Smokey Bay & across the Nullarbor home – caravaning around Australia

Posted on January 30, 2024 by paulinerose18

Mr C has grown to appreciate free camping, the most he will do is two days in a row – me I could go longer and be happy with a top and tail however, Mr C does not engage in that activity nor is he willing to try so two days it is for us.

Crossing the Nullarbor – homeward bound.

After leaving Adeliade we bought a new car battery, we did not want to risk getting a flat battery again crossing the Nullarbor. We stopped at Port Wakefield, up the A1 to Lake Bumbunga It was time to look for a free camp for the night when we came to Bumbunga Lake a Salt Lake and to my surprise there was the Lock-Eel, I thought it was Nessie (the Lock ness monster here in SA), how clever. There was a butcher shop, an unusual place to have a butcher shop in the middle of nowhere – I popped in to buy a couple of drinks and ask about free camping – to my surprise the butcher said “yes, just next to park is a free camping spot” – it was great, clean, toilets and free WiFi, we were set for the night.

Next morning Mr C and I had a walk around the lake and then set off for Kimba. We drove through Iron Knob, again a small mining town not much to see. Following the A1 to Port Pirie for a look around and to change one of the caravan tyres. The tyre was changed without any issues, we then had fish and chips for lunch overlooking the Port.

Next town was Port Germain it was smaller than Port Pirie and we didn’t stop just drove through, the same with Port Augusta. The first time round we stayed 5 nights in Port Augusta and that’s enough for a lifetime, not much to see or do, won’t be going back.

Kimba is a great town, best free camping area and with a shower – it’s in the showgrounds and near the Men’s Shed. I was so excited there was a shower, I went straight away to have one. I was in getting undressed when I read the sign that said $1.00 for 2mins hot water – well it was a cold shower for me, I didn’t take my purse into the shower, never mind it was a hot day and a cold shower was good enough for me – I did pass on the information to Mr C that he required a $1 if he wanted hot water and he did.

We decided we would have breakfast at the Big Pink Galah. The Halfway across Australia gift shop – apparently it is halfway as the crow flies between west and east. It is a must to see the Eward John Eyre statues of the early pioneers, the 360-degree view is spectacular.

Next stop was Wudinna – Mount Wudinna is the second largest monolith after Uluru, however Mr C was not in the mood to unhitch the caravan and go and have a look at another big rock – I didn’t have the energy to argue with him about it and settled for a drive by.

We had a toilet stop and filled up in a weird little place called Kyancutta it’s a 24hr fuel pay station, the only good thing about the place was it had a beautiful Mulberry Tree, which I picked a couple of ripe mulberries. Then on our way to Smokey Bay via Streaky Bay.

As we drove through Streaky Bay, I remembered what a great time we spent there – I was pleased we chose somewhere different this time. We did stop to stock up on some food and water, just as well we did, because Smokey Bay was much smaller and only had one general store.

Upon arriving at Smokey Bay, the bay looked pristine blue, calm and inviting. I was driving and backed the caravan in without any bother, I did have someone directing me, the park manager all went smoothly. I am so used to driving the caravan now and getting better with reversing every time I do it – I hate it when the guys stand and watch you parking, it is off putting. Our plan for Smokey Bay was to relax before our drive home across the Nullarbor and that’s what we did. Mr C also wanted a supply of oysters for the road…… and he was in luck, he bought the biggest oysters, they were delish.

Ceduna

We put Smokey Bay in our rear vision mirror the next morning as we headed to Ceduna. Quick lunch at the bakery (cold pie), a wander around town and a walk on the jetty. Not much else to do so we resumed our journey towards Penong.

Crossing the Nullarbor again – bought back memories of only 6 months before, there seemed to be less flowers and now there were no Whales to see in the Bight. We took a detour to Fowlers Bay between Ceduna and the Nullabour it’s a tiny town for fisherman and whale watchers – however migration season is over. It was a beautiful sunny day, 80% of the road was sealed, the last 10 kms was a graded road – it was a fabulous bay – right next to Fowlers Bay was Scott’s Bay what a coincidence.

After Fowlers Bay it was head down and driving towards home. Once we made the decision to head home all we wanted to do was get home, funny how that happens.

I wanted us to stop overnight on the Australian Bight, however Mr C said it was too open and it would be too windy, and we stayed off road in a more sheltered stop – disappointing for me.

This time crossing the Nullarbor we encountered strong winds and a rainstorm – everyone commented on how unusual it was – I guess it’s all an experience. Due to the strong winds, we had a window of the caravan blow open whilst we were driving – it broke, between us we did a quick repair, Mr C with his drill and me with the duct tape and continued on our way. We saw no wildlife this time round, and very few birds and only a couple of roadkill.

It was strange crossing the border and watching the time change on the car radio, we gained back our two hours – the time difference was always an issue for us- three hours is a big difference, I can cope with two, but three is so difficult when trying to contact family and grandchildren. It was a great feeling being back in WA.

Merredin – the drive to Merredin was interesting, we saw a beautiful big Salt Lake and some beautiful countryside. There were some great old buildings, the town seemed very quiet and we arrived during a storm with lots of lightening, so it was interesting setting up. We found an IGA that was open so we could buy some food for dinner – we could have continued to Quarading but decided to stop and have some time out and set off early in the morning.

Quairading is another wheatbelt town where Mr C’s brother lives. I had taken a leg of lamb to cook a roast dinner, little did I know that the temperature would be in the 40’s, but that did not stop me cooking a lamb roast with Yorkshire puddings – it was great – a fun time was had by all. Next day we left early for home. I couldn’t wait……..I wanted to drive as Mr C had driven us out on the trip, I wanted to drive us home.

Home – it was great driving down our street, I was driving us home – it was just so exciting, I parked the caravan perfectly – it was just so good to be home.

We love being home, still have some catching up to do with family and friends. Love my bed and ensuite, not having to shower with my thongs on….. we have so much room to move. There are also some repairs to the house and the garden needs our tender loving care – the doggies were well looked after and love us being home. Our family Xmas will be on the 3 February, can’t wait.

Final blog about our trip is still to come. It will be a summary of the best and not so best of our 26,500 kilometres. Together with my favourite photos. Thanks everyone who followed along we’ve had the best time ever.

Murray Bridge SA – Caravanning around Australia

Posted on January 11, 2024 by paulinerose18

Our drive from Coonawarra to Murray Bridge was relatively uneventful apart from a detour that took us miles out of our way. There was mixture of miles and miles of vineyards, paddocks of purple flowers, cattle and sheep farming and rolling green hills. We went along the Riddock Hwy through Naracorte and stopped at a little bakery in the town of Keith for lunch – what an unusual name for a town ‘Keith’. Again, Google helped with the answer – In 1889 the town was officially proclaimed and named after Lord Kintore, the Governor of South Australia who was also known as Lord Keith because his ancestral home in Aberdeenshire, Scotland was called Keith Hall+- and that’s why the town’s name is Keith.

Not long after leaving Keith, we followed a detour sign as the Riddock Hwy was closed. It was so annoying when you follow a detour, and it does not connect back up to the highway you were on before. We ended up on the coast road, not a bad thing but not what we had planned. We passed through Meningie, Ashville, Lake Albert, Lake Alexandrina, Tailem Bend and finally Murray Bridge.

We arrived at Murray Bridge Caravan Park late afternoon, we had a good view of the Murry River which was great. I had enough time for me to get a couple of loads of washing done, including our sheets – I just love clean sheets on the bed. Luckily for us the sun was out and there was a little breeze so the washing dried quickly. I cooked a nice dinner and we planned the next three days and our way home – Mr C has not been in a game playing mood since we left Carwoola, he’s being a real party pooper, so I have been busy with some crocheting.

The rain seemed to be following us it rained the next day – we did a bit of shopping and went to visit the famous Bunyip of the Murray Bridge, yes it does exist – it could be made a little scarier. Mr C was delighted when he saw how many other men had been dragged to see this attraction.

The later afternoon we were meeting up with friends for a BBQ dinner so we left earlier in the afternoon so we could go via Port Elliot and had a look at the town – it was only about 65mins away. However, the rain was quite heavy and we wondered had we made the right choice. At the end of the day if the weather was still bad after dinner we could always stay the night.

Port Elliot is a delightful town, lots of history, beautiful, interesting shops and buzzing with people. The Bowling green is in a prime location right by the sea – beautiful spot to play Bowls. If we were to come back we would spend more time exploring.

Middleton was next, only 10 mins out of Port Elliot meeting up with Marijke & Nev for dinner – it was lovely to have some female companionship again, we gossiped in a good way, shared midwifery stories and solved the world problems all in one evening – and dinner was delish. The rain had cleared so we drove back to Murray Bridge and our caravan.

Next morning was meant to be a lie in for Mr C, as he did not sleep well the night before however, my friend Alison messaged to say they were in Mannum could we meet for morning coffee – after looking at the map, it was only 30mins away, so I agreed. I drove so Mr C could nap in the car – alas he did not. Mannum was also a great little town, bustling with people and interesting shops. We had breakfast at a great coffee shop and Paul (Alisons) husband was giving us plenty of places to go and visit. Our afternoon was taken up by meeting another midwifery friend and Paul gave us a list of places to see on the way. We agreed that Mannum would be another great place to camp for a week.

Next stop was Hahndorff – yes sound German and it is. I noted to Mr C as I was driving, we had passed many Lutheran Churches and Nev the evening before told us that SA was settled by free settlers not convicts and that there is a strong German influence and that is still evident today.

Hahndorff was so busy, people everywhere you could hardly move, parking was at a premium. Luckily, we found a spot and went looking for The Plough – and Irish Cafe seemingly in the middle of Germany. Mr C had a Guinness, I had a Guinness beef pie and bought some fresh soda bread to take with us for breakfast. I was so excited to see some of the authentic German shops, candles, Christmas decorations, German food – it really was like being in a German Town – well worth a visit and again, we would stay longer to explore the area.

Afternoon tea with Mum, Dad and lovely Pauline G

Next stop was Beerenberg – for ice cream and meeting another midwifery friend. Before we knew it, it was closing time, we had talked the afternoon away – and yes that meant Mr C too.

It was a big day, in fact it’s been a big three days, catching up with long-time friends as you are travelling though their country (SA). There was still one more person we had to meet up with and we would do that on our way out of Adelaide the next morning.

Meeting up with Chris and Ted, was delightful. I have always admired Chris and still do; she is a phenomenal woman. It was nice to spend some time with her at home chatting about life and where too now that she is retired and I’m semi-retired. It was the first time I met Ted; he was a charming man with a very dry sense of humour. I could see similarities in our relationships – which did make me smile. They gave us excellent directions how to get out of Adeliade without going through the city centre. Upon leaving we had another flat battery and Ted came to the rescue by jump starting our car. Our first stop when we left was to buy a new battery – which has been done. I do hope that Chris and Ted come and visit us in Perth.

The best part of this Adelaide trip was reconnecting with friends – just perfect and discovering new places to come back to visit.

The drive out of Adelaide was good – no hassles our first stop for the night was a free camp in Lochiel opposite the Salt Lake and the Lock-Eel.

Well that’s it for this blog – the rest of the trip will follow shortly – upon reading this blog, I thought it might sound boring because its more about meeting up with friends along the way – but isn’t that so great that you can travel anywhere in Australia and catch up with friends. We have seen and met so many people, it has been a sheer joy travelling – if you have the opportunity take it – its well worth it.

Next blog: Heading to Smokey Bay SA – homeward bound.

Until next time keep well and happy!

Colac, Camperdown, Hamilton, Casterton (Vic) – Penola and Coonawarra SA – caravaning around Australia.

Posted on January 6, 2024 by paulinerose18

For the first time ever, we left a caravan park at 10am – Hooray for us! The Great Ocean Road was a busy time and lots of driving and walking. It was also the coldest place we stayed next to Carwoola NSW. Most days in Victoria ranged between 10 -19 degrees. I did the driving the last two days, so Mr C drove today out from Forrest. By now we were used to the winding and steep roads and thankfully there were not too many on our way to Colac. As you can see by the map below we have nearly completed our loop.

Our Map is a bit worse for wear – the orange line is our journey to date. – 22,500 km.

We are planning our way home now – and have set the date for two weeks to get home from here (Coonawarra) all things being good.

Colac was a bigger town than we thought but didn’t offer much of an interest for us however, we did stop at the information centre just to see if we were missing anything. I have noted throughout NSW, ACT, Vic and SA, Agapanthus (flowers) were in full blossom everywhere – strange as I didn’t think its a native Australian plant. I saw them sometimes in the wildest bush country and can only put its migration to birds dropping the seeds – they do look spectacular in full bloom. The Tourist information Centre had a beautiful display of Agapanthus outside the entrance. I do so love looking at the old buildings most are from the late 1800’s.

We continued driving along the Hamilton Hwy through Camperdown, Hexham, Penshurst, Tarrington and stopped at Hamilton for lunch. It was all farming country; some Pine Tree forests and Wind Farms in the distance that were not working (Mr C’s pet hate is the waste of money wind farms cost and he feels they are ineffective) – so every time we see they are not working I get the story about what a waste of money they are.

The most interesting town was Tarrington, it has a strong German heritage – they still had their Christmas decorations out on display – all the properties are decorated with Hay Bales my favourite one was the horse and cart. The town has the smallest Post Office I have ever seen. The tradition of decorating with Hay Bales is remanet from the Lutheran Church (German) history from the 1800’s. We enjoyed a nice pub lunch in Hamilton, which means cuppa soup and Xmas cake for dinner tonight.

Next stop for afternoon tea was Casterton – the home of the Australian Kelpie – the Tourist information centre tells you that the Kelpie was founded in the town of Casterton. It was bread with a Scottish Collie dog – others say the Kelpie was cross bread with a Dingo – I do rather like the story about the Scottish Collie and the Irishman who swapped a horse for a pup of the Collie to create the Kelpie.

Penola was a lovely old town, with some beautifully renovated old buildings – it is great to see these old buildings being looked after and heritage listed such as the Post Office, the National Bank and the original old School. Penola is also the home to Saint Mary MacKillop. It really is a quaint town and worth a visit.

I followed the Mary MacKillop journey (Australia’s first Saint), I did not know much about her until I read her story here in Penola and what a story. In a nutshell Mary MacKillop is widely referred to as a ‘Saint for all Australians” – she had a love for teaching and wanted all poor children to be educated, she also found God’s calling – and so founded the order of the Josephites. If you want to know more click the link Mary MacKillop Story. The most surprising part of her story I read was when Bishop Sheil’s cruel and invalid action in 1871 excommunicated the sisters because Mary would not kneel before him – he declared that because of her ‘disobedience and rebellion‘ the sisters would be excommunicated – Mary and 47 sisters were left destitute – it was not until the bishop was on his death bed, he “sorrowfully acknowledged the injustice of his conduct” and the sentence of excommunication was removed. I could say a whole lot more but will refrain – Mary had a dedication to teaching and led a life of service.

Coonawarra – we are staying at the Coonawarra Bush Holiday Park – it’s pretty rustic and it has portable toilets and showers, thank goodness we are only staying 2 nights – the upside, its right next door to a winery. There are many fabulous wineries in this area, it was hard for Mr C to decide which ones we would visit. I was skipper so he could enjoy the wine tasting without worrying about having to drive.

We visited three wineries – the first Balnaves, Di Giorgio Family Winery, Redman (didn’t taste) and finally Brand’s Laira; A good time was had by both of us, the weather was delightful this afternoon, the sun was out, it was lovely. There is nothing better than having a selection of cheeses, crusty bread, prosciutto, dried fruits, nuts and wine / or bubbly water / coffee with no time limitations – sheer bliss.

Mr C enjoyed the first two wineries the best – Balnaves for me had the best rose garden I have seen in a very long time – they were just magnificent and in full bloom. The winery philosophy, if people enjoy their work environment they love to go to work – it looks a great place to work.

As we left Coonawarra, I thought it’s a beautiful part of Australia, the drive through the vineyards was amazing – Coonawarra is regarded as one of Australia’s most renowned wine regions. This time we only made three of the 31 wineries, still plenty for another visit and we would stay longer.

We are hoping for warmer weather as it has been a bit cold for us warm blooded West Australians. It’s time now to head to Murray Bridge – see the next blog for what we find along the way.

Keep well and happy.

The Great Ocean Road – caravaning around Australia.

Posted on January 3, 2024 by paulinerose18

After trying three caravan parks we finally found one that had a vacancy The Forest Carvan Park, Forest we arrived quite late (5.30pm), we were tired and still grumpy. Our aim was to stay for 5 days and do day trips around the Great Ocean Road without the stress of towing a caravan. We set-up and then went for a pub dinner.

Our day started by going into Geelong we had to have a look at this city – however we only managed to get to the Westfield shopping centre AFL shop and (Chemist Warehouse pills for us) to buy something for my son as he is a mad Geelong supporter. My aim was to get on the Great Ocean Road.

Our first stop was the information centre at Torquay – the young woman was so helpful and gave a list of places to see – my only aim for the Great Ocean Road was to see the Koalas. I had done this road before with a girlfriend 10 years ago when I got sick in Warrnambool and had to be flown to Melbourne. Mr C has never done this road and really wants to experience the driving of the twisting, turning steep roads. Needless to say, he did the first day’s driving.

We stopped at Bells Beach, Anglesea, Aireys Inlet and continued through Lorne however, didn’t stop at Lorne because I wanted to get to Kennett River to see the Koalas. it really was a spectacular drive with the most amazing coastlines and beautiful little towns. I was surprised how big Lorne had grown and that Apollo Bay was smaller than Lorne.

All the information people said I would see Koala’s at Kennett River, turn right when you see the Kafe Koala then turn left up the dirt road and keep driving looking for Koala’s. When we arrived, we saw a group of Asian tourists, all pointing to the trees, laughing and taking photos – easy to say there must be a Koala there. Indeed, that was the first koala in the wild for me – however it was only one, I wanted to see more and so the challenge began to spot the Koala in the gum trees, not an easy feat. There were a few more but they were sleeping – we walked further up the hill, another group of Asians again standing pointing – as I looked in the bush, I thought it was a Kangaroo, because through my zoom it was brown not grey and it was bigger and on the ground – however, did not want to disappoint so never said anything – they all kept taking photos, I walked away slowly smiling to myself. Then to everyone’s surprise this big red Kangaroo comes bounding out the bushes, everyone screams and jumps, and they shout “kangaroo, Kangaroo……then broke out into laughter and joy. Mr C and I looked on smiling, all this for a kangaroo, he had seen it was a roo but let them think it was a koala.

looks like a ball of fluff – hard to spot in the trees

Mr C went to the car, I continued to walk up the hill, he then drove past me and waited for me to catch up. We drove maybe 30 minutes further up the track, looking in the trees and on the road for Koalas. I spotted several along this route and took photos of them all, they were quite high in the trees. We were on our way back, I was again walking when I saw a Koala on a low branch – he was awake, we were both delighted and watched as the Koala climbed up and down the branches, almost like putting on a show for us – I was impressed, it was delightful. We decided that it was getting late, and we had at least 40 minutes to get back to the caravan park and I was driving, I didn’t want to drive in the dark, so we called it a day.

Next day it was my turn to drive – We were heading for Erskine Falls and I took a track road cutting across from Forest to Lorne – I loved the drive, the Forest was beautiful, Mr C kept spotting brown and black Kangaroos or Wallabies, not sure what they were, but it was fun trying to get pictures of them. I think they may be swamp Wallabies, they were very shy – the beauty of me driving is that i can stop at any time and take photos. Lucky for me there were no other cars on this track road we were on.

Erskine Falls is 10km inland from Lorne however, we had cut across country so went straight to the falls. Luckly it was only a short walk for Mr C, he did well managing the stairs – he told me there were 64 steps. The falls were beautiful, it is one of the highest falls in the Otway Region. The falls are only 30m high, it was very attractive, it was flowing very fast – again lots of people around.

Next stop was Teddy’s lookout still in Lorne. It overlooks the St George River and the Great Ocean Road coastline – you can actually see where we had driven the day before.

As we were in the area, we stopped in at Kennett’s River to see the Koalas again but did not stay as long as the first time. We wanted to explore Apollo Bay and Cape Otway.

Apollo Bay was lovely, the weather had just cleared for us – meaning the sun came out to say hello. We have been cold the whole time we have been here. The temperature ranges from 10 – 19 degrees, mostly cloudy – luckily no rain. People were swimming, the water was freezing. I could understand the surfers as they had wetsuits on, but others were swimming like it was a summers day – it felt like the middle of winter for me.

Next stop was Cape Otway to see the lighthouse, unfortunately for us by the time we got there the gate was closed. The only way to see the lighthouse was going for a walk through the bush to see it from a distance. Mr C waited in the car, and I went for the hour walk return. On the way I met a rather large Echidna which gave me a fright – I stood back and watched it for about 10mins, he was just making holes looking for food, it was so interesting, he was not bothered about me at all. I stepped over him and continued my walk, after taking numerous photos. I finally got to the end of the track and saw the lighthouse in the distance and returned – the Echidna was still there, still looking for food – it was much bigger than I imagined, in fact it’s the largest one I have seen about the size of a very large watermelon.

We had dinner at a beautiful Chinese restaurant in Apollo Bay – when we were leaving there was a family of 5, mum dad and three kids 6, 3 & 2. The littlest one was tired and playing up – I sat next to them and started a conversation with the children, they flocked around me – I started talking about the Koala’s I had seen, they were captivated – I showed them my video and they were delighted. Mum got up and went to the bathroom, dad was enjoying his dinner, Mr C was paying for ours, I was having fun with the children, they were delightful. When mum came back, she said, “Can I borrow you for the rest of the week please” the dad laughed and Mr C said, “No, she’s coming with me, without the children” – we all laughed and said our goodbyes. I do really miss the grandchildren.

Day 3 – we had a small sleep in. The weather was a bit warmer than yesterday; our aim was to get to the Twelve Apostles and surrounds. Mr C was driving – we cut across country again, (spotting another Echidna walking across a track) and started from Apollo Bay, people were swimming again. The road was less winding the countryside beautiful, at times you could mistakenly think you are in NZ or the Southern part of WA – the hills were green littered with cattle or sheep.

We took a detour to Lake Costin and the Aire River, again people were swimming, when I asked the young man was the water cold – his response was “it’s f—king freezing, not going in again.” The road was gravel and full of potholes, this part of the drive was not enjoyable. We swapped drivers as Mr C was not feeling the best, so I drove the rest of the way. Through Lavers Hill, Princetown then Twelve Apostles. To my surprise there were car park attendants directing where to park – there were a lot of cars and even more people.

There is a small walk to get to the Twelve Apostles, it has changed dramatically from the last time I was there 10 yrs ago. The view is undeniably spectacularly beautiful and breathtaking. The sun had come out which meant I would have great photos. We stayed for about an hour admiring the view and people watching – there were so many different nationalities it was amazing. January seems to be the busiest time, so maybe plan when it’s not so busy if you don’t want lots of people and cars. Further along the road is Loch Ard Gorge, The Arch, London Bridge and the Grotto.

We were both tired and Mr C wasn’t feeling well, so decided to call it a day – again it was a long drive back however we did another cross-country drive – it really is beautiful country where the hills meet the sea.

Lake Elizabeth only 15 mins from where we are staying in Forrest the road was steep and winding. Not surprising then that the walk took me about 4 hours using my walking stick – that included sitting quietly and patiently for a platypus to appear – sadly no platypus appeared. However, I did see two tiger snakes. The snakes did unnerve me, so I walked banging my walking stick and then I didn’t want to sit on the seats. The walk was beautiful, up and down steep hills, but was well worth it – the Forrest was lush, green and I could hear beautiful birds singing in the background with the sound of running water – it was so peaceful.

the lake, tree ferns and gum trees behind.

Geelong – we went for a drive to Geelong City and walked around the waterfront – unfortunately for us it rained, not only did it rain but there was thunder and lightning – so we did not stay long.

Overall, we spent 5 days doing the Great Ocean Road and seeing a little bit of Geelong. For me I had noticed that the towns along the Great Ocean Road had grown in the 10 years and the Koala population has reduced. The reduction in the Koala population could be due to the devastating fires that Victoria have experienced over the years – so some of the people in the information centres are reporting. I did notice so many more people visiting all the tourist spots – could be that we choose the busiest time Dec/Jan – this did not detract from our enjoyment – the weather has been bitterly cold for us, most days start at 12 to about 19 – our last day raining in the afternoon.

On our way back to Forrest we stopped at the West Barwon Reservoir – I had gone there earlier in the day on my scooter but couldn’t make it up the steep hill – I walked up the hill leaving my scooter on the ground after I had a small fall, I noted there was a road on the other side – so wanted to see the whole dam. These little Blue Wren’s where everywhere, they were so lovely, they posed nicely for me so I could get a perfect picture.

We had the best time, on the Great Ocean Road – busy but well worth it. Wishing everyone a peaceful and healthy 2024.

Next Blog – Heading to South Australia next – Penola and Coonawarra Wine Region – we are homeward bound now.

Yass, Gundagai, Glenrown, & Ballarat – caravaning around Australia.

Posted on January 2, 2024 by paulinerose18

On the road again, the first time we bypassed Yass, this time we drove through the town. It is an amazing old town, with many of the old buildings preserved. We stopped so I could walk through the town taking photos of the beautiful buildings. By far the best building for me was the Court House – apparently there used to be a flogging tree, which they removed I haven’t been able to find any information on the tree. Yass to Gundagai was only about a 2-hour drive for us.

Next stop was Gundagai to see the Dog on the tucker box – both of us remember seeing this statue many years ago but could not recall exactly when. We nearly missed it; you have to turn off the main road which makes sense as there is so much traffic it would be disruptive. The place was so busy, it was like Grand Central Station, people everywhere. Funny the statue itself is rather small and I thought it had more significance than it really does. However, we did our obligatory selfie, bought some cherries and continued on our merry way. The Tucker Box shop has some sandwiches, not a great deal to eat, however lots of trinkets and souvenirs to buy. I did buy a bag of cherries from the cherry man for us to eat along the road trip – better than chocolate.

Further down the road there is a giant Koala, and a food shop. I didn’t go into the shop so don’t know what it sold. There was a Shell station which we stopped at for fuel. The whole area was congested and busy, very touristy. If you’ve not seen the dog on the Tucker box, its small but a good story and worth a visit – but not twice.

Mr C was driving the first half of the way – we were both excited to be on the road again however our rhythm was broken. We were both a little grumpy and snappy at each other, not sure why. I drove from Gundagai to Glenrowan, it was about 3-hours. I usually put google maps on, we discuss which way we are going and then of we go. We sometimes argue about google maps – I follow blindly and Mr C uses his nose to sniff the air, not really that means he uses his navigation senses, which I have none – that’s why I just follow google maps. Anyway, google maps takes me down a road that Mr C thinks is incorrect and away we go…… “I discussed this with you, look end place is Glenrowan, let me just follow the map“. Mr C, “no its wrong, it’s taking us down all the back roads“, me – “so what’s wrong with that, neither of us have been here before”. We came to a crossroad and google maps said go straight, however straight was on a gravel road. I now pull over because I am frustrated, and we need to decide if I am following the map or Mr C is navigating. We decided that I would follow google maps. but turned left towards Glenrowan. We had a beautiful silent drive the countryside was amazing. I’m still unsure how Google maps chooses the routes because often we are going on narrow roads away from the highway but were parallel with the highway – weird.

By the time we arrived at Glenrowan, we were both hungry and looking forward to a pub or cafe lunch – it was nearly 3pm. There were many people milling around the town. The huge statue of Ned Kelly was a surprise however upon seeing it I do recall reading about a giant statue of Ned Kelly – but didn’t associate with Glenrowan. We walked around the town looking for somewhere to eat, happy with each other again, but that didn’t last long, as there was nowhere to eat in town, and I got grumpy. Really how unbelievable is that! Driving south from Glenowan, we passed a solar farm, this is not the first we have seen on our travels, I’m not sure the benefit of these solar farms – there is kilometres of these panels, thousands of them surely it is not as good as it sounds – is it environmentally friendly?

Mr C took over the driving now – I wanted to stop and find an overnight place and he wanted to continue as it was still light, and we could make up some ground. I agreed and we continued. upon looking at the map, we had bypassed Albury and Woondga, also Shepperton and I wanted to go to Bendigo however somehow, we missed that to, I was not happy. “What’s the point of driving through Victoria if we don’t stop and look at some of the towns” my usual lament to Mr C, so we aimed for Ballarat.

We stopped at a rest place for the night called Benalla Parking Bay Southbound – a very noisy road as it was off the Hume Highway Benella. I took my cleaning disinfectant and cleaned the toilet before going it was not the best place to stay – however we did sleep well and set off early in the morning for Ballarat.

I enjoyed Ballarat we drove through the city and noted some old buildings. The Town Hall was a beautiful old building that housed the Information Centre. We stopped at the Eureka Cafe for lunch, I looked at the Eureka Museum and finally understand what the Eureka flag stands for. Mr C said, “Eureka I’ve got it”.

We left Ballarat, still looking for accommodation to essentially leave the caravan so we could explore the Great Ocean Road each day. Bearing in mind, it’s the busiest time of the year, peak holiday season. Finally, after the third phone call, we were heading to Forrest (3326) about 2hrs south.

Another town we stopped at was Beeac, just before Colac – we walked around the town and then headed for the town of Forrest. The countryside was rolling hills, with lots of cattle and sheep, very beautiful reminiscent of NZ or UK countryside.

Next blog – Forrest & Great Ocean Road

Canberra / NSW & Christmas – caravaning around Australia

Posted on December 30, 2023 by paulinerose18

For me being on the road for Xmas was going to be very difficult – I’m used to hosting our family Xmas, so this was going to be very foreign. Mr C understood how important it was to be in a home for this time of the year, so when my friend Ann invited us – I was delighted and accepted with pleasure.

Staying in Carwoola NSW was great, catching up with our friends was wonderful. Spending time with them in their home for Xmas was fabulous. We loved living in the Cottage, it’s been a welcomed break from the caravan. Our first 5 days was sheer bliss, comfy bed, ensuite, and kitchenette. Then we went on a mini break whilst the caravan was being repaired (last blog) and returned to the Cottage on the 22nd of December to prepare for Xmas. Ann & Ali’s house was just down a small hill, so weren’t on top of each other. We stayed another 5 days then continued our trip.

We were staying just outside Queanbeyan which is in NSW on our friend’s property which is in Carwoola – sometimes it feels really weird driving in and out of NSW and ACT you almost get dizzy.

Mr C and I went into Canberra city centre to do some shopping and have a look around. We were surprised that the city was really quiet, hardly any people around – apparently Canberrans go to the seaside during the Christmas break. Another great place that’s new in Canberra is The National Arboretum its 250 hectares with 44,000 rare and endangered trees. We had a lovely coffee in the cafe overlooking some of the trees and Black Mountain – well worth a visit. I looked up the word arboretum, it’s a botanical garden devoted to trees – Ali summed it up nicely when she said, “it’s like a library of trees”.

One day on our drives out we picked a beautiful Xmas tree, there is nothing like the smell of fresh pines on a Xmas tree. We also went to Mount Anslie, you get a fabulous view of parliament house and surrounding area again, it really is worth a visit.

Preparing for Xmas day festivities was great, we had bought oysters down south in Eden, Ann & Ali bought the ham, prawns and turkey – we all decorated the tree, and all participated in the cooking. Mr C chucked the oysters – a feast was had by all. It was by far the coldest, wettest Xmas day we’ve had in a very long time – it was 17 degrees and raining – Perth was 37. Despite the weather, it was good to cook and eat not sweltering in the heat.

Xmas eve was spent playing Qwirkle to determine the order for choosing our Xmas gifts – and sadly I won and had to choose first – but we had so much fun playing – Midnight mass is essential for me; I went to the Catholic Church in Queanbeyan and it was heartwarming. The drive back was a little scary being so dark, no lights and I came across three kangaroos luckily, they did not run out in front of me.

I made vanilla slice (desert) for the first time, it was fabulous, it all turned out – except for my Yorkshire puddings, they just did not rise well – I think it was because I did not mix it well – I was disappointed. However, the vanilla slice was made to perfection – very happy with the outcome. It would not be fair not to talk about the pooches – Maggie a mini-Schnauzer, Austin a Jack Russell and Sadie a Australian Shepherd (being dog sat) – all part of the family – they greeted us every morning at the cottage, it was fun having doggie cuddles and play dates and spoiling them with treats.

Christmas for me is about family, children, friendships, food, fun and prayer – it’s also a time of gratitude, reflection and missing those who are not with us. We are very grateful to have spent Xmas with our friends. I am also so grateful for modern technology that we were able to facetime all our family and talk to them – what was really amazing was that Kirsten, Jamie and the kids joined the family chat from Scotland – so in essence we all got to wish each other a Merry Xmas and see each other over the internet, how great is that.

We stayed an extra day so I could meet up with my nursing friend Judith from back in the day – she has an amazing garden with the some absolutely gorgeous flowers. We spent hours reminiscing and sharing our goals for the future. It’s wonderful when friendships can just pick up where you left off the last time you met (for us was several years ago in Perth). I have really enjoyed catching up with friends all over Australia – it reminds me of what great professions nursing and midwifery are, because you create life-time friendships.

Merry Christmas all & Happy New Year to all.

Now that Xmas is over, we will be heading for out next adventure towards Victoria and the Great Ocean Road – heading westward bound – see you in the next blog.

Mini break Batemans Bay, Eden & Cooma NSW

Posted on December 26, 2023 by paulinerose18

The day before our mini break we had a fabulous day out with Ali and Ann. Ali did the driving and our day started by having coffee in Bungendore which is about 20km from Queanbeyan. It’s a bustling rural town with some beautiful colonial buildings and artistic craftsmanship – one of our favourite shops was the leather shop followed by the wood works gallery (couldn’t afford much in this shop but it had the most exquisite woodwork.

The drive to Braidwood was about 55 minutes, through beautiful hilly countryside that was lush and green. We had lunch at the Albion Hotel with a few drinks. Then walked around the beautiful historical town with its colonial buildings just delightful, so much history.

For our Christmas present to each other we decided to take a mini break, leave the caravan in Queanbeyan and treat ourselves to a hotel stay away. We didn’t count on the caravan being in the repair shop, however, they were able to fit us in before Xmas which was great. We have been spoiled staying in the Cottage – it’s better than a hotel, its homely and the Ann and Ali’s dogs come and say hello, so I also get some doggie time – what more could you ask for. We set off for our 4-day mini break, I have to say it was great driving without towing the caravan.

Our first stop was again the town of Bungendore for coffee and snack, followed by Braidwood and down the Clyde Mountain, Mr C was driving the first leg. I had never experienced the Clyde Mountain, it is steep and winding, it’s in the Great Dividing Range and in the Monga National Park, there were several hair pin corners. All I can say is I was pleased we did not have the caravan. It was a beautiful drive, the National Park was spectacular and parts of it was like going through a rainforest, so lush and green with hundreds of tree ferns and small wild running streams. We were also lucky there was not much traffic on the road – except for the road works section.

We arrived in Batemans Bay early afternoon and booked into our hotel – it was ok. I was a little surprised by Batemans Bay, it was kind of ordinary, not what I had expected. I was thinking a booming tourist costal town, but it was quite the opposite, it was a little run down and shabby.

Mr C had lived in Batemans Bay with his brother many years ago, so he had noted many changes in the town and commented on how it had grown. The house his brother Jim built was still there, but other places like the caravan park had gone and the town was more industrial.

The following day we went for a drive up the coast, we first called into Durras south beach, nice spot, then on to Ulladulla.

We got to Ulladulla where it was a rainy cold day, however we managed to see the lighthouse and I spied a seal on the rocks. I walked along the beach, but it was cold, I miss the beaches at Yeppoon.

The drive back down to Pebbly beach was lovely again like rainforest country, however when I got out to look at the beach it poured down with rain and hailstones. The drive back up the hill was more treacherous now it was raining.

We took a leisurely drive back to Batemans Bay and had dinner at the Soldiers Club – unusual it was not called an RSL.

Next day was time to go to Eden, it was my turn to drive. Did I say I love it when I drive because I get to stop wherever I want to and without the caravan it’s much easier, although Mr C still has a whinge every time I stop – “where you going now“.

Our first stop was a town called Bodalla which has a lovely cheese factory and quirky shops and a lovely bakery – most of the towns have great bakeries.

As I was driving, I noticed a sign that said Historical Town 1 km, I did a right-hand turn and Mr C said, “where you are going“, me “I spotted a sign, just want see what it is“. To our surprise we came upon this beautiful town Tibla, the hills were so green, it reminded me of New Zealand – the street was full of old-style buildings, all dated from 1866 – 1900’s. They looked in great condition. I stopped and spoke to a store owner; she said every building was Heritage listed and you could not change the facade – you can have whatever inside but without changing the outside. For me the only thing that spoilt the town was cars all parked in front of all the shops – both sides of the street there were parked cars.

Eden was a beautiful town, known for whale watching, the “Humpback Highway” whales pass through as they migrate to the Antartica (Sep to Nov) we just missed it. Again, old colonial buildings, quirky shops and great cafes – we stopped and had tea and scones at a beautiful old-fashioned teashop. We stayed the night in a studio room in a caravan park – that was interesting, not to be done again.

Our journey back took us through Pambula where we bought a few dozen oysters from the Broadwater Lake for Christmas lunch. Mr C was driving now, he got the exciting drives, down Clyde Mountain and now up Brown Mountain how lucky was he – Mr C described it as “hard work”, me “exciting driving”.

It was the first time for me to see part of the Snowy Mountains, we had lunch at Cooma, guess what – yes, fish and chips.

We took a slight detour to a town called Numeralla, just past this town Mr C bought 50 acres of land back in 1973 costing $5000.00. He was interested to see what had become of the land. To his surprise he found the block, and nothing had changed, it was still a natural bush block. We joked that at least he didn’t miss out on a million-dollar development.

This trip to ACT / NSW has been one of reflection for Mr C and me, interesting the paths we both choose given we had many to choose from. I guess it’s called life.

On our way back to the cottage in Carwoola, we are picking up the repaired caravan from Fyshwick – it’s a temporary fix until we get home. They replaced the caravan air-conditioned with a second-hand one, the fan only works – at least it is waterproof.

Next blog – Christmas away from home: Travelling in a caravan.

Young to Queanbeyan – Broken Air-conditioner – Caravaning around Australia.

Posted on December 22, 2023 by paulinerose18

We are late risers, no matter how hard we try, we still seem to sleep in. We might have been up several times in the night or had a later night however, as there is no urgency to be awake in the morning, we just sleep in. On days we have to leave the caravan park we have to be out by 10am, seems a silly time really but that’s the rule. The evening before leaving Orange, it looked like a storm was coming in, so we packed up the awning and put the chairs on top of the car – this usually gives us more time in the morning.

In the mornings, Mr C likes to finish his coffee before doing anything else, this means he can’t do any jobs in-between, whereas me, I drink my cuppa tea whilst doing the breakfast dishes and putting stuff away – just another one of those differences between us. We still manage to get out about 10am sometimes even 1030hrs.

Mr C took the first 2hrs, it was sheer bliss driving again. Finally, we feel confident again driving and towing the caravan after a few weeks of car trouble and extra expense. Our journey took us from Orange via Canowindra, Cowra, Koorawatha to Young about 162kms. However, that doesn’t account for the times we stop for photos, or just because we want to look at something.

We drove through Canowindra, a fabulous historic town, busing with people. Many of the buildings had Santas on most shops. This town was also made famous for its fossils and has the Australian Fish Fossil Museum click the link to read more. Sir David Attenborough visited Canowindra in 2013 and described the unearthed specimens as ‘world class.’ The museum was interesting to see, sadly fossils are not my thing, but I understand the importance of the find.

Young, the capital town for cherry growing. Sadly, we missed the cherry festival, which was early in December, however we still got to see the cherry orchards and buy some fresh cherries. Again, we stopped at the Tourist Information Centre, Brian a very cheerful man who was a volunteer a font of knowledge, so very helpful. We left with a hand full of maps, a bottle of cherry liquor and a couple of. cherry magnets and a few recommendations for where to have lunch. Unfortunately, we didn’t find the recommended places and just kept driving. We stopped at several Cherry farms to compare prices – funny they were roughly much of a muchness – except for the cherry pies, they varied in price. I bought our cherry pie at the first place we stopped, which turned out to have the best price.

Wombat – what a funny name for an area, I didn’t see any wombats. We stopped at a quaint cafe for lunch, it was a late lunch, the kitchen was closed. However, the kind lady offered us tea and a (yummy) pie, which we accepted with glee – something to eat. Once we were finished, we still had to find some cherries luckily about 15mins up the highway we found Malabah farm. I parked the van outside and walked up a very steep hill to the farm shop – I was breathless, (so unfit) I saw a sign that read “pick your own cherries”, I thought, God no! The woman approached me and asked, “how can I help you?”, I responded with “do I have to pick my own cherries” (I was not in the mood). She laughed, “No, just choose which variety you want” – she had three boxes full of cherries – I can’t remember the names, I tasted several from each box – and chose the ones that were the plumpest, they were delish. I bought a two kg of cherries.

Brian from the Young information centre – said “make sure you stop at Murrumburrah and say hello to Bill the bastard” and so we did- Bill the bastard – is about Australia’s greatest warhorse. Not to be confused with the movie Warhorse. The only warhorse movie I knew about was the one Steven Spielberg made in 2011 about the famous horse from WW1. Bill worked tirelessly carrying loads up and wounded soldiers down steep winding tracks – read Bills history here click the link. It was interesting, I’m pleased we stopped.

Queanbeyan

Originally, we were going to be in the ACT early December. I contacted my friends Ann and Ali and they invited us to stay on their beautiful property in Queanbeyan for a few days (that was what we thought). As the time came closer and our delays it was more likely to be mid-December. Ann and Ali kindly invited us to stay for Christmas. Our plan was made, we would stay for Xmas and Mr C and I would take a mini break down south (Batemans Bay), without the caravan (as it turned out the van was in for repair).

I just love Christmas, I love soaking the fruit for the Christmas cake and baking it days before Christmas, having a sugar fest afternoon tea putting up the tree with the grandchildren, making Florentines for Faye, cooking the turkey, roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings (no matter how hot it is) and celebrating with our family. It is also filled with sadness as Scott is never to celebrate again with us. He used to come over Christmas morning and help us set up for the day. His large frame bounding through the front door and straight into the kitchen to make his cuppa coffee (or I would have a pot already made) and 4 slices of vegemite toast before asking “ok mum what needs to be done“- so being invited for Christmas was a big thing for me – it meant that we would be with friends and in a loving home, all things dear to my heart. Mr C knew how important being in a home was for me and we agreed to stay with Ann and Ali in Queanbeyan for Christmas we would park up our caravan on their property. They also have a quaint little cottage, they offered us, but I said, “no we’ll stay in the caravan“.

No matter where you are you can still have a Christmas tree

On arriving at the property late in the afternoon, I parked the caravan at the gate and Ann came to greet us. Mr C, Ann and I all looked where would be the best place to park the caravan, after much discussion it was decided, just behind the cottage. I got into the car and drove forward slowly, Mr C was directing me forward – I was watching the shrubs either side of the caravan, when I saw Mr C waving his arms and shouting to stop – I was still moving forward slowly, I couldn’t see why I had to stop, but did so anyway – only to hear a loud crunch…… I thought what the hell…..at first, I thought it was the bathroom skylight – BUT when I got out to look, I had hit the air conditioner on the lower limb of a broken tree branch – YES, the air conditioner was now broken…… DAM, Dam, Dam – I was gutted. After reviewing the damage, I reversed slightly and away from the tree and then parked the van. Now we have to get it repaired.

Ann again offered us the cottage, she said there’s a comfy bed and an ensuite…… well by now we jumped at the idea. It’s a beautiful little cottage, totally self-contained and the bed is so very comfortable. We were delighted and very grateful. What great hospitality and dinner to boot, we were just so spoiled.

Mr C use to live in Hoskinstown about 15 minutes from Queanbeyan. First place on the list to see was to find the house he used to live in. However, we needed fuel in the car, we were going to refill with the jerrycan however, Mr C thought we had enough to get to petrol station. Mr C was so excited about seeing the old house we both forgot about refilling the car. Thankfully the house was not hard, it was a short drive from where we were staying – for Mr C it was like walking down memory lane – I heard a lot of his stories of his early twenties and when he first had his two boys, Danny & Ben. I was happy for him, that he could visit and relive some of those memories. Oh, when we got back in the car and to the petrol station Mr C had 2km of fuel left – close call Mr C.

On our way back we met a farming family putting up their Xmas decorations – Hay bales like you’ve never seen before – I got out of the car and took some photos and spoke with them, it was fab. Apparently, this happens every year – the locals wait for it to happen. Xmas is in the air – I can feel it!

We will be staying here now until after Xmas, with a short mini break in-between to explore down south (Batemans Bay) and the Northern beaches of NSW.

Teaching Ann & Ali to play Qwirkle, my favourite new game.

Until the next blog, the mini break – take care, have a blessed and peaceful Christmas.

Tamworth, Orange & Parkes – caravaning around Australia.

Posted on December 18, 2023 by paulinerose18

On the road again with a new thermostat in place the drive to Tamworth was stressful. I was dreading every hill, thinking the car would play up. Mr C was like a cat on a tin roof – trying to see the dash on the driver’s side. “What’s the temp doing” – me “fine”, “have you got cruise control on?” Me – “no“, eventually he settled down. Thankfully there were not too many hills on the way to Tamworth because we avoided them. The countryside was beautiful – as I was driving, I thought the hills looked like a patchwork quilt of different shades of green, yellow, beige and white for the homes against a backdrop of blue skies – it was awesome.

We were going to stay a night or two in Tamworth but decided against it as we had spent two extra nights in Armidale. We stopped for lunch at the Tamworth Visitors Centre, spoke to the lovely volunteers at the centre about the best way to get to Orange. There are many routes to take, I asked for a copy of the map, sadly they don’t sell them.

I met a group of women who were animal rescue volunteers, they had a baby Joey well not really a Joey, I can’t remember the name of the marsupial, but it looks like a Joey and a baby Wombat. We spent ages talking about how they feed the babies and take care of them, it was fascinating. Mr C was busy taking photos of the giant guitar.

The town of Tamworth was just like many of the towns we had been through, I was expecting something different – because it was Tamworth, known for its country singing. I guess the best time to be here would be for the country music festival, which is in January, just a bit too far away – next time. Mr C & I took our obligatory photos with the big golden guitar, looked at the music museum and hall of fame. We filled up with fuel, I purchased a map of NSW it has much better detail of where we needed to go and continued to Orange, Mr C was the navigator which I was really pleased about – despite us trying to avoid hills we came across them.

At one point I pulled over into a rest bay as the car was struggling and just made it up one of the hills – we waited for about an hour for the car to cool and I then continued. Only to find a few more hills and the car continued to struggle, it was really stressful – at this point we were about 2kms from a 24hr rest bay – we arrived at The Black Stump just north of Coolah. I called it a day. It was a nice rest area with toilets and a few other people around – we had a light dinner and an early night.

I thought, ‘wow’ – there is a place called the Black Stump I’d heard the saying “beyond the black stump” meaning ‘the middle of nowhere” but I didn’t think there was an actual place – well this is it – there is a black stump – a tree that was burnt. The local Aboriginal Gamilaraay people called the area ‘Weetalibah-Wallangan’, meaning ‘the place where the fire went out and left a burnt stump’ We stayed the night. I googled The Black Stump for the purpose of my blog and found an interesting post giving some history – click the link to read further.

I thought it would be better if the car broke down then we would know what the problem was – the car was all day at the Ford dealer in Armidale. Now we have to book it in again at Orange. Frustrating!!!!!!

Morning coffee break was made in a town called Wellington. I could not get used to the idea there was a Wellington in NSW – the only Wellington I know is in New Zealand – it took some getting used to. I thought this was a unique little town, it was vibrant however, some empty shops, beautiful buildings, it was lovely. Called into the Information Centre again they were very helpful. Gave us a run down on the history of the town and its name – yes, the town was named after the Duke of Wellington (England). We picked up a couple of postcards, some freebee doggie high visibility kerchiefs about driver reviver and we had brunch at the “Four Fat Cats” – which happened to be an old infant school building – it was great.

Orange

I remember going to Orange for a weekend as a nursing student, oh so many years ago. It seems very different now – I loved the tree lined streets and the beautiful old houses with the Bull-nose verandas, it’s all so very pretty and Australian.

It seems coincidental that Mr C and I both spent time in our early adult life crossing paths in and around NSW – the early 70’s (however me being younger than him, I wasn’t married).

As we were driving through Orange, Mr C was grumpy and said, “I really don’t like Orange”. I asked him, “why not” – “I just don’t like it“, I sensed there was another reason, and pressed him further, and to my surprise, the following story was told (Mr C is ok with me sharing his story).

Mr C was 22yrs old and newly married when he lived in Canberra. He was driving between Bathurst and Orange with his mate Barry. They were just visiting Orange. He was driving into Orange almost in the township. When Barry said, “I can hear music in the bush” Mr C looked behind him and in the rear vision mirror and said, “no it’s a police car trying to get past me”. In saying that he pulled over. Then the police car pulled in behind him. Mr C got out of his car, the police man got out of the passenger seat and came to him. “You’re under arrest” Mr C said “Yer wot”. Then the police proceeded to tell him, you were driving too fast. The policeman asked what speed where you doing? – Mr C said “70mile an hour” – he said – the policeman said, “we were doing over 107 mile an hour and we couldn’t catch you pulling away from us”. “Nah mate you got that all wrong” – said Mr C, “oh no“, said the policeman and put him in the police car – Barry drove Mr C’s car to the police station. The police were joking in the car with Mr C – saying “what mileage do you get out of that beast (he had a 351 Fairmont) Allan Moffatt only gets 4 miles to the gallon out of his out of his GT Falcon” – Mr C laughed and said, “I don’t drive at silly speeds I get 18 miles to the gallon“. When he got to the Police Station, they took his belt and put him in a little box and charged him with speeding. Then Barry had to find $200 to bail him out.

Mr C could not drive to Orange for his Court appearance, so he hired a mate of a mate with an aeroplane (normal little Cessna) to fly him to and from Orange – he got mate rates for the flight. The Court outcome was a $300 fine and 12 months suspension of licence in NSW. Everyone thought it was an excessive outcome because magistrate had no jurisdiction in ACT. Barry previously had got a DUI not his first and he paid $150 fine and 6 months suspension. – I think Mr C still feels hard done by and suffers from PTSD about Orange.

Despite Mr C’s dislike of Orange, we still enjoyed our time in Orange. Our car went into the Ford dealership for another look at why it doesn’t like hills. We were very impressed with the service we received, they found the problem – it was an Exhaust Gass Regulator (EGR), it needed to be replaced – this regulator when not working correctly will put the car in limp mode and this happened each time, we went up a high hill – thank goodness the issue is resolved. Three Ford dealerships have looked at the car, how hard can it be.

Parkes

It had been over 40 years since I had last visited Parks, it has grown exponentially. My dear friend Karen and I were nursing students and I went home with Karen to Parkes to meet her family, I recall it was a lovely time. To go back and see how much Parkes has changed and to see Karen’s mother again was delightful. We also visited the Parkes Radio telescope – read the history here. I first saw it back in the 1970’s and it looked like a dish in the middle of no-where – now the trees have grown, it was also upgraded in the 1980’s and there is a café, where we had lunch and watched the birds.

Anyone know what the name of this bird is please? we have tried to find it but have not had any luck.

Bathurst

Mr C wanted to go to Mt Panorama and so we did, I was not that interested until I saw it and the track. You can actually drive the track at 60 Km/per/hour, our 4-wheel drive was not exactly the car to drive – I did the first loop, it was fun, I was surprised how tight the corners were and how steep the mountain was – it was fun.

Mr C did two laps, one to practice and the second for fun, he enjoyed it but wished he was in racing car not a 4-wheel drive. There was no chance of speeding, we passed a marked and unmarked police car on the track, so 60km it was – we both had fun.

Bathurst was also a nice town; I was impressed with the Court House it was rather grand compared to other towns we had seen. As usual there were many churches around the town – you can guarantee churches and pubs in all the towns.

We had a leisurely walk around the park and the town, then I had the best ice-cream in Bathurst – it was Annies’s ice-cream shop, it was just delish, I could’ve had two but thankfully restrained myself. It was time to drive back to Orange and plan the next part of our trip now that the car was fixed. We had stayed two extra nights in Orange due to the car repairs and now it was time to move on. I’m so ready to go home, but we still have much to see.

The car trouble has put a dampener on our holiday, it has been so stressful but now hopefully it will be clear sailing the rest of the trip. I’m looking forward to Xmas with our friends – thankfully all Xmas cards have been sent to family and friends.

Lesson – We have been on the road for nearly six months – there are bound to be some hiccups along the way when you are traveling towing a caravan. So just accept that this will happen and go with the flow.

Next blog will be Young – Queanbeyan then the countdown home will begin after Christmas.

Tenterfield – Armidale – Caravaning around Australia.

Posted on December 8, 2023 by paulinerose18

Tenterfield was Mr C’s choice, he loves the song by Peter Allen “The Tenterfield Saddler” so we googled where to find the Saddler’s House. After driving up and down the main street we couldn’t find it (only later to find we had driven past it several times, it was tucked away between two new buildings) we ended up at the Railway Station and discovered they had a market happening – great, we ambled around the market, asked a few locals where the house was, we were given directions. I discovered a Christmas Cake home baked stall and for the first time bought a Christmas Cake, at least it was home made. There were several Churches around the town – one I think was for sale, not sure how that works.

Tenterfield is a bustling little town, who all claim Peter Allen as their success story. What was great for Mr C was to experience the place of the song, Peter Allen did a great job. There were some beautiful old and new houses and the local people where all very friendly and helpful. It really is worth a visit. The only problem was museums were closed on the weekends.

Old man Barry, dressed and groomed impeccably with a light blue shirt, navy jumper shirt collar out, grey pants, grey socks and slip on brown leather shoes was sitting outside the shop to greet visitors. As he spoke to you, he used his wooden walking stick to extenuate important information. I guessed Barry was well into his eighties, he spoke with a quiet English accent, although he was Australian. He knew George Woolnough and was happy to share the family stories to anyone who would listen, he was a lovely man full of local knowledge. As I spoke to him, he told me, “I’ve come home to die, no better place than home”. I wasn’t sure how to respond to his comment, so I just smiled. Mr C bought a leather belt from the saddlery which is still functional. We had brunch at one of the many places to eat and then headed for Armidale.

Armidale

Mr C drove to Armidale, the journey was very picturesque, farming country. We encountered only two small episodes of the car struggling up hills, but the gears changed, and Betsy kept on going. We stopped at Glen Innes which has the standing stones and honouring Celtic people past and present. We did not stay long as we wanted to get to Armidale and get our car sorted out. I was surprised to see the names of the places, this is The New England area, there is Glen Innes, Stonehenge, Glencoe, Ben Lomond, I thought I was in the United Kingdom for a while there. Even street names were common English or from the deep South of America.

I was looking forward to arriving, I was meeting my dear midwifery friend, sadly she informed us that she has COVID. Arriving on Saturday meant that we had to wait until Monday before sorting our car.

Arrived at Highlander Van Park, we set up the caravan, doesn’t take us long now – we are real professionals now. Kettle on, cuppa and some home baked scones from the Tenterfield markets. Mr C noticed he had a sore neck – “honey, just check my neck” when I looked, I could see a body and some legs kicking about. “Oh, my goodness, you have a tick“, major surgery time.

Driving without having to pull the caravan was a real treat. Our first outing was to Wollomombi Falls and walk. The falls is a single fall into the Wollomombi River, it was good, but not as spectacular as the Wallaman Falls which we saw a few months ago. I enjoyed the walk whilst Mr C sat in the car – I was surprised to see the dog fence again, but then remembered in Qld they said it did go as far as NSW and parts of SA.

Gara Gorge was another beautiful spot of fresh water, it is also known as the Blue Hole. There was a great walk that I did, but as usual I am always worried about getting lost, as I have no sense of direction. The waters of the Gara feed into the Macleay system. There used to be a hydroelectric scheme at the Gara Gorge back in 1894 – you can see some of the remnants around the place. I did dip my feet into the water, but it was cold.

The tourist information centre conducts a free city bus tour, that we participated in with another couple. It was 2.5hours long and took us all around the city of Armidale – this included the New England University. Armidale does not have the population for a city but is named so because it has two cathedrals – St Peters Anglican and St Mary and Joseph Cathedrals. The city has so many churches, it is known as the city of churches and for the centre of education, teaching.

We also went for a short drive to Uralla and Gostwyck – our first stop was Gostwyck, it has the most beautiful private chapel. The chapel All Saints Anglican is on private land and therefore not used by the public, it is picture perfect. The beautiful trees are Elm trees, the seeds were brought out from England and planted at the same time the chapel was built in the early 1900s.

Uralla is a charming town, lots of old buildings, some nice coffee shops and boutique shops a couple of pubs and of course a couple of churches – seems the same in most of these towns. Uralla is also home to an infamous Captain Thunderbolt the last of the bushrangers. Uralla also hosts homes to fairies, they built fairy doors during COVID for the children of the town. We also missed the Uralla Fairy Festival, it would’ve been nice to see. It looks like a novel idea for the town.

Car – Ford Everest

The car went in for a service, it was an in-between (last service was Cairns) service to see what the problem was. It turns out that the thermostat needed to be replaced. Mr C asked about the transmission – however, this could only be checked once the new thermostat was in place. We waited a day for the part to arrive and then a day to fit. We had two quiet days, washing, cleaning etc just chilling days. We caught a taxi in for the Carols at St Peters one evening and the rest has been chilling and me catching up with my blogs and reading. Mr C picked the car up today with a new thermostat and no further information was forthcoming as to what the problem was. Mr C is not very happy with the level of service he received from the Ford dealership. We do not feel confident moving forward with the car, fingers crossed.

It was funny to see both Tenterfield and Armidale laying claim to Peter Allen, they both argued he was connected more to one town or the other. The bottom line is he was born in Tenterfield and raised in Armidale – however his roots were in Tenterfield. Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

We are ready packed up to leave in the morning heading to Tamworth. Here’s hoping there is nothing further wrong with the car. Mr C’s tick is gone and cleared up. We’ve enjoyed Armidale, sad I missed my friend due to COVID. Ready for the next part of our journey – Tamworth, Orange and Parkes.

See you at the next blog.

Reflecting on life!

Travels, holidays, general life musing