Di's trip summary

Our trip around Australia has unfortunately ended and we have returned to our original destination – Sydney. It has been a wonderful journey with so many amazing places visited. We also met many other travellers along the way with some becoming close friends. Some have great stories to tell. This is one of the best parts of travelling – meeting new people with similar interests. The other best part is going to new and exciting places. Our country is so diverse in landscape ranging from rugged and dry to rainforests and waterfalls to beaches and sand  to bush and to desert. We are a lucky country to be able to have it all right here and to see it all freely and easily. There are not many places that we were disappointed with but we were impressed with so many. These included Karijini NP, The Bungle Bungles, The Coral Coast, Mitchell Falls and SW Coast – All of these in Western Australia. Then there is the Red Centre, Litchfield NP and Kakadu NP in the Northern Territory. Adelaide and surrounds, Flinders Ranges, Arkaroola, Wilpena Pound and the 3 Peninsulas of South Australia. The Great Ocean Road and the Grampians in Victoria. In Queensland, we saw Carnarvon NP, Lake Tinaroo, and of course Lawn Hill NP. And then the Waterfall Way, the Warrumbungles NP and the Blue Mountains in NSW.

We are sad to have finished but we now get to start the next adventure in life. New jobs, new house, but luckily old friends.  It is nice to see family and friends again. We hope that you have enjoyed following us on our trip and if you are thinking of doing it yourself one day…..DO IT.

Blog 51 - 2nd to 9th October 2014

Thursday 2nd October - another cold night in western NSW. A short drive around town and then we head for Boorowa. Not much to see but some nice old buildings. Then we decide to go to Yass - somewhere we have stopped on the highway many times when heading south, but never really wandered around town and seen what is really there. It is a beautiful old town, with a spectacular courthouse, where we got a guided tour.

Lunch at an "old style" milkbar, and then we drive up the freeway, turning off at Gunning - another of those town you see the sign for but never stop in for a look. A quick look around town, and then we stop in at the free rest area besides the creek - but we decide to continue on, and are soon in Goulburn, where we book into the caravan park. After setting up, we venture down the main street for a walk before dinner.

Friday 3rd - first stop this morning is the Info Centre to find out what there is to see in and around Goulburn. We drive to the top of Rocky Hill to the war memorial

which has amazing views over the entire town, and then the caretaker asks us if we want to climb to the top of the tower for a better view. It just so happens to be the actor John Howard from All Saints etc, and after seeing the better views, we chat to him for about 30 minutes - he has an amazing amount of knowledge about the memorial and the war effort and impact on the town. Then back into town for a drive through, stopping at the cathedral where Di wanders in for some pictures.

Then it is a bit further up the highway to the Mittagong turnoff, and we follw the road towards Wombeyan Caves, where the Suzuki 4WD Club is hosting the biannual Zukana at River Island.

After a steep descent into the property, we set-up camp, and wander around chatting to all the familiar faces who we have not seen in over 18 months - it is great to catch up.

Saturday 4th - a lovely sunny morning, with more chatting to friends. Then we wander down to the first event for the weekend - a very fast drive around an obstacle course.

Back for lunch and then Di goes for a swim in the river, whilst I go to watch the 2nd event for the day. Then we collect a bit of firewood.

 Happy hour around the fire before dinner, and then the fire gets a bit bigger to keep everyone warm. We have Micky K join us on the floor for the night.

Sunday 5th - Di is woken by Micky K snoring from the floor below - at least it is a change from me right next to her anyway. Bacon and eggs for brekkie, before a short walk to the 3rd event,

and then some lunch. Micky heads back to Sydney to see his mighty Bunnies fight for glory in the NRL Grand Final. We go down to the river for a swim.

Back at camp it is getting close to the time to fire up the BBQ for the big dinner for everyone tonight. I have been elected to cook, and with Di and Dazza's help, we cook a mass of sausages, chicken fillets and pieces of steak. The masses are fed, and all are happy - damn, probably means I will get this job next time. All the kid's drawings are on display, and they eagerly drag parents to see their masterpieces. Another massive fire, listen to the GF on the radio - the Bunnies win over the Dogs - and a few beers catching up with friends.

Monday 6th - as with most people, we pack up to leave today, but we decide to extend our adventure, and drive towards Wombeyan Caves, where we stop for lunch on the grass. Then a bit further west, before heading north, following lots of back roads and tracks until we arrive at Ben Boyd campsite about 5km's before Kanagra Walls. We set-up, collect some firewood, and settle in for a quiet night.

Tuesday 7th - an early morning storm sees everything wet, but at least it stops for packing up. We drive the final 5km's to Kanagra Walls lookout and sit on the edge for about 20 minutes just taking in the view - spectacular.

Then down to Jenolan Caves, where we walk into the village for a coffee,

and then decide to do the self-guided cave tour, which is really nice.

Then a long climb back up to the carpark. From here we drive to Lake Lyall near Lithgow, stopping along the way to assist a young bloke whose wheel has snapped around the spokes and come off his ute. We camp besides the lake

but the hike to the loos and showers is a bit far, and you need a pocketful of 20 cent coin to make the hot water work.

Wednesday 8th - we leave the lake and drive to Rydal, cause we have never been there - not much to see really, but we've ticked it off. Then to the Lithgow Info Centre, where we get some maps about lookouts around the area. We drive to Hassans Wall lookout

and then to Braceys lookout which both have great views. Then we point the Triton towards Mt Victoria, and after getting stuck behind a semi, and struggling to take off in 1st gear, we start to explore the various lookouts and views in the Blue Mountains. First to Anvil Rock lookout, then to Perry's lookdown,

Pulpit Rock,

and finally to Evans lookout. Stunning views from each of these, and all places we had never been before. After lunch, we head to Murphys Glen campsite just out from Woodford. We set-up camp in a wooded valley, and have the place to ourselves. We get a fire going, and sit around until the rain starts, which drives us inside the camper.

Thursday 9th - no rain this morning, but everything is still wet, so we pack-up and drive up the track to go for a walk through the bush, hoping to see some waterfall, but after 45 minutes, we turn back up the hill to the car. A short drive back to the main road, and we arrive at Glenbrook to buy a Sydney map and for a coffee. Then the final drive, arriving at Mum's house in Smithfield just after lunchtime. We back the camper up the drive under the carport, unhook the Triton, and unload some clothes and the bed.

The adventure has now finished, after 81 weeks, and a total of nearly 73,500 kilometres.

The places we have been, the amazing times we have had, and the astounding people we have met, make this the ultimate "once-in-a-lifetime" experiences you could ever hope for.

But it is also the beginning of the next big adventure - getting back to a normal life settled in Sydney, finding a real house to live in, and jobs to go to each day - no more of this "homeless and unemployed" lifestyle anymore

It was fun while it lasted.......

Di and Hammo

Blog 50 - 18th September to 1st October 2014

We are up to 50 blogs, and in this one, we will cross over 18 months since we left home in March 2013 - what a trip!!!!

Thursday 18th September - another cold night (why did we come south so early???) and a cool morning too. We decide to go to the Siding Springs observatory and have a look around. The views from the top of the mountain are awesome. We wander through the info exhibit, which just confuses us with way too much info about the sky above. So we venture up to the viewing platform in the telescope itself, and the inside is like a massive factory, with equipment everywhere. The lens itself weighs over 11 tonnes - very impressive.

From here we drive to Whitegum lookout and get a great view over all of the mountains around the area - if you look close, you can see the Breadknife.

Back to camp for a relaxing afternoon. We get the fire going again, and sit around trying to stay warm into the night.

Friday 19th September - we decide to leave the Warrumbungles and head back into town for a wander around, some lunch, and also to restock the pantry. Then we head south to stay at Binnaway, hoping to find a nice spot to meet Gina tomorrow, and watch the footy tonight. A nice spot besides the river, but you cannot have fires, and with a bitterly cold night, we have a quick dinner and walk down to the pub to watch the game. The Roosters win in a nail-biter by 1 point. We walk back to camp, teeth chattering in the cold evening air.

Saturday 20th September - after another very cold night and morning, we decide that we NEED to be able to have a fire tonight, so we decide to move camp a bit further down the road to Medooran, where there is a rest area again besides the river, but you can have fires. We let Gina know where we are, and go for a wander around town and to get some lunch. Back at camp, we stoke up the fire as the sun goes down (we gathered lots of wood before setting up camp) and cook dinner, then retire to the fire to stay warm. Gina and her grand-daughter Chloe arrive about 9PM and we have a few drinks and catch up on the goss since we last left her in March at Aireys Inlet on the Great Ocean Rd in Victoria.

Sunday 21st September - Chloe makes us all bacon and eggs for breakfast, and then we head off to Mt Coolah NP. The drive up the mountain is magic, with views out over the surrounding country breathtaking. We drop the trailer at The Barracks campsite, and drive out to explore some of the area before lunch. First stop is a short walk to Rocky Creek falls,

and then a short drive further north to the Pinnacles lookout, where we do another walk to the rocky outcrop at the end for spectacular views over the valleys and back towards the Warrumbungles.

Back to camp for some lunch and to set-up. The girls go for a bushwalk to see the grass trees,

whilst I collect some wood for tonights fire and roast dinner.

Lots of kangaroos around the campsite, some with joeys.

Monday 22nd September - Gina and Chloe leave this morning, to continue their trip to Bundaberg, and we decide to have a liesurely day around camp, making the most of this magic place, and doing some reading and sewing (me and her).

Tuesday 23rd September - we pack and drive back down the mountain into the town of Coolah. We get a call from Alan and Joy, and we arrange to meet them at Gulgong at the showgrounds. So after a coffee, we leave town to drive the 70-odd km's down the highway to meet our friends who we last saw in Darwin. We set-up camp and head for the showers (been a few days since a hot shower), and they arrive mid-afternoon. We all decide to head into town and have a wander around the historic shops and narrow streets - also used to be on the old $10 note with Henry Lawson.

Then up to Flirtation Hill lookout, where we enjoy a beer and catch-up on where they have been in the last few months (over into WA and part-way down the coast, before a very quick trip back east).

Back to camp, some pre-dinner snacks and drinks, then dinner, and after a game of Sequence - good fun.

Wednesday 24th September - we all decide to spend the day visiting Mudgee, so drive the short distance down the highway. First stop is the Honey Haven for some tastings and some mead. Lunch at a Thai restaurant, and then to a distillery for some vodka tastings, then another winery to sample some ports. After a big lunch, we have a light dinner, and then another game of Sequence with lots of chatting.

Thursday 25th September - after rain overnight, and some more just before packing up, we say goodbye to Alan and Joy (who are heading north), and we drive to Dubbo, stopping in at several art galleries (including Bill O'Shea who we chat to for a long time). From here to Parkes, where we book into the Spicers caravan park - a bargain at $10 per night unpowered and great facilities. Another cold night.

Friday 26th September - up early to take the Triton to the auto electricians to find out why the trailer brakes are not working - all good with the car, turns out it is in the trailer somewhere. We go to the info centre, which is also the Elvis museum and a car museum too. We wander around looking at things that have a very faint link to Elvis, including one of his studded jumpsuits.

Then to the car museum for a look. A walk along the main street in town, then get some supplies for lunch, which we have back at camp. A quick walk to the top of the hill to see the war memorial and to get some sunset photos.

After dinner, we drive into town to the Leagues Club to watch the Roosters play the Bunnies - a bad loss and we are out of the comp for 2014.

Saturday 27th September - Di goes for a walk before breakfast, then we drive out to "The Dish" about 30km's north of town. Quickly through the shop, then a 3D movie about the planets, galaxy, and the telescope. We venture outside to look at the dish - massive - and wait for it to be rotated.

Just as we finish our coffees, it fires up and rotates 90 degrees - very cool to see, as it weighs 300 tonnes. And a chance for some silly photos.

Back to town for a Pizza Hut lunch (pretty crap) (with Henry in the background)

and then watch the Swans play Hawthorn - another loss for my team. Then dinner and we watch the 2nd football final around the fire - another loss for the Panthers to the Dogs - not a good weekend for my tipping.

Sunday 28th September - we leave Parkes, heading for Forbes.

Stop first at the info centre, then the art gallery (closed), and then the motor museum, which is privately owned, and has a vast array of old and new vehicles. We get a tour from the owners son, who points out the features of each car. The nicest is an old Ford convertible.

Then lunch down by the lake, before we head east to Nangar NP for the night. We stop at Dripping Rock for a look, and collect some firewood. Then back to camp to set-up.

Monday 29th September - after a bacon and eggs brekkie, we drive 15km's along the track to the Mt Nangar lookout, where you can see Mt Canobolos off in the distance.

A magic view over the surrounding farm lands, with lots of canola in blooms of gold. We ring Daz and Kaz from the lookout, and arrange to catch-up with them tomorrow for lunch. Back to camp for lunch, where I read and Di does some drawings.

Tuesday 30th September - we leave Nangar NP and drive the 70-odd km's to Orange, stopping in at Woolies to restock the pantry. Then to the Smiths, who have decided to cook a bbq for lunch. Both Noah and Chloe have grown heaps in the 18 months we have been away - it is great to see some familiar faces. We drive a bit further down the road to set-up camp at Carcoar Dam - some great views and a really pretty spot.

We go for a walk down the road to the dam wall before a light dinner - another big lunch.

Wednesday 1st October - bloody freezing this morning, so of course Di wants to go for a walk before breakfast. We wander up the road, with the wind freezing our fingers and faces. Back to camp for brekkie, before we pack and drive to Cowra. Again, we stop at the info centre, and watch a hologram movie about the WWII breakout. From here to the Regional art gallery, where there is a photographic exhibit of portraits - quite interesting. Then the plan was to walk around the Japanese gardens, but the $15pp entry fee put us off. From here to Grenfell, another old town famous for Henry Lawson.

We walk along the main street, have some lunch, and then visit the art gallery and chat with the lady there for a long time. From here to Young, where we book into a caravan park and hit the showers (been a few days since the last one). Then a nice dinner in the camp kitchen before some TV.

From here we are going to attend the Suzuki 4WD Club Zukana down at River Island retreat outside of Mittagong, and then spend a few more days exploring before we finish our big adventure by driving back into Sydney - it HAD to finally come to an end - more of that in the next blog.

More to come soon.

Di and Hammo

Blog 49 - 7th to 17th September 2014

Sunday 7th September - last Friday, we went through the small town of Kyogle, where I happened to purchase a footy jersey in red, white and blue (Roosters colours). So today we decided to leave the camper in Mullumbimby and drive the 90 minutes or so back out to Kyogle to watch the Kyogle Turkeys take on other teams in all 3 grades in their finals matches. I was proudly wearing my Turkeys jersey,

and we watched the Under-18's win, but the Reserves and A-Grades both lost. It was a great day out participating on a Sunday afternoon in a small country town, and we chatted to lots of locals. Back to Mullumbimby to the pub for dinner. And it rained on-and-off for most of the day, but we stayed dry under big umbrellas.

Monday 8th - the plan was to get up early and get packed before the rain starts, but just as we are about to start packing, the heavens open up, and we wait under the awning until it stops, and then pack away wet canvas. Then we wander across and have a shower, before leaving town and driving down the coast to Evans Head. We have arranged to drop in on Terry and Lyn, who we met back in Coober Pedy and Ayres Rock. We have a chat over coffee and cake, and then Lyn brings out lunch, and then Terry wants to know if we want to stay the night so he can get enough steaks out of the freezer. A wonderful offer, and we gratefully accept - a warm, dry night in a normal bed. We chat for hours and hours, and it is great to catch-up.

Tuesday 9th - up early to a cooked brekkie of bacon and eggs - we are spoilt. We chat a bit more and then we decide to head off and leave them in peace - was great to catch-up with another wonderful couple we have met on the road. We decide to head back inland away from the coast and the rain. From Grafton, we take the Gwydir Highway towards Glen Innes. Once we start the climb up the Gibraltar Ranges, the views are fantastic, and we stop at several lookouts along the way. We decide to camp at Boundary Creek Falls and collect some wood for the fire to keep warm - we are over 1,000 metres above sea level.

Wednesday 10th - another grey morning, so we pack early and get ready for a walk to the falls, and also to Lyrebird Falls, which are a 2.2km return walk away. We descend the stairs to the bottom of Boundary Creek Falls, and it is like a rainforest oasis, with green everywhere.

Back on the road, and we finally arrive in Glen Innes, where we stop at the info centre, and then have a wander around town, stopping for some lunch at a noodle bar. From here we decide to explore some of the surrounding National Parks, and set off towards Torrington SCA, where we go on another walk to see Mystery Face rock

and some other massive granite boulders (including the Boars Head).

As it is getting late, we decide to drive a bit further into the park and camp, where we have the entire place to ourselves. More wood collected for another fire as we are still above 1,000 metres.

Thursday 11th - we pack camp again, and drive towards Kwiambal NP - both the map we have got and the GPS say the track exists - but after driving through a farmers backyard and along very under-utilized tracks, we are sure that it may no longer be an access road. But we make it to the other end and re-join the highway. First stop once in the park is the Macintyre Cascade Falls lookout,

and then we walk down the 114 steps to clamber over the rocks at the bottom for a different view. Back at the top, and time for some lunch in the sun. From here we drive to the camping area at Lemon Tree Creek, where we grab a great spot with nice green grass, and set-up camp besides the river.

More wood collected for tonight. Then a short walk around the camping area to look at the water and the rocks. We then decide to have a quick wash in the cold water (several days since the last shower). The wildlife around the area is abundant, with kangaroos, wallabies, birds of all types, and a couple of grunting possums too.

Friday 12th - we decide to head into a town to do some washing (both clothes and ourselves). We stop in at Ashford, where the caravan park is only $13 p.n. and washing machines are by donation. After setting up, Di does 3 loads of washing, then we wander up into town (a short walk) where half the shops are closed and boarded-up. We are joined by chatty neighbours who are traveling with 2 birds.

Saturday 13th - we head back south east to Kings Plain NP, where we find a nice campsite besides the creek,

but the storm clouds deter us, so we continue on our way - it rains from this point on until we get close to Inverell. We stop in at the info centre, and then get some lunch while planning what we do. We decide to stay in town at the showgrounds, and wander up to the Bowlo to watch the footy and get some dinner. The Panthers defeat the Roosters in the dying seconds, and then the Cowboys smack the Broncos to finish the night. We chat to many of the patrons in the club who are celebrating the footy comp dinner and awards. Back to camp late in the evening.

Sunday 14th - a quick restock at Woolies, before driving to Warialda for a quick drive through town. Then turn south to Bingara, where we stop in at the Roxy Theatre and Cafe for a coffee / thickshake. From here to Narrabri via Mt Kaputar, and then to Coonabarabran and then into the Warrumbungles NP. We get to the visitor centre just before closing and book our site for 3 nights. We set-up in Blackman Camp 2, with beautiful views over the rock formations in the distance.

We didn't get to collect any firewood, so of course it is a freezing cold night, and we are inside early.

Monday 15th - we decide to do a short walk today, so set off on the Burbie Canyon walk, which is about 3.5km's round trip. We walk along the creek bed, and then around the back of the Split Rock. You can really see the extent of the bushfire last January, with most of the trees dead and black, but with lots of ground cover and smaller shrubs starting to make a come-back.

We then collect some wood, and return to camp via Camp Wambelong which is nice and grassy. After lunch, we wandered around the area, and relaxed after the big day driving yesterday. We get the fire going and drag the camp oven out of the Triton - roast lamb, with a mass of vegies - yummo.

Tuesday 16th - today is "big walk day" - we decide to walk to the Breadknife and back, which is about 13.5km's all up. But they don't tell you that very little of the walking is flat, so it is uphill to get there, and downhill on the way back - but steep enough that even coming back down is tough on the legs. We stop at Spirey View lookout, and can get a reasonable view of Belougery Spire.

But the further we walk, the better the views get. Then we climb the 242 steps (Di counted), and then walk around the base of the Breadknife formation,

before climbing for another 600 metres to reach the top of Grand High Tops, which has views over the entire basin both to the north and south. It is from up here that you understand why they call it the Breadknife.

And the views south to Crater Bluff and Tonduron Spire are equally impressive.

We even posed for a selfie - how very Gen Y.

Then a long, tiring walk back to the car, where we collect some more firewood, and back to camp for a well-earned shower - took just over 5 hours to complete the walk, but with many stops along the way.

Wednesday 17th - after the massive effort yesterday, we decide that today will be full of relaxation. After a sleep-in, and then eggs on toast for brekkie, we sit around camp and read a bit, while Di talks to her Apostle birds

- a firm favourite as they are very talkative and very cute too. Then we have a coffee, then some lunch, then read a magazine while Di draws and paints a bit, and then set the laptop up to write this blog. Only problem is it is very windy, which makes it cold too.

Tomorrow we might go to the Siding Springs Observatory and a few other lookouts, and then hopefully we plan to catch-up with Gina as she passes through on her way to see her mum in Qld.

More to come soon.

Di and Hammo