Blog 36 - 18th to 27th March 2014

Tuesday 18th March -- we awoke to a cold and wet morning in the Grampians, but after breakfast in the camp kitchen, and then a browse around the shops in town for a coffee and scones, we ventured out into the bush to check out a couple more walks and lookouts. First up was Boroka lookout, high on the range with spectacular views back along the valley and over the town up to the lake.

Then we drove to Lakeview Lookout, which was a bit further along, and a short walk to a rocky outcrop for views overlooking the caravan park where we were staying and the lake. Back to camp for a relaxed afternoon, which included cleaning something out of the fridge that had died a fair while ago - yuck!!

Wednesday 19th - we packed the camper, hooked it back onto the Triton, and made our way south out of the Grampians towards the coast again. But not before we stop in at Mt William, which is the highest peak in the ranges. The sign at the start of the walk said "strenuous 1.8km climb" but we continued on. What we found was that "strenuous" simply means "all up hill", so we stopped for a few breathers along the way. But the view from the top was awesome, even with the clouds that were persistently hanging around.

Stopped for a quick lunch at Dunkeld, before driving towards Hamilton - I was tempted to pilfer a sign, but decided against it. Then to Macarthur to get some vegies for the roast tonight, and out to Mt Eccles NP which the Martins had mentioned was really nice. We set-up camp amongst the trees, and then collected some firewood for the night, before getting the roast going - the 2 ducks that we were given in Harrow and lots of veg - would be enough for 2 nights.

Thursday 20th - had a nice hot shower in the amenities block (one of the very few NP's in Vic with hot showers), packed oour gear and drove to Port Fairy. We went for a wander around the walkway around Griffith Island, stopping at the lighthouse and watching the surfers catching some breaks off the rocks. Then to Warnambool for a drive around and then some lunch down by the lake. Then out to the breakwater and some of the lookouts over the outlaying islands. We continue along the coast, finally arriving in Peterborough and set-up at the caravan park for 2 nights. We go for a wander across the road to the beach, as it is a lovely warm sunny day.

Friday 21st - we awake to a dull overcast miserable day - and today we plan to visit the sights along the Great Ocean Road (GOR) and take lots of pictures - should have done it yesterday. We start by back-tracking a bit from yesterday, stopping in at Halladale Point, Worm Bay, and then The Bay of Martyrs.

Then Massacre Bay, Crofts Bay East, and Bay of Islands. We u-turn and drive back through town and start heading east towards Melbourne, stopping first at The Grotto, which is a cave / tunnel carved out of the rock by the pounding of the ocean.

Next we stop at London Bridge, of which half fell into the ocean 24 years ago, but the island part is still standing.

From here to The Arches, but by this time the weather is getting worse, so we drive to Port Campbell for a warming coffee, before venturing inland to Timboon for lunch. The rain is now much heavier, and the wind is kicking in too, so we drive back to Peterborough hoping the camper is still intact. During a momentary lull in the storm, I check inside to find that one of the zippers at the bottom of the door was not fully closed, and the floor and everything sitting on it is swimming in cold water. Grab these few things, and back to the TV room to hang them out to dry and wait for the rain to ease off. We cook in the camp kitchen again tonight, having the 2nd of our roast ducks and vegies.

Saturday 22nd - after packing up the camper (sort of dry) we drive east along the GOR, stopping in again at The Grotto

and London Bridge to get some slightly better pictures. Next stop along is Loch Ard Gorge, which has lots of walks around the coastline, with many very rugged inlets and rock islands towering over the water. The views are magnificent, and it is amazing how many of these rock structures are still standing with the constant pounding of the waves.

On to the 12 Apostles, which no longer number 12, but are worthy of a wander around anyway. We had been warned about the crowds here, but didn't really expect to see THAT many people all wanting to take lots of photos - a bit of a shock to the system.

We stop in at Lavers Hill for lunch, before driving back down the mountain to Johanna Beach, a free campsite amongst the dunes in a lovely grassy area. Went for a short walk to the beach, and then back to set-up camp. With a bit of a sea breeze, it got really cold, really quick, so we were in bed early tonight.

Sunday 23rd - left camp and drove to Cape Otway lightstation, which is a short detour off the main road - lots of koalas in the trees as we drove along. Didn't bother doing the tour, but did stop in at Maits Rest rainforest walkway, which was a beautiful walk for 400m along a creek and very, very green, with lots of very tall trees that would be ancient.

Back to the coast at Marengo Beach before stopping in at Apollo Bay for a wander through town. Very pretty countryside, surrounded by hills.

Visited some art galleries, and then had lunch along the beach foreshore. Decided to go inland and find some waterfalls, stopping at Beauchamp Falls for a walk, again all down hill - 2.5kms return, but the falls were worthwhile.

Along some dirt tracks, trying to find Stevensons Falls campsite, but couldn't quite find it, so decided to camp at Dando's campsite, which turned out to be very nice in amongst the trees and beside a small creek. Got the fire going, and sat around trying to keep warm - the nights have changed since we arrived in Victoria.

Monday 24th - after a quick chat to the rangers, we found the correct road to Stevensons Falls and parked the car. The walk was only short, but the trees surrounding the area were awesome, and the falls themselves were really nice.

From here we drove along Turton Track - drive his road if you ever get a chance, it is spectacular - and got to Hopetoun Falls, where again the walk was all down hill, but the greenery was magic.

Saw a rare black Otway carnivourous snail too!!! Back to Apollo Bay, and then along the GOR, hugging the coast for most of the way. Stopped in at Lorne, where all 4 caravan parks are owned by the same people, so no use comparing prices. Set-up camp, then went for a walk to the other end of town, stopping in the pub for a beer. On the way back, had dinner at an italian restaurant.

Tuesday 25th - decided to stay in town another night, so had a slow start to the morning, before visiting the supermarket for a re-stock. Got some fresh rolls and a bbq chook for lunch, and then wandered back into town to look at the Lorne Sculpture Biennale along the foreshore and beach. Lots of weird stuff, but also some really nice works. Stopped in at the St Annies port and liqeuer shop for a few samples, and bought a couple of presents for friends. Left there a little bit tipsy and rosy-cheeked. Back to camp, where Gina drops in for a chat, and then dinner.

Wednesday 26th - bacon and eggs on the bbq for breakfast, before packing up and leaving town, stopping first at Teddys lookout for the view over the GOR and the ocean to the south.

Further south a few km's to Sheoak falls and another walk through the bush.

Then to Erskine Falls up in the mountains, again for another walk down hill, but it is well worth it to see a 39 metre waterfall cascading down onto the rocks below.

 Not sure what the 3rd warning sign means

Back to Lorne for lunch in the carpark overlooking the beach, before continuing along the GOR towards Aireys Inlet, where Gina lives, where we stop in at the Split Point lighthouse for a quick walk around and then the cafe for a coffee.

From here to the art gallery - some fantastic works and we chat to the owner for a while. Gina has kindly offered for us to stay with her for a few days. And not only that, but she has cooked pork belly and lentils for dinner, which we enjoy with a few wines and lots of chatter.

Thursday 27th - how nice is it to stay in an actual house with solid walls and a roof - quite a few more months before this happens for any length of time, but very nice anyway. We do some clothes washing, some grocery shopping for tonights dinner, and then stop in at the 60's diner in town for a coffee. Back to Gina's for lunch, and then a relaxed afternoon before she arrives home from work for dinner. Sure to be more wines again tonight too.

On a separate note, last Friday the 21st of March marked the 1 year (365 day) anniversary of our trip - it is so hard to believe that we have been traveling for a whole 12 months, but when we think back to where we have been and what we have seen, it all makes sense. We are so looking forward to the next 7 or 8 months, with the plan to travel into Melbourne, then Mildura, Broken Hill, Wilpena Pound in the Flinders, up the Oodnadatta track to Coober Pedy, then the centre and Alice, before Katherine, and then Darwin, Kakadu and Litchfield by about September. And who knows to where from there???

More to come soon.

Di and Hammo

Blog 35 - 8th to 17th March 2014

Saturday 8^th March – we decide to leave Naracoorte Caves and drive towards the coast, stopping in at Struan House along the way – this is currently being used by the Dept of Agriculture as offices for staff – a magnificent old mansion.

From here we turn right at Penola and drive out to Yallum Park, which is another old estate home, that just happens to be open for tours today, so we park and walk up to the front doors.

The tour has just started, so we listen in, and then the great grandson gives us a review on the 10 minutes we had missed – what a magnificent old house, with all original furniture and carpets and even the wallpaper form the late 1800’s.

We then drive to Beachport for lunch by the jetty

and then drive a bit further around the coast which is very rugged,

before continuing south to Millicent. Stop at the info centre and they tell us about a nice spot nestled in the sand-dunes at Geltwood Beach in the Canunda NP. We set-up for a few days and relax with a late afternoon walk down to the beach.

 

 

Sunday 9^th – a very relaxed day, with not a lot happening – some reading, painting, sewing, drawing, and not really much else – a lovely way to waste a day.

Monday 10^th – whilst making morning coffees, I found out that a mouse had got into the canopy area of the car and eaten holes in most of our UHT milks – had to pour out 7 litres, and clean up all of its mess too. After this we go exploring along the coast, first to Cape Buffon where the rocks along the coast are very rugged.

Then to Cape Banks lighthouse, and then to Carpenter Rocks. From here to Cape Northumberland, and then to Port MacDonnell where we had a take-away lunch overlooking the foreshore park. On our way back to camp along some back roads, we hit the skids as we pass a massive hole in the ground, which turns out to be Little Blue Lake, a natural crater in the ground that is full of fresh water – very bizarre to see.

We chat to an old bloke who is about to go cave diving as it is over 70 metres deep. Back to camp we chat with our new neighbours who are moving from Darwin down to Victor Harbor.

Tuesday 11^th – we wake to find more milk has been sampled by the mouse, so pour out another 4 litres and vow to buy some mousetraps at Mt Gambier. After the drive into Gambier, we set-up at the showground and head into town to have a drive around the crater lakes (lots of volcanos in this area only a few thousand years ago),

and then to the town hall but the art gallery is closed, so we watch a film in the cinema about the volcanos that exploded in the area. There were 5 just near town, and that is what has created the lakes area, and also the caves and sinkholes in the area. Just behind the town hall is a sinkhole which has been converted into a garden you can walk down into.

Back to camp, and we wander up to the local pub for dinner and a few drinks.

Wednesday 12^th – back up to the volcano craters today, this time to do some walking. We climb the steep hill to Centenary lookout and the views from the top are amazing out over the lakes and surrounding flat countryside. Another walk around Leg of Mutton lake, and then a drive around the park area. Next to Umpherston Sinkhole which is another larger garden that has been created in this large hole, and was a popular tourist attraction for many years.

Back to camp for lunch and then into town to wander through the art gallery. Home via Woolies for a re-stock of the pantry.

Thursday 13^th – we leave Mt Gambier, and finally make it into Victoria.

First stop is Nelson for some info and a coffee – we sit by the Glenelg River and take in the views. After a bit of time traveling along the highway, we decide to do some exploring and take a turn off to Swan Lake along a dirt road – at the end of the road we find an offroad dune buggy area that has been set aside by Vic NP’s for their use – what a great idea. Back along the dirt, and a wrong turn finds us at Mt Richmond NP, where we decide to have some lunch. A quick check of WikiCamps tells us about a free spot just out of Portland in the Narrawong Forest, so we head there to set-up camp, with the plan of staying a couple of days and exploring the area. As we drive into Sawpit Picnic Area, we see lots of other travellers, some nice new toilets, and also lots of fire pits – after a quick check, we confirm that we CAN have a fire, the first time in over 3 months – woohoo!!!! We go for an afternoon walk to Whalers lookout, and back to camp to collect some wood, and then sit around the fire and chat with our neighbours.

Friday 14^th – out exploring again today, firstly to Cape Bridgewater, with spectacular views along the coast. We walk first to the petrified forest, which limestone columns have been eroded by the ground water and hollowed out to leave tubes like tree trunks.

Then to the blowholes, where the waves are smashing against the coastline and sending spray high into the air. On the way back, we stop in at Bishop Rocks and the views along the beach are really nice, with waves breaking way out from shore.

Then south of Portland to Cape Nelson to the lighthouse for a quick wander around, before into Portland itself for lunch and a short walk to the motor museum. A bit more of a drive around town, with hectares of timber and woodchips in yards all ready for export. Decided to stop in at Woolies again to buy a roast beef and veges for a camp oven dinner tonight. Back at camp, more wood gathering, then set the fire and waited for coals, before loading up the oven for a succulent dinner, with enough left over for another night. Chatted to some more neighbours before a late night around the fire.
Today we clock up 50,000 km's since we left Sydney on the 21st March - just less than a year ago - a big year of driving, but we have seen HEAPS, and are still excited about the coming 7 or 8 months to go.

Saturday 15^th – packed up and left camp, back towards Portland, and then north to Heywood and then Casterton.

Stopped in at the art gallery and chatted to the artist for a long while – great paintings with lots of detail and investigation work to ensure accuracy. Had a coffee, and then decided to drive to Harrow to a small campsite with hot showers that was only $12 for the night, including power to recharge the batteries – what a bargain. Got talking to our neighbour, and before you know it, he is handing over 2 freshly caught ducks that he shot that morning that go straight into the freezer for the next camp over roasts - duck season has just started in Vic (but not rabbit season). A cold night, so we chat around the fire.
Sunday 16^th – as we wake up, the rain starts for only 3 minutes, before stopping, so we get out of bed – to a lovely sunny day. Breakfast whilst the tent dries, and then pack up and head out of town to Horsham, where we hit the info centre, and then a coffee and then the art gallery – weird arse contemporary stuff this time, so only a quick visit. From here towards the Grampians, stopping first at Mt Zero

for a quick walk to see the damage from the fires.

Driving into the park, there are lots of black, but some green is starting to break through as re-growth occurs. We drive past McKenzie Falls and take some pictures,

before descending the mountain to Halls Gap and booking into the caravan park for a few nights.
Monday 17^th – up early to do some washing first, and then breakfast, before dropping into the info centre to get details and maps for the walks. Decide to drive to Wonderland Carpark and see how we go, as it is overcast and drizzling. We do the walk to the Grand Canyon which is only a couple of hundred metres,

and the weather holds out, so we continue to The Pinnacles, which is another 1.7km’s. The weather alternates between nice sunshine, overcast and windy, and then light drizzle, but we keep walking – they don’t tell you the entire 1.7km's is uphill, with lots of steps to climb, rocks to climb over, and with the rain, a slippery surface. But the views from the top are astounding, with views into the valley below, and our campsite and the dam off in the distance.

Walking back, we take more photos of the narrow gorge called Silent Street where the walls are only a few feet apart, and the rocks are sort of like those in the Bungle Bungles.

Finally back at the car after 4.5km’s, we drive back to camp for some lunch, and have a relaxing afternoon checking whether the washing is dry yet, and doing some reading.

We will probably stay for another day and do some more walking tomorrow, before heading back south to the coast to start the Great Ocean Road.

More to come soon.

Di and Hammo