We left the Boomerang Way Tourist Park at 8.15am., a little later than usual, as Bob pointed out! But, what's 20 mins. between friends (& rellies). We were on the last leg of our journey, heading for Ballarat, which threatened to be COLD! I put on a long-sleeved top & will need to find my jeans when we arrive.
We crossed the Murray, it's life-giving water supporting a wealth of tall gum trees, & entered Victoria. Beyond the trees, there was a mixture of pasture & arable land & we spotted another kookaburra surveying the scene from a telephone wire. Alpaca farms were dotted about, as well as the occasional winery. We also noticed a "Limousin" stud farm, where the famous White French
cattle grazed contentedly.
At Shepparton, we crossed the Goulburn River, where I wished we could have stopped to have a look at the town. It appeared to be quite a big place, with Court House, Museum & Art Gallery, as well as numerous shops & businesses. Just through Shepparton, we stopped for diesel & encountered a
group of bikers - they looked quite up-market & certainly not threatening in any way but I wonder why some of them sport such excessive amounts of hair!
Outside the town, the countryside looked green & fertile - however, we didn't like the sound of "Mosquito Creek"!
Two more kookaburras appeared, as well as several galahs. The sky began to cloud over & our
temperature gauge recorded 17C outside the car - ominous! A couple of friends had sent news of
high winds in Victoria &, as we entered Elmore, broken branches littered the verges, so we guessed that the rough weather had been fairly wide-spread. When we pulled into a lay-by to make coffee, I
was a bit apprehensive about parking under some large trees, given that gums are known for shedding branches without warning!
Having enjoyed our coffee, we continued on to Bendigo, which was 40km away. I remembered admiring its grand buildings the last time we were there (built on the proceeds of the gold).
The sky cleared, the sun shone & the temperature rose to 18C, giving us a false sense of security. After all, the Tourist Park Manager in Tocumwal had warned us that Ballarat was the coldest place in Australia, even over & above Tasmania!
Bright yellow & orange gazanias coloured the verges, opening their faces to the warm sun, & a wealth of other flowers bloomed in some of the gardens that we passed. Meadows were flower-
strewn, too.
Several veteran cars, all polished & gleaming, passed us on the opposite side of the road, so there must have been a rally or a show going on somewhere. It's amazing how well nursed & tended some of them are - would that we humans were half as well cared for!
As we entered Bendigo, we were impressed by its wide streets & prosperous appearance. Some lovely old period homes stood well back from the road & I wished that we could have stopped to photograph them. We travelled next to a tram in the city centre, admiring the beautiful architecture,
wrought-iron balconies, etc., amongst which a cathedral stood, pointing magnificently skyward. Plane trees lined High Street, softening its urban aspect. Swathes of bright flowers adorned our route out of Bendigo, which we had very much admired.
Plains & distant hills fanned out before us, as we drove towards Castlemaine &, ultimately, Ballarat. Adorned in its Spring attire, the countryside was a joy to behold & I drank in its beauty as we drove into higher country & LOWER TEMPERATURES (currently 15C - Brrr ...!)
A small place called Harcourt advertised "Apple orchards & Wineries" & a valley below could well have been an alpine one, in Europe. At this point, we were 89km from Ballarat.
Castlemaine was another attractive town that would have merited a closer look, had we had the time (another day, perhaps?). Unlike Bendigo, many of the older homes were small, but fascinating nonetheless & had real character. Wisteria, geraniums & masses of other flowers covered their
frontages, creating picture-postcard scenes. What a lovely part of Victoria the is is!
I'm not sure that my suggestion to drive off the highway, to the Mount Franklin look-out point, was an altogether sensible one. We drove up, & up, & up ... pulling a caravan & having no space to pass anyone, or to turn around should it become necessary. Oh dear - my heart was in my mouth but, thank heavens, the narrow road eventually opened out into an area with picnic tables & other facilities. I dread to think what would have happened, if it hadn't! I breathed a sigh of relief & was grateful that there had been no on-coming traffic before we reached a pull-in almost at the bottom. Still, we'd had lunch & a break, so "all was well that ended well".
We were now travelling in the direction of Daylesford, another lovely place that we'd visited before & we passed a turning to Hepburn, famed for its spa & hot springs. Daylesford recalled happy memories of a short break that we spent there once in Forget-Me-Not Cottage, a beautifully renovated miner's dwelling.
By now, the temperature had dropped to 12C & road signs warned that the route was subject to frost, ice & snow! We didn't expect to experience any of these but the very thought was the stuff of nightmares for Bob! However, it was an idyllic environment, particularly for those who appreciate cooler climes. Tiny churches gave testament to the memory of the small populations that had established & attended them in the early days of settlement.
We finally drove into the "Shady Acres Caravan Park", just outside Ballarat, after a long & tiring day. My Ug boots were on duty again, not to mention warmer pyjamas & bed covers.
Saturday 19 October 2013
Wednesday 16 October 2013
Sat 5 Oct - Dubbo to Tocumwal
We left a bright, but chilly, Dubbo just before 8am. Brrr ... My ancient, warm, purple velvet M&S blouse is still doing great service!
More of the trees that we'd seen in Coonabarabran were blooming in the holiday park, opposite our caravan - beautiful, but their perfume was hay fever-inducing. Oh dear, keep taking the tablets!
Members of the Dubbo Ladies' Football Team were already stretching & exercising on the pitch & a market was set up ready for business as we drove out of town. Many of the fields & verges were covered with a purple flower (Patterson's Curse again, perhaps?)
We stopped in a lay-by to make coffee at about 10.30am. It was a pleasant break, as we sat outside the van with drinks & muffins. We could hear birds all around us, particularly the raucous screeches of some white cockatoos. By this time, we were just over 50km from West Wyalong. Birds were still nesting & we actually saw one or two sitting atop their nests in trees alongside our route.
In Narrabri, we realised that the NSW/Vic border was looming ever nearer & so we promptly made ourselves two rounds each of tomatoes on toast & large bowls full of strawberries & blueberries, to prevent them from falling into the hands of the border officials! I was still concerned about our bananas, pears, oranges, onions, beans & potatoes but Bob ignored my worries & put his foot down firmly upon the throttle!
As we drove through Jerilderie, several cast iron cut-outs reminded us that "Ned Kelly was here" & we imagined him cattle rustling or fleeing from troopers on these vast open plains. There was little to provide cover, so he would have been forced to outride anyone pursuing him.
Parrots & galahs congregated on the telephone wires & the trees became larger & more plentiful as we drove nearer to the Mighty Murray. I breathed a sigh of relief as we crossed the river at Tocumwal without having been challenged by any "Fight the Fruit Fly" officials!
More of the trees that we'd seen in Coonabarabran were blooming in the holiday park, opposite our caravan - beautiful, but their perfume was hay fever-inducing. Oh dear, keep taking the tablets!
Members of the Dubbo Ladies' Football Team were already stretching & exercising on the pitch & a market was set up ready for business as we drove out of town. Many of the fields & verges were covered with a purple flower (Patterson's Curse again, perhaps?)
We stopped in a lay-by to make coffee at about 10.30am. It was a pleasant break, as we sat outside the van with drinks & muffins. We could hear birds all around us, particularly the raucous screeches of some white cockatoos. By this time, we were just over 50km from West Wyalong. Birds were still nesting & we actually saw one or two sitting atop their nests in trees alongside our route.
In Narrabri, we realised that the NSW/Vic border was looming ever nearer & so we promptly made ourselves two rounds each of tomatoes on toast & large bowls full of strawberries & blueberries, to prevent them from falling into the hands of the border officials! I was still concerned about our bananas, pears, oranges, onions, beans & potatoes but Bob ignored my worries & put his foot down firmly upon the throttle!
As we drove through Jerilderie, several cast iron cut-outs reminded us that "Ned Kelly was here" & we imagined him cattle rustling or fleeing from troopers on these vast open plains. There was little to provide cover, so he would have been forced to outride anyone pursuing him.
Parrots & galahs congregated on the telephone wires & the trees became larger & more plentiful as we drove nearer to the Mighty Murray. I breathed a sigh of relief as we crossed the river at Tocumwal without having been challenged by any "Fight the Fruit Fly" officials!
Goondiwindi to Dubbo - Fri 4 Oct
When we left Goondiwindi at 7.45am., I had already washed my hair & cooked eggs for our breakfast (&, who said I couldn't get up!). However, we'd both had a good night's sleep, probably helped by the cooler climate. Did I say cool - it was positively COLD when I got up & I had to switch on our precious little hot air blower!
Having filled up with diesel, we set off towards Dubbo. The sky was blue & the sun was shining brightly. A pelican sat on the Serpentine Lagoon & bright bougainvilleas provided vivid splashes of colour as we crossed the border into New South Wales & entered Artesian Water Country. We saw a kookaburra, emus & kangaroos, several of the latter being dead on the verges, unfortunately.
It was still only 9.30am as we approached Moree & by midday we had reached Narrabri, where we stopped for lunch & did some shopping (at Woolworth's, of course, as Gus is collecting their Aussie Animals cards).
Just after 2.30pm., we stopped for diesel in Coonabarabran, where a large number of the trees were in blossom. They were very attractive but I had no idea what kind they were. The weather was still perfect & I guessed that hot days & cold nights might prove to be the norm until we arrived much further south. The town looked attractive & well-kept, giving the impression that it was home to a thriving community.
At 3.45pm., we drove through Gilgandra (town of windmills), on our way to Dubbo, which now only 66km away.
Having filled up with diesel, we set off towards Dubbo. The sky was blue & the sun was shining brightly. A pelican sat on the Serpentine Lagoon & bright bougainvilleas provided vivid splashes of colour as we crossed the border into New South Wales & entered Artesian Water Country. We saw a kookaburra, emus & kangaroos, several of the latter being dead on the verges, unfortunately.
It was still only 9.30am as we approached Moree & by midday we had reached Narrabri, where we stopped for lunch & did some shopping (at Woolworth's, of course, as Gus is collecting their Aussie Animals cards).
Just after 2.30pm., we stopped for diesel in Coonabarabran, where a large number of the trees were in blossom. They were very attractive but I had no idea what kind they were. The weather was still perfect & I guessed that hot days & cold nights might prove to be the norm until we arrived much further south. The town looked attractive & well-kept, giving the impression that it was home to a thriving community.
At 3.45pm., we drove through Gilgandra (town of windmills), on our way to Dubbo, which now only 66km away.
Thurs., 3 Oct - Coolum Beach to Goondiwindi
At 8.30am., Rob helped Bob to manoeuvre the van out of the yard & we set off in the direction of Ballarat with 1,866km to drive. It was already warm & a little humid when we left but the sun soon began to burn off the cloud cover, revealing blue sky & decreasing the humidity. Just after 9am., the Glass House Mountains came into view, their weird peaks & shapes seeming like the habitat of witches & goblins! Vast pine forests lined our route, replacing the tropical vegetation to which we had become accustomed. Signs advertising strawberries, pineapples & bananas appeared at the roadside (the fresh pineapples are particularly delicious & juicy!)
Some of the place names that we saw were very thought-provoking leaving us to wonder about their derivation: Pumicestone Rd; Anzac Ave; Pioneer Rd; Deception Bay; Woolshed Creek & Fortitude Valley.
Whole house removal is obviously a normal occurrence as we saw a large number of wooden homes, stored & waiting to be transported elsewhere. Maybe, moving one's house is less stressful than having to buy another! Personally, we have found that just packing a caravan is quite a big enough task in itself!
As we neared Brisbane, we realised what long journeys, morning & evening, Rob had completed whilst attending his course last week. Everywhere in Australia is so far from everywhere else!
All the usual trappings of a large city began to appear - MacDonald's can always be relied upon to pop up wherever you are! Along with signs for the Gold Coast, I also noticed directions to Ipswich, which added a homely flavour. We could now see the high rise buildings of downtown Brisbane & sincerely hoped that the SatNav would steer us clear of those.
Lovely purple jacaranda trees cropped up frequently, adding colour & beauty to the urban environment. Pink & white oleanders also contributed to the "softer city look". Many wonderful Queenslander-style houses dominated the area. The Inner City By-Pass had us towering above Brisbane & giving us a fantastic overview of it. However, the route was a most demanding one for Bob & not the easiest along which to tow a caravan! As we crossed the Brisbane River & were finally out of the city, I'm sure Bob breathed a sigh of relief to encounter easier driving conditions again. We entered hilly country & could often see mountains in the distance. A sign informed us that we were 3,434kms from Darwin - another reminder that we were in a BIG country!
We stopped for coffee along the highway, at a fascinating place, where they seemed to sell a bit of everything - flowers, gifts, citrus trees, refreshments, etc., etc. - it was called "Stop & Smell the Roses". Whilst drinking his coffee, Bob read a newspaper article stating that temperatures in Ballarat were zero at night & about 12C during the day! He turned pale & asked, "Why are we going there?" I had to remind him that golf was one of the attractions.
At Laidland, we encountered a bushfire, which was very scary as visibility, due to the thick smoke, was almost nil! The smoky smell hung inside the car for quite some time.
More signs appeared, this time advertising crabs, prawns, barramundi & red emperor fish, as well as water melon. This was a very fertile area, with a variety of crops & brilliant bougainvilleas on either side of the road.
On our approach into Toowoomba, the terrain became very steep & we laboured up a long hill. We were now in high country & the large town was a very attractive one with parks & green, tree-lined streets. It had a well-kept appearance, a beautiful cathedral & all the usual shops & facilities.
The region between Toowoomba & Millmerran was a very productive one, with vast areas of cultivated fields. However, we spent long periods of time waiting between traffic lights, as road works were underway along the route. This was frustrating as it held us up considerably & had us sitting amidst a lot of dust & dirt.
We stopped in a lay-by for a drink & a snack & decided that our refreshments were probably akin to "convict tucker" - the biscuits were dry, the butter was sparse & the coffee had gone cold. We really needed to do some shopping! With that in mind, we set off again in the direction of Goondiwindi, which was about 80km away. On arrival, we stayed at the same park we'd used the last time we travelled this way. It became much cooler in the evening & we changed into warmer night clothes.
All the usual trappings of a large city began to appear - MacDonald's can always be relied upon to pop up wherever you are! Along with signs for the Gold Coast, I also noticed directions to Ipswich, which added a homely flavour. We could now see the high rise buildings of downtown Brisbane & sincerely hoped that the SatNav would steer us clear of those.
Lovely purple jacaranda trees cropped up frequently, adding colour & beauty to the urban environment. Pink & white oleanders also contributed to the "softer city look". Many wonderful Queenslander-style houses dominated the area. The Inner City By-Pass had us towering above Brisbane & giving us a fantastic overview of it. However, the route was a most demanding one for Bob & not the easiest along which to tow a caravan! As we crossed the Brisbane River & were finally out of the city, I'm sure Bob breathed a sigh of relief to encounter easier driving conditions again. We entered hilly country & could often see mountains in the distance. A sign informed us that we were 3,434kms from Darwin - another reminder that we were in a BIG country!
We stopped for coffee along the highway, at a fascinating place, where they seemed to sell a bit of everything - flowers, gifts, citrus trees, refreshments, etc., etc. - it was called "Stop & Smell the Roses". Whilst drinking his coffee, Bob read a newspaper article stating that temperatures in Ballarat were zero at night & about 12C during the day! He turned pale & asked, "Why are we going there?" I had to remind him that golf was one of the attractions.
At Laidland, we encountered a bushfire, which was very scary as visibility, due to the thick smoke, was almost nil! The smoky smell hung inside the car for quite some time.
More signs appeared, this time advertising crabs, prawns, barramundi & red emperor fish, as well as water melon. This was a very fertile area, with a variety of crops & brilliant bougainvilleas on either side of the road.
On our approach into Toowoomba, the terrain became very steep & we laboured up a long hill. We were now in high country & the large town was a very attractive one with parks & green, tree-lined streets. It had a well-kept appearance, a beautiful cathedral & all the usual shops & facilities.
The region between Toowoomba & Millmerran was a very productive one, with vast areas of cultivated fields. However, we spent long periods of time waiting between traffic lights, as road works were underway along the route. This was frustrating as it held us up considerably & had us sitting amidst a lot of dust & dirt.
We stopped in a lay-by for a drink & a snack & decided that our refreshments were probably akin to "convict tucker" - the biscuits were dry, the butter was sparse & the coffee had gone cold. We really needed to do some shopping! With that in mind, we set off again in the direction of Goondiwindi, which was about 80km away. On arrival, we stayed at the same park we'd used the last time we travelled this way. It became much cooler in the evening & we changed into warmer night clothes.
Tuesday 15 October 2013
20 Sept - 2 Oct: More family activities in Coolum Beach
One day, Gus, Bob & I strolled along the board walk & were lucky enough to see whales not too far away from us, "blowing" & showing their fins, tails & even an occasional arched body, as they moved south along the coast.
Another day, we all went to Maroochydore & saw the film, "Planes", which seemed like a follow-up to "Cars".
Ruby, Gus, Bob & I drove to Sturmer's Creek on another occasion & had a pleasant time there, eating our picnic & walking on the beach. Chips, the dog, came too & he & Gus ended up in the water together - they had great fun.
'Grand Final Fever' hit Coolum on 28 Sept., when Hawthorn played Fremantle. Bob & Rob watched the match at a friend Ian's house, so I took the opportunity to do a huge pile of ironing as well as a little sewing.
What's it like in Coolum Beach?
The life-style is casual & informal. Clothing is light-weight & often very brief! Footwear usually consists of sandals, or bare feet. Leisure rules & many activities revolve around the beach, where people surf, swim, sunbathe & socialize.
The terrain is hilly, away from the beach & mountains can often be seen in the distance. The beach itself is a beautiful sandy one, where white-edged waves are constantly rolling in.
Vegetation is lush & tropical, consisting of bamboo palms, vines, flowering trees & many plants that would only be seen inside, in Europe. Leaves present themselves in a vast variety of size, shape & colour.
From amongst the foliage, the bird sounds are fascinating - there is the usual, familiar twittering & chirping, but this can be completely obliterated by the loud, raucous screeching of cockatoos, or the equally loud laughing of kookaburras as they build up to a regular crescendo!
The weather varies according to the time of year - there is a wet season & a drier one, the former being hot & steamy & liable to make you wilt (which is a polite way of saying "run with sweat, from head to foot"!) However, Paradise comes at a price & anything worth having, is worth suffering for!
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