August 2013
Shellharbour, NSW to Sydney,
NSW
We journeyed up to Sydney to stay with Ian, one of my oldest and dearest mates who has been there for me for many many years. It was great to see him and for Deb and I to spend some quality time with him.
I had driven into and around
Sydney a few times before, but this time I was in the Land Cruiser, and no one was going to get my
way ... however it was interesting driving into the Sydney Harbour Tunnel during peak hour ...
Later that weekend, we went out for a day cruise up the Hawkesbury River system on his ocean cruiser "Valhalla" which is berthed at Akuna Bay Marina in Terry Hills National Park.
Here
is Captain Smith at the helm (any relation to the Titanic's Captain
Smith?) ...
The scenery is just magical in this area and it was very hard to just sit back and enjoy it whilst Valhalla motored through the water.
We cruised into and moored in Pinto Bay, had our lunch and just sat back and enjoyed the afternoon catching up, swapping stories and simply enjoying each other's company, it was a great and memorable day.
We would have fished the afternoon away if someone had brought the fishing rods on the boat like they promised ... IAN!
Whilst we were in Sydney, we took the opportunity to take a drive out to the Heads and to Watson's Bay on the weekend to avoid normal weekday traffic and we were not disappointed, the scenery was spectacular.
We reckon the pic below looks like the head of an ancient "rock lizard"!?
The van is a 1981 Millard Caravan and has an aluminum frame (not the typical wooden frame of modern vans which tends to warp and rot if they leak when wet) and we bought it off eBay!
Yep, off eBay!!
We searched for months and those I used to work with can testify, I spent many hours whilst at work looking at vans for sale and reading caravan reviews and blogs. Deb also researched for hours and when we found it, we decided that it was well worth the expense to drive all the way over to Shellharbour to buy it.
And we are so glad we did. Basically, we had the van overhauled, all the wheel bearings replaced, brakes etc serviced, gas lines replaced and compliance certified, 12 volt wiring throughout, including electric brakes added to truck and thicker wiring throughout to cater for solar later, 2x 120 amp hour house batteries installed along with a 25 amp / 240 volt charger ... all wired in. New style and super bright LED lights inside and out, including the side lights and tail lights, side under awning light (which is amazingly bright too), a portable instant hot water pump, the service included ensuring that the van was water tight and had no leaks and everything was compliant. A new tow hitch and new chains to be Australia Wide compliant (it seems different states have different rules!!) replaced the old ones and the door was fixed so we could easily lock it!
Dave and his team commented to us that they were impressed with how good a condition the van was in given its age and reassured us that we had made a good purchase.
By the time we had everything sorted out with Dave and he installed the tow ball and stabiliser bars we bought from Deb's Aunty and Uncle, it was dark and we were booked in to the Windang Foreshore Park which was only a few kilometers up the road on Lake Illawarra.
Windang Foreshore Park, NSW
http://www.wollongongtouristparks.com.au/parks/windang/Pages/default.aspx
When we finally arrived and checked in, we had to find our alloted site in the dark. We had a fair idea where it was as we had decided upon it and booked in a few days earlier once we had surveyed the park to ensure it was going to be an easy entrance etc. Unfortunately, it had been raining and we couldn't clearly see exactly where the boundaries of the site were and it now had a truck parked in it from a worker staying in a nearby cabin, so we just did the best we could and settled in for the night in our new home.
When we finally arrived and checked in, we had to find our alloted site in the dark. We had a fair idea where it was as we had decided upon it and booked in a few days earlier once we had surveyed the park to ensure it was going to be an easy entrance etc. Unfortunately, it had been raining and we couldn't clearly see exactly where the boundaries of the site were and it now had a truck parked in it from a worker staying in a nearby cabin, so we just did the best we could and settled in for the night in our new home.
To our amusement, in the morning we realised that the van was no where near straight in the site and even though there was no one near us, it was obvious a blind man had parked it here ... Oh well, the things you learn!
The Windang Caravan Park is a beautiful spot in between the ocean and Lake Illawarra and it was just magnificent. We had originally booked ourselves in for a couple of nights and stayed about a week. We met some marvellous fellow vanners who were always very kind and helpful to us as we soon found out!
In the morning, I decided to unhook the van from the truck as we were staying a while and we needed to use the truck. This is when we met Eric, a travelling boiler maker originally from New Zealand who was working at Port Kembla and was staying in the park whilst his wife was working at Kiama. I could not seem to get the van to unhitch from the tow ball! No matter how much I wound up the jockey wheel, the tow ball and hitch stayed together. Eric witnessed my predicament and came over to render assistance by simply standing on the towbar to release the van ... the things you learn.
Did I mention my vertical learning curve?
Once the van and truck were independent and I had regained some sort of composure, we decided that as it was a beautiful day, we would set up the roll out awning which is attached to the side of the van. Well, after struggling with this for some time and reading the previous owner's instructions, Deb decided to investigate how others in the park had done it ... it can't be that hard we said ... or so we thought!
Deb soon returned with a chap by the name of Keith who was parked nearby. Keith wandered over to assist the damsel in distress (I was fine, I was sure to work it out eventually ... NOT!) and then he decided he needed a ladder and soon returned with his wife Claire. Well, between the four of us we just could not get it to work as it should as the awning was a bit old and obviously not been used much in recent years, the gears had seized. Whilst we were considering our options and Keith opened his tool box, Eric returned to lend a hand. He too was bemused that it wouldn't work but we finally got it working, rolled it out and pegged down. Whilst all 5 of us were examining the awning and discussing options from full replacement to a simple bush repair, another couple who had just returned from the local shops, John and Joan came over to see if they too could be of assistance!
Here we are, all set up ...
The Windang / Lake Illawarra area is beautiful and we enjoyed walking along the beach, along the sands and bank of the estuary that leads into the lake and the park is central to all this and you could hear the ocean waves breaking onto the shore at night. Why would anyone want to leave?
Ron and Paula came down to see us and our new home. Ron is a Coach Driver and has a Toyota Coaster motorhome with a 308 motor to power it along. We had a tour of his motorhome when we were there and it is a nice rig. We had a BBQ lunch in the park and then went fishing on the estuary, right out the front of the park. It was a great day even though we did not catch any fish, a local gave Deb a couple of 'Black Fish' as he had plenty. We ended up giving them to our neighbours as a "Thank You" for their help after they admired what they thought we had caught!
Here is Ron and Deb trying their luck!
Yep, another stressful afternoon slides by ... the bridge in the background is the National Highway, Lake Illawarra is behind the bridge and the Great Dividing Range on the horizon. The park and coast are behind me.
One thing you can count on from fellow vanners / Grey Nomads, is that they all have been there and done that, had many misadventures and stories to tell and plenty of good advice for the novice. We had a great time chatting with these lovely people and we knew we had made the right decision to give this lifestyle a try. Our high spirits became somewhat tarnished a couple of nights later when Deb came down to Eric's van where I was (just chatting) to advise that she had locked us out of the van and our only key to it was securely inside! Our new friends all came to our aid with torches and various remedies on how to break in and we eventually opened the door and the very next day, got duplicate keys cut. The things you learn!
During a dinner conversation when we were with Ron and Paula, Ron spoke to me about a fuel catalyst he had fitted to his cars and suggested I speak to the bloke down his street as he fits them. The fuel catalyst is called a "Fitch" and it manages your fuel intake and ensures a cleaner burn of the fuel, resulting in more power, less engine wear, better fuel economy and less emissions. Ron swears by them and that was good enough for me. So the very next day, I spoke to Bill and had one fitted to the truck. There is no doubt that the Fitch does what I was told it would, the immediate increase in power and less fuel consumption has been a worthwhile purchase, thanks Ron!
http://fitchcatalyst.com.au/
Kiama, NSW
We wanted to see some of the local attractions and on Ron's advice (him being a bus driver and all), we took a day drive down the coast to a town called Kiama which is famous for "The Blow Hole", a natural hole in the rock where the surging surf rushes in and escapes into the air ... well that's what he said!
It must have been the blow hole's day off when we got there as we saw the hole, stood on the boardwalk where all the tourists stand to take pictures of it from and waited, and waited. It seems that the wind and surf need to be favourable for the surf to blow through the hole. Anyway, we did see a small splash, so I suppose we cannot complain ... unlike the tourists that were pulling up by the bus load!
Undeterred, we headed for the hills as we were told of the magnificent waterfalls and views and our first stop was at the Minnamurra National Park.
The 4.6 kilometre walk started out at a leisurely gradient along the boardwalk and the water in the rock pools were so clear, seeing some cedar trees that are hundreds of years old towering into the canopy above was very impressive as we strolled along the path that meandered through the park and over the cascading stream.
The 4.6 kilometre walk started out at a leisurely gradient along the boardwalk and the water in the rock pools were so clear, seeing some cedar trees that are hundreds of years old towering into the canopy above was very impressive as we strolled along the path that meandered through the park and over the cascading stream.
Then, we came to the junction where the path went to the falls or back to the car park and we thought that we had come this far, so why not continue to the falls. Well the sign posted a gradient of "Medium" and the path ahead looked OK but soon the the walk went from an easy and slight gradient to almost vertical I'm sure and luckily there were seats every 15 metres or so because we utilised everyone of them on our ascent to the falls.
We were given words of encouragement from other nature lovers that were descending from the falls that the journey was worth it and not that far ... maybe to these avid bushwalkers who probably took power supplements that morning and took bottled water with them to drink (who knew), but it was exhausting for us both and we soldiered on step by step. As we got closer, we could hear the roaring of water and soon enough we had made it up to the Minnamurra Falls.
The trek back down the mountain was just as tough because of the steep gradient and even though we were both parched, some people just have to break the rules and stray from the path into the bush ...
As we made our way back to the entrance and park cafe, we did come across a Lyre Bird in the scrub (he/she is a bit hard to see, but he/she is in the centre of this pic) ...
Unfortunately, on our return to the front gates, the cafe was closed and we headed off exhausted and even though it cost $11 to enter the National Park, we were glad we made the effort to see the falls.
http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/Budderoo-National-Park/Minnamurra-Rainforest-Centre-and-Lyrebird-Cafe/tourist-information
We continued up the road, into the hills and caught glimpses of some great scenery around us and then we came across the Jamberoo Lookout.
We could clearly see Kiama on the coast and this pic is looking back towards Shellharbour.
http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/Budderoo-National-Park/Jamberoo-lookout/lookout
We continued our drive up the road to Carrington Falls and were rewarded with this fabulous site ...
Luckily for us, we could drive to within 80 metres of these falls then it was an easy walk along the path to see these fantastic falls.
As we had had enough of waterfalls for one day, we decided not to keep on going around to the Fitzroy Falls, so after a pit stop at the Robertstown Famous Pie Shop (yep, that's what they call it!), we tackled the Macquarie Pass once again and headed home (back to the van at Windang).
Shellharbour, NSW to Bordertown, SA
We soon became eager to hit the road and head back to Bordertown so we could do some work on the van at Jasmine's place. Ron suggested we cross the Great Dividing Range north of Wollongong via the Picton Road which is a popular highway for trucks with multiple areas for passing, just the path we wanted as there was no way I was going to pull the van up the Macquarie Pass. Ron was doing a bus route up to Goulburn and back each day and we arranged to meet up with him there for lunch on the day we left.
I had not yet really towed the van very far and the Picton Road was to be a baptism of fire as I soon realised that the van was heavy, real heavy ... especially up hills and on highways with big semis and buses in front and behind you!
We eventually made it up and across the range and back onto the Hume Highway, just north of the Belanglo Forest (there was no way was I going to go in there!).
As we headed south down the Hume, the weather closed in and we copped head winds and rain and we soon realised that the stabilsers we bought from Deb's Aunty and Uncle, were worth their weight in gold as they kept the van stable as the big rigs thundered passed us and the wind pushed us around.
Goulburn, NSW
We made it into Goulburn and met up with Ron and it was pouring down with rain and we parked behind his coach in the centre of town and went in search of some lunch.
Here we are in front of Ron's bus just before he headed back to work ...
One of the "must do's" for us as we travel on our "Big Adventure" is to see as many of the "Big" Australian icons as we can and in Goulburn they have the "Big Merino" ...
We headed for Gundagai that day and we had 80km/hr head winds, gusts of up to 90kms/hr and driving rain, but we made it into Gundagai safe and well.
Gundagai, NSW
On our journey to Shellharbour we stayed overnight in a motel in Gundagai and when we returned with the van, we stayed at the Rivers Caravan Park.
This caravan park is on the Murrumbidgee River in between the old wooden bridges that cross the river flood plains in Gundagai. Apparently the river flooded last year and now the new owners of the park have some cabins on wheels so they can get them to higher ground when needed.
The old wooden bridges are historic, the disused train bridge (left in pic) and the now disused Old Hume Highway bridge (on the right) make a fantastic setting for a quiet and picturesque place.
As the next day was a nice warm day, we took the opportunity to go fishing on the Murrumbidgee as it was only metres behind the van and whilst Deb caught a few carp, she managed to hook a fresh water "Murray Cray" on her line ...
Luckily for us, and unlucky for him, the area where we caught him is the only legal place along the Murrumbidgee where you are allowed to catch them. Not even the park owners had heard of anyone catching them here! So here he is in our bucket just before he became our dinner!
Luckily for the fish in the Murrumbidgee River I spent more time attaching bait to my hook and casting into the trees and catching snags than ever really posing a threat to any fish ... Just as well Deb can fish otherwise we would go very hungry indeed!
As the drive from Gundagai to Maldon was a long day behind the wheel, we decided not to make a detour to Glenrowan just off the Hume Highway as we had both been there before and knowing me, I would have wanted to walk around the famous "Kelly Gang" sites. Anyway, as I had been there in December 2011 when I drove over to see Ian last time, I took the pic below of the "Big Ned" and have added him to our "Big Adventure" icons list.
The drive down the dual carriageway of the Hume Highway was a good run until about Wangaratta when the winds picked up again and the rain set in. Driving into head winds (again) on wet roads isn't much fun when you are battling the conditions. Eventually, we turned off the Hume Highway at Violet Town and we had our lunch break sitting in the van as it was pouring down, much to the amusement of the locals.
The road from Violet Town through to Bendigo and Maldon is a single lane carriage way, but the road is good and we had travelled on this road heading over. The passing Road Trains and the instant car washes they provide are always 'heart in your mouth' times, but the stabilsers were doing a great job and the van hardly moved out of line. We did notice a "Vic Roads" patrol car driving passed us a couple of times and flood warning signs on the sides of the road. We were getting a little concerned about either stopping in a caravan park in a town somewhere along here and getting flooded in versus pushing through at a relaxed pace. Whilst we noticed areas of localised flooding in paddocks and the odd roadside pool of water, it was fine to keep on driving.
The wind and the rain continued all the way into Bendigo and through to Maldon and it was near on dusk as we drove into the near deserted Maldon Caravan Park.
Maldon, VIC
Maldon is an historic town about 40kms west of Bendigo, in the heart of the Victorian Goldfields.
Deb's parents, Jenny and Colin have lived in Maldon for decades and Deb went to the Maldon Primary School (pic below) which is adjacent to the caravan park. The caravan park was about a kilometre from their house so we took the opportunity to walk there and see the local landmarks on the way.
Here is the church where Deb got married ...
This is the main street of Maldon where the buildings are heritage listed, even the water trough for the horses remains ...
We spent a few days with Jen and Col, they are really great people and we thoroughly enjoy spending time with them whenever we can.
I got to meet Deb's Aunty (Rowy) and Uncle (Alan) who we bought the tow ball and stabilsers from and as they had toured the country for some 12 years with a caravan, they had plenty of stories and good advice for us.
After a few relaxing days in Maldon, it was time to head towards Bordertown. The drive towards Bordertown started well and once again, however we soon experienced very strong head and cross winds which were particularly bad due to the open plains around us. We decided to keep off the highway for as long as possible so we kept to the back roads and by passed Horsham along a few very quiet and narrow roads and then it became necessary to be on the busier highway and the winds continued to buffer us head on.
It was a real challenge to get up to and maintain 80km/hr in some parts on the highway, at least I was not the only van on the road. I can see why the truckies get frustrated at us "aluminium speed humps" (thanks Ron!) as they are able to power through such conditions. It can be very concerning when you see how much the wind blows these big rigs around on the road, they sway around so easily and it is a credit to them to be able to keep their rigs under control.
When we arrived in Bordertown, we noticed that one of the hatches off the roof had been blown clean off ... now the van has a partial sky light!
Bordertown, SA
It was great to get the van to Bordertown as we were keen to start working on making this our van.
The next day, we realised that the van was simply not going to fit under their carport for us to get it into their backyard. We decided to park the van on the footpath out the front of Jasmine's house and we used our extension cords from the house, through the new sky light in the roof and into the van for power. I taped up the sky light to make it water and wind proof as now it was raining in Bordertown too.
Over the next few days we did a few repairs to the van and Brad cut some tin and we sealed the sky light very well. It would now just have to wait until I can either find an old spare part or to replace the entire hatch at a later time.
One of the great things about doing new things is the things you learn along the way. For instance, the internal height of the van is approximately 194cms as I am approximately 193cms, so there is only just enough head room for me. In the centre of the van is an arch way that divides the bedroom area from the front. Every day, and many times every day I manage to bang my head into the arch. I have even included banging my head into the over head cupboards in the van, into the top of the door way and each and every time, Deb laughs and shakes her head in amusement. All I need to do is remind her of when we were in Windang and she caught her little toe on the bed support in the van and dislocated it ... I reckon she broke it (see pic below)
Luckily for Deb, she is a nurse!
Before we left Bordertown, we wanted to go down to the coast and see Kingston and fish from the jetty. Unfortunately, the weather was not great for most of the time in Bordertown and it was cold and wet the day we all drove down to Kingston.
Kingston SE, SA
Driving into Kingston, Brad guided us to the "Big Lobster" which used to front a restaurant which is now undergoing renovations but we were able to take this pic and add the "Big Lobster" to our "Big" Australian icons list ...
We did manage to get out onto the Kingston jetty and cast a line or two, but it was cold and windy so we went and bought fish and chips and ate them along the beach in a shelter. It was a good to spend time with Cruze, Jas and Brad.
During our time in Bordertown, Deb's Nursing Agency found her some work in Ceduna as there was not much on offer locally nor in Port Augusta at the time so we decided to make the trip over to Ceduna as we had both not been there before and now seemed like a good a time as any.
We allowed ourselves plenty of time to make the trip to ensure that we made the most of the journey and so we packed up the van and I took it up the road to the Bordertown Caravan Park so we would be able to get away early the next morning.
Blade ... our newest team member
Blade is Deb's 3 year old Staffordshire Jack Russell cross and has been living with Jas and Brad as we could not have a dog in the unit at Oaklands Park. We both wanted Blade to join us on our Big Adventure so it was time for him to join our team and here he is ...
Bordertown, SA to Ceduna, SA
We headed off to Ceduna via the Riverland as this would be a different route to the well travelled highway into and out of Adelaide.
It was about an hour into the drive when it occurred to me that I may have left the hand brake on the van engaged ... did I mention a steep learning curve?
Well I had, it was still engaged and even though the van felt a bit heavy initially ... it was still moving along OK, so we pulled over and disengaged it and continued our journey to Loxton.
Loxton, SA
The caravan park at Loxton is massive, set on the flood plains of the Murray River and it is a nice place to stay a day or two. We went fishing on the Murray and Deb managed to catch the only carp (again) and I caught absolutely nothing, although my line is staying in the water more these days!
There were not many other vans in the park and as we had a dog, we had to park in the 'dog friendly' area which just happened to be the area closest to the river.
When I unhitched the van from the truck, much to my immediate shock, the van rolled back a few inches and snapped the wheel from off the jockey wheel! I felt tension in the hand brake line when I engaged it so I thought it must be working ... did I mention a steep learning curve? So the next day we bought a new jockey wheel and successfully replaced the broken one by using the jack from the truck to lift the van!
Here is our tranquil site on the banks of the Murray River ...
The pic above is from the back of the van with the banks of the Murray about in the middle f the pic.
As it had been some weeks since I had had a hair cut, I decided to cut my own hair with the clippers I had brought along. I used the extension mirrors off the truck to see what I was doing and Deb could not stop laughing as I started to hack into my hair. Eventually, I got it reasonably uniformed and Deb helped me trim the edges, she reckons before I hurt myself!
Later that day, we noticed the two Italian fruit pickers who were living out of an old courier van opposite us giving themselves a trim with their clippers ... they must have thought this is what Aussies do in their spare time?
Not far from us was the "Tree of Knowledge" so Blade and I took a walk over to see the various flood markers on the tree and here is Blade under the tree. The 1956 flood was the worst on record and it would have flooded a huge area including the entire caravan park and it's surrounds. Even the 2011 flood (marker is just above the wooden rail next to Blade) would have engulfed the majority of the park except the cabins that are up on higher ground.
Adjacent to the Tree of Knowledge is the "Big Pelican" ... well it is not actually that big but it has been included in some lists we have read, it is more an oversized pelican. According to the story board next to the pelican, it was originally built for the Loxton annual parade and then retired to the foreshore after a few years. There is a story of some locals who removed the pelican from its mounts, tied a few truck tyre inner tubes underneath and set it free down the Murray one night after a few too many ales and were subsequently arrested when they told everyone in town of their prank!
Anyway, we have added the "Big Pelican" to our "Big" Australian icons list.
Walking along the banks of the Murray at dusk and it was just magical.
Renmark, SA
Before we left the Riverland, we diverted East to Renmark to see the "Big Orange" as it had been many years since I had seen this Riverland icon. Deb had seen it more recently than me as she had worked in Renmark prior to coming to Adelaide. We were shocked to learn that the site is closed and in disrepair, however we managed to get a pic to add to our "Big" Australian icons list.
The "Big Orange" at Renmark ...
Morgan, SA
We took the Goyder Highway from Loxton, around the northern side of Lake Bonney at Barmera and headed towards Morgan.
The day was warm without much wind and we made good time without too much traffic on the road. We did notice the number of caravans going the other way (East) and we we wondering what perhaps they knew that we didn't!
I don't recall ever being to Morgan and it was hot and dry when we stopped at the lookout for lunch overlooking the Murray River and watching the ferry below cross the river with quite a few impressive house boats further down stream.
Port Germein, SA
Our destination was going to be Port Augusta however as we crossed the Flinders Ranges and reached the National Highway at Crystal Brook, we decided to stay at the Port Germein Caravan Park. We are so glad we did because it is a beautiful small park in a very small town in between Port Pirie and Port Augusta. The jetty at Port Germein was the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere at one time, over 1,500 feet long and when we walked to the end, the tide was out and we managed to walk on the sand with Blade.
The weather started to get cold and we could see the storm clouds rolling in from the West and head south across the ranges towards Port Pirie.
Kimba, SA
Once again, the weather started fine although cool and a bit windy up to Port Augusta and by the time we got over to Iron Knob, we were fighting another very strong head wind. By the time we approached Kimba, it had started to rain heavily and the winds were gusty making driving along this route quite challenging.
On the Eyre Highway from Port Augusta across to Venus Bay is the town of Kimba which boasts "Halfway Across Australia" and we stopped here for lunch. It was raining again so we had lunch in the van and ensured we took a pic of the "Big Galah" at Kimba before heading to Venus Bay.
We reached Kyancutter (which I thought would be bigger than just a small road house) and then took the turn off just past Wudinna (Wood-na) to Venus Bay instead of continuing along the Eyre Highway to Ceduna. It rained all the way to Venus Bay and we were very happy to finally see the West Coast.
Venus Bay, SA
By the time we reached Venus Bay we were exhausted and we were rewarded with one of the best sites in the caravan park, right on the beachfront.
This is a pic from inside the van looking out at Venus Bay.
Venus Bay has become one of our favourite places, it is a small township with only a well stocked general store and the caravan park being the only two businesses. It is home to a couple of ocean prawn trawlers that dock at the jetty and apparently the town becomes very busy during the summer months, and we can see why. Venus Bay is sheltered from the ocean and the fishing is good (great in summer they reckon) and we spent a few lazy days here fishing for squid and tommy ruffs (herrings) and generally, taking it very easy.
We went for a walk along the head land that protects Venus Bay from the ocean as sometimes you can see whales, dolphins and seals in the area. Some of the edges were higher than I liked it and most showed signs of erosion as landfalls into the water were seen.
We did spot a pod of dolphins and watched them for ages and then around on the sea side, Deb spotted a seal in a cove. Unfortunately, there were no whales we could see.
Deb managed to catch a few squid (and they were massive) and we asked another vanner in the park who was cleaning his catch to show us how to clean the squid ... and he did! So, we learnt how to gut and clean a squid and we ate a lot of calamari for lunch and dinner whilst we were at Venus Bay.
The squid were that big, Deb made the rings into a bracelet! ...
I actually managed to catch a Tommy Ruff over the other side of Venus Bay at a place called Port Kenny. Apparently, the size of this tommy is on the larger side as the ones caught over at Venus Bay were quite small. Here is a pic of the unluckiest fish to ever swim the seas ...
Before we left Venus Bay, we took the hour drive south to Elliston to stock up on things including fuel before heading to Ceduna, but unfortunately, the supermarket and most of the shops (except for the pub!) were closed by the time we got there. Elliston, like many towns along this coast are very picturesque as they have sheltered bays and we took the scenic drive to see the rugged coastline before heading back to Venus Bay.
This was the view we had every day when we opened the van door ...
Sunset at Venus Bay from our door step ...
Unfortunately, the time had come for us to pack up and leave Venus Bay, but we were keen to see Ceduna.
And so the sun set on a very busy, action packed and epic August 2013 for us.
We travelled from Shellharbour to Sydney and back to Shellharbour, to Kiama, and back to Bordertown via Gundagai and Maldon. We went down to Kingston and then headed up to Loxton and over Port Germein and then onto Venus Bay on our way to Ceduna.
In August, we travelled ... 4,291 kilometres
Cheapest fuel was in Chatswood, NSW where it was $1.419 / litre
Dearest fuel was in Elliston, Eyre Peninsula SA where it was $1.620 / litre
We added the following "Big" icons to our list ...
So far, we have travelled 7,455 kilometres, the equivalent of Adelaide to Darwin and back to Adelaide, then back to Alice Springs.
(Adelaide to Darwin is 3,029 kilometres).
As we made our way back to the entrance and park cafe, we did come across a Lyre Bird in the scrub (he/she is a bit hard to see, but he/she is in the centre of this pic) ...
Unfortunately, on our return to the front gates, the cafe was closed and we headed off exhausted and even though it cost $11 to enter the National Park, we were glad we made the effort to see the falls.
http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/Budderoo-National-Park/Minnamurra-Rainforest-Centre-and-Lyrebird-Cafe/tourist-information
We continued up the road, into the hills and caught glimpses of some great scenery around us and then we came across the Jamberoo Lookout.
We could clearly see Kiama on the coast and this pic is looking back towards Shellharbour.
http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/Budderoo-National-Park/Jamberoo-lookout/lookout
We continued our drive up the road to Carrington Falls and were rewarded with this fabulous site ...
Luckily for us, we could drive to within 80 metres of these falls then it was an easy walk along the path to see these fantastic falls.
As we had had enough of waterfalls for one day, we decided not to keep on going around to the Fitzroy Falls, so after a pit stop at the Robertstown Famous Pie Shop (yep, that's what they call it!), we tackled the Macquarie Pass once again and headed home (back to the van at Windang).
Shellharbour, NSW to Bordertown, SA
We soon became eager to hit the road and head back to Bordertown so we could do some work on the van at Jasmine's place. Ron suggested we cross the Great Dividing Range north of Wollongong via the Picton Road which is a popular highway for trucks with multiple areas for passing, just the path we wanted as there was no way I was going to pull the van up the Macquarie Pass. Ron was doing a bus route up to Goulburn and back each day and we arranged to meet up with him there for lunch on the day we left.
I had not yet really towed the van very far and the Picton Road was to be a baptism of fire as I soon realised that the van was heavy, real heavy ... especially up hills and on highways with big semis and buses in front and behind you!
We eventually made it up and across the range and back onto the Hume Highway, just north of the Belanglo Forest (there was no way was I going to go in there!).
As we headed south down the Hume, the weather closed in and we copped head winds and rain and we soon realised that the stabilsers we bought from Deb's Aunty and Uncle, were worth their weight in gold as they kept the van stable as the big rigs thundered passed us and the wind pushed us around.
Goulburn, NSW
We made it into Goulburn and met up with Ron and it was pouring down with rain and we parked behind his coach in the centre of town and went in search of some lunch.
Here we are in front of Ron's bus just before he headed back to work ...
One of the "must do's" for us as we travel on our "Big Adventure" is to see as many of the "Big" Australian icons as we can and in Goulburn they have the "Big Merino" ...
We headed for Gundagai that day and we had 80km/hr head winds, gusts of up to 90kms/hr and driving rain, but we made it into Gundagai safe and well.
Gundagai, NSW
On our journey to Shellharbour we stayed overnight in a motel in Gundagai and when we returned with the van, we stayed at the Rivers Caravan Park.
This caravan park is on the Murrumbidgee River in between the old wooden bridges that cross the river flood plains in Gundagai. Apparently the river flooded last year and now the new owners of the park have some cabins on wheels so they can get them to higher ground when needed.
The old wooden bridges are historic, the disused train bridge (left in pic) and the now disused Old Hume Highway bridge (on the right) make a fantastic setting for a quiet and picturesque place.
As the next day was a nice warm day, we took the opportunity to go fishing on the Murrumbidgee as it was only metres behind the van and whilst Deb caught a few carp, she managed to hook a fresh water "Murray Cray" on her line ...
Luckily for us, and unlucky for him, the area where we caught him is the only legal place along the Murrumbidgee where you are allowed to catch them. Not even the park owners had heard of anyone catching them here! So here he is in our bucket just before he became our dinner!
Luckily for the fish in the Murrumbidgee River I spent more time attaching bait to my hook and casting into the trees and catching snags than ever really posing a threat to any fish ... Just as well Deb can fish otherwise we would go very hungry indeed!
As the drive from Gundagai to Maldon was a long day behind the wheel, we decided not to make a detour to Glenrowan just off the Hume Highway as we had both been there before and knowing me, I would have wanted to walk around the famous "Kelly Gang" sites. Anyway, as I had been there in December 2011 when I drove over to see Ian last time, I took the pic below of the "Big Ned" and have added him to our "Big Adventure" icons list.
The drive down the dual carriageway of the Hume Highway was a good run until about Wangaratta when the winds picked up again and the rain set in. Driving into head winds (again) on wet roads isn't much fun when you are battling the conditions. Eventually, we turned off the Hume Highway at Violet Town and we had our lunch break sitting in the van as it was pouring down, much to the amusement of the locals.
The road from Violet Town through to Bendigo and Maldon is a single lane carriage way, but the road is good and we had travelled on this road heading over. The passing Road Trains and the instant car washes they provide are always 'heart in your mouth' times, but the stabilsers were doing a great job and the van hardly moved out of line. We did notice a "Vic Roads" patrol car driving passed us a couple of times and flood warning signs on the sides of the road. We were getting a little concerned about either stopping in a caravan park in a town somewhere along here and getting flooded in versus pushing through at a relaxed pace. Whilst we noticed areas of localised flooding in paddocks and the odd roadside pool of water, it was fine to keep on driving.
The wind and the rain continued all the way into Bendigo and through to Maldon and it was near on dusk as we drove into the near deserted Maldon Caravan Park.
Maldon, VIC
Maldon is an historic town about 40kms west of Bendigo, in the heart of the Victorian Goldfields.
Deb's parents, Jenny and Colin have lived in Maldon for decades and Deb went to the Maldon Primary School (pic below) which is adjacent to the caravan park. The caravan park was about a kilometre from their house so we took the opportunity to walk there and see the local landmarks on the way.
Here is the church where Deb got married ...
This is the main street of Maldon where the buildings are heritage listed, even the water trough for the horses remains ...
We spent a few days with Jen and Col, they are really great people and we thoroughly enjoy spending time with them whenever we can.
I got to meet Deb's Aunty (Rowy) and Uncle (Alan) who we bought the tow ball and stabilsers from and as they had toured the country for some 12 years with a caravan, they had plenty of stories and good advice for us.
After a few relaxing days in Maldon, it was time to head towards Bordertown. The drive towards Bordertown started well and once again, however we soon experienced very strong head and cross winds which were particularly bad due to the open plains around us. We decided to keep off the highway for as long as possible so we kept to the back roads and by passed Horsham along a few very quiet and narrow roads and then it became necessary to be on the busier highway and the winds continued to buffer us head on.
It was a real challenge to get up to and maintain 80km/hr in some parts on the highway, at least I was not the only van on the road. I can see why the truckies get frustrated at us "aluminium speed humps" (thanks Ron!) as they are able to power through such conditions. It can be very concerning when you see how much the wind blows these big rigs around on the road, they sway around so easily and it is a credit to them to be able to keep their rigs under control.
When we arrived in Bordertown, we noticed that one of the hatches off the roof had been blown clean off ... now the van has a partial sky light!
Bordertown, SA
It was great to get the van to Bordertown as we were keen to start working on making this our van.
The next day, we realised that the van was simply not going to fit under their carport for us to get it into their backyard. We decided to park the van on the footpath out the front of Jasmine's house and we used our extension cords from the house, through the new sky light in the roof and into the van for power. I taped up the sky light to make it water and wind proof as now it was raining in Bordertown too.
Over the next few days we did a few repairs to the van and Brad cut some tin and we sealed the sky light very well. It would now just have to wait until I can either find an old spare part or to replace the entire hatch at a later time.
One of the great things about doing new things is the things you learn along the way. For instance, the internal height of the van is approximately 194cms as I am approximately 193cms, so there is only just enough head room for me. In the centre of the van is an arch way that divides the bedroom area from the front. Every day, and many times every day I manage to bang my head into the arch. I have even included banging my head into the over head cupboards in the van, into the top of the door way and each and every time, Deb laughs and shakes her head in amusement. All I need to do is remind her of when we were in Windang and she caught her little toe on the bed support in the van and dislocated it ... I reckon she broke it (see pic below)
Luckily for Deb, she is a nurse!
Before we left Bordertown, we wanted to go down to the coast and see Kingston and fish from the jetty. Unfortunately, the weather was not great for most of the time in Bordertown and it was cold and wet the day we all drove down to Kingston.
Kingston SE, SA
Driving into Kingston, Brad guided us to the "Big Lobster" which used to front a restaurant which is now undergoing renovations but we were able to take this pic and add the "Big Lobster" to our "Big" Australian icons list ...
We did manage to get out onto the Kingston jetty and cast a line or two, but it was cold and windy so we went and bought fish and chips and ate them along the beach in a shelter. It was a good to spend time with Cruze, Jas and Brad.
During our time in Bordertown, Deb's Nursing Agency found her some work in Ceduna as there was not much on offer locally nor in Port Augusta at the time so we decided to make the trip over to Ceduna as we had both not been there before and now seemed like a good a time as any.
We allowed ourselves plenty of time to make the trip to ensure that we made the most of the journey and so we packed up the van and I took it up the road to the Bordertown Caravan Park so we would be able to get away early the next morning.
Blade ... our newest team member
Blade is Deb's 3 year old Staffordshire Jack Russell cross and has been living with Jas and Brad as we could not have a dog in the unit at Oaklands Park. We both wanted Blade to join us on our Big Adventure so it was time for him to join our team and here he is ...
Bordertown, SA to Ceduna, SA
We headed off to Ceduna via the Riverland as this would be a different route to the well travelled highway into and out of Adelaide.
It was about an hour into the drive when it occurred to me that I may have left the hand brake on the van engaged ... did I mention a steep learning curve?
Well I had, it was still engaged and even though the van felt a bit heavy initially ... it was still moving along OK, so we pulled over and disengaged it and continued our journey to Loxton.
Loxton, SA
The caravan park at Loxton is massive, set on the flood plains of the Murray River and it is a nice place to stay a day or two. We went fishing on the Murray and Deb managed to catch the only carp (again) and I caught absolutely nothing, although my line is staying in the water more these days!
There were not many other vans in the park and as we had a dog, we had to park in the 'dog friendly' area which just happened to be the area closest to the river.
When I unhitched the van from the truck, much to my immediate shock, the van rolled back a few inches and snapped the wheel from off the jockey wheel! I felt tension in the hand brake line when I engaged it so I thought it must be working ... did I mention a steep learning curve? So the next day we bought a new jockey wheel and successfully replaced the broken one by using the jack from the truck to lift the van!
Here is our tranquil site on the banks of the Murray River ...
The pic above is from the back of the van with the banks of the Murray about in the middle f the pic.
As it had been some weeks since I had had a hair cut, I decided to cut my own hair with the clippers I had brought along. I used the extension mirrors off the truck to see what I was doing and Deb could not stop laughing as I started to hack into my hair. Eventually, I got it reasonably uniformed and Deb helped me trim the edges, she reckons before I hurt myself!
Later that day, we noticed the two Italian fruit pickers who were living out of an old courier van opposite us giving themselves a trim with their clippers ... they must have thought this is what Aussies do in their spare time?
Not far from us was the "Tree of Knowledge" so Blade and I took a walk over to see the various flood markers on the tree and here is Blade under the tree. The 1956 flood was the worst on record and it would have flooded a huge area including the entire caravan park and it's surrounds. Even the 2011 flood (marker is just above the wooden rail next to Blade) would have engulfed the majority of the park except the cabins that are up on higher ground.
Adjacent to the Tree of Knowledge is the "Big Pelican" ... well it is not actually that big but it has been included in some lists we have read, it is more an oversized pelican. According to the story board next to the pelican, it was originally built for the Loxton annual parade and then retired to the foreshore after a few years. There is a story of some locals who removed the pelican from its mounts, tied a few truck tyre inner tubes underneath and set it free down the Murray one night after a few too many ales and were subsequently arrested when they told everyone in town of their prank!
Anyway, we have added the "Big Pelican" to our "Big" Australian icons list.
Walking along the banks of the Murray at dusk and it was just magical.
Renmark, SA
Before we left the Riverland, we diverted East to Renmark to see the "Big Orange" as it had been many years since I had seen this Riverland icon. Deb had seen it more recently than me as she had worked in Renmark prior to coming to Adelaide. We were shocked to learn that the site is closed and in disrepair, however we managed to get a pic to add to our "Big" Australian icons list.
The "Big Orange" at Renmark ...
Morgan, SA
We took the Goyder Highway from Loxton, around the northern side of Lake Bonney at Barmera and headed towards Morgan.
The day was warm without much wind and we made good time without too much traffic on the road. We did notice the number of caravans going the other way (East) and we we wondering what perhaps they knew that we didn't!
I don't recall ever being to Morgan and it was hot and dry when we stopped at the lookout for lunch overlooking the Murray River and watching the ferry below cross the river with quite a few impressive house boats further down stream.
Port Germein, SA
Our destination was going to be Port Augusta however as we crossed the Flinders Ranges and reached the National Highway at Crystal Brook, we decided to stay at the Port Germein Caravan Park. We are so glad we did because it is a beautiful small park in a very small town in between Port Pirie and Port Augusta. The jetty at Port Germein was the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere at one time, over 1,500 feet long and when we walked to the end, the tide was out and we managed to walk on the sand with Blade.
Kimba, SA
Once again, the weather started fine although cool and a bit windy up to Port Augusta and by the time we got over to Iron Knob, we were fighting another very strong head wind. By the time we approached Kimba, it had started to rain heavily and the winds were gusty making driving along this route quite challenging.
On the Eyre Highway from Port Augusta across to Venus Bay is the town of Kimba which boasts "Halfway Across Australia" and we stopped here for lunch. It was raining again so we had lunch in the van and ensured we took a pic of the "Big Galah" at Kimba before heading to Venus Bay.
We reached Kyancutter (which I thought would be bigger than just a small road house) and then took the turn off just past Wudinna (Wood-na) to Venus Bay instead of continuing along the Eyre Highway to Ceduna. It rained all the way to Venus Bay and we were very happy to finally see the West Coast.
Venus Bay, SA
By the time we reached Venus Bay we were exhausted and we were rewarded with one of the best sites in the caravan park, right on the beachfront.
This is a pic from inside the van looking out at Venus Bay.
Venus Bay has become one of our favourite places, it is a small township with only a well stocked general store and the caravan park being the only two businesses. It is home to a couple of ocean prawn trawlers that dock at the jetty and apparently the town becomes very busy during the summer months, and we can see why. Venus Bay is sheltered from the ocean and the fishing is good (great in summer they reckon) and we spent a few lazy days here fishing for squid and tommy ruffs (herrings) and generally, taking it very easy.
We went for a walk along the head land that protects Venus Bay from the ocean as sometimes you can see whales, dolphins and seals in the area. Some of the edges were higher than I liked it and most showed signs of erosion as landfalls into the water were seen.
We did spot a pod of dolphins and watched them for ages and then around on the sea side, Deb spotted a seal in a cove. Unfortunately, there were no whales we could see.
Deb managed to catch a few squid (and they were massive) and we asked another vanner in the park who was cleaning his catch to show us how to clean the squid ... and he did! So, we learnt how to gut and clean a squid and we ate a lot of calamari for lunch and dinner whilst we were at Venus Bay.
The squid were that big, Deb made the rings into a bracelet! ...
I actually managed to catch a Tommy Ruff over the other side of Venus Bay at a place called Port Kenny. Apparently, the size of this tommy is on the larger side as the ones caught over at Venus Bay were quite small. Here is a pic of the unluckiest fish to ever swim the seas ...
Before we left Venus Bay, we took the hour drive south to Elliston to stock up on things including fuel before heading to Ceduna, but unfortunately, the supermarket and most of the shops (except for the pub!) were closed by the time we got there. Elliston, like many towns along this coast are very picturesque as they have sheltered bays and we took the scenic drive to see the rugged coastline before heading back to Venus Bay.
This was the view we had every day when we opened the van door ...
Sunset at Venus Bay from our door step ...
Unfortunately, the time had come for us to pack up and leave Venus Bay, but we were keen to see Ceduna.
And so the sun set on a very busy, action packed and epic August 2013 for us.
We travelled from Shellharbour to Sydney and back to Shellharbour, to Kiama, and back to Bordertown via Gundagai and Maldon. We went down to Kingston and then headed up to Loxton and over Port Germein and then onto Venus Bay on our way to Ceduna.
In August, we travelled ... 4,291 kilometres
Cheapest fuel was in Chatswood, NSW where it was $1.419 / litre
Dearest fuel was in Elliston, Eyre Peninsula SA where it was $1.620 / litre
We added the following "Big" icons to our list ...
- the Big Merino at Goulburn NSW
- the Big Ned Kelly at Glenrowan VIC
- the Big Lobster at Kingston SA
- the Big Pelican at Loxton SA
- the Big Orange at Renmark SA
- the Big Galah at Kimba SA
So far, we have travelled 7,455 kilometres, the equivalent of Adelaide to Darwin and back to Adelaide, then back to Alice Springs.
(Adelaide to Darwin is 3,029 kilometres).
