Hi Everyone
As some of you know by now our last week in Tassie was actually spent in Brissy. We left the car and van at Launceston Airport and flew home for my mum’s funeral. Well we arrived back in Launceston (April 26th) and found our travelling home exactly where we left it and spent our last night in Longford Caravan Park. We had a very yummy dinner at the Dynasty Chinese restaurant and we were hoping to make the drive up to Jacob’s ladder in the Ben Lomand NP on our last day but the weather wasn’t very kind to us so we drove to Cataract Gorge
and walked around the park, over the gorge, in the museum and of course had to stop at the café for Steve’s coffee. It was a very beautiful time in Tassie as the trees are changing colour for autumn.
We had little trouble filling in the day before we set sail back to Melbourne, 7.30pm on 27th April but we did have a bit of a wait to load on the ‘Spirit’ as someone was trying to kidnap a child out of the state and they were lined up in the car queues to get on the boat, so that held us up for a little while. We had a rough sail back but we had some sleep and we were back in Geelong for brekky.
In Geelong we took the tvan to Melbourne for a service and it was a way for 5 days getting a new zip on the canvas and we caught up with our friends, Bruce and Norma, in Ringwood. We cleaned the car inside and out, ordered new tyres for the car, got the car suspension checked and some nuts and bolts tightened and Steve’s was back online buying tyre pressure gadgets and Steve made a new addition to the tvan drawbar.
We had three nights in a resort at Torquay and spent a 7 hour day driving around the Otways (including 4WDing of course).
From there we had a couple of days at the Mornington Peninsula at Bruce and Norma’s holiday home, late nights, good food and great company.
Went to Point Nepean where we saw the old Quarantine Station and Fort Nepean where the gun tunnels and bunkers are.
We had three nights in a resort at Torquay and spent a 7 hour day driving around the Otways (including 4WDing of course).
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| Bells Beach |
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| In The Otways...a stand of Californian Redwoods...my fav trees! |
From there we had a couple of days at the Mornington Peninsula at Bruce and Norma’s holiday home, late nights, good food and great company.
After a couple of weeks we had the car and tvan all in order with new tyres and we were on our way again.
We were heading to Halls Gap but using our new app of wiki camps we found a place called Chinamans Hut Camping Ground at Mt Cole. We had a shelter shed with tables and seats and an indoor fireplace, perfect for us for preparing and cooking meals and keeping out of the rain…yes, rain; the day we left Geelong it started to rain but at Chinamans we were dry and warm with a cosy fire.
Now as everyone knows not everything goes to plan; our 2nd day at Chinamans we found we didn’t have our gas hose for our cooking stove and couldn’t find it anywhere; our second night other ppl turn up at the camp site but unfortuneately for us they turned up at 11.45pm and were up till about 2am setting up and waiting for their friends to arrive so another late night! Next stop, Ararat to try and buy a new hose but as we already know we can never find the right clip on fitting, so after a couple of phone calls we found we had left the hose behind in Geelong…bugger. So a drive back to Barbara’s place and another stay overnight, gas hose connected and we were off again. This time to see Steve’s brother Mark and his partner Kat in Wonwondah East (north west of the Grampians).
A beautiful drive through the Grampians NP and spent a couple of nights here. Once again good food and great company and they were pleased to have us because we also took the rain to Wonwondah East!
We drove back to the Grampians and checked out the camping grounds, McKenzies Falls, Boroka Lookout, Lake Wartook and Reids Lookout with The Balconies. Beautiful views!!!
Then off we drove across through the wheat farm areas over the SA border and on our way to Naracoorte and here we are camping for two nights in the showgrounds. We have sussed out the town, the Naracoorte Caves and Bool Lagoon (tomorrow's tourist ventures) and then onto Mt Gambier on Thursday 22nd May.
Cheers
A beautiful drive through the Grampians NP and spent a couple of nights here. Once again good food and great company and they were pleased to have us because we also took the rain to Wonwondah East!
We drove back to the Grampians and checked out the camping grounds, McKenzies Falls, Boroka Lookout, Lake Wartook and Reids Lookout with The Balconies. Beautiful views!!!
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| McKenzie Falls |
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| Reids Lookout |
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| Walking out to The Balconies |
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| At the Balconies Lookout |
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| Halls Gap from Boroka Lookout |
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| The Balconies |
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| Wildlife at Reids Lookout ...What are these birds called? |
Then off we drove across through the wheat farm areas over the SA border and on our way to Naracoorte and here we are camping for two nights in the showgrounds. We have sussed out the town, the Naracoorte Caves and Bool Lagoon (tomorrow's tourist ventures) and then onto Mt Gambier on Thursday 22nd May.
Cheers
