs, even before the local council workers who started road works just outside the pub at 7:30am. On the road by 8:30am, we headed south through Coolah, Wellington, Molong and Cowra. Turning out of Cowra to Reid's Flat, it quickly became apparent this is not a popular road route. The road became narrow and windy and we started to distrust the satnav. We drove into the locality of Reid's Flat just after 3pm and there really isn't much there. Following Rob's directions, we got to their road which appeared to be a goat track and off we set. The track was narrow and windy - I have no idea what we would have done if we had met someone coming the other way.


The instructions were 6.4km along that track. But we got to 6.7 and couldn't see a gate. Then we rose upon a crest and pulled up to ponder our options. There was nowhere to turn around, no mobile phone service - how were we to find them? Crisis averted when Rob pulls up next to us - he had seen us overshoot the mark and chased us down! I reversed into a driveway and we made our way up through the rocks to this unique place.


They grow good rocks out here! It's a pretty rugged 500 acres but beautiful in its own way. Rob and Kylie are building a house out of containers and have been very busy in the last three weeks getting started on that. So we caught up on stories and happenings, sharing drinks and dinner around the campfire, watched the stars come out and enjoyed the tranquility.




Sunday, September 02, 2018

Ewingar to Tambar Springs

I'm writing this in the the bathroom (of the van) because doesn't everyone write their blog in the bathroom?! The laptop was flat so I've had to fire up the inverter and there's only one power point for the inverter and you can work out where that is!


We are parked outside the Tambar Springs Hotel. The Wikicamps app says you can park out the back of the pub for the cost of a beer. We pulled up out the front quite late and when I went in to inquire about camping, I was told " to park anywhere, love - find a spot that's level". So we did and headed in to pay our camping fee. We ordered drinks and it's fair to say we made an impression on the locals in the Tambar Springs Hotel tonight. I suspect they don't see many outsiders. They were fascinated that we're from Tasmania, that Greg is blind and that I tow the caravan. Very friendly though, and we got the history of the pub from the owner (Tony - who's been there 14 years, 13 of those with his fat little fox terrier who sleeps in front of the fire in the bar), got some advice on tomorrow's route from the boys and I was advised to "look after Greg"......


A big day's driving today - my biggest day yet! 535 kilometres which included the narrow and winding road out of Ewingar and then the climb up the mountains to Tenterfield. We stopped for early elevenses in our favourite rest area in Tenterfield (this is the third trip to my brother's place since they moved here in October 2016 so we're getting to know some of the spots along the way), lunch in Guyra (where it was a mere 12C outside - we were not prepared for that in our shorts and T shirts! However, given the elevation is 1400m, it makes sense), fuel just out of Tamworth and then as far as we could get today, which happened to be Tambar Springs.


I think I'll get out of the bathroom now, and leave it to normal bathroom activities.

Ewingar - Saturday 1st September 2018

A very quiet day at home. We pottered around the van in the morning doing some housekeeping. Had a lovely lunch on the deck with Andrew and Courtney, finished off with a great cake that Courtney made. Went for a walk with the dogs, hitched up the van ready for an easy departure in the morning, filled our water tanks (good thing they had rain last week and could spare 200 litres!) and settled in to share a meal together for our last night here. Who knows when we'll see each other again, although we would love to show our place to Courtney so we'll work on getting them down to us in the next few months. In the meantime, we've been able to share the past five days together and that has given us some wonderful memories.

Saturday, September 01, 2018

Ewingar - Friday 31st August 2018

The sun warmed up the caravan quite early again so we opened the windows while enjoying our morning cuppa in bed - to the delight and frustration of Jamie and Roy who were hanging around outside our van but couldn't get in.


By late morning, we had decided on today's activities - kayaking on the Clarence River, which is just down the hill from Andrew and Courtney's place. Courtney prepared a picnic and we loaded their kayaks onto the Landrcuiser roofracks, before heading down the hill to the neighbour to borrow a third kayak.


Down at the river, at the end of a tiny little track well away from any others, we set up our little day camp. It was the first time we had used our car awning, so that was declared a success as we enjoyed our picnic lunch underneath it.
Then it was time to launch the kayaks as clouds started to gather to the south, so we didn't want to get rained on. The river was quite wide where we launched and as this was a spot that Andrew and Courtney hadn't been to, we decided to head upstream. Greg settled in with a book under the awning so he was right even if it did rain.


The river was beautiful, quiet, idyllic and with varying nature including steep rocky cliffs, paddocks, and natural bush. There was a flock of pelicans in front of us at one stage and although we paddled up quietly, when we got too close they took off. There were plenty of other water birds around, and Andrew saw a fish jumping out of the water. It took us over an hour to get upstream and as we turned a bend in the river, we saw we couldn't go any further. The river got narrower, and shallow and at our turn around point, was just rocky. It is pretty dry at the moment after all. Heading back was much easier as the current took us, although control was required to stay in the right direction! It was a fabulous afternoon immersed in nature, enjoyed in peace and quiet. The kayaks got loaded back on top of the car and we headed home for drinks and another yummy dinner- home made hamburgers on home made hamburger buns!




Ewingar (Casino) - Thursday 30th August 2018

Another lovely lazy morning in the caravan until the whimpering of a dog outside our van required our attention! After breakfast, we had our morning cuppa outside in the sunshine with Jamie and Roy for company - they are quite enamoured with the van and Jamie has dug himself out a little nest under the axles.


We were all heading into Casino after that but had to take two cars as Courtney had to buy hay. Hay is very hard to come by up here and frightfully expensive, so she needs to get it when she can.


So we all met up in Casino and went to a local cafe for lunch. That was pleasant and fortified us for the afternoon's activities. Andrew and Courtney went onto Lismore for a few things and I went to Woolies for a small shop. Hence, we made it back to Ewingar much earlier than them, to the absolute joy of Jamie and Roy. They sat with us while we had an afternoon cuppa and then everyone headed to the house for another yummy dinner.