Another of our outings around Toowoomba was much more sobering. After talking to the man in the visitor centre about the floods in 2011 we went for a drive through the Lockyer Valley area. It is really beautiful, now, but when comparing what we saw to what we looked at on YouTube later of footage from the floods, I just cried. I think what it did was enable me to make the footage real. Watching it all on TV we do become so desensitised to the massive event that it was. It is just pictures. It doesn't mean anything. But when you can drive down the road that was washed away, when you can see where there used to be houses that were washed away in minutes with the occupants still in them, then it suddenly becomes so much more real. Now I watch footage and I know where it was taken, I can see for myself how no-one had anywhere to go. Now I drive through the intersection where a mother and son were washed away and I know what the flowers on the post are for. But it's not even just the major impacts of the floods that have become real, there is all the other stuff, the vastness of the area affected and the degree of damage caused all over the region.
On T's birthday we decided to go for another drive. It was T's pick which direction we would head and so north it was to a place called Crows Nest (just because the name sounded cool!). It was only about a 40 minute drive away. Crows Nest is a small town perched on the top of the great dividing range, like Toowoomba. There wasn't much to see or do so after a short play in the town centre park we decided to have our picnic lunch at the Crows Nest Conservation Park, where there was the promise of a hike to see some waterfalls. We had lunch in the picnic grounds with the company of a strange looking bush chook type bird who wanted a share of the spoils. The kids then did some rock hopping around on the banks of the creek that flowed through the park. Much to my dismay, when the spotted a random cow on the opposite bank T and E decided they would have to rock hop their way right across the creek to go and see the cow. In the mean time the cow had wandered away from site. I had my heart in my throat watching E head through head high grass and reeds towards where she thought T had gone, but in fact not going in the right direction, with a random cow somewhere around there and her not able to hear me calling out over the sound of the water over the rocks. I couldn't even try to cross myself as I had C with me and I didn't trust him not to try and cross too! Finally E found her way out onto the sandy bank and together with T they headed around the corner to find the cow. They found it! And from the look on their faces as they came running back, with many a glance over their shoulder, it would seem that the cow was just as interested in checking them out!! After lunch we completed the 3 km round trip hike to see the Crows Nest Falls. Hmm, it was a lovely hike but the falls themselves were a little disappointing. It was along this walk however that we got to see more of the widespread damage that the floods had caused. There were several paths that were now closed due to damage, rock falls, and unsafe edges. A large part of the park itself was now off limits as the granite rocks are too unstable and there had been several large rock falls in the near past.
T's birthday was finished off with our customary birthday person choice for dinner, and as expected it was off to the golden arches we went. I do hold hope that one day he will choose something else. One day.
We have been on a few drives around the town and district to have a look around and have found and tried out every playground in walking distance from the caravan parks. So, with that in mind and me being thoroughly playground-ed out, todays activity was to head to the city library to see what we could find. We had to beg and plead and get admin involved to try and get a membership as we have nothing we can show with a Queensland address, and thankfully the nice administration lady agreed that we could have one. Poor R looked like a fish out of water in the library. "It's not my kind of thing" were his words. The kids however thought it was pretty cool. The library has a cubby house, and much to C's delight, a fire truck to play in.
This afternoon, as is becoming the routine, the kids jumped into the pool for a swim. This park has a heated kids pool which is nice and shallow at one end, great for C, and quite deep at the other to allow for the curly waterslide. The kids were all a bit excited when the lady from the office came out to take some pictures of them for use on their website. E declared "I'll be famous!!".
Other than making some plans for upcoming bookings and planning some travel in September, that is our time in Toowoomba thus far. We are going to be taking off for about 4 weeks again in September as this is a quiet period at R's work so they are happy for him to take that time off and would love to see him come back again in October, and stay until Christmas! We haven't made any firm decisions as yet so will have to wait and see which way the wind takes us........
Wednesday 31 July 2013
Toowoomba, QLD
After our disappointing overnighter at Warwick we decided to head for Toowoomba as R had some work leads he wanted to follow up.
We checked into the Toowoomba Motor Village for a night and after setting up headed into the city centre for a look around and so R could go and do some job hunting. The plan was that if he was successful in finding a job we would extend our stay, and if not we would head for a friends place about 2 hours away. R dropped the kids and I in the middle of the city centre with the agreement that he would call once he was done job hunting and we would try and find each other again. The kids and I spent the afternoon wandering around the local shopping centre and up the main shopping street, then made our way to the local Queens Park, just in time for R to call to say he was finished. An hour and a half later and the decision was made - we were staying in Toowoomba. R had secured a job. This was definitely a bit of a relief given the ever decreasing bank balance.
R was now going to be working afternoon shift which suits us perfectly as we have the mornings to do things all together before he heads off to work. The work is casual, and the employers are aware of our situation so are happy for R to have time off if there is something particular we want to do. They have also expressed that they would love for R to stay with them until Christmas. We are not sure yet whether this is what we will do or not.
We extended our stay at the Motor Village for another week and a bit, and have since moved to the Big 4 as it caters a bit better for the kids. There is a TV room and a heated swimming pool with water slide. The kids have been in most days since we arrived here, but have yet to talk me into getting in with them despite the heated water. I have told them that I require the sky to be completely blue, ie no clouds what so ever, before I will be getting in. I'm kind of dreading the day that that happens, I'm not really ready for the swimming season just yet. It may be warmer here than back home, but it's not warm enough!
So, since we have become official banana benders we have checked out several of the parks and gardens in Toowoomba. Picnic Point, the highest peak in Toowoomba is beautiful. There is a giant flagpole which stands 53 meters tall, with a flag that is 40 foot by 20 foot in size. It is huge and can be seen from miles and miles away. The picnic grounds, waterfall area, playgrounds and café in the vicinity are so well maintained. We have definitely noticed that Toowoomba is a very clean, tidy, well kept and proud city. It really is a lovely place.
We have also been to Queens Park, in the city centre, several times. For those Adelaidians reading, it reminds be very much of the Plane Tree Drive park between the Botanical Gardens and the Zoo, if you add a couple of really cool playgrounds. There are some huge grass areas and some lovely tree lined boulevards. The playgrounds cater for all age groups too, there is a toddler playground and middle sized, and a teenagers area. A little further away is an awesome musical playground. All the activities revolve around sound. There is an interactive digital game, a solar powered piano, a giant xylophone and a whole heap of other stuff. It is really cool and the kids love it!
Another park that we have checked out was the amazing Laurel Bank Park. This is a garden park, not a playing park, but it is home to the original clubhouse and greens of the Croquet Club. This is the only ball game allowed within the park. The whole park was stunningly immaculate. It is made up of several sections, there is a rose garden, a topiary garden, a scented garden, a wisteria arch walk, and some garden beds which are planted out with flowers to make pictures and can be viewed from a raised platform. The kids especially like the assorted topiary. We found, amongst other things, a caterpillar with boots on, a spider, a lawnmower, mother duck with her five little ducks, a chair, a go kart, and an awesome Thomas the Tank Engine complete with painted face panel and bench seats in the carriages. We are planning another visit to this park just so we can have another look around, and so the kids can climb some more trees!
To be continued.......
We checked into the Toowoomba Motor Village for a night and after setting up headed into the city centre for a look around and so R could go and do some job hunting. The plan was that if he was successful in finding a job we would extend our stay, and if not we would head for a friends place about 2 hours away. R dropped the kids and I in the middle of the city centre with the agreement that he would call once he was done job hunting and we would try and find each other again. The kids and I spent the afternoon wandering around the local shopping centre and up the main shopping street, then made our way to the local Queens Park, just in time for R to call to say he was finished. An hour and a half later and the decision was made - we were staying in Toowoomba. R had secured a job. This was definitely a bit of a relief given the ever decreasing bank balance.
R was now going to be working afternoon shift which suits us perfectly as we have the mornings to do things all together before he heads off to work. The work is casual, and the employers are aware of our situation so are happy for R to have time off if there is something particular we want to do. They have also expressed that they would love for R to stay with them until Christmas. We are not sure yet whether this is what we will do or not.
We extended our stay at the Motor Village for another week and a bit, and have since moved to the Big 4 as it caters a bit better for the kids. There is a TV room and a heated swimming pool with water slide. The kids have been in most days since we arrived here, but have yet to talk me into getting in with them despite the heated water. I have told them that I require the sky to be completely blue, ie no clouds what so ever, before I will be getting in. I'm kind of dreading the day that that happens, I'm not really ready for the swimming season just yet. It may be warmer here than back home, but it's not warm enough!
So, since we have become official banana benders we have checked out several of the parks and gardens in Toowoomba. Picnic Point, the highest peak in Toowoomba is beautiful. There is a giant flagpole which stands 53 meters tall, with a flag that is 40 foot by 20 foot in size. It is huge and can be seen from miles and miles away. The picnic grounds, waterfall area, playgrounds and café in the vicinity are so well maintained. We have definitely noticed that Toowoomba is a very clean, tidy, well kept and proud city. It really is a lovely place.
We have also been to Queens Park, in the city centre, several times. For those Adelaidians reading, it reminds be very much of the Plane Tree Drive park between the Botanical Gardens and the Zoo, if you add a couple of really cool playgrounds. There are some huge grass areas and some lovely tree lined boulevards. The playgrounds cater for all age groups too, there is a toddler playground and middle sized, and a teenagers area. A little further away is an awesome musical playground. All the activities revolve around sound. There is an interactive digital game, a solar powered piano, a giant xylophone and a whole heap of other stuff. It is really cool and the kids love it!
Another park that we have checked out was the amazing Laurel Bank Park. This is a garden park, not a playing park, but it is home to the original clubhouse and greens of the Croquet Club. This is the only ball game allowed within the park. The whole park was stunningly immaculate. It is made up of several sections, there is a rose garden, a topiary garden, a scented garden, a wisteria arch walk, and some garden beds which are planted out with flowers to make pictures and can be viewed from a raised platform. The kids especially like the assorted topiary. We found, amongst other things, a caterpillar with boots on, a spider, a lawnmower, mother duck with her five little ducks, a chair, a go kart, and an awesome Thomas the Tank Engine complete with painted face panel and bench seats in the carriages. We are planning another visit to this park just so we can have another look around, and so the kids can climb some more trees!
To be continued.......
Saturday 20 July 2013
Warwick, QLD via Glen Innes, NSW
We decided that instead of heading straight north for Goondiwindi from Moree we would instead turn east and head for Inverell and Glen Innes. The drive from Moree to Inverell was nothing special, nor was the drive from Inverell to Glen Innes, but on arrival in Glen Innes we headed for the Visitor Centre so we could find out about doing a quick bit of fossicking while we were in the Sapphire Capital of Australia.
We were directed to a local caravan park who offered fossicking on site for a relatively small fee. We watched a short video on how to sieve and pan the gravel wash and how to identify the sapphires before heading out to immerse our hands in freezing cold muddy water for the next hour or so (and pay for the privilege!!). However our persistence paid off and we were rewarded with a couple of small sapphires. And so, riches made, we headed off for our free camp site for the night about 40kms south of Warwick, or so we thought......
After stopping for a photo shoot at the border of NSW and QLD, and proving to the kids that we can be in two places at once, we kept heading north towards camp. However this was to be the first time that Apple iMaps failed us. It turned out that the turn off to our free camp was actually on a road that ran beside the highway and that we should have gotten onto a few kilometres earlier, and there were no other exits. Grrrr iMaps, you didn't show that part!!! Oh well, we decided that since Warwick was only 40kms away we would just continue on and find a caravan park for the night.
And find one we did, the most expensive park we have stayed in, with the worst facilities, and the most arrogant owner. So glad we only booked in for one night there. Again, we had intended to stay in Warwick for a couple of days to look for work but again we changed plans and decided to move on the following day. We did go for a bit of a drive around the city centre and were amused to see some of the decorations being hung in the trees for a Jazz and Jumper Festival. Would have been nice to see it all complete but the road and some more job prospects were calling us and so away we went. Next stop, Toowoomba......
We were directed to a local caravan park who offered fossicking on site for a relatively small fee. We watched a short video on how to sieve and pan the gravel wash and how to identify the sapphires before heading out to immerse our hands in freezing cold muddy water for the next hour or so (and pay for the privilege!!). However our persistence paid off and we were rewarded with a couple of small sapphires. And so, riches made, we headed off for our free camp site for the night about 40kms south of Warwick, or so we thought......
After stopping for a photo shoot at the border of NSW and QLD, and proving to the kids that we can be in two places at once, we kept heading north towards camp. However this was to be the first time that Apple iMaps failed us. It turned out that the turn off to our free camp was actually on a road that ran beside the highway and that we should have gotten onto a few kilometres earlier, and there were no other exits. Grrrr iMaps, you didn't show that part!!! Oh well, we decided that since Warwick was only 40kms away we would just continue on and find a caravan park for the night.
And find one we did, the most expensive park we have stayed in, with the worst facilities, and the most arrogant owner. So glad we only booked in for one night there. Again, we had intended to stay in Warwick for a couple of days to look for work but again we changed plans and decided to move on the following day. We did go for a bit of a drive around the city centre and were amused to see some of the decorations being hung in the trees for a Jazz and Jumper Festival. Would have been nice to see it all complete but the road and some more job prospects were calling us and so away we went. Next stop, Toowoomba......
Moree, NSW
Well, what an eye opener to the way other people live...... I had no reason to think that Moree was anything other than another country town and first impressions firmed that opinion. The main street of Moree was lovely. Beautiful old buildings, lots of lovely looking shops, well maintained. It wasn't until we were unpacked and settled into the Mehi River Caravan Park that we started to notice a few things that made us wonder......
The park itself seemed quite nice, and well maintained. We were lucky enough to secure the last powered site available in the park and so booked in for three nights so we could stick around and try our luck on the jobs front as there had been several advertised in the area. And so, it wasn't until a few hours later, when we were well and truly settled in that we went for a wander around the park with the kids and stopped for a chat with a fellow who was less than complimentary about the local indigenous community. It was after this conversation, during which he advised us not to go out at night, and after noticing all the signs in the park about making sure you lock your car and van, that we then noticed the fact that the caravan park was fenced with barbed wire!!!! If that alone wasn't enough to make us a touch nervous the next notice I read in the amenities block sealed the deal. Now most caravan parks have notices advising you to lock up your belongings, but this was the first one I had ever come across that advised us to lock the van even when we are in it!!!! After our drive to the supermarket later in the evening during which we also noticed that there was not a ground floor window, regardless of size, on any half way decent building that didn't have a security screen on it we made the decision not to make any job applications in this area. I told R there was no way I was going to live in the van with him at work in this town, and my decision was firmed even further when we took the kids to the playground the next day and the signs displayed around the play equipment stated no smoking, no drinking, and no syringes or blades!!!!
On our second to last day we took a bit of a sight seeing drive around the town, into the back streets, just so we could have a look. OMG!!! We counted in one street alone, four burnt out houses, one burnt out block of flats and so many completely trashed, as in no wall without holes, no full panes of glass, no ceilings at all and no complete roof, houses, that we lost count. There was an entire street of houses in this condition. At least a dozen houses all in a row in this condition.
In Moree's defence though, we did enjoy our hot artesian spas every evening in the caravan park. And did enjoy an afternoon at the new artesian water aquatic centre.. The aquatic centre had pools ranging from the standard outdoor pool temp right through to 41 degrees. From brrrr, to phewwww. I could only manage 10 minutes in the hottest spa before I got too hot and had to get out and the kids loved that Dad even got in for a swim.
While I'm not in any hurry to go back to Moree, I'm glad I did get to see the "other side" first hand. It certainly made for some very mixed emotion discussions. And I would be happy to go back to the park. It was a quirky, Australiana based, caravan park (including a beer and bullshit corner), and was the cheapest we have stayed in yet!
The park itself seemed quite nice, and well maintained. We were lucky enough to secure the last powered site available in the park and so booked in for three nights so we could stick around and try our luck on the jobs front as there had been several advertised in the area. And so, it wasn't until a few hours later, when we were well and truly settled in that we went for a wander around the park with the kids and stopped for a chat with a fellow who was less than complimentary about the local indigenous community. It was after this conversation, during which he advised us not to go out at night, and after noticing all the signs in the park about making sure you lock your car and van, that we then noticed the fact that the caravan park was fenced with barbed wire!!!! If that alone wasn't enough to make us a touch nervous the next notice I read in the amenities block sealed the deal. Now most caravan parks have notices advising you to lock up your belongings, but this was the first one I had ever come across that advised us to lock the van even when we are in it!!!! After our drive to the supermarket later in the evening during which we also noticed that there was not a ground floor window, regardless of size, on any half way decent building that didn't have a security screen on it we made the decision not to make any job applications in this area. I told R there was no way I was going to live in the van with him at work in this town, and my decision was firmed even further when we took the kids to the playground the next day and the signs displayed around the play equipment stated no smoking, no drinking, and no syringes or blades!!!!
On our second to last day we took a bit of a sight seeing drive around the town, into the back streets, just so we could have a look. OMG!!! We counted in one street alone, four burnt out houses, one burnt out block of flats and so many completely trashed, as in no wall without holes, no full panes of glass, no ceilings at all and no complete roof, houses, that we lost count. There was an entire street of houses in this condition. At least a dozen houses all in a row in this condition.
In Moree's defence though, we did enjoy our hot artesian spas every evening in the caravan park. And did enjoy an afternoon at the new artesian water aquatic centre.. The aquatic centre had pools ranging from the standard outdoor pool temp right through to 41 degrees. From brrrr, to phewwww. I could only manage 10 minutes in the hottest spa before I got too hot and had to get out and the kids loved that Dad even got in for a swim.
While I'm not in any hurry to go back to Moree, I'm glad I did get to see the "other side" first hand. It certainly made for some very mixed emotion discussions. And I would be happy to go back to the park. It was a quirky, Australiana based, caravan park (including a beer and bullshit corner), and was the cheapest we have stayed in yet!
Sunday 14 July 2013
Coonabarabran, NSW
Well, we didn't hear anything from the jobs we applied for so we decided to move on from Dubbo, complete with our new travel buddy - Sharlene the Emu!! Sharlene has become our travel mascot and she has pride of place on the dashboard of the car. We have decided to have some fun by making Sharlene appear in random photos with us as we stop to sight see.
We made the decision to head for Coonabarabran and see what happened from there, and finally we made it to a planned destination!! Popped into the local information centre to suss out what there was to see in the town and local area, and after that made tracks to the local playground for a lunch stop. E and C thought it was pretty awesome that a gaggle of geese were wandering up the street and stopped for a snack of bread crusts.
After lunch we took ourselves off to Crystal Kingdom. For those who know it, Crystal Kingdom is very much like "Woodsies" in Mildura, and after that aimed the car towards Pilliga Pottery, about 25kms out of Coonabarabran. The drive into the property was just gorgeous. Beautiful country. Loads of big gum trees, some smaller shrubbery, emus, kangaroos and wallabies, and when we stopped the car all that could be heard was the birds. Awesome! Pilliga Pottery is a private property and business. They had some lovely pottery pieces for sale but nothing I would dare buy and try to transport around the country in Cara. The kids enjoyed the pottery as they were all given a fairly large piece of clay to make whatever they liked. They were occupied for at least an hour or so. There was also some demonstrations of pottery making and we watched a fellow make a couple of urns very quickly. I couldn't help but smile to myself thinking about a potters wheel and a scene from one of my favourite movies!! LOL.
When we had finished at Pilliga Pottery we decided to make our way, slowly, to the Pilliga Forest's newest attraction, Sculptures in the Scrub. We had been told by the information centre in Coonabarabran that there was free bush camping there and that we would be able to get the caravan in there. Well yes, we did get poor Cara in there, very slowly and very bumpily over 30 kms of dirt corrugations!!! It was definitely worth it though. The Dandry Gorge, where sculptures in the scrub is located, was spectacular. I know, I know, I keep saying that about so many places, but there really are so many beautiful places outside of the usual places we went to, and I'm sure I will keep saying it about so many more before we are done.
As seems to be a very usual occurrence for us, we again set up in the dark, so we cooked dinner in the van and went to bed, of course after venturing outside to admire the stars, millions of stars. After all, we were in the astronomy capital of Australia. We got up fairly early in the morning so we could go and do the 3km hike to see the sculptures. Wow! The sculptures are a series of 5 different pieces of artwork that have been placed around the 3 km hike through the Dandry Gorge. All are aboriginal art works as the gorge is a significant Aboriginal site. I loved them. They were all so well thought, planned and placed, and as described were very much in keeping with the landscape. The hike went along the top of the gorge firstly and then made it's way down along the bottom of the gorge. It was fascinating to see the change in the scrub from the top of the gorge to the bottom. The top was very scrubby and thick with trees, bushes and grasses, while the bottom was much more open and clear with lots of large gum trees and soft grass. It was just beautiful. R and I both commented how we could both very happily plonk ourselves in a swag with a campfire and just stay there in the gorge. It was so peaceful and tranquil with only the birds for noise.
After our hike, we packed up the van and made our slow and bumpy way back out to the tar. We made it to Narrabri for lunch and the kids (and Mum) had a play on a huge cotton harvesting tractor in the information centre. I was very excited as I have always wanted to drive a tractor!! Next stop, Moree..........
We made the decision to head for Coonabarabran and see what happened from there, and finally we made it to a planned destination!! Popped into the local information centre to suss out what there was to see in the town and local area, and after that made tracks to the local playground for a lunch stop. E and C thought it was pretty awesome that a gaggle of geese were wandering up the street and stopped for a snack of bread crusts.
After lunch we took ourselves off to Crystal Kingdom. For those who know it, Crystal Kingdom is very much like "Woodsies" in Mildura, and after that aimed the car towards Pilliga Pottery, about 25kms out of Coonabarabran. The drive into the property was just gorgeous. Beautiful country. Loads of big gum trees, some smaller shrubbery, emus, kangaroos and wallabies, and when we stopped the car all that could be heard was the birds. Awesome! Pilliga Pottery is a private property and business. They had some lovely pottery pieces for sale but nothing I would dare buy and try to transport around the country in Cara. The kids enjoyed the pottery as they were all given a fairly large piece of clay to make whatever they liked. They were occupied for at least an hour or so. There was also some demonstrations of pottery making and we watched a fellow make a couple of urns very quickly. I couldn't help but smile to myself thinking about a potters wheel and a scene from one of my favourite movies!! LOL.
When we had finished at Pilliga Pottery we decided to make our way, slowly, to the Pilliga Forest's newest attraction, Sculptures in the Scrub. We had been told by the information centre in Coonabarabran that there was free bush camping there and that we would be able to get the caravan in there. Well yes, we did get poor Cara in there, very slowly and very bumpily over 30 kms of dirt corrugations!!! It was definitely worth it though. The Dandry Gorge, where sculptures in the scrub is located, was spectacular. I know, I know, I keep saying that about so many places, but there really are so many beautiful places outside of the usual places we went to, and I'm sure I will keep saying it about so many more before we are done.
As seems to be a very usual occurrence for us, we again set up in the dark, so we cooked dinner in the van and went to bed, of course after venturing outside to admire the stars, millions of stars. After all, we were in the astronomy capital of Australia. We got up fairly early in the morning so we could go and do the 3km hike to see the sculptures. Wow! The sculptures are a series of 5 different pieces of artwork that have been placed around the 3 km hike through the Dandry Gorge. All are aboriginal art works as the gorge is a significant Aboriginal site. I loved them. They were all so well thought, planned and placed, and as described were very much in keeping with the landscape. The hike went along the top of the gorge firstly and then made it's way down along the bottom of the gorge. It was fascinating to see the change in the scrub from the top of the gorge to the bottom. The top was very scrubby and thick with trees, bushes and grasses, while the bottom was much more open and clear with lots of large gum trees and soft grass. It was just beautiful. R and I both commented how we could both very happily plonk ourselves in a swag with a campfire and just stay there in the gorge. It was so peaceful and tranquil with only the birds for noise.
After our hike, we packed up the van and made our slow and bumpy way back out to the tar. We made it to Narrabri for lunch and the kids (and Mum) had a play on a huge cotton harvesting tractor in the information centre. I was very excited as I have always wanted to drive a tractor!! Next stop, Moree..........
Thursday 11 July 2013
Dubbo, NSW
Our plan for today had been to get away from Forbes quite early so we could get as far as Coonabarabran. Ummm, the best laid plans are always broken and we are now set up in a caravan park in Dubbo, only about 150 kms up the road!!!
We decided to make a stop at "the Dish" just outside of Parkes. What we thought might have been a half hour stop ended up being a couple of hours! It was a really interesting place. I really loved the scientific garden, with all its interesting facts and displays. They even have some apple trees growing there which are proven descendants from the tree in Sir Isaac Newton's garden, the one from which the apple fell. The kids enjoyed doing the scavenger hunt around the complex and C loved telling us every time the dish moved.
We stayed at the complex for lunch and then spent a little while talking with another travelling couple, of course the conversation started from E wanting to pat their dogs which were tied up outside their bus!! We have been trying to get our doggy pat fixes every time we see someone with a dog.
So, we reached Dubbo at about 3.30, and after spending about an hour in the visitor centre and playground, R decided that he didn't feel like driving any more today so we have checked into the caravan park for the night and will head off again in the morning - maybe. We have both applied for a couple of jobs in the area, all of which are short term, live in positions on large farms. Fingers crossed......
We decided to make a stop at "the Dish" just outside of Parkes. What we thought might have been a half hour stop ended up being a couple of hours! It was a really interesting place. I really loved the scientific garden, with all its interesting facts and displays. They even have some apple trees growing there which are proven descendants from the tree in Sir Isaac Newton's garden, the one from which the apple fell. The kids enjoyed doing the scavenger hunt around the complex and C loved telling us every time the dish moved.
We stayed at the complex for lunch and then spent a little while talking with another travelling couple, of course the conversation started from E wanting to pat their dogs which were tied up outside their bus!! We have been trying to get our doggy pat fixes every time we see someone with a dog.
So, we reached Dubbo at about 3.30, and after spending about an hour in the visitor centre and playground, R decided that he didn't feel like driving any more today so we have checked into the caravan park for the night and will head off again in the morning - maybe. We have both applied for a couple of jobs in the area, all of which are short term, live in positions on large farms. Fingers crossed......
Barooga, NSW
So, we didn't make it very far before we pulled up stumps. We got as far as Barooga, NSW, which is just across the Murray river from Cobram, VIC. A whole 370kms! As seems to be the case for us, we arrived much later than planned and were again trying to locate our proposed camp site in the dark. We did manage to find it and set up the basics for our first night there.
At first light in the morning we were gobsmacked by the most awesome of awesome camp sites. We were parked up on a huge, grassed, flat area backed by huge river red gums and scrub and fronted by a really big sandy beach down to the river. It was just awesome. Free campsites just don't get much better than this one!! We spent the day gathering fire wood and just chilling out. E and I built a house of sticks, C had an absolute ball digging and 4wd'ing in the sand with his tractors and T helped R install our very own tyre swing from a tree. Later E and I went for a walk in the bush to collect allsorts of berries and nuts and leaves so we could make a "happy, healthy tree potion". It included all those berries, leaves, nuts, plus some charcoal from the fire and river water. We mixed it up and poured it over the "tree" (a fallen branch that we had planted) and said a happy healthy tree spell, added some sparkly sand and the job was done! It was cool, and had all stemmed from a conversation with E about how trees make oxygen for us and how if trees weren't healthy they wouldn't make oxygen and we wouldn't be able to breathe.
Later than evening we were joined by our Ocean Grove hosts who had come to camp for the weekend with us. Even after only one night apart the kids were very excited to see M and C! The next three days were spent relaxing by the river, collecting fire wood, cooking, eating and generally enjoying watching the kids playing. I think I can safely say that I have now gotten the hang of cooking a damper in the fire, and can definitely cook a mean roast in the camp oven!!
Our last night/morning at Barooga was probably the coldest we have had on this adventure so far, and we were to find out later that the temp had dropped to about minus 4 degrees!!!! It was freezing!!! So cold that R and I had difficulty packing up in the morning. The annexe wouldn't roll up because it was frozen, the toilet shelter wouldn't fold up because it was frozen and for the first time ever we had things frozen which were UNDER the annexe!!! We ended up not even getting the kids dressed, it would have been too mean to strip them in that cold, so they travelled until lunch time in their PJ's. C the poor little mite had hands so cold that he was crying in pain. :-( We made it that afternoon to Forbes and pulled up stumps there for a couple of nights.
We had to use a whole day to get through the backlog of washing and to take some much needed long, hot showers. As much as we love a camp fire, after four nights we were quite "on the nose". The great thing about Forbes was that there were quite a few people to chat with and we had some great conversations with some other couples who were travelling. We picked up some handy hints and tips and some great suggestions for places to go and see. We did get to have a bit of a look around the town and even splurged on a meal at the pub on our second night. R had a hankering for a big, fat steak!!!
At first light in the morning we were gobsmacked by the most awesome of awesome camp sites. We were parked up on a huge, grassed, flat area backed by huge river red gums and scrub and fronted by a really big sandy beach down to the river. It was just awesome. Free campsites just don't get much better than this one!! We spent the day gathering fire wood and just chilling out. E and I built a house of sticks, C had an absolute ball digging and 4wd'ing in the sand with his tractors and T helped R install our very own tyre swing from a tree. Later E and I went for a walk in the bush to collect allsorts of berries and nuts and leaves so we could make a "happy, healthy tree potion". It included all those berries, leaves, nuts, plus some charcoal from the fire and river water. We mixed it up and poured it over the "tree" (a fallen branch that we had planted) and said a happy healthy tree spell, added some sparkly sand and the job was done! It was cool, and had all stemmed from a conversation with E about how trees make oxygen for us and how if trees weren't healthy they wouldn't make oxygen and we wouldn't be able to breathe.
Later than evening we were joined by our Ocean Grove hosts who had come to camp for the weekend with us. Even after only one night apart the kids were very excited to see M and C! The next three days were spent relaxing by the river, collecting fire wood, cooking, eating and generally enjoying watching the kids playing. I think I can safely say that I have now gotten the hang of cooking a damper in the fire, and can definitely cook a mean roast in the camp oven!!
Our last night/morning at Barooga was probably the coldest we have had on this adventure so far, and we were to find out later that the temp had dropped to about minus 4 degrees!!!! It was freezing!!! So cold that R and I had difficulty packing up in the morning. The annexe wouldn't roll up because it was frozen, the toilet shelter wouldn't fold up because it was frozen and for the first time ever we had things frozen which were UNDER the annexe!!! We ended up not even getting the kids dressed, it would have been too mean to strip them in that cold, so they travelled until lunch time in their PJ's. C the poor little mite had hands so cold that he was crying in pain. :-( We made it that afternoon to Forbes and pulled up stumps there for a couple of nights.
We had to use a whole day to get through the backlog of washing and to take some much needed long, hot showers. As much as we love a camp fire, after four nights we were quite "on the nose". The great thing about Forbes was that there were quite a few people to chat with and we had some great conversations with some other couples who were travelling. We picked up some handy hints and tips and some great suggestions for places to go and see. We did get to have a bit of a look around the town and even splurged on a meal at the pub on our second night. R had a hankering for a big, fat steak!!!
Monday 1 July 2013
Ocean Grove Part 2
We have also done some driving sight seeing around the Bellarine Peninsula. There are some really lovely little towns. We were amazed to see "The Rip" at Point Lonsdale. The point at which all water enters and leaves Port Phillip Bay and through which all ocean going vessels pass with the guidance of a Pilot. The entrance to the bay is 3.05kms wide but has a navigable channel of only 300 meters!! Queenscliff is a beautiful town with loads of gorgeous old buildings. We also stopped at their very new and modern marina to watch the ferry come in and dock from up the top of the viewing tower, and we were interested to find out that Melbourne only looked like it was a stones throw away across the water from Portarlington when by road it was about two hours from there.
Another afternoon was spent at Barwon Heads on the beach / river bank. E did some kayaking and T dug a hole deep enough to find water (with some help). C was happy building sandcastle lighthouses, and the seagulls were happy eating our left over fish and chips!
Sunday saw us pack the kids on the train in Geelong to head into Melbourne for the day. The kids were super excited about the train trip, even when we nearly missed it!! When we arrived in Melbourne we took a walk to Federation Square before splitting up for lunch. E and I headed off to find sushi and the boys all went to McDonalds. We regrouped to share the special treat that I had sourced - Krispy Kreme Donuts! Not long after R and T departed for their afternoon adventures - a trip to the MCG to watch an AFL football match. E, C and I made our way to the nearest Target store to buy a pram as C was determined not to walk anywhere and is way too heavy to carry these days. We then walked, walked and walked for hour after hour. But we did see some pretty cool stuff. We checked out street art, Bourke Street Mall, Federation Square for the Winter of Light Festival and display, walked along the Southbank Promenade for dinner, made it just in time to the Crown Plaza for the gas fire tower display. Then walked back to Federation Square to meet R and T before all walking back along Southbank, watching the gas fire tower display again, and walking the rest of the way back to Southern Cross Station for our train back to Geelong. It was a really long day, we didn't get home until 10.15pm, but we all enjoyed our respective activities a great deal.
We have now decided to turn left and head north for warmer weather, so will be leaving Ocean Grove on Thursday and heading for Beaudesert QLD.
Ocean Grove
B and J very kindly allowed us to park up in their driveway and stay for as long as we want. We have used a lot of our time here simply for relaxing and doing some caravan maintenance and alterations. We have made changes to gas bottle storage, made curtains for the kids bunks, done another clear and cull etc etc.
We have also had some adventures while staying here too. We headed out one day for some 4wd'ing and a BBQ lunch in the national park. We were amazed at the availability of places to go and do that sort of thing. We had a ball driving through puddles and mud, up and down hills and through the sand. We finished the day with ice creams in Anglesea. A great day had by all.
R and I took the kids for our promised day trip back to Lorne. We had lunch in the park and were mobbed by some very friendly cockatoos who wanted to share. E and I both had several of them on our shoulders taking food from us!! After lunch we drove out to Erskine Falls. Wow! What a beautiful spot - again! We took ourselves down the 250 stairs to the bottom of the falls and found it was so worth the walk. We spent a good bit of time playing around on the rocks and trees playing explorers and had a ball, until we looked at the staircase we had to climb again to get back out. Ugh! E decided to show us just how fit she is and ran the whole way up!! On the way home we made a stop at Bells Beach to check out the surfies and the waves, and the kids were happy to have a run on the beach and tell us all about the strange, really coarse sand.
We have also had some adventures while staying here too. We headed out one day for some 4wd'ing and a BBQ lunch in the national park. We were amazed at the availability of places to go and do that sort of thing. We had a ball driving through puddles and mud, up and down hills and through the sand. We finished the day with ice creams in Anglesea. A great day had by all.
R and I took the kids for our promised day trip back to Lorne. We had lunch in the park and were mobbed by some very friendly cockatoos who wanted to share. E and I both had several of them on our shoulders taking food from us!! After lunch we drove out to Erskine Falls. Wow! What a beautiful spot - again! We took ourselves down the 250 stairs to the bottom of the falls and found it was so worth the walk. We spent a good bit of time playing around on the rocks and trees playing explorers and had a ball, until we looked at the staircase we had to climb again to get back out. Ugh! E decided to show us just how fit she is and ran the whole way up!! On the way home we made a stop at Bells Beach to check out the surfies and the waves, and the kids were happy to have a run on the beach and tell us all about the strange, really coarse sand.
Great Ocean Road Part Two - Apollo Bay to Ocean Grove
Apollo Bay had our attention from the moment we drove in. What a beautiful place!!!
We had only been in the caravan park for half an hour before I took myself back to the office to pay for and extend our stay an extra night. Much to the kids delight as soon as I came back we were greeted with the sight of two whales playing in the bay directly opposite the caravan park. E and T both thought that this was pretty awesome!!
Later in the afternoon we took ourselves off for a bit of a look around the town and a play on the foreshore. We then went for a bit of a drive on the road to Marriners Falls and were absolutely gobsmacked by the sheer beauty and size of the rainforest surrounding us. Words couldn't describe how gorgeous this place is.
On night two of our stay in Apollo Bay we rugged up to go and see if we could spot any glow worms at Maits Rest. The kids were a bit hesitant at heading into the forest with only our torches for light but bravely they stepped forward. Poor R had to carry C all the way, up dale and down dell. We did manage to spot a single solitary glow worm, but had a lovely night time walk all the same. R and I would have loved to go back for another walk around during the day but were out voted by the kids.
We also spent an afternoon checking out the rock pools on the foreshore at the next town down the road. The kids loved looking in all the pools for things to find. We found an assortment of shells in different shapes and sizes, we found some huge seaweed plants and we found loads of starfish. In one pool alone there were nearly 40!! It seems that E has finally heeded my lessons on not touching anything at the beach with your fingers if you don't know what it is, and she used a stick to point things out!
Another super highlight of our stay in Apollo Bay had to be the visitor to our camp site. I was in the van making sandwiches one afternoon and when I looked up, what should I see sitting in the street outside our van? A koala!! We were soon joined by several other people, all with cameras in hand to watch the koala going for a casual walk through the park.
We set off from Apollo Bay on Sunday to make our way to B and J's in Ocean Grove. It was a reasonably short leg, but a rather windy one!! This leg took us along the main section of the Great Ocean Road, right along the coast line. Unfortunately, it was also the section on which the kids cars sickness was pushed to its limits. We made a stop in Lorne for lunch and a play, and a purchase of travel sickness medication!! We weren't able to go to the Erskine Falls as planned, just outside Lorne, as we were not allowed to take the caravan down the road to the falls. Since C had gone to sleep we opted to just keep driving through to Ocean Grove and come back to Lorne for a day trip.
We made it to Ocean Grove around lunch time and only had to cut down two trees to get our van down the driveway!! So good to see B and J and the kids again!! T and E were very excited to see their cousins. Time to relax for awhile.......
We had only been in the caravan park for half an hour before I took myself back to the office to pay for and extend our stay an extra night. Much to the kids delight as soon as I came back we were greeted with the sight of two whales playing in the bay directly opposite the caravan park. E and T both thought that this was pretty awesome!!
Later in the afternoon we took ourselves off for a bit of a look around the town and a play on the foreshore. We then went for a bit of a drive on the road to Marriners Falls and were absolutely gobsmacked by the sheer beauty and size of the rainforest surrounding us. Words couldn't describe how gorgeous this place is.
On night two of our stay in Apollo Bay we rugged up to go and see if we could spot any glow worms at Maits Rest. The kids were a bit hesitant at heading into the forest with only our torches for light but bravely they stepped forward. Poor R had to carry C all the way, up dale and down dell. We did manage to spot a single solitary glow worm, but had a lovely night time walk all the same. R and I would have loved to go back for another walk around during the day but were out voted by the kids.
We also spent an afternoon checking out the rock pools on the foreshore at the next town down the road. The kids loved looking in all the pools for things to find. We found an assortment of shells in different shapes and sizes, we found some huge seaweed plants and we found loads of starfish. In one pool alone there were nearly 40!! It seems that E has finally heeded my lessons on not touching anything at the beach with your fingers if you don't know what it is, and she used a stick to point things out!
Another super highlight of our stay in Apollo Bay had to be the visitor to our camp site. I was in the van making sandwiches one afternoon and when I looked up, what should I see sitting in the street outside our van? A koala!! We were soon joined by several other people, all with cameras in hand to watch the koala going for a casual walk through the park.
We set off from Apollo Bay on Sunday to make our way to B and J's in Ocean Grove. It was a reasonably short leg, but a rather windy one!! This leg took us along the main section of the Great Ocean Road, right along the coast line. Unfortunately, it was also the section on which the kids cars sickness was pushed to its limits. We made a stop in Lorne for lunch and a play, and a purchase of travel sickness medication!! We weren't able to go to the Erskine Falls as planned, just outside Lorne, as we were not allowed to take the caravan down the road to the falls. Since C had gone to sleep we opted to just keep driving through to Ocean Grove and come back to Lorne for a day trip.
We made it to Ocean Grove around lunch time and only had to cut down two trees to get our van down the driveway!! So good to see B and J and the kids again!! T and E were very excited to see their cousins. Time to relax for awhile.......
Great Ocean Road Part One - Warrnambool to Apollo Bay
The Great Ocean Road is one of those iconic road trips that every Australian (especially those from the southern states) is expected to make at least once in their lives, and this is my experience.
We left Warrnambool mid morning and followed the big brown signs which directed us towards this great Australian icon. Our first stop was only 15 minutes down the road, and saw me jumping around in the car with excitement as we pulled into the car park of "Cheese World" at Allansford. Now, everyone that knows me knows how much I love cheese so the prospect of a whole complex dedicated to one of my top five food groups was pretty damn exciting!! Well, let down of the century..... I spent a total of maybe five minutes inside, was told I couldn't do a tasting because it wasn't time yet, struggled to find any cheese amongst the shelves and shelves of imported souvenirs, cheeses and small goods. When I finally found the Allansford Cheese Factory cheeses on the shelf (one very, very small shelf) I was even more disappointed to find that all they had was several different flavours of cheddar. Cheddar!!! I can go and buy cheddar in any corner store or supermarket!! I wanted cheese, real cheese, camembert and brie, not cheddar!! So, back on the road we went....
Down the road a bit further we made a stop at Port Campbell for lunch. What a beautiful little town. We spent some time in the playground and on the skate park before I headed into the local history centre for a roam around the tiny museum and a lovely chat with the lady volunteering in the centre. They also had a fabulous range of locally made handcrafts to choose from for purchase. After lunch we all wandered down the main street to the small bay. When I say small bay, that is exactly what I mean too. The whole bay is only around 150 meters wide, and is edged by cliff faces both sides, except for the river running into it. It was stunning. We were all amused though by the sheer number of eateries in a town with only a dozen streets!
From Port Campbell onwards we met with the stunning coastline of the Great Ocean Road. The sheer cliff faces that look like they have been carved with a knife, waves that crash in over the limestone and a sea that is as blue as the sky. The first of many stops was the "Bay of Islands". Scenery like that is just awe inspiring. It really does make you stop and think about how insignificant humans are in the history of the planet. To see what nature can do is amazing. We also made stops at London Bridge, the Grotto and Thunder Cave. Each one as stunning as the last and the next.
My favourite stop along this section of road, however, was definitely Loch Ard Gorge, despite the multitude of coaches and enough people to fill the MCG! E and I made the trek down the stairs first and we were fascinated by the gorge and spent quite some time looking around and talking about it's history. When we finally made it back up the stairs E took R down so he could have a look and she could show him around. I would have loved to spend some time there without crowds of people. It was amazing.
Our last sight seeing stop for the day was to the 12 Apostles. They had a huge visitor centre there, but we didn't go in, we headed straight for the scenery. Again we were in the midst of crowds of people but did get to have a good look and got some lovely silhouetted photos as the sun was going down. We all had a giggle at the most straight forward of warning signs we had ever seen. "Warning, do not climb over fences, you could fall and die!"
We had planned on free camping at Joanna Beach that night but as we had taken longer than we expected getting from Port Campbell we decided to stop in Princetown instead. We drove into the Recreation Grounds and organised our campsite for the night. As we drove further around the oval we were greeted with the sight of over a hundred kangaroos surrounding us!! We had never before seen so many kangaroos in one place, until E did an "ooga booga" dance and scared them all away!! LOL. It was cold that night, really, really cold. Even the discarded pairs of jocks and undies on the oval were snap frozen!! Our poor air con just couldn't cope, as quick as it finished its defrost cycle it had frozen again. The only thing that made the cold withstand-able was the kangaroos that again greeted us in the morning, but this time only meters away from the car.
We left Princetown in the morning and headed for the inland section of our trip through to Apollo Bay. Again we were left speechless at the awesome beauty of the landscape we were travelling through. It wasn't long before we were heading up, up and up into the Otway National Park, towards Lavers Hill. I have to say I was somewhat nervous as we twisted and turned on a rather narrow road with drops off the side larger than I care to estimate in distance, and found that the roads were so sheltered by the enormous trees that there was moss and ice on the road. We were all pretty much in awe of the size of the trees through this area. The drive from Lavers Hill downwards to Apollo Bay was no less amazing, but I was somewhat relieved when the hills started to level out a little and I could finally see the bottom of the drops off the road. It was about lunch time when we found and checked into our caravan park in Apollo Bay. We were immediately taken with this little town wedged between the ocean and the hills.
We left Warrnambool mid morning and followed the big brown signs which directed us towards this great Australian icon. Our first stop was only 15 minutes down the road, and saw me jumping around in the car with excitement as we pulled into the car park of "Cheese World" at Allansford. Now, everyone that knows me knows how much I love cheese so the prospect of a whole complex dedicated to one of my top five food groups was pretty damn exciting!! Well, let down of the century..... I spent a total of maybe five minutes inside, was told I couldn't do a tasting because it wasn't time yet, struggled to find any cheese amongst the shelves and shelves of imported souvenirs, cheeses and small goods. When I finally found the Allansford Cheese Factory cheeses on the shelf (one very, very small shelf) I was even more disappointed to find that all they had was several different flavours of cheddar. Cheddar!!! I can go and buy cheddar in any corner store or supermarket!! I wanted cheese, real cheese, camembert and brie, not cheddar!! So, back on the road we went....
Down the road a bit further we made a stop at Port Campbell for lunch. What a beautiful little town. We spent some time in the playground and on the skate park before I headed into the local history centre for a roam around the tiny museum and a lovely chat with the lady volunteering in the centre. They also had a fabulous range of locally made handcrafts to choose from for purchase. After lunch we all wandered down the main street to the small bay. When I say small bay, that is exactly what I mean too. The whole bay is only around 150 meters wide, and is edged by cliff faces both sides, except for the river running into it. It was stunning. We were all amused though by the sheer number of eateries in a town with only a dozen streets!
From Port Campbell onwards we met with the stunning coastline of the Great Ocean Road. The sheer cliff faces that look like they have been carved with a knife, waves that crash in over the limestone and a sea that is as blue as the sky. The first of many stops was the "Bay of Islands". Scenery like that is just awe inspiring. It really does make you stop and think about how insignificant humans are in the history of the planet. To see what nature can do is amazing. We also made stops at London Bridge, the Grotto and Thunder Cave. Each one as stunning as the last and the next.
My favourite stop along this section of road, however, was definitely Loch Ard Gorge, despite the multitude of coaches and enough people to fill the MCG! E and I made the trek down the stairs first and we were fascinated by the gorge and spent quite some time looking around and talking about it's history. When we finally made it back up the stairs E took R down so he could have a look and she could show him around. I would have loved to spend some time there without crowds of people. It was amazing.
Our last sight seeing stop for the day was to the 12 Apostles. They had a huge visitor centre there, but we didn't go in, we headed straight for the scenery. Again we were in the midst of crowds of people but did get to have a good look and got some lovely silhouetted photos as the sun was going down. We all had a giggle at the most straight forward of warning signs we had ever seen. "Warning, do not climb over fences, you could fall and die!"
We had planned on free camping at Joanna Beach that night but as we had taken longer than we expected getting from Port Campbell we decided to stop in Princetown instead. We drove into the Recreation Grounds and organised our campsite for the night. As we drove further around the oval we were greeted with the sight of over a hundred kangaroos surrounding us!! We had never before seen so many kangaroos in one place, until E did an "ooga booga" dance and scared them all away!! LOL. It was cold that night, really, really cold. Even the discarded pairs of jocks and undies on the oval were snap frozen!! Our poor air con just couldn't cope, as quick as it finished its defrost cycle it had frozen again. The only thing that made the cold withstand-able was the kangaroos that again greeted us in the morning, but this time only meters away from the car.
We left Princetown in the morning and headed for the inland section of our trip through to Apollo Bay. Again we were left speechless at the awesome beauty of the landscape we were travelling through. It wasn't long before we were heading up, up and up into the Otway National Park, towards Lavers Hill. I have to say I was somewhat nervous as we twisted and turned on a rather narrow road with drops off the side larger than I care to estimate in distance, and found that the roads were so sheltered by the enormous trees that there was moss and ice on the road. We were all pretty much in awe of the size of the trees through this area. The drive from Lavers Hill downwards to Apollo Bay was no less amazing, but I was somewhat relieved when the hills started to level out a little and I could finally see the bottom of the drops off the road. It was about lunch time when we found and checked into our caravan park in Apollo Bay. We were immediately taken with this little town wedged between the ocean and the hills.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)