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!

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.

Nambucca Heads to Armidale via Tenterfield caravaning around Australia

Posted on December 7, 2023 by paulinerose18

Nambucca Heads

Leaving Lismore our decision was to either stay at Coffs Harbour or Nambucca Heads. As younger people we had both spent time in Coffs Harbour, oh so many years ago. Also discussed not staying in big cities so Nambucca Heads it was. As we drove through Coffs, we commented on how much it had grown. Plus, my friend Helen lives in Nambucca – yes, another Helen. I was fortunate to meet Helen whilst working in Esperance WA and said to her, if I’m ever on the East Coast I would look you up and so I did.

Our caravan park was Ingenia Holidays – White Albatross, V-Wall, fantastic park with a beach and tidal lagoon 100meters from our caravan. It was cloudy, I was hoping it would not rain. Our stay was only for 2 nights – the first day we arrived about 4pm later than I had hoped for however we unhitched and went for a drive around the town.

As we drove around the area and through the State Forrest, the Kangaroos came out to greet us. There were some fabulous houses, we noted some rather small houses as well. As we drove down one of the streets, I spotted a dog, “Stop, look a Dingo” – Mr C…. “I don’t think so“…. Me “just stop please” by this time Mr C had spotted the dog and stopped the car. I got out and walked towards the truck with the dog leashed to the back of the truck and spoke to the dog – “Hi there, are you a friendly dog“, by this time a young man came strolling up to his truck, dressed in work clothes and boots, he was smiling at me. “hi” I said, “is this a Dingo?” he responded with “what do you think?” “Yes, it is it’s a fine-looking dog” “will he let me pat him“. with that I didn’t wait for a response, I put my open hand towards the dog….. the man says “go ahead see what he does“…… well the dog licked my hand and started playing with me. The man said, “he doesn’t do that to everyone, you must be special” my response, “Of course, he knows I love dogs“. we both laughed, Mr C was watching from the car. The man was visiting a young woman and her daughter, I think they were dating, or he was trying hard to date her. The young girl came over to say Hi and also pat the dog, by the way the Dingo’s name was Loki, so appropriate I thought, a bit mischievous (that’s if you know your Marvel movies). I said, “I didn’t think you could own Dingo’s” he responded with “I found him as a pup in the bush, he is now 4yrs old – you do have to be careful as he is a wild dog“. We left it at that, I thanked him for letting me have some doggie time and wished him all the best.

Helen picked us up the following morning a beautiful sunny day and we went for a drive – so good to be spoiled with a driver showing us and giving us a history of the area. Morning tea was in an arty town called Macksville, very quaint. We then went to Urunga Lagoon which has an amazing Footbridge about 2km long. Helen and I walked it solving the problems of the world, sharing our sadness at a “No” vote result. Mr C, sat happily on the beach front watching people and enjoying the sunshine. We also visited the many beaches all with glistening crystal blue water, at times I thought I was in Greece.

On our return to the caravan park – the V-Wall is a wall of rocks, shaped in a V which effectively acts as a breakwater creating a lagoon – it is an easy walk about 500meters. it’s a rock gallery of art and anyone can paint on the rocks. I left our mark on the rocks. I went for a swim in the lagoon, the water was a bit fresh but fabulous. We then had dinner overlooking the lagoon and watching the sunset at the V-Wall Pavillion. What more could you ask for – just perfect.

My contribution to the local art….. Fat Cat and Kez

Waterfall Way – Bellingen – Mt Dorrigo

From Coffs Harbour along Waterfall Way through Bellingen and Dorrigo was 2.5hrs (191kms). A steep mountainous winding road. We thought ok, we can do this, Ian as a young man had driven this road before and so we began the journey.

Our first stop was a beautiful quirky town of Bellingen. We stopped parked the caravan and went for a walk around the town. Had a coffee, sausage rolls and vanilla slice from the beautiful Swedish Bakery, I also bought some chocolate from the sweet shop for our drive. On the road again to Dorrigo.

The Car Problem

As Mr C was driving up the mountain, the car slowly began to struggle on the steeper sections. I was beginning to get worried as I could sense Mr C’s concern. I asked him “is your foot on the accelerator” as the car was going so slow – he responded with “Of course, its to the floor”. We then heard the gears change and for a moment thought the car would pick up speed, but alas it continued to struggle – at this point I asked Mr C what we are going to do…. as the car was struggling – I kept saying “come on Betsy you can do it“, it was like Thomas the tank little engine that couldn’t – and the car clearly now couldn’t – lucky for us there happened to be a turning point in the opposite direction and Mr C turned the car into the bay – we both gave a sigh of relief that we were off the road safely. We both sat and looked at the car, by now the car was over heated…. we just sat in disbelief that this could happen and now considered our options.

Our car stopped – the little engine that couldn’t. Turn-a-round point.

Our alternative route

After looking at the map and speaking with a friend who has local knowledge about the roads we decided to go back to Coffs Harbour to Armidale via Grafton, Casino and Tenterfield 6hrs and 15 mins 513 km. This now meant that Mr C had to reverse the caravan into the oncoming traffic around a blind bend – I had to go up the road and stop the oncoming traffic to allow for this to happen. Mr C had good vision of the upcoming traffic – it was stressful, I was now a traffic warden – the cars stopped as we turned, we allowed them to overtake, and we continued down the hill without any further ado.

Mr C did the first 2 hours of driving and we changed over in Grafton. The car was going well, no further overheating or problems. Mr C was tired and fell asleep in the car as i was driving. I came to Casino and thought I have 162km of fuel, I will fill up at the next station to allow Mr C to continue to rest. Unfortunately, this was the wrong decision – Mr C awoke startled and said “are we in Casino yet” I replied “No way passed it” – Mr C – “did you get fuel”, Me, “no I thought I’d let you keep sleeping and we can get it at the next town” – Mr C, “Ok good – how much is left” – me “about 130km” – he looked concerned – I said “don’t worry there are a couple more towns coming up“. Little did I know.

As I continued to drive, we noted the car beginning to struggle on a hill, I had the pedal to the metal and the car was not responding as it should – I was saying come on Besty, you can do it, and she did. I have to say it was worrying and I was concerned, the car didn’t overheat but this this time and the gears did change as they should.

The next concern was the fuel, each town we went through was small and had no fuel stations, we were still about 40-50km out of Tenterfield – I was stressed, the fuel gauge dropped to 30 – I said to Mr C, “we have to stop and use the jerry can fuel, we are not going to make it” – I felt like a complete fool that I did not fill up in Casino and I had not accounted for the heavy load in my calculations. We pulled over in Drake and a kind young man asked if we needed help, if we were ok – I said, “thanks we’re all good, just going to fill up using the jerry can” and sent him on his way. little did I know how heavy and difficult it is to fill the car up using this method – in hindsight I should have accepted his help. Funny thing as I drove on, we both thought the car performed much better – have no rationale for this (Perth Fuel).

We continued to Tenterfield without any further incidence. We stayed at the Tenterfield show grounds – I reversed park the caravan and was pleased to get out and go and have dinner – we were both tired and stressed.

The following morning, we explored Tenterfield (next blog) it was Mr C’s turn to drive, and I was very happy about that – it was going to be a 2–3-hour drive to Armidale.

Lesson for me: Fill up in major towns – don’t worry about Mr C sleeping.

Next blog – Tenterfield, Armidale & the car repair – see you there!

Lismore: Ballina, Bryon Bay & Kingscliff

Posted on December 5, 2023 by paulinerose18

Crossing the border to New South Wales (NSW) at Tweed Heads, was sheer delight. I have a real soft spot for NSW. It was home for me as a teenager, I started my nursing in Sydney and my eldest son was born at Wollongong Hospital.

Our route was along the Pacific Hwy and Dunoon Road, through Mullumbimby, Dunoon to Lismore. We choose Lismore because it was central to the places we wanted to go. The caravan park was The Roadrunner about 10 minutes from the city centre. Our spot was great, close to the amenities – however, I was not keen on the amenities block. We had a key to open the gate which led to the bathrooms, no one uses keys for amenities blocks these days – the building was old and dark. The park was cheap only $39 per night – guess sometimes this is a red flag however, for us it was great, quiet and clean. There were some local residents who have lived there since the last floods.

Ballina – Bundjalung Nation – Nyangbul people

I was last in Ballina 7 years ago and it had not changed much, although I did not see the Big Prawn, this was new for me – it seemed a little quiet and it was sad to see some empty shops. The Richmond River is the main river which enters the Pacific Ocean- we had lunch near the beach and the coffee was great – I watched as the honey eaters were playing up in the gum tree. I also went for a short walk on the beach; however, it was a bit windy – there were no shells.

Byron Bay – Bundjalung Country

Leaving Lismore along the Bangalow Road, past Bexhill, our next small town was Clunes. This town had a host of small churches (couldn’t get Me C to stop) and some charming crafty shops. We did stop at the General Store to buy some flowers and some delish banana bread. Our drive to Byron Bay was an amazing drive, winding roads, through some spectacular luscious green almost rainforest. I noticed showcase letterboxes such as brightly coloured dogs, cats, cows, microwaves, old fridges. People were very creative when it came to their letterboxes – it did make for an interesting drive. The driving time along this scenic route was about 50 mins, that accounts for getting lost. The journey back was much quicker along the main drag – maybe 40 mins.

The beaches at Bryon Bay were stunning and beautiful to swim in. Byron Bay seems an upmarket kind of place with lots of new age shops, alternative lifestyles, holistic wellness retreats (that did seem very expensive), many clothing stores and an array of eateries. We had dinner down a lane way that turned into an outdoor food market – I had fish and chips and Mr C had octopus salad, needless to say we shared.

Kingscliff is another beautiful part of the world – my friend Helen graciously showed us around her neck of the woods. What a wonderful place she lives in. The beach is pristine and where the river exits makes for a great place for the kids to swim. There is an array of eateries across from the beach. Together with boutique shops to appease any shopper, I steered clear as I didn’t want to be tempted to buy anything.

Both of us being midwives, she showed me the new Tweed Valley Hospital soon to be opened, it looked impressive from the outside. Here’s hoping it is everything they hope it would be.

There are so many beautiful beaches and quaint towns in this area: Cabarita Beach, Chinderah, Pottsville, Cudgen, Murwillumbah and Fingal. I can’t remember all the places we went only it was all very pretty. We saw some of the most expensive houses on millionaire’s row…. a little too big for my liking. We had a fabulous day.

The Tweed River is a mighty river, it’s so beautiful however, the danger of flooding is ever present – it’s amazing to see houses still being built near the river knowing that a flood is possible – I don’t think I would risk it and if I did, I would build on stilts. Lunch was at the Historic Tumbulgum Tavern, it was a perfect day. I think it’s always good to see a town by a local person, they know the place and its history – thanks Helen, very grateful.

Lismore – Bundjalung Nation

I didn’t know what to expect from Lismore, I just remember they had bad floods last year, most of the CBD was flooded. The Lismore visitors centre was closed still under repair from the floods, so this put us on a back foot. There was still evidence of a city recovering from the flood. Most of the time we were in Lismore it rained.

We kept seeing signs everywhere for Koala’s -“lookout Koala’s are here, drive safely” Koala’s cross here” – certainly not when we were around – did not see one Koala in the wild, despite all these signs. We went to the Friends of the Koala’s that is in the grounds of the University – this is where I purchased a friend for Fat Cat, Kez the Koala, it was a donation to the Koala hospital which looks after the sick Koala’s of the area.

We went to the local shopping centre for our usual supplies, Lismore had all the shops any large city has plus a Cathedral. There were many old beautiful buildings around the city.

One day on our return from Byron Bay, the havens opened up and the rain just came down – it was pouring, so heavy. At one stage I said to Mr C, “I can’t see the road in front of me, I am going to pull over” and so I did, we waited about half an hour and then I continued back to the caravan. It was scary. When we returned to the caravan, people at the site had put our chairs under the caravan and put our awning away for us – what a kind gesture.

It’s been an interesting time in Lismore, we had the most rain ever. camping /caravaning when it rains is horrible, not only are you confined to inside, but you have to close the vents – I felt claustrophobic. it was awful. I was disappointed not to see a koala, given all the signs around Lismore. We loved Byron Bay and Kingscliff. We are travelling well, no major arguments – all is well in our world. If it rains too much more, I’m coming home sooner.

Next stop is Nambucca Heads – see you at the next blog.

Brisbane – Caravaning around Australia

Posted on November 28, 2023 by paulinerose18

Leaving Hervey Bay, for Brisbane we realised that our caravan indicators were not working. This problem started a few days earlier however, we forgot until we were on the road again. Our caravan tripped the breaker when I ran over the electrical cord and broke the plug. Mr C went and bought new fuses for me to fit. Of course, the space where the fuses are kept is for small people not overweight people, nevertheless I managed to be able to sit on the floor and squeeze into small space to change them – Mr C suggested I take a photo so I could replace the fuses as they were – me “yes, good idea.” When the job was done, the indicators were still not working, however we took the chance and said we would fix at Hervey Bay – and we forgot until we set off. Mr C said, “Pauline go and check the fuses against the photo” -me “sure, I could be bothered arguing the point” – “yes honey, fuses are correct“. The fuses were not the problem.

We did a google search for an auto mobile electrician for caravans. Luckly for us, the first one we contacted was available in 30 mins – so we waited. The man arrived promptly, he had a broad South African accent, he was super helpful. He walked around the van – asked me to put the hazard lights on, and said, I think it’s a poor connection – and with his screwdriver thingy (a multi-meter that checks power) he confirmed we had a dirty connection – he cleaned it up, checked all the other lights – job done $120 for 15minutes and half an hour of chit chat and we were on the road again. Lesson for Mr & Mrs C – check the connection next time.

On the road again, Mr C is driving, I’m happy doing my crocheting and all is good with the world. We stopped for a late lunch at Lake Alford. We saw hundreds of birds in the trees, it was truly amazing. I got out the car and walked around the lake and took loads of photos of the birds – there were some sitting on nests, some building nests, and some mating. I spent ages watching them not realising Mr C was waiting to eat lunch with me in the car – Oops.

As we were eating lunch a man approached our car window and said, “it seems we have the same make caravan – can we see yours and compare to ours“. I thought strange people, be nice Pauline! We spent the next hour talking to Alan and Jenny from the Gold Coast – 76yr and 72 respectively, not married living together for 22yrs, with 6 children between them…… see Jenny gave me her life story. Whilst the boys were comparing the caravans – I tried very hard to cut this meeting short but failed miserably.

making a rug for one of the grandchildren

We finally were on our way again – now we have to find a place for the night, we were not going to make Brisbane. This is the part of travelling I don’t like, being the navigator, because Mr C second guesses google maps. I found a 20-hour rest place Steve Irwin Memorial – set google maps, it was 40 minutes away. It did appear that we were going the long way, but as we don’t know the area, we really have no choice but to follow blindly – at least I’m happy to do this.

However, Mr C isn’t and there is nothing like driving and directions to start an argument and so it happened. Mr C “this is the Bruce Hwy, we could’ve just come straight down the highway not round about the country” – me: ” we are following google maps so just follow the directions” – we missed the turn off for the rest bay, (you could only enter the rest bay from on direction) in fact there was no signage at all, so could not even see where it’s meant to be.

I reset google maps and now it’s telling me we have another 20 minutes, yet we know we have just passed the bay maybe 5 mins ago. Mr C put his google maps on and his phone, his was saying 10mins and going back onto Bruce Hwy to turn around – he was annoyed and said “that’s it we’ve finding somewhere else” – Me – “no let’s try one more time its only 10 mins and I don’t want to find another place” – lucky for us both, this time it worked – it was the smallest right turn half way down the freeway off ramp – we missed the first time, the most stupid rest place to date – no toilets, no tables, just a layby with beautiful trees. For some reason I was just so tired, and cranky, I just wanted to stop. Equally Mr C was tired. We were grateful to have found a place for the night. We got out the car and there was a stale smell of urine – really, by this stage I didn’t care. As we open a few windows in the van, we noted three cars pull in at different times – the men get out and went into the bush and then back in the car – that’s it, this is a shagging and bush toilet stop, that’s why it smells.

We both laid down and slept for about half an hour – probably not a good idea, we awoke and had some fruit and yoghurt for dinner about 8ish. Four big semi-trailers- trucks pulled up, engines running. The drivers all got out and had a chin wag outside our caravan…. guess it won’t be a quiet night. Thankfully it all went quiet about 10pm.

We awoke early and got back on the road to Brisbane. We had booked a caravan park in southern suburbs plugged the address into google maps – which led us astray again. It was a nightmare going through Brisbane towing a caravan and not knowing the roads or where you are going – never again.

We went via Brisbane for 3 main reasons. First to pick up my Cannon Camera being repaired. Secondly to visit my mum at the cemetery and thirdly to catch up with my estranged sister and her family. A bonus was too catch-up with a few friends. None of the above was achieved – it was all very disappointing and sad. – that’s all I am saying on this matter.

our first Maccas breakfast after the Steve Irwin stopover

In June I injured my ring and little fingers on my right hand – I tripped and dislocated and fractured the fingers and have volar plate injuries on both the fingers. I was in a splint for 6 weeks. Now 5 months on I still cannot bend these fingers and have had a very painful hand for the last month. Whilst in a big city I decided to go and have it reviewed.

we had a debate as to what constitutes stopping here.

Logan Hospital A & E was a sight to behold, when I walked in, I could tell by the people waiting that it is going to be a long, long wait – and yes, I was correct. The triage nurse said 6 hours minimum. You guessed it, I did not wait – after going to several GP clinics I finally found an urgent care clinic that would see me. I had an X-ray and ultrasound luckily on the same day – and reported back to the doctor the next day – long and short of the story, I need surgery. This will have to wait until I get home – he suggested strapping my fingers until then and take regular pain relief.

There is a silver lining in everything – we had a wonderful last afternoon visiting Mount Tamborine – starting with a great lunch at the Bearded Tavern, followed by a walk to see Cedar Creek Falls – which didn’t have much water falling due to lack of rain. It was still beautiful and peaceful.

Halfway down the mountain – we stopped at a few beautiful villages, it was so tempting to buy some books, but I resisted the temptation, instead had a play with the pooches in the shop. I picked some strawberries and further down the mountain, had the most spectacular view of the Gold Coast – gosh it is getting bigger and bigger. We last visited the Gold Coast in 2014, we had no interest in going this time.

I did not enjoy Brisbane at all, the roads were difficult to navigate for both of us – unfortunately, it was bad timing to catch up with my friends they were all out of town (chance you take when you give them short notice). My Cannon camera was sent to Port Macquarie to get repaired, and my sister did not answer her phone or emails – so I guess she was unavailable.

Goodbye Queensland, it’s been a real adventure.

Lesson for me: I’m very grateful for my family and dear friends. I can’t wait to get home – love you all.

See you at the next adventure: Crossing the border into NSW – my favourite state.

Burns Beach – Caravanning

Posted on March 7, 2022 by paulinerose18

Our second trip in the caravan, we had planned 4 days to give us more time to enjoy being away. Sadly we waisted most of the first day because we took longer to get organised – watering the garden, packing the caravan, dropping the dog at the kennel, it just took us forever to leave the house and connect the van to the car.

Burns Beach Sunset Village Caravan Park is located on the beach front and was about 45 mins north of where we live. The drive north was uneventful, we arrived and Ian reversed the van with precision and skill. My aim is that Ian will teach me, but I didn’t ask this trip, we need a few more before I try. Again it took longer to set-up, we both forgot which connector was for the water – the waste hose was easy, but we argued about why the cap for the water was locked (its the clean water tank) and we couldn’t open it – finally we worked it out and I took photos and put it in my phone under caravan notes so we wouldn’t forget again. it was too late to put the awning up so we left it for the next day – we went to the local pub for dinner and had an early night.

Day 2:

The weather was fabulous, we had breakfast at Sistas Cafe a bustling contemporary café, big servings and great coffee. This was followed by a long walk along the beach – Burns Beach itself is not easily accessed from the road – its a rocky pathway and lots of rocks, once passed the rocks you can walk along the sand. After walking for about 40 mins I was feeling hot, the ocean was to tempting to resist, I had to dip in the ocean, the water was initially cold but refreshing. It was invigorating – my body soon adapted to the water temperature and I forgot all time.

When I returned to the the van, Ian and I put the awning up, its still problematic and we had to watch the y-tube on how too again – we then chilled for the rest of the afternoon. We were feeling particularly lazy and went for dinner again at the local pub – we then played Qwirkle and listened to music for the evening – I have to brag, that I won!!

Day 3 – Ian cooked breakfast, eggs, bacon, tomatoes and toast – there is nothing like a cooked breakfast, it lasts all day – we might have some fruit otherwise that’s it until dinnertime. We went for a drive and found a fabulous little beach – Pinnaroo Point, again the water was just divine, no big waves and I watched some kiteboarding. later in the day I walked the Burns Beach coastal walk, its breathtakingly beautiful, allows lots of time for personal reflection. Over the three days, I have completed 10,000 steps each day – its amazing how this can be achieved when you don’t have to work and clean the house. Ian cooked dinner again and it was Qwirkle and music time: generally early to bed and early to rise.

Day 4 – packed up to go home; and had huge problems again with the awning – it will be the death of us; we really have to get better at setting off and packing up – the fridge needs to go on the night before we leave: lets hope next time we get it all right – planning next trip for 8 weeks time.

Maiden caravan trip

Posted on October 17, 2021 by paulinerose18

We bought a 2005 Island Star Caravan about a month ago. The back story is that my husband Ian has this dream to travel around Australia before he gets too old to do it. I’m on the other hand not ready to retire, so the compromise was to buy a caravan and do some short trips to see how we fair, more importantly can we travel and live in such close proximity to each other.

This our maiden trip: I booked a long weekend away to the Twin Waters Caravan Park – Mandurah: I had already cleaned and packed what I thought we required in the van, for example kitchen equipment enough for 4 people, you always must have a couple of spares. Ian had sourced the electric extension cords etc so we are set to go it must have taken us an hour to hitch the van up to the car plus and minus a few squabbles about the order in which things were done and finally we set off, I must say we were both very excited. Ian’s new extension side mirrors were working well and had not blown off as we had been told could happen – although I do think they need to be extended out further.

We arrived at the Caravan Park, were allocated our spot and then came the reversing into the space. It felt like trying to squeeze and elephant into a matchbox. Ian did well, he’s really good at reversing such a big vehicle finally it was in place – now to prepare everything: we have a ‘lift mate’, its like a jack that lifts the caravan so it makes life easy, Ian set this up and I let down the leg supports to hold the van, the back ones were fine they reached the ground level, however the front ones could not they slipped forward and could not hold the weight of the van – I told Ian that the front legs don’t support the van – he nodded. I continued to open up the van and explore all the windows and vents, when to my shock I heard a loud bag and the van falls down – a man came running across to see if anyone was hurt – when I go to the front of the van – I see Ian had let the Jack down, needless to say the van then collapses – he looks amazed as if to say “what is all the fuss” – he then realised that the front legs weren’t holding the van – to which starts our first mumbled argument in the caravan park – because we didn’t want people to hear us argue – I said “how could you be so stupid, leave the Jack attached” no someone might steal it – really!!!! And so, it went. The Jack is still in place. After that all seemed to go relatively well – we put up the awning only to find we were missing a couple of hooks, never-the-less Ian made it work. We sat down to our first drink – wow we made it and only one argument.

Not long after a group of 4 younger people pulled up to set up camp next to us – we thought oh no, noise all night, the boys were in their early twenties and the girls had school uniforms on, so maybe year 12 I’m guessing. Out of the boot comes the tent, the chairs and the eskies – about 10 mins in the fighting was on for young and old – ‘no it goes this way’, ‘no this way’ – for fucks sake I’m going if you don’t stop telling me which way it goes’– ‘you’ve got it back to front, the door goes this way’ says one of the girls, the boy says ‘what does it matter’! I laughed and said, “I’m so pleased to see and hear you arguing, it makes setting up all normal when you argue” they laughed, and I think they tried not to argue as much – I was pleased when their tent was up – at least no one went home. It made me realise everyone argues….. this is normality when setting up camp.

We were tired so when it came to dinner, I decided that fresh bread rolls, cold meat and salad with a jam buttie for desert – way to go camping. We finished off the night playing Qwirkle and then went to bed.

Saturday was a rest day – I always finding sleeping away difficult on the first night, there is nothing like your own bed – the caravan bed was not too bad, I did feel slightly claustrophobic, therefore left the windows slightly open so we could feel the breeze throughout the night – breakfast was a treat, we used our new Coleman mini grill – bacon, eggs, sausage and grilled tomatoes – alas I forgot a kettle and toaster – so out came the billy, it took ages to boil, but finally we got our cuppa.

We went out in the afternoon, first to Yalgorup National Park – some of the wildflowers were beautiful – we also visited the Thrombolites a rock-like microorganism formations, at lake Clifton – they look like alien eggs – huge alien eggs ready to hatch…… finished of the afternoon with a beer at Cape Bouvard…… it was back to the van for a quiet evening another game of Quirkle and then bed – we were up with the birds, cuppa and toast for breakie and then drive home …. Packing up the caravan was equally as stressful as the awning got stuck, it’s funny how quickly you forget how to do something you did a few days before -a few passer-by’s came and helped us, a very friendly bunch of people – they said practice makes perfect… and so endth our first caravan trip…..the deal was that the driving was a 50 / 50 agreement, I was driving home much to Ian’s dislike, but i am determined to be able to handle the vehicle if I need to, again practice makes perfect. I must say it did feel heavy pulling the caravan but I did it – too soon for learning how to reverse the beast need a bit more time before I tackle that one – hopefully our next trip will be in 4 weeks until then…. Ciao P

Reflecting on life!

Travels, holidays, general life musing

Tag Archives: camping