We experienced a very busy time, once our body clocks had
resettled on our return to Aussie from our three-month Canadian experience late
October 2017. There was the continuation of our “2017” year dedicated to home
front maintenance requirements, where no one else would have noticed our
efforts other than any observations for a lack of maintenance!
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| It was nice to be home enjoying our local beach on an evening stroll |
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| And naturally we caught up with Great Grandma & Grandpa |
We had been back on Aussie soil for nearly a month and were
already in need for a caravan fix away from home. The temperature was in the
high 30’s dictating a location with water attached. We spent a few days at a
beautiful free camp at Narrung near the end of the River Murray located just
over an hour’s drive from home. It felt exhilarating, enjoying the comforts
provided by our caravan. To be away again bush camping at a picturesque setting
helped provide a great body and mind reset. We spent time floating in the
cooling waters which we shared with the local birds.
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| Narrung campground |
The week before Christmas Steve’s side of the family had
their annual get together and it was our turn to host. We catered for 30 people
for lunch with a predicted hot temperature of 38 degrees, we set fans including
a portable air conditioner around our pergola area and crossed our fingers. It
was a hot day and luckily it didn’t reach the sweltering predicted temperature.
We all caught up on one another’s news and acquainted ourselves with the year’s
new additions to the family clan. We were joined over the Christmas period by
Mary’s sister Kathy and nephew Andrew from countryside Naracoorte as husband
Bill was unwell in one of our local hospitals.
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| Isla & Eliza our family additions for 2017 |
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| Our clan |
Christmas day was also at our place with a much easier day
catering for 20 people and a lovely temperature in the upper 20’s. The
Christmas period was especially enjoyable for us with our Canada based daughter
Judith and partner Corey both spending 17 days with us. We were already
ecstatic with their presence and when they announced their engagement during
their stay we were overjoyed with delight. Son Tim and wife Penny from Canberra
also spent 12 days with us. We shared lots of family time with our children
including Ashley, fiancée Lauren and granddaughter Isla. It was an especially
enjoyable time for us where we soaked up as much family time as we could get.
When they all left to return to their respective homes we crashed for a couple
of days requiring many nanna naps to re boot our dwindling energy levels.
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| Our current family |
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| Our grown up children |
With all our visitors gone it was time to re-focus on
recommencement of our Australian travels. The caravan was prepared, the tow tug
packed and sent for a pre-travel service. While getting a service we were
contacted by the car yard enquiring about a trade up. Unfortunately for us some
of our conversation over the last 6 months had been about our tow tug which was
nearing a travel distance of 200,000 kilometres, whether we keep it or change
over to another? We loath dealing with the tactics of car sales people and
found ourselves non-negotiable from our hypothetical change over price. After
experiencing our share of the same old disappointing tactics, a few hours later
we found ourselves stunned, in possession of a new tow tug at our desired asking
change over price.
The unexpected change of our tow tug throwing out our
planned departure time. With the required alterations to the new tow tug for
the safe towing of a caravan throughout regional Australian locations needing
addressing before departure, being exacerbated by most businesses still closed
for the Christmas period.
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| Our change over vehicle |
Steve did what he could, removing most of the additional
equipment from our old tow tug and refitting into the new one with suspension
and electronics booked in to be addressed in a months’ time.
Our initial planned departure date had been helped by a
wedding at Pt Lincoln about an 800-kilometre drive from home. Mid-January we
made our way to Pt Lincoln without the caravan in tow spending a couple of
nights half way at Pt Augusta at the recently acquired home of Sandra &
Robert (friends, formally of Tennant Creek N.T.) It was bloody hot, with the
temperature reaching 47 degrees during our visit. We cruised about in their
front yard on their boat, fished and netted 14 blue crabs out in Spencer Gulf
about 15 kilometres south of Pt Augusta. Everyone had a good laugh when a blue
crab latched onto one of Steve’s fingers drawing blood.
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| Looking at Sandra & Roberts home |
We had a marvellous time with Sandra & Robert and we needed
some rest time from the drive and socialising when we arrived at Pt Lincoln. We
were staying at Steve’s brothers place while they were away at Streaky Bay for
the week. Pt Lincoln’s cooler temperatures at 31 degrees made for a more
palatable air temperature. The wedding was an enjoyable time catching up with
some old friends and enjoying conversations with other attendees. A lovely
reminder how very nice Spencer Gulf Prawns are, a very enjoyable part of the
wedding food provided. We stayed on for an additional day for the return of
Steve’s brother, Phil and family whom we enjoyed catching up with.
On our return trip we enjoyed another night at Pt Augusta
staying with Sandra & Robert, making our way home just in time for another
summer heatwave of 40 C plus temperatures over the Australia day long weekend.
The trip allowed us to get a bit more acquainted with our new tow tug and some
additional features, with onboard cameras showing your position in parking bays
and a radar incorporated with the cruise control automatically adjusting your
speed to vehicle speeds you were approaching, travelling in the same direction
when within 100 metres.
Back at home for another fortnight before the tow tug was
due for its upgrades. Another busy fortnight with completion of some further
home maintenance, painting the front gutters and facia and some final maintenance
and packing performed on the caravan.
When the tow tug finally had its suspension upgrade, bull
bar fitment, uhf radio and electric brake controller fitted we were well and
truly ready to recommence our travels, escaping home duties.
Our first stop down the road was at the free camp ground of
Narrung where we spent three warm days winding down, readying ourselves for
recommencement of our wandering travels. It was noted the camp ground was void
of any Jayco brand Caravans for our first two nights whom have more than 50 per
cent of the Australian market.
On the third day we were the only ones in the camp ground and
experienced another first for us when a new arrival (in a Jayco) asked for our
assistance. His wife whom was an amputee with both legs missing had fallen to
the ground from her seat in their 4wd and needed assistance to lift her up onto
a walker. Luckily, she hadn’t hurt herself and once we had her seated and re-attached
both her false legs, we all had a good laugh. They were both in their late 70’s
and were still partaking in short caravanning trips.
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| Mary seated under the awning admiring the view |
Leaving Narrung, we travelled the back-country roads
enjoying the countryside scenery to the township of Coonalpyn where we viewed a
spectacular mural painted on the towns silo. We walked around town viewing some
special art work.
Our camp for the next night was at the township of Pinnaroo
at their free RV park and we spent some time walking around the town. There was
a reasonable amount of housing, but the main business street was showing plenty
of decline. The below picture showing the state of one such business on the
main street being taken over by wild ivy pushing its way into the building
creating a different window display.
Our planned route was to travel along the Silo Art Trail in
Victoria. Leaving Pinnaroo, we made our way to Patchewollock, Lascelles,
Rosebery, Brim, Sheep Hills and finally at Rupanyup where we stayed the night
at the Rupanyup caravan park with power and showers for $10 a night.
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| Patchewollock |
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| Patchewollock |
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| Patchewollock mallee fowl |
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| Lascelles |
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| Lascelles |
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| Lascelles loo art work |
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| Rosebery |
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| Brim |
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| Sheep Hills |
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| Round about art work, statues of farmer, sprouting seeds & crop |
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| Rupanyup |
Unfortunately, over the day our caravan fridge had started
to make a loud noise and Steve’s investigation revealed the fridge fan (keeping
the condenser & compressor cool) had a blade missing. He contacted the fridge
supplier, arranging for a new fan to be posted to a friend’s home farm located
about 300 kilometres along the road. Brian & Anne who we had met during our
travels a couple of years prior. We relocated to Brian & Anne’s hobby farm
awaiting the arrival of our fridge part.
Brian was a wonderful host in Anne’s absence who was away on
a training course during our first two nights. We were shown around a couple of
the local towns, participated in a winery tour (Tahbilk Winery) and spent time
in their local country butcher drooling at many various types of meat. Once our
fridge part arrived Brian assisted with fitment and strengthening up that
section of the fridge hoping to eliminate any further issues. Brian, an electrical
guru, also added a temperature sensor to an additional fridge fan for automatic
cooling when temperatures rise.
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| Tahbilk Winery |
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| Brian & Mary at Tahbilk Winery sobering up after sampling a few too many wines |
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| Installing signage for direction to farm house |
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| Mary enjoying use of a large country kitchen |
We did enjoy partaking in farm life with our wonderful
hosts, Brian & Anne providing plenty of activities. A day spent at an
“Alternative Farming Expo,” at the nearby town of Seymour where we viewed many
different types of farming machinery and exhibitions was another satisfying
day. Our stay coincided with a birthday for Anne where we travelled to the large
township of Shepparton (nearly and hours drive) for a special lunch and a
shopping fix for the girls. Once again, an initial thought for a couple of days
visit transpired to 7 days before we needed to make tracks for our next planned
destination.
Leaving the farm, we had travelled about 100 kilometres
before the onset for a need to consider our next rest location. After giving
due consideration for a few different locations we decided to revisit the great
setting of Stantons Bend a free camping location on the Murray River. We set
camp (just parked) and Mary said, “we could stay a couple of days.” Steve said,
“we still have 400 kilometres to travel for our next destination due for
arrival in two day’s time.” Maybe the below picture best explains our quandary!
Missing from the picture was the beautiful constant background noise of many
different varieties of birds chattering away and being woken in the morning by
a loud chorus of singing kookaburras.
By mid-morning the next day we concluded it to be
appropriate to continue our drive to Canberra. It was easy going travelling
along the Hume Highway. With some ongoing incentive to get on with it provided over
the day by some phone messaging with Tim & Penny. They notified us all was
ready for our arrival. For us it was a good days’ drive arriving at Canberra
late afternoon. Canberra was to be our location for our next stay - catching up
with family.
