Lake Keepit to Napperby

This update is a long one with so many places that we stayed or saw along the way. We spent the school holidays at Lake Keepit. It’s been six years since we were last here & not much has changed. It’s still a favourite place for families to come for a day out, bush camp along the dam, or take advantage of powered sites or non-powered sites, but close to all amenities & barbeques. The magpies are nesting here & you’ll quite often see young children with electrical ties tied on their bike helmets for protection; quite a sight.

We were surprised during the long week-end this year; the park didn’t fill up as much as it did last time we were here. Perhaps it was the high cost which we noticed. The weather didn’t disappoint us as it did rain over the week-end. As all over NSW, some of the lakes have been as low as 7%, but with the high rain falls, they had risen as high as 103% full.

For a few days after our arrival, our campsite looked like a Chinese laundry as it had been a while since I had last done the washing. This is a regular sight after we have set up in our new sites especially if it’s been a while in between caravan parks. During our stay it was essential for us to travel into Gunnedah to do our fortnightly shopping. We were so fortunate this day; we went for a walk along the main street in town perusing some of the shops & upon arrival back at our car we noticed that we had left one of the canopy doors wide open (we felt like a couple of nit-wits). Nothing had been taken which we were very relieved to see. One of our favourite past-times was to walk to various places at the lake. To overlook the lake on top of the hill was so relaxing & spectacular whilst watching the sunset. While at the lake we managed to catch up with some good friends who also chose to stay here for several days before moving on. Good to catch up with you Bill & Joy.

On one of the few sunny days, we chose to visit Tamworth. This time I was able to enjoy the visit on both feet (last time we visited Tamworth it was because I had fallen out of the caravan & broke my foot, so all day was spent in the hospital). One of the highlights was a visit to The Golden Guitar Information Centre & Wax Museum where we found a plaque which mentioned the music group that Col’s grandson plays in – they won the ‘Fender Instrumental of the Year’ award at the 38th Country Music Awards for Australia -2010.

Our next town to visit was Mudgee which is a town in eastern NSW, well known for its fine wine; a bit like our Barossa Valley & McLaren Flat areas. As we are partial to a drop of Meadery every now & then, it was a must stop for us. And as usual, I can’t go past the cheese factory for some sheep cheese or local honey... ‘Mmm’. Close by Mudgee are several coal mining areas in operation. Looking at the mess it makes, I couldn’t help but feel that we are regressing instead of progressing with our thinking of fuels. That’s another story!! Walking through the main street of town I couldn’t go past a shop which sold ‘Golliwogs’. I’d been searching for these for a long time & at last a couple to sit on my bed next to Ted. One of the highlights when visiting is the town’s local Farmer’s Markets which are held; lots of local produce to replenish the fridge.

On one of the few sunny days we took a round trip which included Rylstone; a historic town on the banks of the Cudgegong River and is one of the oldest towns west of the Blue Mountains. It features a number of outstanding examples of colonial architecture which gives it a very distinctive character. Kandos, which is not far from Rylstone is quite notable for its cement factory. It’s a small industrial town located in the Capertee Valley. The cement works was developed in the 1913’s when it took advantage of the local supplies of limestone which is conveyed from the quarries about 5km away via an enormous aerial ropeway. It was quite fascinating to watch this in progress. The company today, produces 450,000 tonnes of cement a year. Dunn’s Swamp was a lovely place in the Wollemi NP. The lake was quite full & teaming with wildlife. After lunch a walk along the edge took us to the lake weir; the walk was relatively easy but at times having to use railing to climb cliff faces or walk along the side of rock faces, at times a bit of a challenge. We had a very enjoyable day.
A couple of days prior to leaving Mudgee we received our long awaited phone call from the manufacturer who is going to build our 5th wheeler to say that they will be ready for us in a couple of weeks, hooray! We’ve been waiting a long time & at times seemed like eternity.

Sofala is the oldest surviving gold town in Australia. It’s located in the Turon River Valley. The town itself is very small town which you could easily miss if you didn’t know it was there. Approximately 6kms out of Sofala was a lovely camp area where we spent four enjoyable quiet nights. It was pleasant to wake in the morning to the sound of birds. There was plenty of room for all, along the Turon River which was pristine & flowing. Once again we had plenty of rain which didn’t help with our solar panel which we use to keep our car fridge going.

After the four days at Sofala it was time to move on to Melbourne to finalise our plans for our new 5th wheeler which we have been waiting for since April this year. Our next few days stay was at Carcoar Dam which is a favourite with travellers. Carcoar Dam is situated between Blayney (known for the Blayney Windfarm which we can see from our campsite) & Carcoar. The campsite fills very quickly so it pays to arrive early to get the best spot. The dam had a bit more water in it this time. When we visited here in 2004, the dam was quite low. No doubt the dam will be full of water activities such as skiing, sailing, wind surfing, swimming & of course fishing this summer owing to the rains that we’ve had this year.

After a couple of not so relaxing days at Carcoar Dam we decided to move on back to Werribee South as our appointment was on the 8th November. Boorowa was our first stop for morning tea; a good opportunity for Colin to sample a meat pie from the local bakery. I’d say by now he has quite a palate for meat pies. Boorowa is well known for the Irish Woolfest, known as “The Running of the Sheep” which is held each year during the October long week-end. Harden was our next stop for a stretch; this town looked & felt sad & not so inviting unlike Boorowa.

Jugiong was our final stop for the day. Jugiong is a very small historic town on the Hume Highway. The town comprises of nothing more than a pub, church, cafe/bottle shop/fruit & veg. The town is situated along the Murrumbidgee River which runs behind the showground where we set up camp for the night.

I’m not normally an early riser but, three days in a row for early sunrise photos was a bit much; an all time record. Because we had to kill a few days before we could get into Werribee Caravan Park were only going as far as Nagambie. However upon arrival we were turned away as the park was full & we hadn’t booked so on we plod. Since leaving Jugiong, the highway was a dual concrete roadway, what a pleasure to travel on since all the other roads we’d been travelling had been quite rough & undulating.

On our way to Gundagai we just had to stop in to see the Dog on the Tuckerbox monument. The highway now by-passes this historical site. Whilst in Gundagai we took a walk through the main street which at one end led to the famous Prince Alfred Bridge & Railway Bridge over the Murrumbidgee River. Though the bridge is looking a bit dilapidated, it still displays its once youthful beauty of a gone-by era. The Prince Alfred Bridge is the longest timber bridge in Australia measuring almost 1 km, while the Railway Bridge is another bridge noted for its length also being nearly 1km.
A visit to the information centre proved to be very informative. On display was a piece of work called “Rusconi’s Marble Masterpiece. Rusconi, a local monumental mason carved the miniature marble piece from 20,948 pieces of marble collected from around New South Wales. The masterpiece is absolutely exquisite & can only be appreciated when personally viewed. A must see!

We couldn’t quite make it all the way to Nagambie so our final stop was to be at Chiltern Rest Area located on the Hume Highway. Unfortunately, it was also a truck stop so all night we could hear not only the trucks pulling in for a rest, but also the constant drone of traffic travelling along the highway which we were not used to. Time to go back we’d say. We’ve decided not to book into that hotel again, ha, ha! Glenrowan for breakfast, this is certainly a treat; scones with jam & cream, ‘Mmmm’ & a hot chocolate drink. Even I was able to get some gluten free scones. Glenrowan is known as Ned Kelly country with a tall statue of Ned Kelly watching over the town. Though the town is famous for its famous siege, the townsfolk are quite proud of their town.

Nagambie our next port of call for a couple of days, is situated about 40 mins from Shepparton along the Goulburn Valley Hwy, but unfortunately as the saying goes “All full at the Inn” so we continued on to Heathcote, pronounced as ‘eathcot’. A very busy little town nestled at the foot of the McIvor & McHarg Ranges. Heathcote was once a thriving goldfield town. Though the goldrush days have long gone, the town now relishes in its wineries & produce.

Trentham was a quaint little town situated at the very top of the Great Dividing Range. We found the folk her to be very friendly & informative. It is the home of the Trentham Falls which is the longest single drop waterfall in Victoria, descending some 32 metres over basalt columns. Though it was a bit cool outside, the walk to & from the falls was quite refreshing. A few hours later & we had arrived at our final destination, Werribee. It was good to catch up with some friends whom we had met earlier on the in year. It was good to catch up with you Dave & Liz.

I’m going to take this opportunity to wish all our families & friends a very Merry Christmas & a Happy & Safe New Year. Happy travelling to our friends we have met along the way.

Click on the link below to view some photos.

http://picasaweb.google.com/108879761974384702036/LakeKeepitToNapperby?feat=directlink

Lake Burrendong to Warrumbungle NP

Two weeks at Lake Burrendong have come & gone. In those two weeks at the lake it has rained for most of that time with only the week-ends being dry & sunny. Despite the much needed rain, it has been a good time to just relax & get away from the hustle & bustle of the big towns. A great place to take regular walks, while at the same time watch the water level of the lake rise. We have been keeping an eye on several landmarks in the lake & slowly they have been disappearing, for example when we arrived at the lake, on August 31 the level was 61% & today Sept 12 the level is now 81% full. Unfortunately for us, the rise in water meant that there was more of it between the fish. We didn’t catch any, but then again, the boaties didn’t do much better.
The locals enjoy coming here on the week-ends to ski, fish, have BBQ lunches & generally drive around the park to see how much the lake has risen after 12 years of dry conditions.

Gulgong was an interesting little town. I’m not sure if SA has heard on the news this year about a small country hospital which was to be closing as a result of asbestos. Well, it’s this hospital. The hospital was given 2 weeks in which to close its doors to the community which will mean that they will have to travel to either Wellington or Dubbo for treatment. The town developed a website “Save Gulgong Hospital” so that the community can keep abreast of what’s happening. The hospital will continue to open its doors for general consultations but any hospitalisations will have to be in other neighbouring towns.
Gulgong (click on Tourist Attractions on the top menu bar for each of the links below) is also known as The Ten Dollar Town. It was given this name as the motel was on the first $10 note (original paper note). Gulgong was once an old gold mining town (click on Gulgong History on the top menu bar) where Henry Lawson lived. We called into the Henry Lawson Centre which was very interesting outlining his life & displaying each of his books which he wrote. His mother played a significant part in Henry’s life with his writing & she too was a writer that was involved with the emancipation of women. A walk through town was interesting with a ‘Swaggies / Symbol Trail’ visible on the footpath. Symbols on tiles along the main street illustrated how swaggies used to communicate to one another; gutters were deep to manage the sudden downpours of summer rain that falls in this region of NSW. After meandering through town, a bite of lunch then head off to Dunedoo.

Dunedoo claims to be the southern gateway to Warrumbungle National Park. Dunedoo is derived from the local Wiradjuri Aboriginal name for swans which explains why there is a large black swan on the top of one of the buildings. In the Lions Park down the main street we came across a large board with what looked like a ball on it. At closer inspection it was a model of Neptune which upon reading further was a part of ‘The World’s Largest Virtual Solar System Drive’. Starting at one of the regional towns of Tamworth, Dubbo, Gulgong, Moree & Merriwa driving along different routes towards Siding Spring Observatory at Coonabarabran there are different planets starting with Pluto right through to the Observatory which represents the sun & central point of the solar system model. Each 3D model is scaled in size relative to the huge observatory done & the locations of the billboards are also scaled in distance.

Coolah was to be our next stop for a couple of days. We quite enjoyed our stay once we got onto our site at the local caravan park. This proved to be quite interesting. Owing to the high amount of rain which has fallen recently, the grassed area next to all of the van sites were very wet & slushy. As a consequence, when Colin drove the caravan onto the concrete pad both the van & car got bogged, what a sight... So yours truly had to get out & lock the 4WD hubs so he could pull the van out & onto the pad. He sunk down at least 4 inches; what a mess! Behind us was a small stream, flowing strongly after the showers of rain. By the evening it had turned into a raging river; it had risen at least 1 metre. The camper next to us was quite concerned, questioned the park manager who told her that 10 years ago, the river had risen up to the amenities . She was not amused by this news & was quite nervous about staying there. By 10pm, there was a slight drop in the water level and we were able to sleep soundly. By morning, the river had subsided quite significantly.

A lovely tranquil place hidden in the nearby Warrumbungle Range was Coolah Tops NP. The Norfolk Falls was in great display with a rainbow forming above the water as the sun shone. The view from the Bundella Lookout which overlooks the Liverpool Plains was just stunning. But to get there we had to walk through almost an inch deep of water. Everywhere was wet, wet, wet. Our final point of interest was Bracken’s Hut. The hut was built in 1937 for the purpose of housing Tuwinga herdsmen William Bracken & his family. The home has been lovingly restored back to its original condition including the outside long-drop & is available for hiring. The evidence of how much rain has fallen in the park was a bogged tractor which we had passed on our way into the park.

Binnaway is a lovely tranquil & very friendly town which runs close to the Castlereagh River. The classic Australian film Shiralee was filmed around Binnaway. We stayed at the town’s newly developed Camping Rest Area for the night. During the 24hours we were camped, we had 3 members of the Progress Association visit us on 3 different occasions; just to make sure we were ok. They really made us feel welcome. Binnaway used to be a bustling railway centre where it serviced over 20 steam engines a week. It was an important transport link ferrying timber & grain from rural NSW to coastal markets. It is also on the main line where iron-ore from Broken Hill mines is transported to Newcastle.

With only about 40kms to go for our next destination, Warrumbungle NP, we weren’t in a hurry to head off the next day. As some of our readers are aware, the Warrumbungle NP is just outside Coonabarabran where the mountain top views are just spectacular & is a hikers/walker’s paradise. The park management has recently completed a new section of the original camping area which is now completely sealed with a few drive-through sites. We chose one of these because by this time we had had enough of being wet under our feet. It has been wonderful to go to sleep at night without hearing trucks using their engine brakes as they’re passing through and instead, to wake up with the birds singing. The kangaroos come up quite close to the campers.

Coonabarabran and the Warrumbungle is the Astronomy Capital of Australia. It is the home to Australia’s largest optical astronomy research centre. A visit to the Siding Spring Observatory was in order although we had visited the observatory some time ago, we got to join a tour of the complex. Some of the telescopes are privately owned; others are accessed off-site by Internet technology from as far away as Peru, Japan and the US. Astronomers even from China have access to the telescopes. The astronomer Robert H McNaught, who named the McNaught Comet in 2006, works from here searching for new comets and other Earth-bound rocks from space. The day at Siding Springs was very enjoyable.
While at Warrumbungle NP, we have taken the opportunity to do several of the easier walks. We leave the hard ones for the more experienced hikers like our neighbour ... Ron. Well done!

Our next update will come from Lake Keepit where we are going to bunk down for the next two weeks for the coming school holidays.

Click on the link below to view some photos.

http://picasaweb.google.com/108879761974384702036/LakeBurrendongToWarrumbungleNP?feat=directlink

Condobolin to Lake Burrendong

We left Condobolin to head east-wards to Parkes, again, off of the main highways and to look at the less known attractions. We had read about a unique collection of Holden Utes, (pick-up trucks for UK readers). Down a side road off of the bitumen at Ootha, it appears that a cattle station (Burrawang West Station) family saw a need for attracting tourists off of the beaten track. Different to other attractions, this was free. In a paddock alongside the road, was a display of 16 Holden Utilities, positioned in a variety of poses, paint and accessories “Utes in the Paddock” http://www.utesinthepaddock.com.au.

Well known artists, including Peter Browne from Broken Hill, decorated the utilities in various themes to present a tribute to life in the outback, Dame Edna on the dunny, native fauna and even a bottle of Bundaberg Rum, (essential for most Ute owners at the end of a hard day in the paddock).
I could see from the roadside that they attracted many visitors to this unique piece of Australiana. They should put up a donation box if only to collect for the RFDS.

At Parkes, we headed for the Spicer Caravan Park, having been there when we last visited, it is off of the main Newell Highway and quieter. The Newell Highway is the main route between Victoria and Brisbane, Queensland. It is very busy with all manner of truck-trailer combinations. It is also the major route for southerners going to and from the Queensland winter resorts and nowadays, it is a toss-up as to whether there are more caravans than trucks. Of course, the truckies are being paid to get from a-b and do it flat out at their speed limited best and they don’t like being held up by caravanners. We have heard the chatter on the CB between trucks about their dislike of the “aluminium road blocks” along the way. We will do our best to keep off of the Newell. Not enough passing lanes, few rest areas and just too busy.

From Parkes, we again visited the CSIRO Radio Telescope, made famous by the movie “The Dish”. This was our second visit and just as interesting as the first; they have updated the video shows, and have a diary on display that lists what the “Dish” is doing at any given time. On this visit, it moved around a fair bit, searching for more electrical signals from space. Seeing a 64 metre span of over 1000 tonnes of steel being moved to within minutes of a degree azimuth and inclination is quite impressive. The display in the centre tells the real story of the televised event of the moon landing in 1969.

We used Parkes as a top-up time, shopping, washing and housework. Filled the tanks and charged the batteries ready for more of our discovery tour.

Molong-Yeoval and the “Animals on Bikes”

We left Parkes to head off to Molong (place of many rocks) for lunch, a walk around this Central NSW town and a bit of history of Cobb and Co stage-coach routes. Many of the buildings in Molong are just about as they were built in the 1800s and a history walk around the town tells their story. Near there is “The Wire Paddock”, the first place where barbed wire was used West of the Blue Mountains, 1860, and probably marked the beginning of the settings of boundaries of the massive sheep stations that helped grow Australia.

Just up the road is the turn-off to the Obley Road to Cumnock, Yeoval and eventually to Dubbo. Along the first half of the highway is another of those unique attractions. The Obley Road and the little towns along its way host an annual cycle event: “Mulga Bills Bicycle Ride” This event commemorates the Australian poet, “Banjo” Paterson who wrote an ode of Mulga Bill buying a bicycle to replace his horse. “Banjo” Paterson spent his childhood in Yeoval and apparently many of his writings were inspired by the characters he met along the way.

As an adjunct to the Bicycle Ride, the locals have erected a number of animal characters “on bikes” made from old farm machinery and a great amount of imagination. It is written that the locals were inspired by the “Tin Horse Highway” in WA; the characters are positioned in the paddocks along the road. As we drove along, van in tow, “....there’s one”, shouts Vicki, and with a bit of luck, there was room to pull up and take the photos.

Having made so many photo-stops, by mid afternoon we decided to camp at Yeoval Showgrounds. A lovely quiet spot alongside the river, power supplied for a measly $5 per night. There was only one other camper, so we had plenty of choice of spots. A walk around the town and along the river, we found out a bit more about Banjo Patterson’s early childhood and his home in Buckinbah. Another surprise was the sculpture of Henry Moore, another of the “Big-Things” that can be found around Australia. http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/07/26/2964123.htm Bought to Yeoval as a “traffic stopper, it works!

Burrendong State Park

Our next camp off the beaten track was to a New South Wales State Park, Lake Burrendong. The lake is a critical water supply and is formed by the damming of the Macquarie River. When full, the lake is bigger than Sydney Harbour. However, for the last few years, like many others, was almost dry. Just a couple of months before our visit, the lake had been down to 6%. When we arrived the level had risen to over 60% and rising. I am sure that I could see the difference with trees on the shore. As I write this, (Saturday 4th September) wild weather and lot’s more rain is forecast, flood warnings and wind squalls are coming. We had a steady rain overnight but the strong winds are just arriving, we have battened down and are hoping that we stay the right way up. The rain will surely add to the level of the reservoir, it has been known to rise above the spill-way. Work is underway to increase the reservoir capacity, several years of drought, climate change and population growth, the need is there.
The increase in water level is supposed to have bought back the fish, photos in the kiosk of recent catches look good but we haven’t seen any. With the rise in water levels, there is more space between them.

In the Park is the Burrendong Botanic Garden and Arboretum. The Arboretum was established in 1964 and is a grand display of the variety of flora from all around Australia, particularly from the more arid zones. Some of the walks are over a kilometre in length and best driven to in turn. The under-story fernery walk (Fern Gully), is a lovely experience. Under a man-made canopy, with a stream flowing through, birds and frogs among the plants, one could easily think that they were in a real tropical environment. The park has over 164 Hectares to explore, over 180 species of birds and fauna. We disturbed dozens of Kangaroos as we drove and walked around the park. http://www.burrendongarboretum.org/

Wellington is the local township 20 odd km north of the Park, and has its own history in palaeontology; near the town are a series of old caves, around 1830, the caves were discovered to contain the bones of thousands of years of animals. One of the caves had several thousand years of guano from giant bats, extinct for 10,000 years. The guano, as phosphate was mined and the mining uncovered millions of years of bones, extinct mammoth Diprotodon, a giant wombat’s ancestor. The caves are well worth a visit.

We had a fair bit of rain over the weekend and there was a flood warning for Wellington on the Sunday night. There are two rivers that join up alongside the town; the Bell River joins the Macquarie River, the town sits in between the two. As the Bell River catchment area around Orange has had a lot of rain, the river was running a banker. Tree branches, logs and all manner of debris were being washed downstream at a great rate of knots. Where the junction was, a few people were watching (and fishing!) with interest as the floodwater was rising. Another few feet would see it over the bank and into the town. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the river peaked at 3.1m around 2200hrs. Had the Macquarie been in flood too, it surely would have been disastrous for the town and surrounding areas. However, the Macquarie is held back by the Burrendong Dam, and the lake, after this rain, has risen to around 70%, we can see a difference from when we arrived on Tuesday. If the dam does fill and spill downstream, it is to be hoped that the Bell River has subsided and leaves room for the flow. The Macquarie River is one of the wonders of Australia; it doesn’t run into the sea but peters out inland in an area called The Macquarie Marshes.


So if we weather the storms tonight, we will be looking for our next camp in a similar State Park a bit further north, along the way we will be going “Beyond the black stump”. More about this next post.
Click on the link below to view more photos.

http://picasaweb.google.com/108879761974384702036/CondobolinToLakeBurrendong?feat=directlink

White Cliffs, Cobar to Condobolin

The next few weeks of our travels are to be in the area of New South Wales that they call “The Heart of NSW”; we leave the NSW outback to pass through greener pastures of pastoral farming, canola, wheat and barley, part of the NSW food bowl, east of the Great Dividing Range.

The four lovely days we spent in White Cliffs soon came to an end. We found the area to be a good place for some R & R time. This time of the year seemed to be just the perfect time to visit. Noodling for Opal hadn’t made us rich but meeting a distant relative and her family made up for this.

On our way south, I remembered a lonely gravesite which I had seen whilst going into White Cliffs. We stopped I guess, to pay our respects to the deceased. There were no details on the headstone only the name. We think that of a drover in the pioneering years. One can only imagine the harshness of the surrounding landscape that the deceased endured. It makes us appreciate how far we have come as a nation & to really think of what could happen if we are not prepared for any changes in the environment.

By early afternoon we decided to stop for the night. Our camp was at a rest area approx 120km out of Cobar. We were amazed at how much the landscape had changed since we travelled along the Kidman Way in 2006, when it was very dry & the farmers were droving their sheep & cattle along the roadside for feed. Some farmers were even moving their stock about 50km over the hills for greener pastures. Now, wild goats roamed the country-side and we saw many along the way, fat and well fed, the number of young kids testament to good times, (for the goats that is!). The wild goat is captured and sent for live meat export to the Middle-East. They breed quicker than they can be rounded up though.

Cobar is an interesting town with a population of approx 5,500. It has been a busy gold & copper mining town in the past. Gold is still being mined & it was interesting to view the current open cut gold mine. Not as big as the one in Kalgoorlie, nevertheless impressive. Further out of town we drove to another working Gold Mine. A walk around the Golden Walk which the organisation has developed was interesting, they have displayed several large rocks in which we could see some flecks of gold & peacock ore, some of the old equipment used & sketches of the mine & its contents at different depths.

The town has several reservoirs; the Old Reservoir used to be the towns water supply but is now used for recreation & watersports. It is also available for camping. In this area there is a place called ‘Devil’s Rock’ which is an ancient rock formation which according to Aboriginal legend / belief is known as being a place of evil. The Newey Reservoir being the new reservoir is much greener & in town; Newey Reservoir is a good picnic area and a pleasant walk. However, a popular place for the local yobbos to hang out so free camping may not be advisable. There is camping allowed further around the reservoir. A quick detour from the reservoir to the town’s decommissioned railway station ensued and we came across a recently arrived goods-train, the wagons loaded with gas pipes which were being unloaded and transferred to road-train trailers. The following day, there was an article about it in the local paper, the 30-40cm pipes are for a major gas pipeline project, they will carry gas from the major gas-fields to the major cities in the East.
For the next few days after Cobar we decided to keep off-site & look for some freebie camps to stay. Our first stop for a couple of days was Lake Cargelligo. Lake Cargelligo was once a gold mining town. For the last couple of years the natural lake has been dry, but in December last year, water began to be released into it. The water comes from the Lachlan River, currently in good flow after the big rains further to the north-east. We camped within 3 meters of the lakes edge & during the couple of days we could see the lake level still rising. It was lovely to watch the various birds fly in during sunrise & fly out during sunset. There were thousands of water birds and of many species; we could only name a few: Pelican, Coot, Ibis and Spoonbills. The landscape both in & around the area is lush and green, so a substantial amount of rain has fallen this year. The temperature during the day wasn’t too bad, but the nights became quite cold, so when there is no power for our little fan heater, an early night tucked up in our warm bed was called upon. Early morning fog delayed the sunrise photo but the next day provided a blaze of glory as Sol rose above the landscape and across the water. See the pics on the album link.

Our next port of call was Gum Bend Lake, 3kms out of Condobolin; a bit bigger town than the last. Gum Bend is a local family picnic/camping area that has its history in the mining past. Many towns that had mining industries early in the last century had an area away from town where the workers and their families could relax and escape the dust and dirt of their job.
We were looking forward to camping along a lake again but, to our dismay all we saw was a tractor driving around on the lake bed spraying the vegetation. We found out that the weeds were being sprayed because the man-made lake was to be re-filled in the next few days. Alongside the camping area, the Lachlan River is in full flow. It is from here that the lake is to be filled. It is so good to see lots of creeks & rivers with plenty of water in them; it’s been quite some time since we’ve seen water flowing like this. Many road-side ditches were still full and more rain has fallen since.

An obligatory meat pie had to be taken along the main street of Condobolin; several architecturally interesting old buildings to photograph. Among these is the old fire-station with the fire-alarm bell that was to be rung, but NOT for chimney fires!
We couldn’t have been persuaded to stay at the local, very nice caravan park; they were hosting two regional dog shows, imagine the noise! Across the road, preparations for the weekend Condobolin Annual Royal Show, hurdy-gurdies and fair-ground equipment was being erected and tested. More noise! Having enjoyed the quiet of remote area camps, we have been spoiled.

Click on the link below to view some photos

http://picasaweb.google.com/108879761974384702036/WhiteCliffsCobarToCondobolin?feat=directlink

White Cliffs

After spending six lovely quiet days in Copi Hollow, we headed back to Broken Hill for three days to top up supplies before heading up to White Cliffs. During the three days in Broken Hill, I was able to catch up with a cousin whom I didn’t know of until recently. It was good to be able to spend a couple of hours with her & find out more of my family ties. The weather was wild, wet & woolly for those three days.

While driving to White Cliffs we noticed that the landscape is now very green, a quite different view from what we saw the last time we drove this way in 2006; then it was very dry & farmers were driving their cattle/sheep along the roadside in order to find feed for them. Some farmers were even taking them up to 50kms away to find greener pastures. This year however, is quite different, significant rains across NSW/Qld have made a huge difference to the landscape. As we got closer to White Cliffs a sign said, ‘White Cliffs Opal Field: The First and Friendliest’.

White Cliffs is in a semi-arid area of Far Western NSW (approx 100km north of Wilcannia)-as such you will find stands of eucalypts, mulga, leopardwoods (quite a variety of trees in fact but not as in forests as you would find in coastal areas); there is a variety of low shrubs & grasses. In White Cliffs itself, much regeneration work has been done to rectify some of the mining practices of the past; so many trees were cut down to provide materials for housing and shoring up mine shafts. White Cliffs is known as Australia’s first commercial opal field. It’s documented that opal was found as early as 1884 by four kangaroo shooters. The town itself is small but spread out. From the air one can see a lot of white coloured craters which has been described as a ‘lunar landscape’. It has been estimated that at the height of mining activities, 50,000 holes were dug; this is evident from the air.

White Cliffs has a summer where daytime temperatures can reach 44-46oC for days on end, in order to escape the oppressive heat; miner’s homes are frequently built underground, often in the very mines themselves. These homes are known as ‘dugouts’ having been dug deep into the hillsides. These dug-outs can have all the conveniences of any modern home but are environmentally friendly, little heating or cooling is required with an all round temperature being around 22oC. With a population of approx 210, (which apparently is a floating population), there are about 140 dug-outs while the remainder of residences live above ground.

After a morning walk around town, we got to see the Solar Power Station which incidentally, was the first commercial solar power station in the world. Originally the Power Station was established as an experimental facility by Australian National University researchers. It powered the local hospital, school, post office & twelve residences. The solar plant is now closed but has earned a national award that will see it preserved as a piece of alternative energy heritage. The White Cliffs Power Station is nationally recognised as an iconic engineering project equal in status to the Snowy Mountains Scheme, the Sydney Harbour Bridge & the Parkes Radio Telescope.

A walk through the Pioneer Cemetery demonstrates the conditions that families endured in the harshness out here. Many young children died from Dysentery, Typhoid & Diphtheria. The youngest child being only 12hours old with the average life of a child was under 4 years of age. Later in the day we drove around some of the mines & did some fossicking of our own. Over the four days we manage to find a few small pieces of opal, nothing that will make us famous or rich though. We did however have a lot of fun fossicking. White Cliffs is the home to the “Opal Pineapple”; it is the only opal field where these collector’s pieces of mineral are found.

While in White Cliffs we were able to catch up with the daughter & family of my cousin whom we met earlier in Broken Hill. It was good to spend some time with them to reminisce over past family members. Peter, Joanne & Kaija their daughter live in a lovely dugout which they built themselves, next door is their first dugout, now a commercial tourist venue, PJ’s Underground B&B.

Just a quick note; while we lived in Aberfoyle Park, 20k from the city centre, we weren’t able to get ADSL or a good wireless broadband connection, here out in the middle of nowhere we were getting an excellent connection, best ever wireless performance; go figure!!

Click on the link below to view some photos of White Cliffs.


http://picasaweb.google.com/108879761974384702036/WhiteCliffsNSW?feat=directlink

KINCHEGA National Park, August 7th

Kinchega National Park is situated between the mighty Menindee Lake and the River Darling on the Eastern Boundary and encompasses Cawndilla Lake to the South and West and beyond. Approximately 44 000 Hectares in area, there are camping sites, scenic drives and historical locations to enjoy in typical semi-desert surrounds. After thousands of years as traditional Aborigine occupancy, the Park was once the 800 000 Hectares Kinchega-Kars Pastoral Lease; from 1870 to 1967 when the Kars Lease was dedicated as a national park. Instead of sheep, the park is now home to Kangaroos and Emu, numerous birds and apparently, a lot of desert reptiles of which we managed to keep clear.
The Park has several highlights, the original homestead site and the old original shearing shed is really something to see. In the shed are the left over overhead pulleys that drive the shears, old wool press and the steam-boilers that powered the original machines of the shed. The old shearing quarters have been restored and made into conference rooms, accommodation and catering facilities.
There are three self-guided drives around the park, subject to weather conditions, can be done with a 2-wheel drive vehicle. However, it only needs a little rain to make some areas very sloppy and boggy. The River Drive would be worse affected if wet. This drive though, proved to be the most interesting to us. After visiting the Shearing Shed, we found our way onto the river-side track and as the river winds itself in a serpentine manner, there were many scenic spots to photograph. The river over time has cut deep into the flat plains at the edge of the Park and most of the banks were quite steep to the water’s edge. There are pointers on the track indicating the floods of 1976 and 1983-1984, several feet above the existing banks of the river. Bird-life, Emu dad with chicks and the odd lazy kangaroo added to the pleasure of the drive. The “road” around the river is a 2-wheel track with dips, tight turns and overhanging trees. A highlight of the River Drive is the wreck of the Paddle Steamer Providence, Australia’s only inland ship-wreck. Only part of the boiler remains where it was blown to when an explosion demolished the boat and killed members of the crew. It seems that the crew had been sampling the delights of the Menindee pubs before stoking the boiler fire but forgetting to fill the water tank.
There are about 35 allocated camping spots along the river, ideal for tents and camper trailers but not suitable for our caravan; the sites are ok, just getting there would be dicey. Weir 32 is a popular spot and here we spotted several anglers that were actually catching fish.
Caravans can be camped at the Cawndilla Lake site; this is a good area at the lake side that should appease canoeists or bird watchers alike. Sunsets over the huge lakes are spectacular and when the air is still, the reflections of the submerged trees, clouds and the flaming red rays of the sun make for one of nature’s most beautiful sights.
Kinchega National Park, a place to visit again.

Click on the link below to view more photos.

http://picasaweb.google.com/108879761974384702036/KinchegaNationalParkNSW?feat=directlink

Broken Hill - 'Art Gallery without the Walls'

After four lovely quiet days in Silverton, it was time to move on to Broken Hill. Apart from the 39 dips along the road back into town, the drive wasn’t too bad. I did count the dips, but somehow I missed 1 or 2 along the way. We chose to stay at the Broken Hill City Caravan Park; a bit more expensive than the other two in town, but after taking a quick look at them during the week, a much tidier park.

For the first half of the week we were kept quite busy visiting the many attractions, as one does. As we know, Broken Hill is an active mining town; the wheels are still turning at the Perilya headframe. For generations the miners work was backbreaking and dangerous with long hours and low pay. However, this all changed in 1920 when, after the miners being on strike for 18 months, they were awarded improved safety conditions, health conditions, health monitoring and for the first time a 35 hour week. The actions of these battling miners would eventually influence the rest of Australia’s working conditions.

Our first port of call was a drive up to the Line of Lode Miner’s Memorial and restaurant which stands prominent on the top of a mullock/slag heap behind the railway station. It was built as a memorial to the 900 or so miners who have lost their lives working along the Line of Lode. On 8th October 1902, two young lads (mullockers) Thomas 19yrs & Leopold 21 were killed by a fall of rock in Stope A5, 500ft level. Owing to the ground conditions their bodies have never been removed & remain the only fatalities still entombed on the Line of Lode.

After a good night sleep we decided to venture out to the Broken Hill Sculptures & Living Desert Sanctuary, but not until we had collected the gate key (we were a bit lazy & didn’t want to do the steep walk up to the sculptures). Each of the 12 sculptures is designed by a different artist. The artists came from Mexico; Tiwi, Bathurst Island; Tbilisi, Georgia; Damascus, Syria; Katoomba, NSW; Rustiva, Georgia; Koolewong, Australia & Broken Hill, NSW. Some of the carvings were obvious as to what they resembled while others needed to be explored closer. As quoted by Dr Ahmad Al Ahmad, sculptor “The symposium is a necklace for the maiden – the maiden being the incredibly beautifully desert landscape around the mountain.”
After spending time soaking up the ambience amongst the sculptures Colin headed back down the way we came while I walked down to meet him at The Living Desert Flora & Fauna Sanctuary. The view across the Barrier Ranges was stunning & most enjoyable. The 2km Sanctuary Cultural Walk is nestled within the 2400ha reserve protected behind an electric predator-proof fence. The trail had 9 points of interest along the walk including many clusters of the Sturt Desert Pea which is now in full flower. Fauna was limited to a few lazy old Kangaroos that wouldn’t stray far from the provided feed bins.

We just had to visit ‘Pro’ Hart’s (Kevin Charles Hart) Gallery while in Broken Hill. Pro started putting pen to paper at an early age. His correspondence school teachers were impressed with his talent that they encouraged him to run with it. When he was working down in the mines as a train driver he continued to paint. He often said that it was the only thing that kept him sane. We were so overwhelmed when we entered his gallery. I have not come across an artist who was able to display the variety of techniques, styles & medium. Not only was he an artist with paint, but also a sculpture. We had the opportunity to spend a short time talking with his widow, Raylee. Amongst the vast array of paintings, glass etchings etc; over 3 floors of his gallery, was his famous ‘Dragonfly’ masterpiece which he did on a piece of carpet; remember the ad? (“Oh! Mr Hart, what have you done?”). I’m sure he would have been an inspiration to any young artist who is setting out in this field of work. If you ever come to Broken Hill, why not call in to the gallery. We would recommend the visit.

Another point of interest was The Silver Tree. The tree was created by a German silversmith Henry Steiner in 1878-79 for a Melbourne exhibition. The tree is a fabulous & elaborate display of craftsmanship decorated with animals & outback figures. Over 600mm high & weighing 8.5kg, the tree is hollow & the base is beaten out to a single sheet of silver. Have a look at the link for details.

We found Broken Hill to be a great place to visit. It is a busy city; one event highlighted the way the town is, a person was mugged in daylight and it made big news because these things don’t normally happen in the town. It is considered a safe place to bring up your children. We found the people in the town shops, cafes and tourist venues to be very friendly and welcoming to tourists. We had some great home-made soup, chips and hot chocolate at one cafe. The local Toyota dealer went out of the way to get a small problem attended to. The City is bisected by the slag heaps from the Line of Lode Mining past. I think that this is an ugly reminder of the reason for Broken Hill. However of disappointment to these visitors, there is little to see that reflects the vast wealth that the town has created. Though the people are resilient to the downturns of the industry, they are creating work alternatives but the numerous old houses along the wide streets, the tired old shops, don’t reflect any of the opulence that the mines have created.

There is a lot of the classic Australia evident in Broken Hill and I can’t help but feel that there, the old values of mateship and tolerance will prevail.

Copi Hollow, August 3rd-6th
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Copi+Hollow,+New+South+Wales&sll=-25.335448,135.745076&sspn=32.628652,54.580078&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Copi+Hollow+New+South+Wales&z=10
We found this cute sounding place by accident, as you do. We were at Broken Hill and wanted to go south-east to have a look at the Menindee Lakes System, a huge water storage area of the River Darling. Many South Australians suspect that this is where all the water that should be coming down to the River Murray is being stopped.
We found a pamphlet about the caravan park at Copi Hollow, one of the smaller lakes. If you look for it on Google Earth, you will see that it is one of two lakes joining Lake Pamamaroo to the bigger Lake Menindee. The Caravan Park is owned by the Broken Hill Speedboat Club Inc; there isn’t much water near Broken Hill so the club members set up this place, about 110km away, for their chosen recreation away from the mines.
This is a good year to come as the lakes are all full and the surrounding land is covered in rich vegetation, a far cry from the previous dry years. All we need is for the fish to come back, no luck tempting them yet.
It is quite amazing to come across these lakes for the first time, the River Darling has wound its way though some of the driest semi-deserts of New South Wales; the land all around is pretty flat for hundreds of kilometres. The lakes must be a natural basin off of the river. Aborigines lived and hunted in this region for thousands of years and would have been used to the seasonal ebb and flow of the river and lake water levels, winter and summer seasons would have shown a marked difference. However, since Europeans came to Broken Hill, a reliable all-year water supply was needed so the Menindee Lakes Scheme was started. Construction of a Main Weir, several Control Blocks and additional channels to direct all water from the Darling into the Lakes for storage have since been the major source of water for Broken Hill and surrounds. There is a 100-odd kilometre pipeline connecting the precious resource to the north.
Attractions here of course include the lakes and many forms of water sports, trail bike riding; walking trails and just quiet relaxation. Probably not that quiet when the Speedboat Club is holding a regatta. Water Skiing is their main activity. The caravan park is a little village of around a hundred permanent caravans, lucky for us this week nearly all are unoccupied.
We have had a relaxing three days here, backed up on the lawns abutting the lake-front, feeding the friendly minor-birds, and catching up with a bit of writing and photo editing. Gorgeous sunsets before the rain!
A little gem!
Click on the link below to view more photos

http://picasaweb.google.com/108879761974384702036/BrokenHillToCopiHollow?feat=directlink

Napperby to Silverton, NSW

“On the road again, we’re on the road again”. That’s right after spending about 9 weeks at Napperby it’s time to set off again. As you will recall from my last entry, we bought another tow vehicle which Colin has spent time in tweaking some of the electrical system, (extra battery). We did eventually sell our other 4x4; sad to see it go as it has been very faithful to us & hasn’t missed a beat all the time we have travelled.

Well lots of things have happened while we’ve been so-called resting. The one & only good fishing day since being back, Colin & Guy managed to pick up a good feed for dinner that night. Well done boys! A bad dust storm hit us & we couldn’t see much in front at all; we did however notice a few caravans travelling back to Adelaide in the awful weather – not a good travelling day. My younger sister, her two boys & mother-in-law (from South Africa) came up for the day. Lots of family birthdays during the last couple of months. A quick visit to Adelaide for a couple of days gave us time to catch up with some shopping & a visit to my dad’s for tea. Another quick trip up to Kingston-On-Murray to visit Nick (Colin’s grandson) for his 6th birthday; (several days later he broke several bones in his foot while entertaining his little mates for his birthday party).
I have been battling a bad back for the last 4 weeks with regular visits to the chiropractor. Slowly it has been improving. Josh, Kendehl & Arthur (Smurf) managed to make a visit on my birthday; it was so good to be able to spend some time with them. Smurf is now 15 months & beginning to walk & exploring anything & everything. Shilo the Labrador loved having him around, wandering all the time what was this thing that moved into her space & wanting to play with her toys. She was good with him though!

Now back to our next stage of our journey. We left Napperby on 21 July heading towards Broken Hill via Silverton. We set off at around 11:20am for our first stop at Jamestown as we had some business to attend to. Morning tea around at the RM Williams Park where we read all about R M Williams, very interesting. Next stop was to be Peterborough; time out for a good stretch & to reminisce of my grandparents/mum’s home town. Overnight stop was to be at Yunta, a small town of a population of around 800 (that’s what the sign says anyway). By the time we arrived at Yunta the cold air was settling in. I wasn’t really in the mood for cooking so a visit to the pub across the road was in order. Our order came & I really didn’t want to leave the warmth of the fire which I was sitting on to go & eat in another room, but what must be, must be. Our site was within 20m of the working railway line. The trains were relatively quiet with the last one passing through at about 6pm ish & no more until after 7am. If any did come through the night we didn’t hear them. This morning (Thursday) was quite chilly with the temperature reading about 4o on the clock & the fog was thick. I couldn’t even see the train track from our van. By about 9:15am the fog had lifted slightly & so we continued on with the next stretch to Silverton. After about 30kms the fog lifted completely & we were once again in the warm winter sun, now we could thaw out!

As we head towards the SA/NSW border the scenery changes to a rugged environment. We begin to wonder what one would do as a living out here – not much more than cattle, sheep & maybe emu producers. At Cockburn, on the NSW side of the border, it was time for another stretch & to our amazement we came across a very large motor yacht being transported to Newcastle. Colin went over to speak to the escort guys only to be told that they had been there for 3 days already. Problems it appeared.

By early afternoon we had reached our destination of Silverton (Penrose Park) after travelling on about 25kms of rather ‘dippy’ road; in fact there are 39 dips in total which allow the water to flow during heavy rains. Silverton is a popular destination for movie makers. It has been the scene for more than 140 films & commercials such as, Bryan Brown’s Dirty Deeds, Mad Max II, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, XXXX beer ads & the Royal Flying Doctor series. This near-ghost is town full of interesting arts and craft shops. Silverton is a fascinating town, once a thriving mining centre of 3000, it is now a virtual ghost town of about 50 residences with a number of historic buildings, several art galleries and museums and a pub. The pub has legendary stories about events and the famous people who have visited, along with a replica of The Interceptor from the Mad Max movies. The new movie was supposed to begin filming shortly, however owing to the landscape being ‘too green’ it has been postponed. The town is surrounded by 4000 hectares of land known as The Silverton Common, in a semi-arid zone.

Penrose Park (which is where we stayed for a few days) was named after John Penrose, born in Yorkshire in 1850. The park was built and maintained by Broken Hill mines as a place of respite for mining families. The park consists of playgrounds, tennis courts, cricket ground and lovely bush gardens; quite a nice bush camp ground. The old Silverton Cemetery located next to Penrose Park. Headstones still standing there date back as early as 1883. Silverton is home to a group of long time artists such as John Dynon, Peter Browne Gallery & Horizon Gallery). Tourists & locals alike congregate at the top of the hill to watch the magnificent sunset across the Mundi Mundi plains where you can see a huge landscape that is as flat as a tack as far as the eye can see. The red barren land of the Mundi Mundi Plains stretches out without a hint of a man made structure. You feel as if you've landed on a new planet.

Our first day at Silverton saw us venturing out on the 2 hour Heritage Walk Trail which took us up & over hills with stunning views that overlooked the township & the breathtaking views of the Mundi Mundi Plains. While taking photos of some fauna back in town, Colin happened to notice the ‘Mad Max’ vehicle on the back of a trailer. We went up to give the owner Adrian some assistance to get it off the trailer which, then led to a half-hour chat. In the evening a few of the locals met up at the pub for a good chinwag. Having done the big walk, it meant that for the rest of our stay we could just meander around town soaking up the atmosphere, exploring the various museums especially the school, which brought back some memories. The locals were very friendly & chatty. If you ever get the chance to visit Broken Hill, why not go that extra mile (25 kms) & visit Silverton, it is worth the trip.

Click on the link below the picture to view some photos.

http://picasaweb.google.com/108879761974384702036/NapperbyToSilvertonNSW?feat=directlink

Werribee South CP to Napperby

Well, it’s time for us to move on from Werribee. It has been a busy time for us over the last 2 months that we have spent near Melbourne. After viewing numerous makes, models & sizes of 5th Wheelers, we have finally made our decision on the manufacturer that we wish to build our 5ver. We have decided on a Truelux 28ft to be customised on the Opal Series. Truelux are a family business who had infinite patience as we visited three times with the most obscure queries/questions. They simply reiterated that the only dumb question is the one not asked. Have a look at their web site: http://d454457.u23.fasthit.net/home.html.

One would say that that was the easy decision taken care of, now we have to decide on the tow vehicle which is proving to be a testing & stressful time. Nothing is ever straightforward as we originally think. The more we delve into this, the more we come up other issues, a bit like a domino effect.

There are still lots of places to see & things to do that we’ll have to leave for another day. Our last week at Werribee proved to be quite interesting with us having Arthur (Vicki’s grandson – 13mths) come & stay with us for a few days while his mum & dad make a quick trip back to Adelaide to sort a few things out. It was quite strange to have this ‘foreign object’ sleeping between us at night; not an exercise we are accustomed to. The days when he couldn’t go outside to play due to the wild, wet & windy weather proved to be quite testing at times. However, once the sun came out to play so did he. With one leg in front of the other he would do his ‘crab crawl’ over to the neighbour to visit their little Chihuahua. We left Werribee on Monday May 10th & headed to Col’s daughter’s place at Kingston-on-Murray via the Sunraysia Highway (connects Mildura to Ballarat) which we’re looking forward to travelling along.

There must have been a club travelling out of Learmonth as we passed a number of motorhomes & a 5ver. Just outside of Lexton we came across another wind farm information bay overlooking the wind turbines in the distance. The information bay was I feel to be the most informed site we have come across so far. The day had been quite a hard day as the wind wasn’t on our side, so by the time we got to Teddington Reservoir, North West Victoria at Stuart Mill (about 35km from Avoca; midway between St Arnaud & Avoca) we decided to stay overnight. St Arnaud Range National Park has 13,900 hectares of mainly steep, forested terrain and is an ideal place to experience what the forests were like before the gold rushes. The park has one of the largest intact areas of Box-Ironbark vegetation. It encompasses the former Kara Kara State Park and much of the St Arnaud Range State Forest.

It was a lovely freebie spot to stay & wind down. This time gave me a good opportunity to sort out our remaining fruit & vegies so that we can get over the border without having to throw anything away. The next day when we awoke to a very frosty morning & had an overnight temperature of a warm 10.30C, we decided to stay another day as I appeared to have picked up a 24 hour tummy bug & wasn’t feeling too bright at all. While here, we took the opportunity to explore our lovely surroundings of the once very popular reservoir.

Wednesday morning & it was time to move on to K-o-M where we’ll stay a couple of days & catch up with Col’s daughter & family. We thought yesterday was cold, but after taking a look at our thermometer it showed us that yesterday was warm comparatively – a Brrrrr 0.40C. By the time we reached St Arnaud, it was time for a short stop to recharge our batteries with a walk through the township. St Arnaud was named after Marshal Jacques Leroy De St Arnaud, the commander of the French forces (b1796 – d 1854).

A stretch stop at Birchip to take a look around town & to see the Big Red Mallee Bull which stands proudly in the median strip of the main street through town proved quite an excitement. Not far out of town when I felt something on my leg which I thought was just a breeze coming from our car air conditioner & just brushed off. However, I had the same feeling but this time on the other side of my leg, but this time felt something more. My greatest fear was that it was a spider (which I am terrified of). After insisting that Col pull over to the side of the road & stop the car, I rolled up my trouser leg only to find a big locust. What a relief!!!

UPDATE June 2010

After several weeks of looking at the available tow vehicles, we now have purchased a 2007 Landcruiser VHD79R Cab Chassis. This is one of the recommended vehicles that can adequately tow the new van. Currently the vehicle is fitted with a custom built camping canopy that, being useful as we await the fifth wheeler, will have to be removed to have the 5ver hitch fitted when the van is made.
We originally wanted to use an Isuzu D-Max twin cab ute, however, the decision to go to the 28ft fifth wheeler counts this option out. In Victoria, we visited three companies that imported and converted the popular US tow vehicles, Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge RAM. These are beautiful vehicles but at what cost? So we decided to compromise and save by buying the Toyota. Refer to our update picture albums.

We are still at our home base at Napperby where we can relax while setting up our Toyota; additional battery, some minor servicing of the van and to sell our current 4WD, our ever reliable Mitsubishi Pajero, it will be sad to see it go.

The school holidays are nearly upon us once again. We will be here for a while, at least until the end of the school holidays when we’ll continue on with our travels. Testing the new tow vehicle!

To all my past colleagues at OE, have a safe break with your families.

Click on the link below the picture to view some photos.

http://picasaweb.google.com/108879761974384702036/WerribeeToHome?feat=directlink

Wangaratta & The Great Alpine Road

After a few weeks in and around Melbourne, we decided to play hooky from Werribee and head off for a few days. Actually, the idea was first to visit a caravan manufacturer to see how their 5th wheeler stacked up against others that we had seen. Further, if we did the round trip we could also visit an American Vehicle importer to view Chevrolet Silverado utilities.
We headed off (sans caravan) via the freeways, Western and Northern Ring Roads, nothing free in the flow of traffic around these roads, three lanes chockers with the majority being trucks.
We turned up the Hume Freeway as far as Wallan for morning tea. Travelling along this highway is a breeze once you have left the city suburbs and the traffic spreads out, cruise control rules. Wallan has a major service centre and at 11:00am it was very busy. Trucks, campers, cars, caravans and many a businessman would have been, like us, ready for a short break after the tensions of the city sprawl.
On to Wangaratta, we booked into a motel and went on to our appointment at the manufacturers. It was worth the trip to Wangaratta, a pleasant city we thought where everyone seemed less stressed and cheerful. Hellos and smiles from people in the street, very friendly staff in the Information Centre, they didn’t have to do much to convince us that a trip along the Great Alpine Way would be a memorable experience.
From Wangaratta, the Great Alpine Way heads south to cross the Victorian side of the Australian Alpine Region. As the name suggests, the Alpine region is a winter playground with several popular snow-fields, hiking trails and a photographer’s heaven. The road follows the Ovens River valley and the several small towns along the way look very “liveable”.
The highway runs from Wangaratta to Bairnsdale, near the coast. Then back to Melbourne via the Pacific Highway making for a pleasant round trip with something for everyone at any time of the year.
Original pioneers found this way through the mountains by following the trails that had been used for many thousands of years by the regions Aboriginal groups. White settlers went into the hills in search of gold. Loggers went for the hardwood timber and sometimes, others just went to hide from authority. Famous Bushrangers are historically linked with the old gold-mining settlements that made up the Alpine Region Populace.
The road south is now well made and for the stretch to Bright, flat enough to be a popular cycle track, “River to the Sea Train Trail”. The cycle track has been formed along an old railway track, and on the days that we were there, very busy with family cyclists and enthusiasts alike. Very colourful in their various cycle clobber, dad pulling baby in a small trailer, mum shepherding the rest of the kids from behind. After the hustle and bustle of Melbourne, a great experience to behold. For those who prefer the motorised type of bike, the Great Alpine Way is billed as one of the great motor-cycle rides in the world. They should sell stickers, “I rode the Great Alpine Way”
Mount Buffalo National Park is a side trail climbing up to about 1700+ metres to an old chalet that is celebrating 100 years of accommodating the landed gentry of Melbourne. Though not open that day, I understand that there is some moves to get it operating again. Buffalo is popular not just for the lovely views from the escarpment, but also for Para-Gliding, Abseiling, Hiking and just for the beauty and fresh air. We spotted people filling water containers from pipes driven into the hill-sides above the lovely river; Fresh Mountain Spring Water not from a bottle!
Onto Bright, a most delightful but busy town on the banks of the Ovens River. Flanked by the foothills and the beginning of the Alpine Region, we were very lucky in that the weather prediction was for perfect autumn splendour. The deciduous trees were all in their glory of autumn colours, the air was crisp and clean and the bustle of cyclists, walkers and locals, made for a completely different kind of Australia for us to visit. Vicki took loads of pictures of trees and views.
We stayed over at Bright as it would have been a shame to rush over the mountains in just one day. Stop to smell the roses we thought. The walk along the river to the town centre was sheer delight, spotting fish, (Trout?) a variety of birds and autumn insects flittering across the water, a fly-fishers heaven.
From Bright, we continued on to Harrietville, another town with a gold mining history, named after one of the first white women in the region, there was once along this valley, a large Chinese contingent of miners that, different to the Ballarat gold fields, were reported to have got along well with the other nationalities that panned the creeks to seek their fortune. Harrietville is right on the edge of the Alpine Region, immediately you leave the town, the road does a hard left and the climb to Mount Hotham starts in earnest.
The road well made and sealed, twists and turns around the ridges until you eventually burst through the forests and come out above the snow-line. Again, we were lucky that the air was clear, the views across Mt Feathertop to the Alps of the NSW regions was very spectacular after the dusty plains encountered on our previous trips. Mount Hotham Alpine Village was very busy with travellers. The chalets, chairlifts and trails had workmen everywhere, preparing for the snow, which one said, “could come at anytime now”. It was 15 degrees according to the digital thermometer but also already, had a chill factor of minus 14 I thought. Hotham Village is about 1752 metres above sea level; it was interesting to view the ski-field maps in the information centre, the grading of the ski-trails and the various lifts. Looking over the hills, it was very hard for us to imagine it all covered with snow.
We stayed one more night in a motel, at Omeo, one more night than we were originally expecting but the drive down the mountain was as interesting as the climb up but not as steep. We mused that the several caravanners that we saw at Hotham would have thought that the road was easy. Descending to Harrietville would have been a reality check.
The road from Omeo follows another beautiful river valley that for 35 kilometres snakes its way through the mountains of the Great Dividing Range and we couldn’t help but be awed by the thought of the pioneers that wended their way to the mountains. There are several hamlets along the way to Bruthen from where there are glimpses of the waters of the Lower Gippsland Lakes Region and towards the sea at Lakes Entrance.
The Great Alpine Road ends at Bairnsdale where it joins the Pacific Highway, a couple of hundred or so kilometres from Melbourne, it was just a taster. A most definite “must go back there” as there is much to see and do around this beautiful region of Eastern Victoria.

ps We have ordered our new 5th wheeler & hopefully we'll get it by Christmas.

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K-O-M — Werribee South Caravan Park

After spending a couple of weeks with our family in the Riverland it was time for us to move on with our first stop being Meningie. Though we were there for an overnight stay it still gave us the opportunity to meander through the town & along the lake. We have been hearing on the radio about how low the lake is but until we actually saw it for ourselves it was hard to comprehend how much it has actually deteriorated. We have to wonder where our government’s priority really is; it seems to be with assisting other countries who have experienced a natural disaster, rather than assisting our own people who are experiencing the same phenomenal. Leaving Meningie behind us we continued on to 42 Mile Crossing Campground in the Coorong Conservation Park. The 3km road into the campground was a little bumpy but what was at the end was worth it. In the evening saw us walking for ½ hour along a track to the beach for our usual sunset ritual. We enjoy watching the sun set.

At Robe we stayed 3 nights which gave me the opportunity to catch up on the week’s washing & general domestic duties. It’s amazing how quickly it mounts up when you’re on the road. After a short time in Mt Gambier where we had morning tea at the Blue Lake (which was really bright blue), we made a quick visit to several other places of interest before we continued on to our next stay at Piccaninnie Ponds. Piccaninnie Ponds is well known for the wonderful treasures below the surface of the ponds especially amongst the professional divers. To be able to view the treasures it is necessary to have appropriate cave diving licence, but anyone can snorkel in the ponds. It is necessary however to book & there are strict guidelines by the Conservation Park managers. The fresh water overflow from the ponds flows out to sea and a lovely walk follows its course. At another point along the beach there is another interesting phenomenon; about halfway between high and low water is a series of small geysers, fresh water discharging into the sea. An evening walk up to the beach cliff was mandatory for our usual sunset.

Pritchard’s Conservation Park was another quiet spot along the Little Glenelg River taken in for another two nights stay. Once we had settled in, the remainder of the day was time for Colin to throw a line in to test his chances of catching any fish. What’s frustrating is when you can see the fish swimming around your line & no bites.

The City of Portland is a major Victorian shipping port not far from where we chose to stay at Narrawong. The scenic drives around the area were quite picturesque. One place of interest at Cape Bridgewater was the Petrified Forest which is thought to have developed when a Moonah forest was smothered by a large sand dune, creating unusual sandstone formations around the decaying tree trunks. Geologists have since debunked this theory preferring instead, the idea of calcification of water flows through cracks in the strata. Cape Bridgewater itself was once a volcanic island and became linked to the mainland as a sand spit calcified and turned to limestone.

Our next stop was at Port Campbell along the Great Ocean Road. There are numerous tourist sites which are always quite full with mainly overseas visitors. Our few days at Pt Campbell were full-on; so many places to see & so little time to do it in. No sooner had we settled into our site we were off to The Otway Fly, a 600 metre long 25 metre high elevated tree top walk ascending at a gentle grade through a magnificent stand of cool temperate rainforest featuring Myrtle Beech, Blackwood & Mountain Ash. For those who like a bit more thrill seeking there is a 45 metre high spiral staircase lookout in the centre of the walk which emerges amongst the crowns of the giants of the forest. At one point there is a springboard cantilever which bounces gently high over Young’s Creek. Though I don’t like heights, I will always attempt these feats. It’s always interesting to visit these attractions in each state. Each has been different & unique in its own way. This one has a dinosaur trail for the kids & dinosaur enthusiasts.
The main tourist attraction around this area is of course the 12 Apostles. Tourists from near & a-far travel here to watch the sunset over the Apostles. This was one of those places where it pays to have some height on your side. Everyone is muscling in close to the fence to find just the right spot to get their special photo. I ended up climbing up onto the concrete wall & hanging on the wire fence just to get that ‘once in a life-time’ sunset in the sea mist around the ancient edifices.

When it came time to move on again, the weather map showed that it was still going to be quite windy along the Great Ocean Road, so Col decided to travel inland, but unfortunately, the wind was there waiting for us East of Colac. The next couple of hours, we were not only battling the windy conditions but also the trucks coming in the opposite direction. With the two forces hitting us, at times we would lose our towing mirrors, not very pleasant at all. Finally we arrived at our destination, Werribee South CP & would you believe it, it was windy there too!
Werribee is a satellite township East of Melbourne on the Geelong Highway. Werribee South is a popular fishing, boating and jet-ski area on the shores of Port Phillip Bay. Unfortunately, it is also popular with the local hoons often to the early hours of the morning.

We have been here since 1st March & most of this time we has been spent pursuing our next home & tow vehicle as well as catching up with Josh, Kendehl &baby Arthur who will turn 1 this Easter.
Driving around Melbourne is a chore, one day visiting businesses in the Eastern suburbs, we clocked up over 200Km, then 2 hours to get home, busy all the way. A visit to the Caravan Show at Caulfield was sensibly done by train. At $3.40 each, all day, this is the sensible way to travel to the city.

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