Week 13 Beginning 26th Sept 1998

 Day 86

The day we:

• decided the best thing to do today was leave town as it is Grand Final Day! Made a picnic lunch and headed of to the Fleurieu Peninsula. Stopped off at Mt Compass wetland boardwalk then on to Victor Harbour
• had morning tea on the foreshore and the boys chose to stay there and play mini golf while the old folk walked the causeway that stretches across to Granite Is where they looked for Fairy Penguins and whales. Could have taken a ride on a horse-drawn tram or a camel but we enjoyed the walk. 
• Drove on to Port Elliot, up The Strand to Freeman's Knob Lookout from where we could see Horseshoe Bay (we remember swimming there Christmas holidays '76-'77). Travelled on past Middleton Beach where we spotted two whales playing
• arrived at Goolwa, crossed on the ferry to Hindmarsh Is and found the Mouth of the Murray. Ate our picnic lunch here with a Spoonbill, Terns, Pelicans and Cormorants. Returned to the township of Goolwa to visit the Info Ctr, drive past the Bird hide (they knew we were coming again) and The Barrages that cross between the fresh and saltwater and found the area teaming with birdlife
• at Currency Creek we went on a short walk upstream where we got a close look at a towering rail viaduct, a canoe tree, cave and waterfall. Adrian went trailblazing across the river and had trouble getting back
• came home via Strathalbyn, another quaint old town with a lovely park by the river
• got back to town just as the Crows hit the front so went for a walk on the beach so as not to listen
• went out to Pizza Hut for dinner amidst blaring horns and silly people celebrating a Crows' win

Day 87

The day we:

• began to feel we were GOING HOME. Eric went for a run while we packed up, not many more opportunities for him to get away with this. As we drove out of the park we could see all the vintage cars, trucks, etc assembling on the oval opposite and many spectators arriving with deck chairs to line the streets as the RAA Bay to Birdswood Run (the largest historic motor vehicle rally of its kind in the world) gets underway. We wonder if Ian and Kate Cuss are in town. Last night the old Burra Fire Truck was on the site beside us, there were many vintage cars, some with matching vans staying in the park and people all dressed the part
• pulled over at Blanchetown for morning tea at a lookout point on the banks hight
•  above the Murray River, our river. Its amazing how the character of the river changes from the high country to the ocean
• had lunch at Monash Park where once a fabulous playground was built by a local engineer out of scrap metal. Unfortunately, due to legal liabilities much of this park had to be dismantled in the 80's, still our boys enjoyed the new equipment not knowing what they were missing. They really enjoyed the giant Tarzan Swing, would have loved to have seen them on the original 50m slides
• had originally planned Renmark as our destination but the pull to get home now is overpowering Eric and the boys. Eric wants a big bed and ensuite, the boys want to play Warcraft, I'm happy either way, its such a lovely day to enjoy the river and we'll be home a long time
• arrived at Mildura, boys want a modern park, Mum wants a final bush camp out of town, we compromise and stay at Buronga on the other side overlooking the river with town lights reflected in it

Day 88

The day we:

• wake to the final day of this family adventure, Dad and the boys are ready for home, Mum would still be quite happy for another bush camp
• were packed and on the road by 8am, had a leisurely drive to Swan Hill where we had morning tea on the banks of the Murray beside the canoe club where the Murray Marathon finishes
• were back in the car in no time, boys can only think about computer games
• stopped at Cohuna for an ice creamand to ring home to check with Cara that the house is free for us to move into. Uh Oh! They haven't moved out yet as they'd not expected us until tomorrow. Now Libby definitely doesn't want to arrive home but the boys and Eric are too close to home to consider not going there. Another phone call explaining we can't stop so we'll share tonight
• had lunch in Echuca, bought baked potatoes from an ice cream shop. Lesson learnt; buy ice cream from an ice cream shop and baked potatoes from a take away shop
• pushed on home only to find Cara and Craig had made alternative arrangements so they packed and we unpacked
• all enjoyed being home once Libby was happy Cara and Craig were happy. All a little fazed by having so much space, you have to walk so far just to put the kettle on, and the benchtops look so unfamiliar being white not yellow! Both boys couldn't get enough TV and Nintendo. Computer is at Zol's, Eric was deployed lshortly to retrieve it
• are all a little sad this great experience is over, everyone agrees it was wonderful

Cara has left us pies and bread from the bakery for tea, how thoughtful

 I COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT

LIBBY

• the clear plastic zip bags we all kept our undies and socks in, it made it so much easier to find them
• the bird book, we identified 230 different species on our travels
• the travelling wash bucket that saved me so much labour and trouble along the way, not to mention time spent in laundries

ERIC

• the tool box that we relied upon so often to do running repairs
• Bush Camps and Rest Areas mentioned in 'Around Australia' and the Free Camping Guides to W.A. booklets
• that first cold beer after a long day

ADRIAN

• his hat and sense of humour

LUKE

• UNO cards and fishing gear

WE DIDN'T NEED THE

• campfire drum
• extra esky

WE SHOULD HAVE HAD

• a disposable underwater camera for snorkelling

BEST BUY

• month long pass to National Parks in W.A. (saved us heaps)

INTERESTING STATS AND OTHER TRIVIA

• Distance travelled 21,735kms
• Finished the trip with only three of the eight tyres we started with (blew a tyre on the camper out of Port Augusta and couldn't match it in Coober Pedy so bought 2 new light truck tyres, in Darwin put two new tyres on the front of the car - as anticipated before we left, blew a rear tyre on car in Broome by a sharp rock)
• replaced cable of van in Pt Augusta and light fitting in Howard Springs
• Replaced car's water pump in Kununurra
• new battery in Adelaide
• used 22 rolls of film
• petrol cost $2,346
• park fees cost $1,550
• Groceries and Grog cost $2,773
• Repairs/Tyres cost $1,323
• Tours/Golf cost $1,150
• Total $9,142 ++

Week 12 Beginning 19th Sept 1998

 Day 79

The day we:

• woke early after a better night's sleep to celebrate Adrian's 12th birthday and play 'Pass the Parcel'. The weather is beautiful but as we pack up clouds close-in so we hurry and get away by 8am
• had morning tea at Cowell to break the journey - the boys have been pigging-out on Adrian's lollies and we've been listening to his 'Triple J Hottest 100 Vol 5' CD
• had a quick tour of Whyalla, didn't stop to tour the mine, then arrived back at Port Augusta, the end of the loop by lunchtime. It seems such a long time since we were here the last time. We recalled memories of jammed caravan cables and fears of a ruined trip, the day we went fishing for the first time and caught garfish on gents, flat tyres and almost hitting a 'roo. There's a strong urge to turn up that Northern Hwy and do it all again, there's still so much to see and do or to enjoy again
• revisited the Arid Lands Botanic Gardens to see the flowers that have now bloomed, found it crowded today. Boys weren't interested, they played table tennis with friends they've met before in Coral Bay and Perth
• grabbed a few groceries and more bait (gents again) to try our luck now we are so much more experienced. Found it doesn't help, just not biting. Adrian got one but it was too small so we let it swim, didn't want to cook tonight anyway
• went to a pizza restaurant for dinner to celebrate Adrian's birthday then cleaned up a mud cake between us
• have to ask, "How can we entertain ourselves now we no longer will be counting weeks, days and hours to Adrian's birthday?"

Day 80

The day we:

• were rudely awoken at 5am by the two vans beside us as they banged, bumped and wound then finally packed-up and departed. Shortly after, the sun came up so Eric had an early run, brilliant in the early light and just birds for company
• were on the road by 8am, travelling via Quorn and beside the Pichi Richi railway to Hawker, arriving about 9.30am, just as others were packing-up!
• made a hasty picnic morning tea and lunch then drove straight to Wilpena Pound carpark. We chose a 2 and half hr hike up Mt Ohlssen Bagge, 2.3kms straight up to the peak and lookout over the pound and 2.3kms back down. A demanding walk that nearly brought Luke undone, he did whinge and moan a bit (well actually a lot) . The view was spectacular across the pound, the original homestead where graziers stayed while tending their sheep and cattle in here
• had lunch back at the carpark after the long walk down, saw two new birds for the record
• followed a tourist drive that visited Bunyeroo Gorge, Aroona Ruins where Heysen painted, Brachina Gorge and Moralana Scenic drive. Views were magnificent, great twisted old gums in creek beds between tall cliff-topped peaks and rugged, dry countryside with roaming emu, kangaroo and wallaby
• arrived back in town with just enough time for Libby to visit the local Arts Council Festival which had displays of woodturning, paintings, photography, pottery etc. Bought a lovely book of wildlife photography. A big day, all ready for an early night.

Day 81

The day we:

• are awoken at 6am by loud banging on the door, we jump up to discover it's the wrong van! The sun is already well up so no more sleep to be had, we get moving. On the road by 7.45am and only 262kms to Clare. The posters pasted all over the lamp posts remind us that there is to be a federal election soon, the radio is full of interviews and political opinions. Its hard to be interested out here so we turn it off and listen to cds instead
• settled into Clare Caravan Park again about 10.30, visited Leslie for lunch and Des joined us. Boys engrossed in the computer and playstation
• after Des finished work we went up to the block to see progress on the shed that is now to be the home and were quickly roped into helping shove vine cuttings into a sand bed, watering and constructing a rock retaining wall until dark
• went back to the Menz rental household for dinner and caught up with Catherine who had recently had her Formal land just picked up the photos
• watched the Brownlow Count and talked of all our travels since we'd seen them last. Finally got to bed about 11.30, a very late night for us these days

Day 82

The day we:

• laid in bed feeling sorry for Leslie who'd had to get up early and drive to Adelaide for a conference. We lazed around all morning, the boys showing obvious effects form the late night, that's a nice way of saying they were brawling
• drove to Burra, Aust's first mining town (1840's) and where Des and Leslie lived before Cobram. They'd spoken of it so fondly so often we were interested to visit. The local tourist authority has set up a passport and key system where visitors can go on a self-guided tour. An excellent idea as the town has so many sites of interest. We completed the whole tour though the boys were not overly interested except at the mine, the gaol (where the film Breaker Morant was made and they have been listening to a song by John Williamson about him) and the dugouts (where 1,800 Cornish people lived in caves dug into the riverbanks)
• we enjoyed a picnic lunch by the duckpond in town and Eric also had a Cornish Pastie which is reputedly as authentic as those the miners ate. Drove back to Clare through Mintaro another town entirely heritage listed. Visited Martindale Hall, a stately old mansion where Picnic at Hanging Rock was filmed
• spent the evening with Des, Catherine and Jakke (complete with his new braces) and were treated to a Dolphin massage. Have to get one
• departed for home in pouring rain, Des worried about his chooks. What about us!

Day 83

The day we:

• packed up at our leisure until threatening clouds gave us the hurry-up, got away about 9.30am travelling through Gawler and Elizabeth (recognised the pub where we'd had a drink with Doug 22 yrs ago on our S.A. trip
• had no trouble navigating our way through Adelaide to West Beach C'van Pk, lovely layout right on the beach behind the dunes. Complete with games room, TV etc, everything's great except for the wind coming straight off the water
• relaxed, got groceries locally and went for a stroll on the beach. In the late afternoon we drove to Glenelg just 5mins down the road. Ron proposed to Iris here, boys very impressed by the look of Magic Mountain (dodgems, waterslide, pinball machines etc). Looked along Jetty St, the main shopping centre and found Old Gum Tree Reserve where Capt Hindmarsh proclaimed the Colony of S.A.
• came home to dinner and planned our next few days; markets, shops, hills, Handorf, Victor Harbour and Goolwa
• played umpteen games of UNO then Eric cleaned us up at Pontoon
  
  
  

Day 84

The day we:

• endured a very windy night again, this time our fly and it's attaching channel became separated at one stage. Eric had to get up and tie the boys' end down with occy straps so the same didn't happen to theirs. Not much sleep , how he managed to go for a run this am is beyond me, boys washed the car
• drove into town to do the city sights, followed the trail of the Adelaide Explorer. Most eye-catching thing about town is all the AFL Grand Final promotion, there's much excitement about the possibility of back-to-back premierships. Streets are lined with banners, shops have streamers, balloons and mascots - everything is black, red and yellow
• saw Botanical Gardens, zoo gates, Torrens River, Adelaide Oval, St Peters Cathedral, etc. Parked the car and walked up Hindley St and Rundle Mall, had to buy Libby a jumper as it is quite cold and she had only dressed in shorts and t-shirt (a good ploy)
• boys delighted as they've bought Warcraft 2, a cd game they've been keen on since finding it in Perth on special
• visited the Bradman Collection, an exhibition at the Library which all of us enjoyed then went to the Migration Museum which we found very interesting too. It's home is the building which was once the city's Destitute Asylum, also an interesting story - very Oliver Twist-like
• had lunch in Chinatown then wandered through the Central Markets, collected our mail (last for the trip) and visited Haig's Chocolate factory to see how its made and sample some
• drove to Semaphore area near Port then Grange Golf Course on our way home where Eric booked in for a round tomorrow 

Day 85

The day we:

• relaxed at the park while Eric enjoyed his 6.30am golf at the Grange Course. It's right next to Football Park and yesterday as we drove in we'd seen Malcolm Blight drive out. Eric had some trouble starting the car this morning so had the battery checked and it was cactus, another $100 gone by the boards. On the way home he picked up the photos we'd had developed, so on arrival back at the park we had a coffee and all enjoyed looking at what we'd seen and done since Perth
• had an early lunch and then drove around the Adelaide Hills. Our first stop was Mt Lofty Lookout for a great view of the city, could almost see our van in the park just past the airport (just kidding). Its a city that runs North/South between sea and hills and is very easy to navigate
• Went to Mt Lofty Botanical Gardens which are beautifully landscaped around the steep hillside
• drove on through the hills to Melba's Chocolate Factory at Woodside, boys think chocolate factories are the best of tours. It was interesting to see all the old machinery still in use
• drove on to Handorf and walked the street of this lovely old town settled by Germans, found a massaging dolphin which we are all looking forward to having used on us. Loved the local art gallery which has artists in residence -painter, papermaking, leather worker, lead-lighting etc. Lots of beautiful works for sale including Heysen's
• enjoyed a roast cooked in our oven and chocolate. Went to the laundry top watch the TV because Sarah Henderson's Bullo Station was featuring on a program

Week 11 Beginning 11th Sept 1998

 Day 72

The day we:

• began with a relaxed breakfast then into town where we tried for a new chopping board at the Red Cross Shop but came out with dominoes and a few books instead
• visited Jill Murch's Photographic Gallery, she takes beautiful shots of nature, particularly beach scenes. No wonder she finds so much inspiration along this coast. Her shots are very artistic and we're all inspired now to become artists with the camera
• drove the 60kms to VCape Le Grande Nat. Pk. It was spectacular, perhaps even surpassing Wilson's Prom. Magnificent white beaches and turquoise water, rocky outcrops and shorelines, small islands. We first walked from Lucky Bay to Thistle Cove (taking lots of artistic shots) then had morning tea and fed a Pacific Gull with a sore neck. After a good rest we tackled Frenchman's Peak, a steep climb but well worth the view
• returned to the van for lunch then took the boys to mini golf  where Luke was champion, Adrian was frustrated and Eric got angry
• had afternoon tea at the Tea Shop by the jetty then fished for the evening where Libby caught a Skippy and a Flathead. Luke kept losing his bait to a squid and Adrian was so busy changing his gear he hardly had it in the water
• listened to highlights of the Commonwealth Games Day 1 from KL.

Day 73

The day we:

• packed up between showers and left just before 8am with one ear listening to the radio broadcast of the Rafter V Sampras U.S. Open Semi Final as we drove to Norseman (Rafter won and now plays Philipousis in the final)
• had morning tea by the road then copped very heavy rain and got caught behind two roadtrains who threw up such terrific sheets of water off the road we couldn't pass
• arrived in Kalgoorlie and set up in sunshine, boys were no help this time, they've disappeared to the TV room to watch Commonwealth Games. Had lunch and then it rained again
• headed out when the weather cleared, began at the Superpit Lookout watching haulpaks, looking like ants at the bottom, laden with ore climb the spiral path up and out of the huge pit. Its not until you see them parked beside a grader, absolutely dwarfing it, that you appreciate how big these vehicles are. Their tyres alone stand at 3m.
• visited the Museum of the Goldfields housed in the original building of the British Arms Hotel located under the Ivanhoe headframe which you can travel up in a glass lift to view the township. This town has some very ornate architecture, fabulous pubs, impressive facades on all the public buildings etc. Museum has an interesting collection of memorabilia pertaining mostly to mining and sandalwood industries, also the trade union movement
• got some groceries on the way home and drove down the infamous Hay St
• cooked a bbq under clear, starry skies, listened to Games report

Day 74

The day we:

• saw Eric off on his run, he ran the length of Hannon St and back stopping at the bronze statue of Paddy Hannon to take a drink from his waterbag, he was one of the first to discover gold here
• visited Hannons Nth, a mine now functioning as a tourist attraction
• called in at the 2-up site, 7kms out in the bush, operates daily from 4pm except Xmas and Good Friday
• saw Mt Charlotte Reservoir from the lookout, this town supply is pumped from Mundaring Weir (Perth) and takes 10 days to travel the 565kms
• visited the tourist bureau after lunch, local second-hand store for new chopping board (got one this time) and Hay St again, this time explaining the purpose of the colourful tin sheds
• called in to Hammond Park, a reserve for emu and kangaroo and also many birds in aviaries. Of all things there was also a miniature Bavarian Castle there
• drove to Boulder Town and called into the Town Hall to see the hand painted drop curtain only to discover it had been rolled up for the day, building still very impressive
• went back to Superpit Lookout to hear and see the 4.45pm daily detonation blast only to discover today's was going to be a big one so it was closed for safety
• spent the evening all watching C'wealth Games. Eric would probably have preferred to be served beer by a 'Skimpy' at any one of the pubs

Day 75

The day we:

• got away about 8.30am and returned to Norseman this time via Coolgardie, the fabulous design and huge dimensions of the Town Hall (1898) are evidence of the gold rush in all its splendour, now only 1000 people in the town
• turned east onto the Eyre Hwy and laughed to ourselves of our folly in bringing a bag of firewood along - there are so many trees!  We've been carting it since Parry's Beach
• watched the petrol prices vary:Norseman 87.9, Balladonia 101.9, Caiguna 103.4
• had lunch at Newmans Rocks, a good spot well off the road although the formation itself was nothing to write home about
• crossed Aust's longest straight stretch , 146.6kms between Balladonia and Caiguna
• were all travelling well so although we had been planning to finish up somewhere around Balladonia, we kept going. You travel through 2 time zones here, each 3/4hr, one back around Newmans Rocks and the other at the S.A. Border
• would have liked to visit the Eyre Bird Observatory but at the turnoff just passed Cocklebiddy the sign warns it is for 4WD only
• were surprised to come across a lookout at Madura Pass just on sunset when we were ready to pull up. Here the road descends steeply from Hampton Tablelands to the plains below. We pulled in to Moondini Bluff, what a good decision. A good sheltered campsite well off the road with a few other travellers, a pit toilet that passes Luke's scrutiny and a fine clear sky
• quick Spag Bol by the fire then marshmallows and chocolate, every boy's dream dinner

Day 76

The day we:

• didn't get away until 9am S.A. time then lost another 3/4hr at Eucla where we ascended the escarpment again and crossed the border into S.A. A bit glum to be leaving W.A., we've really loved it and will have to come back
• called in to umpteen lookout points overlooking the Great Australian Bight, some are beaches while others have fantastic cliffs. Took lots of photos. As we reached Nullabor we actually passed the sign that indicates the end of the official treeless plain, we'd missed it. So much else to see. 
• entered Yalata Aboriginal Reserve and visited their site at the head of the Bight, here we found about 2 dozen whales lolling in the water just offshore. Mothers and babies, fantastic, never seen so many before and so close. The ranger said there were over 100 here earlier in the month, now there were about 70 left in the region and about 40 calves
• looked for somewhere to stay the night before the quarantine checkpoint at Ceduna as we've lots of fresh fruit and veggies aboard. Decided to try point Sinclair, 21kms to the coast from Penong. Had read somewhere that Cactus Beach was famous with surfers and decided to give it a go even though it is not marked on Explore Australia's map (our bible)
• congratulated ourselves on a great choice. The property owner here maintains a campground amongst the dunes with stonewall toilet surrounds and fireplace shelters, firewood provided and a bore (not for drinking) all for $6 per head. He's an interesting character, environmentally conscious and out of rate paying district though not sure for how much longer, doesn't like government interference
• spent the evening on the beach and walked the Point - beautiful

Day 77

The day we:

• awoke to a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. Eric went for a run then we adults had a Pommy wash out in broad daylight much to the boys astonishment and disgust
• had breakfast then went for a walk along the coast, around the point and to the jetty. It is a rugged coast with caves, blowholes, big sand dunes, beautiful waves breaking offshore and lots of birdlife. We loved it but the boys found it a bit long
• had a long drink then hitched up and departed for Port Lincoln over 500kms away, our third big driving day in a row
• stopped for morning tea sometime after Penong and then quarantine check at Ceduna. The highlight here was being able to check off lots of things from the 'I Spy' sheet we'd been following since Norseman
• drove on to Murphy's Haystack (an interesting rock formation) for lunch, Libby went for a walk but the others preferred to sit and watch a stumpy-tail waddle about
• drove straight through to Port Lincoln listening to John Williamson because one track on the album mentions this town, then we had Les Miserables which the boys were not impressed with but who cares. Must say they travelled well today
• parked the van and set up the awning only later to discover our young 'level advisors' had given us a bum steer and we had to jack the van up to pack blocks under one wheel. We are not amused, all tired after a long drive so early to bed
• expect to fish tomorrow, Eric has bought the burley

Day 78

The day we:

• all woke up bleary-eyed and tired, showing signs of not enough sleep after a night of gusting coastal winds. Through the night we'd had to get up to attend to poles for the flies to stop the flapping, the whole van was rocking at times and clips were clattering, didn't get much sleep
• had a slow start reading and washing clothes, some were so dirty from the Nullabor, they came out dirtier than they went in!
• went for a tour around town and the impressive marina, busy with tuna and prawn boats, very flash. Went out to Billy Lights Lookout and saw the Blue Tuna farms offshore
• drove 30kms out Whalers' Way for lovely coastal views but we've either seen too much coast lately or are all just too tired to appreciate it today. On our way back to town we visited the local Costantia Wood factory famous for having been commissioned to make the Government table and Hansard's bench in the new Parliament House
• went home for lunch and a rest, Eric drove up to Port Lincoln Lookout for stunning views of the town and bay while the rest read and played on the park trampoline
• fished in the afternoon. First at town jetty (no luck) but we did see a dolphin doing his own fishing and Libby enjoyed a walk along the Parnkilla Trail. Then at the marina (no luck there either). Finally at caravan park jetty where Luke gets one and Libby gets 3 more. It must have been the burley. Meanwhile Eric went for a run and Adrian trampolined with friends he has met
• are constantly reminded that tomorrow Adrian turns 12. We must be getting old, today we feel it and look it. Need a good night's sleep