Day 28 - Little River to East Devonport
We travelled 479km today - although I only had to drive for not even 30 of that! And how good was it to have the upgraded deluxe cabin today - because day sailings are boring.
Up super early (after not sleeping well becuse of a) trains and b) knowing we had to get up early) and on the road before 6am for the huge 25km drive into the Spirit terminal in Geelong. A nice, easy drive in the rain so we were checked in, inspected and in line by 6:30am. I went to buy coffees while the night sailing passengers disembarked. We were on board by about 7:30am and very grateful for our deluxe cabin so headed straight there before I went to get some breakfast, which we enjoyed in our room. There was a delay in our departure as an ambulance had to come on board to collect a sick passenger so Greg and I were already back in bed to catch up on sleep by then! Although I did get up to look out the front (the deluxe cabins being under the bridge) to see the new Spirit of Tasmania IV (which I had been on board down in Hobart a few months ago) almost in front of us!
We had a nap, had elevenses (and contemplated how nice room service would have been so I didn't have to get out of bed to go and get the coffees), went down for lunch, spent the afternoon reading/watching TV/planning where to camp tonight, drank more coffee until we came back into range close to Devonport. However, because of our delayed departure, we missed our slot into Devonport and so had to do circles out in the ocean until we could get in.
We disembarked after 8pm and headed straight for this recreation reserve in East Devonport along with many other caravan passengers! We had always planned to stay in Devonport tonight as it would have been too late and too dark to drive home. And we're tired. It's cold, the gas heater is on, dinner was in the air fryer and washed down with wine and we're looking forward to a good sleep before heading home in the morning to see our fur kids.
Day 27 - Macedon to Little River via Melton
We love to support places like this - the local pub doing their bit for the caravanning community and in turn, earning new customers. So here we are, at the Little River Hotel!
The quietest morning of the week at Chez Mallett and we couldn't even sleep in too long! Today is pack up day! We still enjoyed our cuppa in bed (with the heater on, because it was 6C outside and only 11C in the van!), breakfast, long showers etc before hitching and analysing the best way out. In the end, we drove around the house, past the new lawn etc because the recent sun had dried out the ground sufficiently and parked ready for an easy departure, but then went back inside to enjoy a final coffee with the family.
Down the road to Melton, where we had arranged to meet up with Peter and Sandra at aplace we have been to before with them and where I knew there was plenty of parking for the van. We enjoyed a really good lunch and plenty of laughs before we were back on the road, for another short drive to Little River.
A few weeks ago, I had been researching where to stay the night before our sailing (as we are on a day sailing tomorrow, so check in starts at 6am!). Most people choose the Showgrounds even though it's the wrong side of Geelong. But not for us - the Geelong Caravan and Camping Show is on there this weekend! I found a HipCamp on the right side of town wherebthe landowner had clearly decided to capitalise on the Spirit passengers and was renting out sites for $45, only 10 minutes from the terminal! However, for some reason he hasn't been doing that for the past year so that was no go. And nor were any of the caravan parks, as they were clearly booked out for the Camping Show. Looking further afield, I found this place. Only 25km from the terminal, $10 per night and there is no obligation to eat or drink at the pub - and we dont have to unhitch. As we were planning to catch up with friends who live south of Geelong, it did mean a bigger drive for them but they were keen anyway as the meals were reportedly very good.
It was very busy at the pub tonight so we coudn't get a table until 7:30pm but Garry and Leslie came up early, had a tour of the van and we were able to get early drinks at our table so we had a really good night catching up and the meals were indeed pretty good. Thankfully, the commute home for us was only 30 metres as we need to get to bed early ready for a super early departure!
Day 26 - Macedon to Coburg
Close friendships that last over time are important - we mightn't seen each other as often as we would like but when we get together, it's as if we have never been apart! Tonight was a classic example of that.
We had a quiet day in Macedon, caught up on a few jobs, even did a bit of work seeing as that reality is approaching very fast. Had a quick trip into Gisborne for a couple of things and enjoyed coffee with Eleanor before we headed into Coburg to catch up with Scott and Julie and the kids.
We ate ourseves silly, drank lots of bubbles, ordered in Turkish food (probably the one cuisine we miss the most in Launnie) and caught up on everything. Such a great night - making memories.
Day 25 - Macedon to Langwarrin and Narre Warren North
Now, I'm a Melbourne girl and love this city and it's extended towns, including the many I have lived in. But today, two things reminded me of why I don't live here anymore.
We had a nice, slow morning in the van, as it rained quite heavily outside. When it eased, we dashed for the house to have morning coffee with Eleanor. Pip flew out to India early this morning, Emily was sitting an exam (on her birthday! Poor girl) and Stu had just left for Adelaide for work.
A bit after 11am, we headed off for the south eastern suburbs. First planned stop was Langwarrin, to catch up with Brendan who Greg used to work with, and then to Berwick for catch up dinner with Lisa and family. However, two of the Thomas' were sick with a virus so we weren't keen on risking illness so changed our plans to meet with Lisa at her mum's place.
Our first "uh oh" moment was when the e-Tag didn't beep on the Tullamarine Freeway. Turns out they have batteries in them and after all these years (including many of little use!), it had gone flat. Then we ground to a halt on the Monash Freeway.
Traffic. This was one of the reasons we left Melbourne. When I started work at City of Whittlesea in 1999, my commute took me 37 minutes. By the time I left in 2017, the same commute was taking me 1.5 hours. All because of traffic. Caused by my second gripe of the day - urban sprawl.
We sat and crawled on the Monash for an hour. All to go a couple of kilometres to get past an accident. We didn't get to Langwarrin until 2pm! A quick stop at a bakery for a snack in lieu of lunch and then a lovely catch up with Brendan and Brenda, who were supposed to have been in Tassie a couple of months ago with their caravan, but Brenda was unwell and unable to travel. She is looking much better today.
Then it was a trip down memory lane travelling on Dandenong Hastings Road to head to Narre Warren North. A trip I did countless times in my childhood, but that is unrecognisable to me these days, with the urban sprawl of factories right to the road edge. There were a few still undeveloped properties that had the glimpse of past horse properties which almost triggered memories but then the urban sprawl took over at the next property and my memories were lost. However, pulling into Marg's driveway in Narree Warren North grounded me again - a driveway I have pulling into for 40 years!
It was lovely to catch up with Marg, then Lisa arrived with coffees and afternoon tea, and then Karen and her daughter Sienna arrived and it was great to see them. Marg really is my second mother, as I am her third daughter. So we spent many happy hours of the afternoon just chatting - and eating!
By the time we left, the traffic had eased and it was actually an easy drive back to Macedon. Not enough to suppress the pain of traffic anf urban sprawl that makes me glad we don't live here anymore.
Day 24 - Macedon to Broadford
A hot night, which is actually to be celebrated! Especially as with all our windows open, and the fabulous new fans we have, it cools down really well. However, I didn't sleep that well because of it. We also had a bit of a storm in the middle of the night, with thunder and lightning and rain, which woke me up. As did the trains - we're not used to them since our move from Broadford nearly 9 years ago where we had them 3 houses over. And then, the tradies arrived at 7am for the laying of the new turf in a new section of Stu and Eleanor's lawn. The truck that brought the turf and the forklift was huge so he wasn't fitting in but unloaded quite quickly on the road. By the time Greg and I went into the house at 10am to have a coffee with Pip and Stu, they had laid half of it! Getting home tonight was more exciting, to see the final reveal. So satisfying, and I know how much Stu is going to love it!!
After our morning coffee, we left Macedon, heading for our old home town. With all the roadworks and growth of some of the towns en route, it took us an hour! And then there were the bridge works in Broadford, which we have been following. It's part of the Inland Rail project and they have lifted the two bridges over the railway line and lowered the railway line to allow for double decker freight trains into the future.
We caught up with our old friend Luke at the new fire station to have a tour. 24 years ago when I was a new Secretary for the Brigade the Captain of the day and I would write letters every six months to CFA HQ requesting a new Station. Five years ago, they got it, so I like to think my efforts contributed! It is very flash, about 5 times the size of the old one, with all the mod cons and very well laid out. Luke spent an hour with us and it was just amazing. So pleased to see he is now the Captain.
We then headed to a cafe in town (they have all changed too) for some lunch and were joined by our former Captain, who I called "Boss" when I was Secretary. We always got along so well and it was lovely to see him and spend time together. Reminiscing, catching up on mutual acquaintances, hearing about his family and his own travels - they had to kick us out of the cafe at closing time!
Our driving tour of town took us past all our old houses, our current house, Mum and Dad's old house and even Stu and Eleanor's old house. Some things have changed and some haven't.
Back home in time for drinks with the family, a spot of washing, admiration of the new lawn, and shared dinner before family members go to different places tomorrow. A really good day with a trip down memory lane.
Day 23 - Wooroonook Lake to Macedon
This morning brought the end of our joint travels with Neill and Jude. Such a beautiful morning lakeside - warm, no wind and the birds were all happy. We got up (after our cuppa) to say goodbye but then took our time over breakfast, showers and even elevenses outside before we headed off.
Into Charlton for fuel and then it was the Calder Highway for a good couple of hours driving. We did stop at Bridgewater on Loddon (a previous favourtie campsite!) to buy lunch from the bakery and for old time's sake, we drove to the recreation reserve where we have camped in the past to eat our lunch. It was pretty hot by this stage so nice to be in the shade with the windows open.
Some more easy driving down the Calder until Macedon and we pulled into Stu and Eleanor's house at 3pm - to be greeted by the dog! And no-one else! Eleanor and Pip came home shortly after and we arranged where to park, had afternoon tea but it was pretty warm in the caravan so I went for a swim (this is a pretty good campsite with lovely gardens and a beautiful swimming pool!). The others came home and because we had all agreed that tonight was birthday celebrations for Em as she has exams on Wednesday and Thursday, so we had cheese and nibbles, drinks etc on the deck, and then a lovely family dinner.
Day 22 - Wentworth to Wooroonook Lake
For our last night together, we had to find a campsite that had all of our attributes. After a big day's driving we arrived here at a lake with plenty of wildlife, we were able to tuck ourselves away from everyone, we had a fire and it was quiet. Tick, tick, tick!
It was a big day's driving to get here though. And a hot day dawned in Wentworth so we got most of our pack up done before 9am. We actually had thunderstorms and a bit of rain overnight in Wentworth so some things were a bit wet but we figured with this hot weather, things would dry out quickly. We were on the road by 10am on the dot, but the first hour was pretty slow going, having to navigate small towns and skirt the big city of Mildura. So it was only in Red Cliffs that we stopped at Big Lizzie for elevenses - an enormous tractor built as a bit of a folly - capable of a fast 3.2km/hr!
On the road again, although at least the driving got easier. We did stop at a very unaassuming road side rest area for no other reason than it had plenty of wood we could chainsaw for firewood. It was hot, there were flies so it wasn't the best but we did load up the Phoenix firewood carrier for tonight.
A big couple of hours driving and we arrived here. Initially, we started heading around the lake but found the overhanging branches too low for our caravan and had to reverse out. Eventually, we found a great little spot away from everyone, right on the banks of the water, with plenty of birdlife.
We have done many trips together with Neill and Jude now, and plan to do many more. But it is still a little sad to get to the end of our travels together. We got set up, and thankfully it was just a little bit cooler on the water's edge. A bottle of special bubbles came out to commemmorate our trip, the big birthdays that have happened this year, and just to celebrate being together.
Drinks, nibbles and then dinner cooked on my best outdoor kitchen with a view! We even had dessert tonight! And a great fire with that lunchtime firewood!
We still have most of the week ahead to catch up with friends and family, with Phoenix "camping" in family backyard but tonight is the end of the true camping. We are so grateful to Neill and Jude for travelling with us, and for the times we had together. Another great exploration of a part of Australia that is unique and beautiful!
Day 21 - Wentworth
A nice, hot, still day in Wentworth! Had to do a few housekeeping tasks this morning whicch were not so much fun in the heat, and then we did have a few showers this afternoon to cool us down, but all in all, the weather was far more conudcive than just about anywhere else we have been on this trip
A slow morning, after a heat riddled sleep. After cuppas in bed, Neill and I fired up cookers for a fry up and we enjoyed our breakfast in the shade, as the heat was already increasing. After elevenses, we all headed off in different directions for a bit of exploring.
We had the 10c a litre off fuel offer from last night's dinner so we headed to the BP (which closed at 1pm!) and had a grand chat with the man, who filled our tank and had a chat about his mate who had gone to Tassie last Tuesday! Then we went out to the junction of the two rivers, and then the Lock (Lock # 10) and even checked out a few free camping options out of town.
See the colour difference in the two rivers (Darling on the left, Murray on the right). And all the pelicans at the weir/lock.
Then we headed to the very informative and well sourced visitor information centre for some information on the history of the area, including the big floods. From here, a quick trip out to the Paddle Steam Ruby which has apparently been being restored since 1995 - and it looks to have stalled in recent times, and then the Old Wentworth Gaol.
A quick stop at the supermarket (and another interaction with my friendly man from the BP!) and back to the caravan park for a quiet afternoon. Although the rain came in mid afternoon - nothing like the smell of rain on a hot summer afternoon. It cleared up for pre-dinner drinks, and our dinner of salmon pasta. We all commented on hor enjoyable, pretty and quiet this caravan park is as we enjoyed the pelicans, the ducks (including the family of mum, dad and three ducklings who walked through out camp), the fish jumping in the river, and the peace. You wouldn't even know we are iin a caravan park....
Day 20 - Cadell to Wentworth
Three States, two rivers, 244km - but how peaceful is this campsite?!
Up reasonably early (to an alarm?!) for the departure that would make our group of young people happy. Although it seemed everyone else camped there was thinking the same thing as there was a lot of activity this morning!
On the road by 9:45am, and apparently they were moving in before we had even got the Phoenix up the hill to the upper level! Ahh well, they can party as hard as they want to now!
On the road for a while, before stopping on the shores of Lake Bonney for elevenses. Greg and I camped there many years ago (in the caravan park, which was just along from where we stopped). It was a bit cooler this morning.
We travelled via Berri, leaving South Australia after the Renmark quarantine check point (going the other way), and of course, lost half an hour. Wheat and barley crops were replaced with grape vines and citrus trees. Into Victoria, and we stopped at Lake Cullulleraine for lunch, also on the shores of a lake!
50km later, we turned left and headed for New South Wales. Over the Murray and over the Darling, and here we are, all set up on the banks of the Darling, right next to Sturt's tree, where Captain Charles Sturt anchored when he reached the confluence of the Murray and Darling Rivers, now right outside our caravan. The river is peaceful, there are ducks and pelicans (and not a jet ski in sight), the caravan park is very quiet - I think we will get our peaceful relaxing weekend now!
Out for dinner to one of the pubs tonight, it was rated #2 on TripAdvisor. Great service, friendly locals but the food was pretty ordinary. We did comment that we haven't had great luck at pubs on this trip - at Streaky Bay, we left behind the bottle of wine we had paid for; in Burra we forgot to pay for our (ordinary) meals, and tonight, they forgot to charge us for our (ordinary) meals!
Day 19 - Hogwash Bend at Cadell
Today was almost the perfect camping day. Warm, light winds, perfect campsite, relaxing, water close enough for a swim - does it get any better than this?
Well, yes - actually it can be. See, last night we camped about 50 metres behind where our caravan is in the above photo, which was up on the level from where I took this photo. There was a whizz bang and a RTT in this spot so we chose the views over proximity to water. It was fine, although we did get hassled by some local yobbo who said we were blocking the boat ramp. There is no formal boat ramp, in actual fact there are a zillion places you can drive to the water's edge and launch a boat but never mind. But, when the whizz bang left at about 10:30am, we thought we might move down to here. So, the huge travel day of 50m was undertaken and we enjoyed elevenses in the sun on the water's edge listening to the birds, watching the pelicans, planning the next couple of peaceful warm days.....until a 4WD rolled in and two young people got out and looked around. After a while, they came over (we had been getting concerned as they were looking to set up in front of our car, and as you can see from the photo, we need to be able to drive forward to let Neill and Jude out and then reverse back ourselves) and got chatting about where they might set up. As they proceeded to tell us that they had a group of 35 people with 7 jet skis coming for a birthday party they had been planning for 2 months, our desire to stay dwindled significantly. We made their day by then telling them that we would be leaving in the morning and they could have our spot!
Our afternoon was still peaceful, we paddled, read, Neill had a swim, we watched the older guy behind us catch a couple of carp (!) and we planned where we might go tomorrow. Just to reinforce our desire to leave tomorrow, another couple of young people arrived at about 4pm, and then another two with the first jet ski at about 6pm. They launched the jet ski, hooned around a bit on that, someone did some wake boarding, they went to collect firewood in a donut towed behind the jetski - yep, this was just a small taste of what was to come! Then the music started (actually quite entertaining, and to to their credit, not very loud), they set up a projector and screen and started livestreaming Big Brother (!) - yep, all good reinforcement that we should leave.
Tonight, we enjoyed our drinks, nibbles and dinner in front of a roaring fire just metres from the river. We had ducks, seagulls and pelicans interested in our dinner and we did laugh a lot at the expense of our young, jetskiing neighbours. So while we are heading to a caravan park tomorrow and won't have the same ambience, views of the stars, space etc around our camp, it will be an awful lot quieter than here will be tomorrow!
Day 18 - Orrorroo to Cadell
A different view outside the caravan window today, with red dirt, trees and rocky landscapes. Different to everything we have seen on the Eyre Peninsula.
On the road after 10am for our very well planned morning tea at Maggie's Rendezvous Cafe in Orrorroo. Neill and Jude have been here many times and rave about the quandong pie so we even timed our trip to be here on a Wednesday after they close on a Monday and Tuesday. We settled ourselves in, ordered coffees and quandong pies, and Jude and I looked around all the knick knack items available to purchase. Apparently the cafe has been for sale for most of this year but to no avail, so the cafe will close permanently at the end of the year. The quandong pie was delicious, and as we were eating ours, an elderly gentlemen at the next table had his brought out with a candle and with all the staff singing happy birthday! Apparently, it was Maurice's 93rd birthday and he looked tickled pink with the rousing rendition of happy birthday! We all joined in - there would have been another 10 or so people in the cafe so he did well!
Having bought a few treats, we hit the road for the huge 36km down to Peterborough as I needed a few things at the supermarket and we both wanted fuel. I was initially flattered when a man outside the Ampol servo started to chat me up, asking me if I was travelling by myself (clearly he couldn't see Greg in the car!) but in reality, I think he was more impressed with the car! Even more so when I told him I was travelling with my husband and friends!!
Lunch was in the small town of Hallett, almost Mallett except for the H! Back on the road, and past the Goyder Highway turnoff near Burra where we turned off ver two weeks ago, so we have done a big circle now. Down to Morgan, then parallel to the Murray for a while until the ferry crossing at Cadell. Ironically, we have done this ferry crossing together back in 2016. Both caravans fitted on then, but not today, so I had to wait. It's a pretty quick turnaround and he had noone waiting to get on at the other side so he came straight back for us. As I may have said 9 years ago in this very blog, it is disconcerting to be travelling in your car without doing anything!
A few more kilometres along the Murray and we turned into the campsite at Hogwash Bend. Quite a few others here so we're not right on the water's edge, but we have good views and good access to it so we'll prop here for a few days.
Day 17 - Whyalla to Orrorroo
Finally, some warmth! And after we have left the Eyre Peninsula! It got to 30C today while we were driving! Still a bit too windy for our liking, but definitely less than recent days. And while there are still flies around too, they are less then recent times.
Woke up early for some reason, so decided to do another load of washing and drying before we left! As you do! It was a very pleasant temperature in Whyalla at 7am, and there was no wind! We were optimistic of our day ahead! Packed, hitched and on the road before 10am. We headed into Whyalla for a look at the jetty, which interestingly, was replaced only in 2017 with the design being chosen by the community.
We took a walk out to the end, with the industrial steelworks on the left hand side and a pleasantly designed beach and recreation area on the right hand side. We saw dolphins cavorting in the marina, plenty of people fishing, and the locals walking their dogs were very friendly.
We decided to get a few kilometres under our belt before elevenses and headed out the highway to Port Augusta. The country is desolate, with no trees and very flat. The tallest things were the brand new (and very shiny) transmission pylons. We were almost at Port Augusta before we found a rest area and it was certainly not our most salubrious, with graffitied water tanks and views of the wind turbines!
Thus ends our loop of the Eyre Peninsula. And also our seafood eating extravaganza! It was great to spend more time on the Eyre Pensinsula as last time we were here (in 2014), we literally did it in 2 days and didn't see nearly as much. The time taken was just right, we loved the rugged coastlines, the turquoise water and white sands, obviously the seafood, the wildlife and the communities.
On the road again, and we passed through Port Augusta heading for Orrorroo. We took a side road which was pretty ordinary. Apparently Neill and Jude had taken this road when they cae through a few months ago as it saved a lot of time due to the roadworks on the main highway, but it was single lane bitumen and quite bumpy!
We stopped for lunch in Wilmington, where it was quite warm. Met a French couple (she didn't speak English!) who also thought it was a bit too hot!
Arrived into Orrorroo and headed out of town again for this bush camp we found, which is on private property. The owner has very kindly made it available to campers. There aren't too many flat spots, but we found some. Unfortunately no campfires allowed during the fire danger period but it didn't get cool enough to need one until after sunset anyway! We even had to take refuge out of the sun in the afternoon! I went for a walk up the hill and met a lizard and two big kangaroos (I forget how big they are here after becoming used to such small ones in Tasmania!) but thankfully, no snakes today.
The wind did start to pick up which was sad, but certainly not as bad as it had been. Jude made scones for afternoon tea and I cooked them in the air fryer multi function oven and they were delicious. Dinner was a chicken curry with naan bread.
Day 16 - Lipson Cove to Whyalla
First thing this morning, it was back to being idyllic at Lipson Cove. Sunshine, white sand, blue skies, no wind - until 7am anyway. As the wind got up after that, we were reminded why we were leaving.
Packed up and on the road by 10am (after a bit of shuffling to get out of the spots in order to turn), and we headed to Port Neill - for obvious reasons! Neill was even more chuffed that it was spelt the same as him! We found a lovely car park right on the beach, with the obligatory pelican swimming past. The signs into town described Point Neill as "picture perfect" and it was indeed quite pretty for a small seaside town. With a lovely traditional jetty, old stone hotel, Norfolk pine trees lining the beach, and the bright white sand with turquoise water synonomous to this peninsula, we enjoyed our elevenses at a picnic table.
We had toyed with finding another coastal camping spot but the weather forecasts keep indicating wind and we are well and truly over that, so we decided to head north. Whyalla was our destination, not because of any attraction (it's not) but with the theory that it would be a bit warmer, and because we would have to stay at a caravan park, maybe out of the wind. We rang to book at the park with the best reputation and were super lucky to get the last spot, and the neighbouring "overflow" spot.
Lunch was in the rather desolate town of Cowell. The native vegtation around here is mostly scrubby coastal flat, and for some reason, this looked even more sparse and grey in Cowell. Ironically, on the drive this morning, we passed paddock after paddock of wheat and barley ready to be harvested (which we also had immediately behind us at Lipson Cove). This morning, we heard one of the farmers on the UHF bemoaning the weather, with some forecast rain this week which meant he wouldn't be able to harvest until at least Friday.
The best part of Cowell was a quirky little bakery called The Pastry Man. Reminding us a lot of the sourdough baker in Coffin Bay, we headed here for lunch and had the last four - and absolutely delicious - pasties. We also checked out this silo art.
Up the Lincoln Highway dodging the wide loads, we arrived into Whyalla at 3pm. Our overflow spot isn't too bad, the last official site is next to the dump point, but we have a little garden and some outdoor seating between our vans.
Greg and I headed off to fill our gas bottle that ran out two days ago, and to catch up with an old friend of Greg's from his childhood judo days. A very pleasant way to spend the afternoon before we came back for dinner in our common outdoor area, a load of washing and drying, and maybe an early night. You'll all be pleased to know it is still very windy......
Day 15 - Lipson Cove
Most people will know I'm not a morning person. At home, I am out walking at 6am on a weekday, so it wasn't beyond the realms of possibility that I was up and outside at 6am this morning even thugh I'm on holidays (and it's Sunday). But it's not often I have the opportunity to see the sunrise over the sea, so I thought I'd give it a shot. A quick drop of the blinds at 6am showed very few clouds so I thought sunrise (scheduled for 6:13am) was possible. I was up and dressed and outside walking down the beach a few minutes later. It was a beautiful morning - not a breath of wind, not cold although there had been a little rain during the night. I headed out to the old jetty remains to await the sunrise for my artistic photos.
By 6:30am, the sun was well and truly up so I went back to bed! Waking 2 hours later to the sounds of the awning flapping as the wind was picking up. Got up and got dressed again, to go outside and put the awning in. I had read there were going to be 50Km/hr gusts today.
Oh my goodness, the wind. It was relentless. All day it blew and blew, never letting up, shaking the van, blowing things away. We packed up all loose items outside and sheltered inside. After elevenses, Neill, Jude and I thought we needed some exercise and headed out for a walk to the headland. It was super windy and the flies were still present - you really couldn't win. A few hundred metres in, I spied a black shingleback lizard, so we side stepped him to allow him to keep sleeping in the sun. A few more hundred metres and I spotted an Eastern Brown Snake sunning himsef on a rock. He got a really wide berth - and a marker on the path for when we returned so we didn't stand on him coming the other way.
Back to the van for lunch and inside, a reprieve from the wind. After lunch, it seemed to pick up even more - the BOM said gusts were 59km/hr. Looking out the window at the (intermittent) sunshine, blue waters and white sand and you could be forgiven for thinking this was idyllic. The howling gales were another matter!
Neill, Jude and I attempted another walk along the beach, also very windy with the odd drop of rain. Roast pork was on the menu for dinner tonight and it had been planned to cook it in the Weber. There was no way the wind was going to allow that! So the new multifunction air fryer came out and the inverter went on. Two hours later, the van smelt divine, the pork was cooked, and our guests arrived for dinner at Cafe Phoenix. Roast pork, roast vegies and green beans was enjoyed by everyone. Such a shame the weather (wind) impacted our day so much.
The morning sunrise was truly the best part of the day! Weather wise anyway. The roast pork was probably the best part of the day!
Day 14 - North Shields to Lipson Cove
We have a few criteria that determine the best camping spots - water views, ambience, ability to have a campfire among others - and this spot ticks most of them! There's also a few other factors that can influence how we feel in said camp site - weather, flies/mozzies etc. This spot has zillions of flies (as many of our camp sites have on this trip) and the weather comes and goes, although it was mostly sunny and not too windy today.
We took it easy at North Shields this morning and had elevenses at the caravan park before leaving for the huge 60km trip up the road to here. Detouring in to Tumby Bay just to see what was there, we were pleasantly surprised with the silo art, which changes as you walk alongside.
Tumby Bay was a pretty little seaside town but we didn't need to spend long there so headed back up the road for 22 kilometres, the last 8 on gravel which had some corrugations but certainly wasn't the worst we have seen on this trip.
We have been lucky that Neill and Jude brought their Starlink internet device for this trip because when the antenna is placed between our vans, we all get wifi. In places like this where there is no mobile phone reception, it's even handier! I had read that sites 7 and 8 were the best, and when we left this morning, they were still available. We decided not to book until we got here so we can check out the unoccupied sites and were indeed impressed with 7 and 8 so had to switch on Starlink to make the bookings. We think we may have pipped someone else at the post but hey, if they didn't have Starlink that's not our problem! So we got set up and as I was making lunch, I opened the window to this view.
The flies however, make sitting outside pretty painful. Yesterday as we were walking at Whaler's Way, we met a young American couple. The girl asked if we were from South Australia and even though we said no, she asked whether this number of flies was normal for this place! She couldn't get over the sheer numbers, and their propensity to try and get in your mouth. So with much entertainment to me watching, Neill and Jude erected their fly dome. However, once up and us sitting inside (all four of us even fit inside!), the fact there are no flies in there was just lovely. We had drinks and nibbles, and then dinner in there!
I did light a fire towards the end of dinner so we could move there as the flies went to bed, but unfortunately the wind picked up again. We had our cups of tea fireside but retreated by 9:30pm, hoping that the wind isn't too bad overnight as the awning is out although it is well tied down and de-flappers in place.
Day 13 - Coffin Bay to Port Lincoln (North Shields)
Huge day's travel - all of 46km! There was a tiny bit of rain this morning as we packed up but once the sun came out, it was actually pretty warm. On the road by 10am, and at our new home north of Port Lincoln (North Shields) before elevenses! We are beachside in a caravan park with lovely big sites.
The rain did start just as we finished our elevenses so we hurriedly finished and jumped in the car to head into Port Lincoln. Did a bit of (drive) touring around before finding a place for lunch. Tracey jumped on TripAdvisor to find a place after yesterday's reccomendation worked out so well, and combined with a fresh fish reccommendation from the lady at this caravan park, we ended up at the Fresh Fish Place. Beautifully presented, with retail, gallery, frozen and fresh fish to buy, as well as a nice cafe area, we all enjoyed our "ocean to plate" meal. Clearly, I had the best seat in the house with this throne chair!
As we finished lunch and perused the retail offerings, we tossed up what to do with our afternoon. The Whaler's Way had been reccommended - a private property right at the south of the Eyre Peninsula with stunning scenery and references to the past whaling history. We decided to do it, booked, made the 35km drive out there and got our secret code to access the key to enter the property. And it was stunning! Poor signage, no safety barriers or formed paths but absolutely beautiful. Seals could be seen from the point, the cliffs were awe inspiring, and the coastline was a little bit different at every turn. We spent quite a few hours out there before heading back for a rest in the sun before we enjoyed dinner outside. A great day.
Day 12 - Coffin Bay and Port Lincoln
The day dawned wet. Not cold, and not windy for once, just wet. So we had a slow morning, breakfast in bed, some life admin and then elevenses under the awning watching the rain.
Also starting at about this time was what became a day long dilemma. As excited as I am to have a washing machine in this van, it is small. Great for small loads of tshirts and underwear, but not for towels and sheets. Knowing today was going to be wet, I thought I'd wash the sheets and dry them in the tumble dryer, all at the caravan park laundry. The washing part was easy. There's 8 machines, $4 a load, and two of the machines have swipe and pay. Super easy. The drying became the problem. There are only two dryers (to be fair, Coffin Bay has an average rainfall of a bout 390mm per annum so most drying would be done on the lines) and there is a whole etiquette about queuing and using washers/dryers. One machine had a load in it but had been finished for what seemed like a time. The user's wash basket was on top, so etiquette says you should wait about 15 minutes after it's stop, and if they haven't come back, you can empty their dryer and put your load in. The other machine had 26 minutes left. I thought I'd better wait 15 minutes so set a timer and went back to the van. By the time I came back, that machine was in use again (same load - obviously not dry). So set the timer for another 9 minutes and come back. By the time I came back, someone had queue jumped! I didn't have time to wait again as we were heading out. So I bundled up my wet sheets and decided to wait until we got back.
In the meantime, we headed into Port Lincoln for lunch and to do some grocery shopping. Although we are heading to Port Lincoln tomorrow, we wanted to get the shopping out of the way so we have time to sightsee tomorrow. I searched TripAdvisor for a good cafe for lunch and headed up at a French croissanterie! It was so good! Tastefully decorated, great service and the menu had an interesting collection of sweet and savoury goodies - not all involving croissants! We all enjoyed our lunch.
Then we hit the supermarkets and returned to Coffin Bay, as we had found a very exclusive sourdough baker who made fresh bread on Thursdays and Saturdays, and you could buy at 4pm on a Thursday. Stopping at the caravan park to unpack groceries, I tried the dryer again. No go! So I hung them on the clothes line even though there was still a bit of rain - thuoght the air was better than wet sheets bunched in the basket.
Off to Jarrah's Sourdough. An enterprising young man named James who got into surdough making during COVID, built his own oven, and now makes about 100 loaves a week during the off season and 300 loaves a week during the peak season! We each bought a loaf!
Back to the caravan park, still full from lunch so no afternoon tea or pre-dinner drinks. Just back and forth to the dryer trying to get in. A lady apologised for jumping the queue at one point and waited for me when her load was finished so I could go next. By this time, the sun was out, there was a gentle breeze so I decided to leave my washing on the line and enjoy the fresh smell of line-dried linen! After all that saga!!!
We had a late dinner, with perhaps smaller than normal serves, sitting outside the Bushtracker in the fading sun. Incredible how few times we have been able to do that this trip!
And just to finish off with a little story from late last night, I saw the predictions that it was a strong Aurora night and given the clear skies in South Australia (while it was cloudy back in Tassie), I went for a walk beyond all the lights to get a dark, clear view of the sky and was rewarded with this!
Day 11 - Coffin Bay
What a glorious day! Fabulous weather, amazing experiences, stunning scenery - and did I mention the oysters?!
It was actually a very cool night, and I had to find the remote control for the reverse cycle air conditioner to run that for heating (may as well save gas while we're on power). Especially as we had to be up early to get down to the marina for our oyster boat tour.
We set off before 9:30am, on crystal clear and very smooth waters. It was a 20 minute trip out to the oyster leases, but we did see some dolphins on the way out so slowed right down to play with them but they were busy hunting their breakfast. Before long we arrived at the lease, where all you could see was miles and miles of oyster beds. Apparently a one hectare lease out here costs $700K! We tied up to one of their leases (they have 4.5ha) and most people donned waders to get out amongst it. The water was only about one metre deep but it was a weird sensation to walk up and down the lines. The oysters are in black baskets (we later heard the whole story about how they are grown etc) and I could see them eating. Depending on their age, some of them will be out of the water for a short period of time during low tides to strengthen their adductor muscle, which makes them taste better!).
After we had been in the water long enough, we climbed back on board, got ourselves a drink and settled in to hear our guide Scott tell us all about the history of oyster farming in Coffin Bay, and across Australia, and why Coffin Bay oysters are Australia's best today. When he found out we were from Tasmania, he did explain what affects the St Helens oysters which unfortunately makes then taste not as good as the Coffin Bay ones. While he spoke, his offsider shucked 15 dozen oysters (that had been harvested at 8am this morning!) and once he finished, we all got our dozen. Now Greg doesn't like natural oysters so I ate his as well. Nor does Jude, although she tried 2 but Neill at the rest of hers. Washed down with sparkling wine, that was the best elevenses we have had on this trip!
We started heading back to the marina, via these islands where the seals and sealions hung out. We saw a couple of both, including this big male seal.
It was a great tour which we all enjoyed and we learnt a lot. And what perfect weather we had! The guide did say he had no-one booked for tomorrow (it's supposed to rain quite a bit tomorrow).
Back to the vans for lunch and then because the weather was so good, we thought we'd head out to Coffin Bay National Park and see if we could find somewhere to swim. The ocean side of the park was just stunning, but the water was a bit too cool... we went in up to our knees though!
Afternoon tea in the sun and we wiled away the afternoon. We had already made plans to go to the yacht club for dinner, as they are mostly run by volunteers and only open on certain days. So we headed there for 6pm, and gosh, it was busy! We really should have booked, but got a table, bought some drinks and enjoyed the view over the water. The menu was quite limited due to staff limitations but we all had the local whiting and chips with salad bar, and it was so good! Fresh, good value and just delicious! A fantastic dinner to end a really great day.
Day 10 - Coffin Bay and Cummins
Another slow day, but very relaxing as we are not moving from here for a few days (pay for 3, get the 4th for free!).
After elevenses in the sun - it does look like the weather is starting to improve today - we headed up to the central peninsula town of Cummins on the reccommendation from a lady Jude goes to the pool with! She said we had to try the bakery and see the toilet. So we jumped in the car just before 12pm for the 46km trip up the Tod Highway. We had even booked at the Five Loaves Bakery and it sure was busy, with a huge range of pies, cakes, sandwiches, burgers etc. We all had something savoury followed by something sweet and it was pretty good!
After lunch we took a little tour of town (lots of agricutural suppliers - one of the guys in the queue at the bakery (who generously gave up the last apple turnover for me (Greg)!) was saying it was his first day for the season in the grain truck), we visited Triangle Park with their award winning toilet. Now, it's not as good as Maryborough's (Google Cistern Chapel) but it was pretty cool with lots of mosaic work.
Back to the van for a quiet afternoon in the sun (and some washing), before drinks and nibbles in the sun and then dinner in the Phoenix.
Day 9 - Kiana Park to Coffin Bay
A quiet, easy day today. Just as holidays should be. Sleep in, lazy breakfast in bed, dishes, showers and convened with Neill and Jude for elevenses on the lawn between our vans. On the road before 12pm for the whole 76 kilometres to Coffin Bay, oyster capital of Australia!
We hadn't booked the caravan park here because it is quite large and we didn't think it would be too busy. The lady on check in was quite taken aback but got us onto sites side by side, on drive through sites which interestingly, most of the sites are. We got set up, had some lunch a little explore of the not-very-big town that is Coffin Bay before a quite afternoon. I did go for a walk this afternoon to find the one other Tasmanian in the park and all of these emus! They actually live in the park! And their poos are huge! They did one out the front of Neill and Jude's site, much to Jude's disgust!
A quick trip to the local supermarket, and if this doesn't reinforce that we're in an oyster town, I don't know what does. Not only can you buy oyster trays in the IGA, but you can (normally) buy oysters from a vending machine on the water's edge!
Back to the van for pre-dinner preparations before our dinner reservation at Cafe Bushtracker where we enjoyed some nibbles, then a yummy beef casserole with vegies and crusty bread. Some planning for the next few days as we are here for 4 days (at theo cost of 3!) ended a lovely easy day.
Day 8 - Talia to Kiana Park
A lovely slow day. Woke late, but Neill had the fire going (because, finally the wind had died down overnight - but never fear, it hasn't completely gone) so we could have a fry up and enjoy bacon, eggs, hash browns, baked beans in front of the fire. The sun was shining, there was next to no wind and the fire was cheery and warm. We really didn't even think about leaving until after elevenses.
Getting out took a bit of negotiating and we may have some new pin stripes on the caravan but that was all OK, and then we had to contend with the last two kilometres of corrugations before we made it back to the highway. Then it was smooth, easy driving until lunchtime, where we stopped at this beautiful beach in the small town of Elliston.
Another 80km down the road and we turned off into this farm, called Kiana Park. In true agritourism fashon, they have created an RV park within the farm and it is beautifully done. Grassy sites, separated and protected from the wind by stands of trees, a communal fire pit with firewood provided - and we were the only ones here! Not even the owners are home! We got ourselves set up, enjoyed afternoon tea in the sun, and even had time to read and relax. I was on dinner duty but the corned beef was cooking in the DreamPot so there was no hurry for the vegies. The wind had picked up a bit by late afternoon but we got the fire going and made ourseves comfy. Dinner was delicious, the fire was roaring thanks to the supplied firewood (look Andrew, even a foot stool for me!) and we had a great night in front of it with music playing from the Sunland external speakers.
Day 7 - Point Labbat to Talia
Some highs and some lows - that's what travel is all about.
We had a beautiful slow morning by the water of Baird Bay, enjoying the sun through the windows, the peace and the knowledge we were on our own time.
After early elevenses, we headed off. I need to remember that the Ford has a big turning circle - where Neill did a neat u-turn, I needed to do an (also neat) three point turn!
Up the road a bit, we stopped for the Murphy's Haystacks. Really just big rocks sticking out of the ground, do they actually look like old fashioned hay stacks?!?!
Down the road a bit further to Venus Bay, and what a delightful little town this was! Pretty, well serviced, catered well for caravans, and it had plenty of my favourite birds - pelicans! Both the statue kind (meet Pauly the Pelican) and the real kind, who allowed me to get really quite close!
We bought some local fish for our lunch (this town boasts a curved jetty, to which were moored a couple of fishing trawlers) and enjoyed it and the birds.
On the road again for another 10km (we only did about 80km all up today!), until we turned off for the Talia Caves, especially the Woolshed Cave. Unfortunately, the road in was 5km of corrugations which was not much fun. We got to the end, where we were also going to camp, but it was windy and uninspiring. We walked down the many stairs to the caves, and were slightly taken aback that they were not signed, there was no path to them (you had to rock hop) - it was all a bit weird. But, it was a cave - and a large one at that!
After deciding the cave campground was too uninspiring, we ventured back up the corrugated road for a few kilometres to this spot Neill found where we could bush camp. It was a bit out of the wind, very quiet and actually, pretty good! With the vans well positioned to protect us from the worst of the wind, we enjoyed afternoon tea in the sun before Neill and I collected some firewood (if not for tonight, then in the optimistic hope of a wind-less night soon so we coul dhave a fire). Pre dinner drinks outside, and even dinner, the latter of which was a bit optimistic as it really started to cool down as the sun set.
Day 6 - Streaky Bay to Point Labbat
Camping would be so much fun if the weather was always good! Today, it wasn't - again!
The alarm went off as today was pack up day. There were ominous black clouds to the west and sure enough, it showered and the wind packed up as we battled through pack up. When it was time to leave, I did take the cheat's way out and unplugged our opposite neighbour's power and water so I could drive straight out (but not over their leads). Into town for a trip to the butcher and then elevenses at another cafe. Still raining on and off and the wind had picked up. Eventually we headed off again, for the 47km journey doen to here. Which was fine until we turned off onto this road, down the skinny little peninsula that leads to Point Labbat. Corrugations that were very unexpected! Hadn't packed for that, or let tyres down. We had identified a campground right on the water that we expected would be very quiet - and how beautiful is this?!
Unfortunately, still a bit windy. I enjoyed lunch outside in the shelter of the back of our van but Greg stayed inside! Had a little explore of the water and surrounding area - very lovely.
The whole point of being down here was to see the sealions at Point Labbat, at the very end of this little peninsula. So we all headed off in one vehicle to see what we could see. And sure enough, the largest natural sea lion colony on mainland Australia! They were all sleeping in the sun (cleary, the wind doesn't bother them) on the beach and rocks. We saw a few move and go for a walk (and two males almost have fisticuffs) but no noise which wasn't as engaging for Greg.
They were quite fascinating, and what a beautiful cliff face. I could have watched them for ages - it was definitely the highight of my afternoon! - but guess what, more rain showers swept in so we headed back to camp.
Although the wind didn't ease up, the sun did stay out and so we all got a few jobs done and enjoyed our coffee in the sun. Dinner was in Cafe Phoenix (satay chicken tonight) and we are looking forward to waking up looking out over the turqouise blue water.
