Long Time Dreaming

 Well, its been a long time since anything as been posted. Haven't really done much in the last 10 years in the way of travelling anyway. Well, we did do a short trip to Singapore back in 2018(?) But mainly the last 10 years has been concentrating on getting the girls through their schooling, with that completed (2020). Les and I find ourselves looking towards our next adventure. Like everyone Covid put a slight halt to plans, however watch this space.  Fingers crossed, our next trip wont be too far into the future.

This is it

Well, This is the post I've been delaying to write.
Some how putting it in words makes it all real, 
So, here I go, We are back.
From Brisbane we came up the coast, staying in Hervey Bay, Rainbow Beach out at Inskip Point, and 1770, just trying to kill time and delaying the inevitable. Feeling melencholy wasn't going to be the way to end this, so one last destination was decided upon to spend a few days before high tailing to home.  Rubyvale was the place we settled on and with a little fossicking, in the hope of finding the  "big one", it was a great way to finish the trip. Even without the "big one". 

                                           And one last relaxing sunset to set us home

 

After travelling 23 713 kilometres, zigzagging most of our way South, East and North,
We have come up with a few statistics

• highest point we reached was 1830m (Charlottes Pass)
• lowest point of elevation  -11m (Lake Eyre)
• most expensive  price paid for fuel $2.11/l,  Oodnadatta
• cheapest fuel $1.42/l Canberra 
• worst Pizza was in Port Lincoln (Les' judgement)
• best Pizza, Melbourne of course
• most expensive caravan park, Harden- middle of no where and nothing to offer
• most scary moment - sliding into Oodnadatta
• best moments - too many to list

Les'
Top three camps                                                        Top Three Attractions

• Shellbourne River, ACT                                       Australian War Memorial
• Tennant Creek, NT                                               High Court Australia
• Otway National park, Vic                                     Mount Panorama

Denise's
Top Three Camps                                                       Top Three Attractions

• Vittoria State Forest, NSW                                    High Court Australia
• Jingellic, NSW                                                       Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement
• Porenpunkah, Vic                                                   Geographical Centre of Australia

Jessica's
Top Three Camps Jess has four favourites.                Top Three Attractions

•         Adelaide - Grandma's                                      Question Time - Parliament House
•         Melbourne - Micks and Nanna & Pops           Swan Hill Pioneer Village
•         Merimbula - Trisha & Keith                            Australia Zoo   
•         Blackbutt - Carol & davids 

Grace's
Top Three Camps                                                      Top Three Attractions

• Port Augusta, SA                                                 Questacon, Canberra
• Port Lincoln, SA                                                  Sandboarding, Port Lincoln
• Bendigo                                                                Swimming with the Sea Lions

Thanks everyone for reading, and sharing this amazing adventure with us.
We have met so many characters and made many new friends, but now looking forward to catching up with all our friends at home.
Can't say I'm really looking forward to getting back into the school routine, I think it will be a rude shock come Monday morning.

Australia zoo

When Carol suggested for us girls to spend a day out at the Australia Zoo I wasn't really keen, we've seen the croc shows at Hartley's and at the Tropical Zoo, you cant get much better than that, also have done Dubbo zoo and Melbourne and Adelaide Zoos so, you know, what would be different here?
I am so glad we went, WOW.  I don't think we went past any enclosure where a handler wasn't in there hands  on with these wonderful animals, whether it was patting the rhinos ( a new born in there) or changing the the leaves for the giraffes and zebras, walking the cheetah, or cleaning up after the dingoes and wombats, everyone was so hands on and so passionate about what the zoo was about, conservation of these endangered species.

The Girls were doing it for themselves.

NSW was a new challenge, Les flew home from Merimbula for work commitments and it was up to the girls and I to tow the van home.  Les and I have always taken turns in driving with the van so I wasn't concerned with the towing or parking, but being such a heavy caravan I'm not confident in un hitching or re hitching, so with a bit of forward booking to drive-through sites so no unhitching had to take place, Northwards we headed.


Camp site at Nowra.
First stop

Hampden Bridge, Kangaroo Valley

Site seeing was near impossible with a caravan on the back but never the less what a great time we all had.  The girls were able to play their music at full bore, 1D, Abba, anything Les wouldn't normally tolerate, even a bit of Robbie Williams:)

The last time I drove up this coast  was 25 years before hand, most of it is unrecognisable. Batemans Bay a sleepy fishing town no longer, and Coffs Harbour has a major shopping centre on the 2 lane highway passing through.















Kempsie  and Yamba were lovely spots, still small towns compared to the others, I considered taking the girls to Nimbin but thought twice about it and just kept heading North. Jessica's navigating skills were excellent as she directed me through the Sydney motorways and into the Parks each night.

 

There are so many places we need to revisit. Next time.  Kangaroo Valley along the Nowra to Moss Vale Road is one such spot, with Australia's oldest suspension bridge, also enjoyed Narooma and Yamba and  would love to have a better look around there.

 It took us a week until we arrived at our very good friends, David and Carols's new place in Benarkin, just west of Brisbane, near Blackbutt

It was great to see them both again, its only been 18 months since they had left Cairns, so a few catch up drinks had to be had.

From here I  drove into brisbane to pick up Les, who has flown back down to us to complete the final run home.  The end of our adventure is nearing.

 

 

From Snow to Coast

-8 degrees Brrr..   Enough of that, we had icicles instead of condensation on the ceiling, We're out of there.
Have to say it was really pretty to wake up to see all the trees and scrub glistening with ice.

It is time to hit the coast and blow this chilly weather, Merimbula here we come.
Les' sister and brother in-law Keith manage the Beachfront Units on Ocean Dve in Merimbula so the caravan park across the road was perfect for us to set up camp.
It has been too long since seeing Trisha and Keith and it was fantastic to catch up over a few drinks and home cooked meals, Thanks guys.  Les' Mum and Dad also made the trek up from Melbourne so we got to see Nanna and pop again too.
As first time Merimbula visitors, it was beautiful, what a unique seaside community, surrounded by waterways.

 

 

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Snow,Snow,& more snow

Normally I wouldn't post more than once in a week but.... today was so cool, literally.
Last night we had our coldest night since leaving Cairns, -1, Brrrr.. Thank goodness for heaters, otherwise I would have had to cuddled Les.... it was cold.
So, why was today so cool? Glad you asked.
Snow, we went for a drive up to Thredbo to start with and although we could see snow, we could only scrape the sides of the road to touch it, so we turned around and went up the Kosciosko road to Perisher and  Charlotte's Pass. OMG. How cool, I mean HOW COOL!!  Snow everywhere above 1400m, the first time the girls and I have ever seen it and it was amazing. It even snowed while we were there.
And yes Janine, I lobbed a snowball on Jess, Grace and Les.  made a snowman, pretty sad though, will be better prepared next time.

 

                                                               My snowman