Agnes Water 2024

We are in Agnes for a month. Three weeks into it and we are still not sick of the place.

When we arrived in late May it was rainy and quite warm. The nights were still hottish and we were a tad surprised. However, once we hit June that all changed. Nights are cool. Days are warm and the water temp is about 23. Perfect for us. Not so for the locals though. They like their water above 25 we’ve been told. Picky!

Our days are filled by walks, swims, reading, chatting, shopping, eating and the occasional wine. We cook quite a lot because we actually like our own cooking! Tonight is a simple stir fry.

We have met some lovely folk here this year. We have a neighbour with a red toy poodle like Dex. Just gorgeous. Her name is Ruby Rose. Most of the campers here are from Vic. Many have been coming for 20 years so they’ve built quite a community of regulars. Nice folk.

We head back to Moore Park Beach next week then to a place called Burnett Heads. All these spots are around Bundaberg - ‘cause the weather is amazing here this time of year. Looking forward to all of that.

Hope all is well with everyone.

Cheers to you all.

Love from us.

Caloundra and Moore Park Beach QLD

Caloundra QLD will be remembered for the Midges rather than much else. We are still itchy from the little suckers. Caloundra wasn’t really our cup of tea. Too much noisy traffic - too many people - too many Midges. We are now in a cute little place called Moore Park Beach. It’s quiet and right on the beach. Only negative is that the CP is a tad too far away from the small shopping centre. A positive is that food trucks visit most days so that adds a bit of variety to the menu. So far we’ve tried the pizza and Jayne has had the coffee from the van that parks at the beach every day. Jayne rates the coffee.

We are just chilling out here - nothing much else to do.

Had a little mishap yesterday. We had moved the vehicle and the step was in a slightly different spot. I stood on the step to enter the MH door and the bloody step collapsed catapulting me into, and through the flimsy screen door. ( I was not intoxicated - had not had a sip of wine) The door flew in - with me not far behind it. Jayne screamed. I grabbed onto the door frame and just looked at the sorry mess I had made of the door.

The door looked worse for wear, rather like a screwed up fly screen. I was fine at the time. Today I have a stiff neck, from trying to save myself - but all good really.

We had no idea how to fix this sucker. It had come out of the runners - all the strings were loose and the tension wire was hanging forlornly unattached to whatever it was supposed to be attached to. No bloody idea!

I googled it - I asked the brains trust on the Avan site - nothing. Soooo Jayne and I stood and looked at it for a good while then discussed it for even longer. We then set about trying to work it all out. AND by George we fixed it. Should have taken before and after shots but we were so upset we forgot…

Anyway, another problem solved by two determined women. Happy with that.

Off to Agnes Water on Tuesday. Hope all is well with whoever can be bothered reading this.

Cheers from us.

To Agnes Water and back 2024

We set out from Jamberoo in the rain on Monday 6th May, and we have driven to Bulahdelah in the rain, Scott’s Head in the rain and now at Evans Head, after driving in the rain………We do have some clear sky at the moment, which is nice.

We are planning to stay here for 4 nights in the hope that the rainy weather will pass and we can drive up to Caloundra on dry roads.

Picture this ….. Jayne and I are at the back of Whimsy chatting after setting up here in Evans Head. Behind Jaynes head - on the window screen crawls a spider as big as my hand. I grabbed Jaynes hand and said just come over here for a sec…I pointed to the screen and poor love fairly near screamed loud enough to attract a crowd. Jayne hates spiders but didn’t reach for the spray - which was my first preference, instead she choice a spatula as the weapon of choice (what tha?). The spider got the flick, the problem is, we don’t know where he ended up…. yikes. If that big sucker returns I’m spraying - don’t care,. Its dead . The end,

Coolum Beach CP - Kingscliff - Pottsville -East Ballina - Coraki

We had a top site here. Site 221 right on the beach. We stayed here for a week and it was safe to swim here. The water was beautiful. However, after travelling so far and staying at over 30 sites, by this time we really did decide that quieter spots are our preference. Coolum itself is right at the rear of the CP but it was way too busy for our liking. We rated it a 6/10. It may have received a higher score had the Dump Point been working.

Next stop was KIngscliff. Here we experienced our first real rain event of the 3 month trip. It flogged down. Whimsy held up well though. We stayed here so that we could catch up with my sister Glenda.. Always great to see Glen and get a hug. Love you sis.

We couldn’t stay more than two nights in KIngscliff as it was booked out. Soo we moved on to Pottsville where we stayed for 3 nights. Best Thai we have ever eaten is in this little village. We just rested here and enjoyed the space,

Ballina was the next longer stopover. We stayed at Shaws Bay Caravan Park on site 93. Loved this spot. Lots of great walking options - lovely views from our site and a bit of privacy which is hard to come by in many CP’s. We are definitely heading back to this CP when we head north for winter next year.

We truly love Coraki. This tiny village on the Richmond River inland from Evans Head is a real gem. I’d just warn anyone heading there that the roads into Coraki are shite. Just be prepared.

There’s a wonderful sense of community here and its here that we catch up with our mate Maria who is a Koala Preservation Warrior. She was flooded out recently and is still living in a van - but out every day looking for and trying to save Koalas from disease and injury. Love this woman. I wasn’t feeling great but Jayne was able to go out with Maria and caught up with quite a few Koala mums and bubs. Its a treat to see them in the wild.

Last stop was Coopernook Hotel free camp. We had to head home a little early as I was suffering from Vertigo - no wonder agter all the klms, rough roads and just mioving constantly.

Our trip. 9,000 klms over 11 weeks and 37 sites that we stopped at for either 1 night or longer. It was a top trip that we will never do again.

Next trip will be a short getaway with Dex.

We were so happy to see him - and he us. Bye for now.

Love to all.

Woodgate Beach Caravan Park

This is a lovely spot. It’s a beautifully appointed park opposite the beach and in front of the Burrum National Park. Great walks on both the beach and in the NP.

This CP is not close to other amenities though, so come with what you need. However, there is a very good cafe on site.

We did go to the local Hotel for lunch, using their courtesy bus. That was ok. Food was typical pub food. Nice, but not great.

We are in Woodgate as I write this post, and I do need to note that we do have a really lovely site - with nothing but trees and birds around us. No complaints here. We went for a dip here (forgot to mention that we swam every day at Agnes) this morning, which was divine. We are both water babies. We recommend this spot it’s an 8/10 for us.

Heading to Coolum Beach tomorrow.

Love to all. A and J

Agnes Water Beach Caravan Park (NRMA)

Well, this spot takes the cake. We looooved Agnes. We could only get three nights here and we had to free-camp waiting until we got in. We wanted to try it as it had been recommended to us a number of times. So, we rang and said when can we get a site and then arranged our trip around those dates. However, we are planning our next trip to include a few weeks here if we can get in.

Whats good about Agnes Waterr you say? Its a small park. The beach is safe and gentle. The beach is mere steps from your van. The cafe on site has great coffee and even better food.The whole place has a great vibe. Its a well protected park re winds etc.The shops are a 3 minute walk west of the park. There are some lovely bush walks close to the park. So basically you can get everywhere you need on foot. With a motorhome thats gold. Plus, the weather and water temp was divine mid June.It’s a 9/10 for us.

Bajool Hotel Free Camp-Boyne River Free Camp-Reef Caravan Park

Ahhh now here’s a place you’ll yearn to forget. In fact I did forget this spot and had to ask Jayne to jog my memory. Her response. You remember, it was the place where the publicans mum was the barmaid and was outside the pub on the benches chain smoking and the goods trains ran every 15 minutes all bloody night. Ahh yes I said. The night we didn’t sleep. So that’s a no, in regards to recommendations.

The next stop was another free camp beside the Boyne River. I quite liked it here but it was on the Bruce Highway and I didn’t sleep all that well this night either. I’d use this spot again if we ever go that far north again. Wgich I doubt. We think Afnes Water is as far north as we’'ll travel again.

The Reef Caravan Park was a stopover west of Agnes Water as we waited to get into the Caravan park on the beach there. The Reef was ok because it was quiet. No road noise so we both slept well. Next stop Agnes

Yepoon

We have decided that the Caravan Parks in Yepoon need an overhaul. We looked at all of them. The one on the beach is probably the best but its right on the main road, with.lots of noise.

We stayed at a park called Poinciana CP, but it was ordinary.

We didn’t do much but catch up with the washing.

We won’t be back.

Brandy Bottle Reserve - Clairview QLD

What a little gem of a stopover. This little place is south of Mackay on the way to Yepoon. It’s cheap. Has heaps of space, a golf course of sorts, a bar and a bistro. The owner Jackie is a sweetheart and the whole experience was delightful. We caught up with fellow travellers at the bar around 4pm, and we had a hoot. Everyone was back at their vans by 6. Highly recommend if you are up that way.

Devils Marbles, Barkly Homestead, Camooweal Hotel, Cloncurry, Julia Creek Free Camp, Hughenden, Charters Towers, Bowen and Airlie Beach.

I know. It’s a lot to take in, in one hit. Try driving it!

First up - Devils Marbles.

We Free-camped out the front of the Hotel. You have to get a spot early or you miss out here. It’s very popular because the pub food is great, they have a lovely beer garden (outdoor dining) a pool and the drinks are cold. We’d heard that it was popular so we arrived before lunch. Got a top spot and chilled out all afternoon. We tested the beer and hot chips early on and then ordered the curry for dinner. A curry in the NT? You bet it gets below freezing at night this time of year so the curry warmed us up.

The next morning we drove to the actual Devils Marbles before heading to The Barkly Homestead. The Marbles were pretty stunning. We walked up to the lookout and the view was breathtaking. Although it was early it was hot by the time we descended and returned to Whimsy. A cold drink and then we clipped on the seat belts, started the motor and headed off for the next stage of the trip.

We headed to The Barkly Homestead via Tennant Creek. We needed to top up the fridge with food and water. Not a lot of good drinking water on this stage of the trip so we had to ensure we had plenty of cask water on hand.

The Barkly Homestead was a bit of a disappointment. I’d read so much about it and the reviews were mixed but generally positive. Can’t say as I’d recommend staying there. We only stayed a night though we had planned to stay longer. Enough said.

We have tried not to travel more than 300 or so klm’s in a day, so we managed to get ourselves to Camooweal in time to park up and chill out before heading to dinner at the pub. So dinner at the pub was interesting. Jayne ordered a pizza and mine was another curry. So this is what happened. I ordered the food and then I went in to pick it up when the buzzer rang, The pub door was a swing door. I pushed the door open with my foot (with pizza on a slippery plate in hand) The door swung back quicker than expected, hit me fair in the face, the pizza slid off the plate (bar two pieces I managed to save) I screamed - Jayne jumped, but the pizza lay on the Pub verandah floor looking like a pile of doggy doo doo. Jayne wasn’t that hungry as luck would have it …..

The next day it was on to Cloncurry. Its a ho hum kind of town and the CP was ordinary - it was just a stop we hade to make. We did recall from our last trip that the Cloncurry Bakery was terrific…it had closed down.

So onwards to Julia Creel Free Camp. Now this is a gem of a place. Its just a few hundred metres east of the town. Its on the actual Julia Creek which by chance had a lot of water in it. This is another very popular spot for caravanners and motor Homers. You must be self-sufficient with toilet and shower and you must keep you grey water contained. BUT its so beautiful, The bird life was abundant and so entertaining. I loved it here and I would have stayed another day. The boss was keen to move on and had booked ahead so on we went.

Hughenden was the next stop on the way to Bowen. Its small. The site we were put on was garbage, the locals had dogs that barked all night, basically had a very ordinary stay. One shining light was that there was a Chinese Restaurant that was open on a Sunday - all day - that was a bonus and the food was lovely.

Charters Towers is somewhere we had stopped before. Beautiful historic buildings in this little town and the caravan park was lovely and shad. Just another one nighter to ensure we got back to the east coast safely.

The driving from the Barkly to here was quite dangerous. The roads are in dreadful condition with very little reprieve where the roads were in good condition. Plus, for 3 days straight we had crosswinds of at least 60 klms. Not an easy drive.

We arrived in Bowen very tired after driving for days. As it turns out Bowen is beautiful by the beach. We found a lovely cafe and the views on Horseshow Bay in Bowen are just glorious. I’d recommend a stopover here, Just don’t swim in the ocean…. Crocs, stingers and sharks. Looks pretty though!

We are now in Airlie Beach (Thursday 8th June) and have extended to Sunday.

We have really been doing nothing much but chilling and walking, eating and drinking, Nice really. It’s a lovely spot but soooooo busy at this Caravan Park. We shouted ourselves a very upmarket seafood lunch today and it was truly beautiful. It does take a bit to impress me re food these days but this wass 10/10. Seared Scallops (amazing) Fresh caught ocean Barramundi (bloody beautiful) Seafood Chowder that was out of this world and to finish chocolate fudge with raspberry and ice cream. Yep. it was 4 hors ago and I’m still full. This was all washed down with a light bright Proseco and a lovely Pinot Gris. it was an experience that I will remember. It was that good. FishD’vine is the restaurast if you are ever in Airlie.

We are off to Yeppoon on Sunday!!

Love to all.

Glendambo (AKA Glendumpo) Cooberpedy, Marla Roadhouse, Kulgera Roadhouse, ULURU,Kings Canyon,Erldunda and Alice Springs

Thought it about time I got off my butt and updated the blog. I write on FB most days but I am aware FB is off limits for some folk.

Well by the heading you can see we’ve been motoring along fairly well. We had a hiccup with the MH when in Kulgera NT. Rang the NRMA and as luck would have it they had a technician right next to the Roadhouse in Kulgera. Who’d have thought? Won’t go into detail but the problem was fixed by the next day, Happy Campers.

So, back to GlenDUMPO. It is a Roadhouse in the middle of nowhere with everything you could want - except it was in bad shape, The idea is great - the execution, not so good. We had one night there, then on to Cooberpedy,

Cooberpedy is different - not really our cup of tea, but we stayed two nights in order to wash cloths, get off the road for a while and buy opals! (tick) Cooberpedy is all red sand, That sand gets into places you’d rather it not get in to. I was quite happy to leave.

Next stop was Marla Roadhouse. We really liked Marla Roadhouse - probably because there was GRASS!!! We love grass - didn’t know we loved it that much, but we know now! Just one night stay on the way to ULURU.

Next stop was Kulgera - liked that roadhouse too - yes, there was grass. We stayed the one night, got the MH seen to and bought the worst Fish and Chips I’ve ever eaten in my life. Note to self….. never take recommendations off old blokes who are pissed by lunch time and possess, not a tooth in their head. Should a known.

ULURU

Well, this was the cats pyjamas. ULURU really is the most beautiful place plonked right in the middle of the Australian desert. I was overwhelmed by its beauty and majesty. We walked the base walk - 10.6 klms - we did it well on the day but I’m still paying for it now. My poor hip flexor doesn’t know what hit it. I’m working on it…. We started at 8 am and finished about 10.30. Such a glorious morning. One I.ll remember for the rest of my life. So glad we saw it, and walked it. The Camp Ground was ordinary really but the views from about 20 steps away from our MH were spectacular, I did sunrise - bloomin’ marvelous (got some stunning shots) and Jayne and I did sunset. We really did feel blessed to witness such beauty first hand,

After ULURU we decided to trek out to KIngs Canyon. We really shouldn’t have because nothing was going to compare. We only stayed one night and then headed to Alice with a stopover at Erldunda (a servo you can park behind}

We parked up and all seemed great really. However, at 4.30 in the morning we were woken by the most spine-chilling howl. It was a Dingo. A very lonely Dingo I think. Luckily we were behind a very high fence so we were not too concerned. It was an experience though. At Kings Canyon they warn you not to feed the Dingo’s. Yeah right, as if I’d being within cooee of a Dingo in order to feed it. Not this little black duck.

We are in Alice Springs as I write this, but I’ve run out of time now, so, Alice will get covered in the next post.

Off to Wauchope tomorrow - pronounced WhackUP.??? Who knew??

Love to you all

Nyngan-Wilcannia-Broken Hill-Ororoo-Quorn

I’ve been everywhere man, I’ve been everywhere - been here there everywhere. Where am I????? Who am I? What’s my name? Which way is north? Yikes a girl could get really confused - as if I’m not already.

Nyngan was a terrific spot to free-camp. Along-side of a main highway but close to town - on concrete - with a Dump Point and clean facilities. Nice job Nyngan, We spent quite a few dollars on food and coffee in town so we hope that helps a little. There was quite a few vans that stayed overnight so we felt quite safe, Well I did track down the local police stations number just in case, but that’s just who I am.

Next stop Wilcannia. Now this spot was a diamond in the rough. Warrawong On The Darling is a green space amongst a desert. We camped by a Billabong ( there’s a song in there somewhere) and had a lovely two nights rest. No coverage so there was that slight hiccup. Wilcannia has a bad rep but we stayed out of town so we didn’t have any probs. Drinking water was scarce - as it is all along the road we are travelling.

The next stop was Broken Hill, We stayed 4 nights here. Two at The Outback Resort and 2 and the Racetrack. Neither spot had decent coverage. We enjoyed the township. Great pubs with terrific food. We really did enjoy the food in BH. The town has beautiful architecture and it is the first whole town that has been listed on the National Heritage List.

Onwards to Orroroo - where the bloody hell is that? you might ask - well I can tell you, it’s in the middle of nowhere and just north of to buggery. However, we really loved this little village that is at the base of the Flinders Ranges. We bought local eggs and home made sour dough. We had a lovely drink at the local and ate a hearty breakfast at the organic cafe before we headed off toward ….

Quorn! Where we are at present. As I write this short update, Jayne is watching footy - Roosters vs Cowboys. Not happy Jan!. Everyone in our tipping comp is on the Roosters and the score is 18 -0 against. No perfect round for anyone this time.

Lots of great walks in Quorn, which we have enjoyed, and a few lovely cafes.

We head onwards and upwards tomorrow with an overnight stop at a place called Glendambo - don’t ask - I think it’s a joke. Will let you know later….

Signing off for now. Love you all. A and J

Onward to Dubbo - Red Earth Winery

This stop at the Red Earth Winery was to be our first cheap, free-camp type one night stopover. Free, (almost) peaceful, no plugging in, just gas for the fridge and the stove, solar for power (with the inverter) and lights. That all worked a treat. It was the cheap bit that we came un-stuck on. You see the camp is run by a brother and sister who cook the most amazing authentic dumplings and spring rolls etc. Well…. by the time we pulled in it was 2pm and I was ravenous. We were always going to try these famous dumplings - the number of them was not as clear. So… we tried the freshly made, huge, crunchy spring rolls ( oh lord they were good) Then we tried the pork and cabbage dumplings, and they were mouth wateringly sumptuous, so good, that we then had to try the pork and chives version. With all of this, it was only reasonable, because we were dining at a vineyard, that we try their wines…..You get the drift? Cheap? Not so much….

We enjoyed the stay however. It was quiet, the sky at night was spectacular and we slept like stuffed logs.

Next stop Nyngan Rest Stop - another free-camp.

I will put photos up under that section of the blog once I get a minute. Otherwise, if you are on FB check them out. Cheers from us.

First stop Blackheath Tourist Park.

Blackheath

It was so very difficult to leave our Dexter. The only reason we did so was because of all the warnings about the brown tick problem in the NT. We wanted to see ULURU together and track back up to Mataranka and surrounds. We couldn’t risk his life. We hope he will relax after a day or two and enjoy the peace and quiet that I’m sure Valerie and Mimi will provide.

Blackheath Tourist Park was lovely as our first stop. It’s adjacent to the Blackheath Swimming Pool. I’d visited this pool when I was under 10. I have never forgotten this 50 meter pool, smack in the middle of a huge park. Glorious. Like nothing I’d seen in the suburbs as a kid.

The only glitch during our one night stay was that at about 9pm when all the staff had left and it was pitch black a ‘ Juicy’ van pulls up on our site (all sites beside ours were free) They wanted easy access to the Camp Kitchen (which was right next to our site) but obviously didn’t want to pay for the convenience. Cheeky cheapskates. I considered letting them stay if they shared the cost - but they got the drift and moved off back to their cheap dusty camp site.

A bonus at Blackheath was that I found a Fine China mug with a Willy Wagtail pictured on it. My favourite bird is the Willy. Cheeky, happy little characters with lots of gumption. Interestingly, I’m now seeing the little characters flitting around everywhere.

Up The Guts We Go

We take off on Wednesday 26th April.

First stop is Blackheath, then Dubbo, Will try and post regularly. For those of you with FB i’ll be putting photos and brief updates on there as well.

Can’t wait!

ps, The house looks like bomb and we need a bigger motorhome!

Lorne, Fish Creek, Toora, Sale and Orbost

I’d just about finished this post - and lost it all. Not happy Jan. Hence this will be the shorter version!

Lorne,

Was for us a real disappointment. The town itself is lovely, so worth a drive through but the Caravan Park was dirty and unloved. It had a stench about it that Jayne and I couldn’t tolerate, We were sent across the road to the lesser park - where the dog people are sent. Clearly this mob don’t like dogs ….or their owners?

Fish Creek

We had wanted to visit this little village ever since we had seen it on Backroads. We’d check it out and found that you could free-camp behind the Pub if you bought a meal. We were excited to give this a try. Sadly, the food at the Pub was dreadful as was the wine. Expensive stay with little joy. We did get a nice coffee and toastie at a little Cafe called Little Oberon. Would recommend it.

Meanwhile Dex had been sick for a few days and was not improving,

Toora was our next stop to try and let Dex rest and recuperate. Non of us did either. We were all tired, and Jayne and I were quite worried about the boy. However I did get to find and walk another ‘Rail Trail’. Photos on FB Where’s Whimsy. Sadly its difficult to get photos up on this site. Toora is a tiny town with huge Wind Turbines that overlook the caravan park and the town. The residents. in the early 1990’s needed their own power supply so they attempted there own Hydro Scheme - which failed - and then turned to wind-which has proved very successful. On one occassion, getting up to take poor Dex to the toilet at around 2 am I wondered what the strange noise. was for a brief second. Yep, it was the woosh woosh of very large blades…..Made me chuckle after I realised what it was.

Sale - to the Vet again

Dex just wasn’t picking up. We were really worried. He couldn’t keep anything in his body. The Vet in Sale put him on antibiotics and he picked up within two days. He is great now,

Sale is a lovely city. We really like the Caravan Park we use here. It’s the Sale Motor Village. Large grassy sites and its an easy walk to town. Its the second time we have stayed here. Lovely walks - I tried two. One, The Old Princes Highway and one along the Sale canal. Nice. Nearly as good as the ‘Rail Tails’ I’ve become attracted to.

Orbost or Bust!

We are here in Orbost now instead of Loch Sport, because we stayed a little longer in Sale to ensure Dex was well and truly on the mend. We have never been here before, but we have both decided we love it. Cute little town with everything you need. No Bunnings, but the next best thing! We are walking today to see what we can see and there is a ‘Rail Trail’, so I’m in!

The leaves have turned. as they do this time of year and its a sight to behold. Very very pretty place this time of year. The one Caravan Park in Orbost is very close to town and is grassy and well loved. We’d recommend stopping here if you are in the vicinity. We will be back. We rate the park a good 8/10

Off to Mallacoota tomorrow…… we think………

Port Fairy, Moyne River, Victoria

Oh my…..we are in love. Port Fairy, as the name suggests, is a tad special, a tad magical, and a joy to behold. The sites, the smells, the cafe/food culture, this little Port has it all. I’d live here in a heartbeat if I could afford to buy here and also afford to house all the kids!!

Jayne and I are captivated by its beauty and the whole feel of the place. So much so, that we have extended twice.

The streets are wide and lined with senior Norfolk Pines that would have to be 100 years old going by the size of their trunks. The houses are glorious and I have to admit to being a tad jealous. The history here has been maintained. Many of the houses have some level of historic significance and show continued love and care. Such beauty,

We are staying at The Gardens Caravan Park on the Moyne River. The park is within the Port Fairy Botanic Gardens just across the bridge from the township. On the other side of the park is access to the beach.

Within the gardens, apart from 450 sites attached to the caravan park, there’s a football oval, tennis courts and netball courts. It sounds a bit too much, but it is really quite beautiful. Plus. the sites are huge and it’s quiet except for the sound of the ocean, and the wind in the trees.

Hence, we are staying a while…..

Love this Caravan Park, so it gets an 8/10 from us.

Next stop will be a week or so away and we have no idea where that will be…….

PS We are acutely aware that many in NSW and QLD are doing it tough given the weather and the floods. We send all our love to those suffering at the moment.

Love from us.

Robe SA

Robe is a lovely seaside village in SA. We have been here before and wanted to return. Well return we did, and yes we still love it, but the village has grown in the past 7 years, as expected I guess.

We stayed at the Sea Vu Caravan Park again and it really is in a top spot. However, they do jam you in leading to very little privacy. The site sizes are about half the size of other parks. We won’t return to that park as it was just too close for comfort. We may return to Robe though as its a stunning spot.

There are lovely walks around the Harbour and up tp the Oblisk to keep us fit and we found a lovely cafe that served great coffee ( for Jayne) and real tea (for me) The food was great too, so we were return customers. It was the Union Cafe on Union St.

We left Robe on the 28th March thinking we would stop at Nelson. We dropped in to check it out and turned around and dropped right out again…..Not our speed. We then pushed on to Portland thinking we’d stay there…. yeah…. nah, We made ourselves a hot cuppa and a sandwich and decided to press on. We’d been told - by a fellow traveler that Port Fairy was lovely and they recommended a Caravan Park that we hadn’t really considered. So off we toddled to Port Fairy.

The Sea VU CP at Robe only gets a 6/10 now, and that’s only because its in a great spot.

Port Macdonnell SA via Dunkeld and Arrarat

We set off early-ish for this drive as we knew it would take a while. About 1/2 hour in to the drive we were confronted by two very large fast Emus running across the road just in front of us. Luckily we had time to slow down and as I said, they can run! It was a bit of a heart starter, but also magnificent to see these birds in the wild doing whatever the heck the want….

We stopped at Dunkeld for a coffee - chose the wrong coffee shop - as you do when you don’t get a chance to ask the locals, There was a little local butcher with the business name ‘Only EWE’ writ large out front, Cracked me up. Some people are clever.

We continued on through Arrarat which looked like a beautiful town. Evidently the only town built by Chinese ingenuity through the gold rush era.

As we were leaving Ararat we were travelling at about 90, which is what we tend to sit on. We do this to ensure we can manage the 4.2 ton in an emergency. And we approached a crest with a right bend, I was driving and we had a bus behind us that was dying to overtake. but leading up to the crest it was double lines. I slowed down only because I thought a crest and a bend….. can’t see a thing…Well we topped the crest to find a ute with a trailer on our side of the road, overtaking a line of about 10 cars, with nowhere to go. Luckily I was doing about 65 on the crest and bend and was just able to slow and swerve without hitting the ute or having the bus hit us up the rear. The bus used his horn but who he was blasting I don’t know. I don’t think he could see the ute at that point - just my break lights. I have to say it was the scariest experience I’ve had driving. It took our breath away for a while and then after that it was high fives that we were not behind the bus that wanted to do 100. It could have been a disaster - a very nasty disaster,

Anyway we continued on regardless and found that we had to dump all our fruit and veg just before the border to SA. Oops - should have eaten those earlier. Then on to Mt Gambier woolies to buy - you guessed it - fresh fruit and veg….Then on to PORT Macdonnell which is only about 1/2 hour from Mt Gambier.

Well this is the cats pyjamas. Love it here. Its not developed but the foreshore has been upgraded. There’s a lovely cafe, a pizza joint, a pub and a grocery store. What more do you want? The views are to die for, with the beach being safe for swimming.

The only Caravan Park is old and small, but grassy and protected from the winds off the Southern Ocean. It’s pet friendly and well run. Its a bit of a hike back into the village as the CP is on Woolwash Beach 1.3 klms east of the village just up the coast. We’ve walked it every day. We like it here so much we have extended to 6 nights.

We rate this small port highly - 8/10 and we rate the Caravan Park 8/10 also even though its old and small and a little far from town. The sites are big and grassy and private. Really top spot.

We head to Robe on the 23rd March.

Halls Gap; The Grampians Victoria

We arrived at Halls Gap from Maryborough, It was the middle of the day and it was hot, dry and dusty. The only pet friendly Caravan Park was probably not the best park from a choice of three. It’s location was excellent though, being right in the centre of town. Very handy indeed.

The sites here were pretty rough with a gradient not really conducive to comfort. There was limited choice because we had not booked. Hence, we had to suck it up and enjoy.

Jayne and I both walked tracks in the Grampians solo so we ensured we followed park rules which state that dogs cannot be left on your sites alone. Fair enough. Mind you, very few folk follow said rule. I walked to the Venus Baths which had some water in them, and Jayne to a fairly dry waterfall….It was beautiful though. Quite a number of local Kangaroos provide entertainment with ‘flash mobs’ both morning and afternoon.

The village is cute but it was not really buzzing. The cafe we had breakfast at the second morning ran out of food and had to close. Unsure what that was about? A few of the restaurants were closed altogether and quite a few shops were boarded up. A bit sad.

We did manage to get quite decent food from the Black Panther Cafe. Nice fish and chips and salt and pepper squid. Probably rate the food at 6/10.

The Caravan Park rated a 6/10 merely due to the location. The park needs to upgrade the sites as it charges a highish rate at $43 per night. To be honest the sites were probably the worst we have ever stayed on. Uneven, dusty, weedy and unkempt.

All in all we are glad to have visited the Grampians. If we ever go back we would check to see if they’d upgraded the sites at that park before staying there again.

Onwards to Port Macdonnell SA. Back to the coast. Looking forward to that.