We crossed into Victoria at about 3pm today-it was a lovely feeling. While we were driving, we figured out the van has done just over 20,000 ks and the ute 55.000 in twenty two months. It's certainly been a fun trip so far!
The last two nights were spent with our friends Steven and Mel who we met in Europe. It was fantastic to catch up with them and go through Mel's 1300 photos of the tour and load the ones I needed on to my computer. We had a good look around Cowra with them and had dinner with Mel's mum and step dad last night. Like I say, it's been great and we are looking forward to the time we can see them again.
Right now we are in Benalla for 2 nights and will have dinner tomorrow with Sarah and Hilly. We haven't seen since their wedding-they now have two little boys!
Thursday we'll be in Port Fairy with Ryan and Kirstyn.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Orange
We overnighted in Orange last night. It was a lovely drive to here from Coonabarabran via Dubbo. The country is looking really lush which was wonderful.
Orange is larger than I remembered with 38,000 people and all the parks are full to bursting as it's cherry season and the pickers are in town. We got the last site on the show grounds and are surrounded by pickers, I was worried they might be a noisy bunch but it turns out they are up around 5am and home by 5pm and work too hard to be too noisy.
We had lovely neighbours Kayleigh and George who are a young English couple working their way around Aus. I said to Russ I must be suffering kid withdrawal-I wanted to invite them home (if we had a home) or cook a meal for them! We have exchanged phone numbers and hope to meet in WA around May next year.
Today we are off to Cowra to see, and stay a couple of nights with Mel and Stephen ho we met on our trip round Europe.
Orange is larger than I remembered with 38,000 people and all the parks are full to bursting as it's cherry season and the pickers are in town. We got the last site on the show grounds and are surrounded by pickers, I was worried they might be a noisy bunch but it turns out they are up around 5am and home by 5pm and work too hard to be too noisy.
We had lovely neighbours Kayleigh and George who are a young English couple working their way around Aus. I said to Russ I must be suffering kid withdrawal-I wanted to invite them home (if we had a home) or cook a meal for them! We have exchanged phone numbers and hope to meet in WA around May next year.
Today we are off to Cowra to see, and stay a couple of nights with Mel and Stephen ho we met on our trip round Europe.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Coonabarabran
Even the Mail Boxes are Getting Ready for Christmas!
We are in Coonabarabran now for a couple of nights. Russ went through here a few years ago when he and Blair drove up to Townsville. They got lost (one of them was asleep and the other one, thinking "C" was for here) and ended up in the little town of Coonamble. They had to drive through the Warrumbungle NP to get back on the right road, but Russ has always wanted to come back for a longer look.
Warrumbungle NP
Today we had an early lunch then went out to Warrumbungle NP. It's truly beautiful with lots of birds, kangaroos, lizards and if you look, wild flowers.
On the way out we drove up to the Anglo Australian Telescope which was massive and really interesting(and the views weren't too bad either).
We are in Coonabarabran now for a couple of nights. Russ went through here a few years ago when he and Blair drove up to Townsville. They got lost (one of them was asleep and the other one, thinking "C" was for here) and ended up in the little town of Coonamble. They had to drive through the Warrumbungle NP to get back on the right road, but Russ has always wanted to come back for a longer look.
Warrumbungle NP
Today we had an early lunch then went out to Warrumbungle NP. It's truly beautiful with lots of birds, kangaroos, lizards and if you look, wild flowers.
On the way out we drove up to the Anglo Australian Telescope which was massive and really interesting(and the views weren't too bad either).
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
The Highest Caravan Park in Aus
Is supposedly at Guyra in NSW where we are spending tonight. We left Tweed Heads this morning and headed through Bangalo to Casino, Tenterfield Glen Innes towards Armidale. It rained a bit as we packed up but the sun came out right as we left and it looked like the day would be hot and fine.
The drive across the Great Dividing Range today was beautiful, but up and down and probably the slowest we've travelled on our whole trip. We stopped at a stone fruit orchard and bought ourselves some cherries, plums, peaches and cherry jam and cherry sauce. While we were there, the skies opened up, the thunder came and after that the hail. We had to stay in the shop until it passed over!
Around Tenterfild, we started to see paddocks and paddocks of wild flowers-mostly white daisies, but quite a lot of purple statice and other yellow daisies, so that was really pretty to see.
We had intended to get to Armidale tonight but decided to stop around 4.30 at a tiny town called Guyra where the caravan park claims to be the highest in Australia. It certainly is cool-I think this is the coldest I've felt since we left Walpole WA in May. Both of us had to go get a jumper on before we could set anything up around the van. Tonight we have an ensuite site for $20-quite a difference in price from Tweed Heads where our ensuite was $39 a night.
Last night we had our last dinner with Dave, Jules and girls. Jules cooked us delicious Asian style lamb shanks, wasabi mashed potat and braised bok choy-yum. It's sad to think we wond't see them again for quite a while but we'll get back there eventually.
The drive across the Great Dividing Range today was beautiful, but up and down and probably the slowest we've travelled on our whole trip. We stopped at a stone fruit orchard and bought ourselves some cherries, plums, peaches and cherry jam and cherry sauce. While we were there, the skies opened up, the thunder came and after that the hail. We had to stay in the shop until it passed over!
Around Tenterfild, we started to see paddocks and paddocks of wild flowers-mostly white daisies, but quite a lot of purple statice and other yellow daisies, so that was really pretty to see.
We had intended to get to Armidale tonight but decided to stop around 4.30 at a tiny town called Guyra where the caravan park claims to be the highest in Australia. It certainly is cool-I think this is the coldest I've felt since we left Walpole WA in May. Both of us had to go get a jumper on before we could set anything up around the van. Tonight we have an ensuite site for $20-quite a difference in price from Tweed Heads where our ensuite was $39 a night.
Last night we had our last dinner with Dave, Jules and girls. Jules cooked us delicious Asian style lamb shanks, wasabi mashed potat and braised bok choy-yum. It's sad to think we wond't see them again for quite a while but we'll get back there eventually.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Tweed Heads Cont.
Thursday we took our lunch and headed out onto the river. We caught heaps and heaps and heaps of tiny fish-mostly whiting, tailor and tarwine that all had to be returned but gave us lots of fun. After we'd finished fishing we took a tour into Tweed Heads around the canal developments, marinas and creeks. It was really interesting.
Friday (yesterday) we went to town intending to replace our hotplates which got wet out in the rain on Wednesday night. We ended up coming home with the hotplates and a small turbo oven that Im very excited to have. I've missed my roasts, jacket potatoes meatloafs and casseroles and look forward to cooking some soon-it's leg of lamb tonight to christen it!
Last night we went over to Dave and Jules' then 9 of us including the girls went out to an amazingly great Thai restaurant just down the road. It is called Chiang Mai Thai and if you are ever in the area of Nobby's Beach, go and try it out. We all ordered a different dish and I don't think you could fault one-the flavours were outstanding. We skipped entrees and we had pad thai, chicken larb, garlic pepper duck, spiced pork, cashew garlic prawns, green beef curry and crispy skinned BBQ duck along with plain and coconut rice.
Today is Saturday. We've been wanting to take the boat down to Murwillumbar and beyond so decided today was the day. I made some lunch and we headed off. It's a fair way in our tinny, but the new motor meant we travelled the 25 or so ks in about 1 hour 15 minutes. We went couple of ks beyond the town then turned around and pulled in to a public wharf where we sat at a picnic table and ate our lunch. It was a lovely day on the river with houseboats, water skiers and a heap of competition fishermen out. On the way home we stopped for a fish and caught our dinner for tomorrow night-7 real good fish-and we could have brought more home but let them go. That's the best and easiest result we have had for ages.
Tweed River
Tuesday we are having the ute serviced in town, then a farewell dinner with Jules and Dave then Wednesday we leave giving ourselves 8 nights to get home.
Friday (yesterday) we went to town intending to replace our hotplates which got wet out in the rain on Wednesday night. We ended up coming home with the hotplates and a small turbo oven that Im very excited to have. I've missed my roasts, jacket potatoes meatloafs and casseroles and look forward to cooking some soon-it's leg of lamb tonight to christen it!
Last night we went over to Dave and Jules' then 9 of us including the girls went out to an amazingly great Thai restaurant just down the road. It is called Chiang Mai Thai and if you are ever in the area of Nobby's Beach, go and try it out. We all ordered a different dish and I don't think you could fault one-the flavours were outstanding. We skipped entrees and we had pad thai, chicken larb, garlic pepper duck, spiced pork, cashew garlic prawns, green beef curry and crispy skinned BBQ duck along with plain and coconut rice.
Today is Saturday. We've been wanting to take the boat down to Murwillumbar and beyond so decided today was the day. I made some lunch and we headed off. It's a fair way in our tinny, but the new motor meant we travelled the 25 or so ks in about 1 hour 15 minutes. We went couple of ks beyond the town then turned around and pulled in to a public wharf where we sat at a picnic table and ate our lunch. It was a lovely day on the river with houseboats, water skiers and a heap of competition fishermen out. On the way home we stopped for a fish and caught our dinner for tomorrow night-7 real good fish-and we could have brought more home but let them go. That's the best and easiest result we have had for ages.
Tweed River
Tuesday we are having the ute serviced in town, then a farewell dinner with Jules and Dave then Wednesday we leave giving ourselves 8 nights to get home.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Tweed Heads Still
On of the Locals-a Water Dragon Sunning Himself
We were to move on from Tweed Heads this morning, but decided we are really enjoying it and will leave Sunday instead. It's lovely on the river-we had a great day out there the day before yesterday.
Yesterday blew up a bit windy so we just had a lazy do nothing day. It was very relaxing. Today we took a drive to Fingal Point then headed into Tweed Heads to do a bit of shopping. The ute was racing and not behaving very well as we drove down the highway, then it decided to cut out completely. The steering locked up but Russ managed to get it to the side of the road. We got going again and went looking for Nissan. It cut out again outside a Holden dealership, so I went in and asked for directions to Nissan. It was just up the road. The car is still under warranty so they took a look at the electrics and wouldn't you know it, couldn't find a fault with it. We've booked it in for a thourough check-up on Friday though.
While we were shopping a storm blew in and dumped massive amounts of rain on the area. We arrived home to find the boat FULL of water and tipped up in the air on it's brand new motor and depth sounder. Then we discovered that the power in the van was off and had a terrible time getting that back on. I think the air conditioner which was left on may have got wet and shorted everything out. Oh well, they say things come in threes.
We were to move on from Tweed Heads this morning, but decided we are really enjoying it and will leave Sunday instead. It's lovely on the river-we had a great day out there the day before yesterday.
Yesterday blew up a bit windy so we just had a lazy do nothing day. It was very relaxing. Today we took a drive to Fingal Point then headed into Tweed Heads to do a bit of shopping. The ute was racing and not behaving very well as we drove down the highway, then it decided to cut out completely. The steering locked up but Russ managed to get it to the side of the road. We got going again and went looking for Nissan. It cut out again outside a Holden dealership, so I went in and asked for directions to Nissan. It was just up the road. The car is still under warranty so they took a look at the electrics and wouldn't you know it, couldn't find a fault with it. We've booked it in for a thourough check-up on Friday though.
While we were shopping a storm blew in and dumped massive amounts of rain on the area. We arrived home to find the boat FULL of water and tipped up in the air on it's brand new motor and depth sounder. Then we discovered that the power in the van was off and had a terrible time getting that back on. I think the air conditioner which was left on may have got wet and shorted everything out. Oh well, they say things come in threes.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Tweed Heads
It's been a nice couple of days here so far. The park is really pleasant. It has nearly 200 sites but only around 50 tourist sites. The rest are permanents or holiday vans. The permanent residents are really nice and friendly which is good. I'm loving the fact that the official sunrise is now 5.30 am and sunset was 7.35pm compared to 4.30 and 6.35 just over that border. I love and really missed daylight savings. The park is really clean and tidy so it suprises me there are so few tourists-still only another couple of vans and a few tents. We are still the only ones on these en suite sites.
Russ got really sick on night one-we think he either had a gall bladder or kidney stone attack. It left him very tired and tender the next day. We had intended to put the boat in the Tweed River and go for a bit of a tour, but decided instead to drive out along the river to Murwillumbah and then cross the highway and travel home along the coast through Kingscliffe. The Tweed Valley has always been one of my favourite places, with its great weather and scenery and the fact it's not too ritzy and glitzy. We did a bit of shopping, then had lunch in Murwillumbah-sushi from a shushi train, something I've never done before. It was a good choice for Russ as it's light and you only eat what you want.
Yesterday we put the boat in at the parks boat ramp and headed off for a look down towards Tweed Heads/Coolangatta which was very pretty. We also managed to catch ourselves 6 whiting for our entree. We came home, left the boat in the water and had a late lunch before heading up the other way. It's so civilized when you can go home to the toilet (beats a bucket in the boat!), and make yourself a fresh lunch. We caught one more whiting and headed home around 5.30.
Today we'll do a bit more fishing then tomorrow we'll go to Dave and Jule's for Amber's birthday.
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