Grey Nomads

Those who arrive at the end of the journey are not those who began

/ lynnie57 / 4 Comments

This is a quote from TS Elliot and I’ve discovered it’s very true.

Sixteen months and one week, almost 43,000 kms or 26,700 miles and about $12,000 worth of fuel ago we left for a journey around Australia knowing we wanted to be away for up to twelve months but unsure if we would actually complete the lap. We did. The map below shows the route we took.

The green line shows our route

A few years ago we had taken three months off work to see Tasmania as well as much of Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales, so we did not plan to repeat that journey. I had also made it to Weipa and Cape York but John and I were unsure if we would venture up there this trip. As it turned out we didn’t; we did get as far as Laura, however other travellers told us some of the creeks were still very full after the Wet Season. We decided to err on the side of caution.

We left Dongara on 21st May 2021 as very inexperienced travellers. Some years before, we had taken a weekend course on four wheel driving but hadn’t had a chance to put what we had learned into practice and had forgotten most of it anyway. We were very green!

It took a bit of research to decide what type of caravan we should buy. We didn’t want anything too big for us to handle and I wanted to ensure I could pack up and tow the van easily enough if John took sick or hurt himself. After much hunting through caravan sales centres, binging on YouTube videos other travellers had put up – such as Hunting Hippies (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FtYw-ubnuH8&feature=youtu.be), Trip in a Van (https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCk76MuEulkpZ0XMt9DIKlOQ), and M28adventures (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp6Ky3014qQ&feature=youtu.be) as well as reading travel blogs (https://rayaroundoz.com/, http://Caravancorrespondent.com, http://Thisadventurousage.com) and joining online groups like The Grey Nomads (https://www.thegreynomads.com.au/), we had a fair idea of what we might need. We didn’t plan on doing much, if any, off road driving but we didn’t want to limit ourselves either. So we narrowed our selection down to a hybrid van. After looking at several and even making up an Excel spreadsheet comparing features and prices, we settled on the Emu Expedition, a 16ft off road van with an ensuite and good storage. We liked that the roof popped up at the press of a switch, and the bed folded out to the side, making the van quite compact to tow (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xS9Ji-micfg). The hero of the van though was the outside kitchen which we loved.

So much for not going off road. When we visited my son, Kyran and his family in Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory, to just get into the town we had to drive almost 700kms on an unsealed road through Aboriginal communities while watching out for wild buffalo, donkeys and dingoes. To be able to enjoy all East Arnhem had to offer, off road driving was a must. With Kyran as our ‘tour guide’ we knew we were in safe hands: he had all the equipment needed to get us out of a tough spot. And he had to use it more than once! Initially very nervous, inexperienced four wheel drivers, we later gave very little thought to driving rough tracks and through creek crossings on our trip. In fact off road driving made our journey a lot more interesting and gave us the opportunity to see country we might never have encountered without that Nhulunbuy experience with Kyran and his friends.

At the beginning of the journey I was extremely stressed. I found my job as a high school teacher exhausting and I didn’t sleep well. I worked most weekends marking and preparing lessons and was often up at 4.30am doing the same. Much as I tried to ‘work smarter not harder’ I just felt swamped all the time.

It didn’t take long for my stress to disappear once we left home. I soon started, like most travellers, going to bed on dark but not waking up until eight o’clock the next morning. It was not unusual for me to sleep 12 hours a night! Where I was the early riser at home, John was often up, putting on the kettle and making breakfast before I had even stirred in the caravan. And that is how it has remained.

John, being retired, had no problems sleeping at home. But he did have concerns about our security. He likes to have a home, he likes to be debt free or at least be able to afford what we need. So what to do with our house while we were away was a real sticking point for him. He wanted a home to return to while I, on the other hand, had no qualms about selling or renting out our home and spending our meagre savings on having an adventure. We had our home in Dongara and had a rental in Kalbarri. Both had two storeys but we knew we didn’t want to come home to stairs as we aren’t getting any younger. So we made a deal that we would put both houses on the market and see which one sold. We hoped it would be Kalbarri as my job was in Dongara and we could exchange that home for a single level house after our trip. But the universe had other plans. We had offers on both houses. After much discussion we sold both and put all our belongings into storage. I couldn’t believe John agreed to do it. For me, it was very freeing. I wouldn’t have to think about paying bills while we were away. But for John it was very worrying.

It took him many months to feel comfortable about having no house to go back to. He would say he missed the view, I would say we had a different view every day from the caravan. He would tell people we were homeless, I would say we were of no fixed address. It was all about perspective. Eventually he started telling folk that the caravan was our home and he always said it with a smile on his face.

When we first took off, John had his foot firmly on the accelerator. We would fly past signposts pointing to historic sites or little villages but he wouldn’t stop. He’d say that they probably weren’t worth seeing. I began to think we would be back home in no time having seen nothing. I kept saying it was all about the journey not the destination but he seemed to be on a mission. I was disappointed, this wasn’t what I had imagined. I began to look at Wiki Camps’ points of interests and I would say to John something like ‘just up here on the left, can you pull in as there is something I want to look at.’ Most of these places turned out to be really worth seeing so John became more open about slowing down and stopping. After some months, he would make comments like ‘there’s no hurry’ or ‘we have nowhere we need to be’.

Our plan was always to mix free camping with caravan parks. After all our van had solar, a large water tank and a toilet. We were a little bit dubious about free camping especially by the side of the road or where there were no other vans. It didn’t take us long to work out that we both loved the peace and quiet, as well as freedom of free camping. We used caravan parks to do our washing and have long, hot showers but we couldn’t wait to leave and get back into the bush,

A big decision we made together some months into our trip, was that I would resign my teaching job. It came about because of family issues that caused us to feel we were needed not in Dongara but five hours further south. It wasn’t an easy decision because I did enjoy my job (just not the stress that went along with it). I had done a few months of relief teaching in Gove in the Northern Territory and liked that I could teach without the responsibility. I also enjoyed working with students with special needs and started to think about a career change. It is something I am seriously considering even at this late stage of my working life. But, for now, we are focused on helping out family.

Our trip finished about a week ago. At the moment we are living with family hoping to make their life a bit easier. I continue to look at blogs written by people still travelling and I feel a bit of envy. In many ways I wish we were still on the road but I’m also happy to be back with friends and family. We are homeless and jobless (John’s worst nightmare!) – or free to make new choices as I prefer to think of it. Who knows what is around the corner? We are quite happy to see where life takes us.

‘Those who arrive at the end of the journey are not those who began’. We began our journey naive in terms of travelling the country. I was stressed, John was worried about our security. But we have arrived at the end of the journey relaxed and open to what comes along for us in the future. We have seen amazing places in this beautiful country, we have met inspiring people and learned so much about the history of this land, particularly about the pioneers. And we were lucky enough to experience true Aboriginal culture in Arnhem Land. We are certainly not who we were when we set off on our trip. And I think that is a good thing.

Cost of Fuel

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Cost of Fuel – per litre of diesel

MAY 2021

Regans Ford $1.33

Leeman $1.33

Overlander Roadhouse $1.45

JUNE 2021

Minilya Roadhouse $1.49

Onslow $1.60

Karratha (Liberty) $1.42

Port Hedland $1.46

Sandfire Roadhouse $1.70

Roebuck Roadhouse $1.57

Broome $1.56

Derby $1.70

Imintji Community Store, Gibb River Road $2.00

Derby BP – $1.73

Fitzroy Crossing – $1.73

Halls Creek – $1.61

July 2021

Nhulunbuy BP – $1.81

September 2021

Katherine, United- $1.53

Batchelor, BP – $1.53

Lodge at Dundee Beach, NT – $1.61

October 2021

Foodexpress, Roystonea, Darwin- $1,54

Cooinda Store, Kakadu – $1.82

Mataranka – $1.65

Renner Springs – $1.85

Devil’s Marbles – $1.79

EG Fuel, Alice Springs – $1.64

Kings Canyon Resort- $2.20

Yulara – $2.20

Alice Springs – $1.71

Gemtree CP – $2,20

Boulia – $1.76

November 2021

Winton, Queensland – $1.69

Longreach – $1.69

Alpha – $1.70

MAY 2022

Bulman – $2.10

Mataranka – $2.09

Cape Crawford- $2.50

Barkly Homestead – $2.28

Mount Isa- $2.12

Karumba – $2.09

Georgetown- $2.17

Port Douglas – $2.17

Cooktown – $2.22

Gordonvale- $2.10

JUNE 2022

Cairns – $2.16

Mareeba – $2.22

JULY 2022

Wangan – $2.32

Ingham – $2.34

Elliot Springs, Townsville – $2.32

Koumala – $2.30

Miriam Vale – $2.16

Cooroy – $2.20

AUGUST 2022

Coffs Harbour – $2.06

Nelson Bay – $1.92

Mittagong – $2.12

SEPTEMBER 2022

Murrumburrah, NSW – $2.06

Ivanhoe $2.34

Broken Hill – $2.16

Pimba, SA – $2.39

Coober Pedy – $2.36

Wudinna- $2.10

Streaky Bay – $2.17

Nullarbor Roadhouse – $2.99

Eucla – $2.69

Madura Pass – $2.49

Balladonia – $2.48

Munglinup Roadhouse – $2.49

Cost of Caravan Sites

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Western Australia

Per night –

S-Bend Caravan Park, Greenough. Lovely place, quiet and nice staff. $10 unpowered

Overlander Roadhouse Camping Ground – Free (unpowered site)

Lyndon River Rest Area – Free (toilets and dump point) – Nice but noisy from passing trucks

Ocean View Caravan Park, Onslow – $40 powered site. Lovely place and clean facilities

Miaree Pool – Free. Beautiful, on the river, but need to get in early to get a level park.

Port Hedland Golf Club, $15 unpowered site but use of toilets, showers and clubhouse. Friday fish and chips

Stanley Rest Area 24hrs – free. Good. Clean, off the road and has toilets and shelters

Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, Dampier Peninsula, $50 powered site

Pender Bay Escape, Dampier Peninsula, $40 – spectacular! No power.

RAC Cable Beach Caravan Park (powered site) $73 (high season) – $65.70 with RAC card

Kimberley Entrance CP, Derby $48

Silent Grove, Bell’s Gorge, Gibb River Road – various prices depending on vehicle no of passengers, concessions plus passes to access gorges. We paid $34 per night including day pass

Ngumpan Cliff Rest Area, between Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek- free. Great overnight camp with views and toilets

Leicester Rest Area, between Halls Creek and Kununurra- free, plenty of space and toilets

Northern Territory

 Kings River Rest Area, Stuart Highway – free, plenty of space, traffic noise

Central Arnhem Road – Rocky Bottom Creek, the escarpment – free

Cape Arnhem and all other camping areas around Gove Peninsula- require permits, costs vary but not much

Nitmiluk Gorge Camping Ground, Katherine Gorge $33 each per night ($29 seniors) powered

Edith Falls – no power $12 each per night

Lazy Lizard Caravan Park, Pine Creek $38 per couple per night

Cooinda Caravan Park, Kakadu $37 per couple per night, powered site

Mataranka Homestead CP, $35 per couple per night, powered site

Banka Banka Station, Tennant Creek, $35 per couple per night, powered site

Ti Tree Roadhouse, near Alice Springs, $35 per couple, per night, powered site

G’day Mate Tourist Park, Alice Springs $40 per night, per couple, powered site

Old Hale Homestead, East MacDonnell Ranges $45 per night, per couple, powered site

Ormiston Gorge, bush camp, West MacDonnell Ranges, unpowered $10 per person

Stuart wells Roadhouse, free camping or $30 per night for power and use of facilities

Gemtree Roadhouse- $27 unpowered site

Tobermorey – $30 powered site

Gove Boat Club – $40 powered site

Mainoru Station, Central Arnhem Road- $30 unpowered site

Tomato Island – $10 per night unpowered site

Lorella Springs – $60 per night unpowered site

Heartbreak Hotel, Cape Crawford – $30 per night, powered site

Queensland

Boulia – $30 powered site

Winton, Tattersals $30 powered site

Longreach – Apex Rest Area $5 per night. No power. Toilets

Alpha – car/truck rest area – free – clean hot showers and toilets

Dalrymple Tourist Van Park, Charters Towers – $39 powered site

Lake View CP, Richmond- $25 powered site

Julia Creek CP – $32 powered site

Mount Isa – $45 per night, powered

Normanton – free camp, permit required, no power

Croydon Freedom Park – by donation, no power but toilets and showers

Undara Experience- $40 per night powered site

First City Caravilla, Cairns – $49.50 powered site with G’day card

Cooktown Holiday Park, Cooktown – $49.50 with G’day card

Lakeland Hotel, Lakeland – free camp

Palm Cove Caravan Park, Palm Cove – $65 pn powered site

Babinda Rainforest Farm – $18 pn no amenities, water but no power

Etty Bay Caravan Park – $45 pn night, powered site

Lakeside Motor Inn and Caravan Park – $30pn, powered site

Babinda Boulders- free camp, no power but toilets and showers

Babinda Boulders Free Camp

TYTO RV Camp, Ingham – $15 per night. Lovely but must be totally self contained

Whitsunday Private Camp (wikicamps), Airlie Beach – $20 per person night. Must be self contained

Riverfront Caravan Park, Rockhampton – $36 per night powered

Wyper Scout Camp (14kms North of Bundaberg) – $5 per person per night. Showers, toilets and camp kitchen, unpowered

Wyper Scout Camp

Tasman Holiday Park, Hervey Bay – $40 pn

Cooroy RV Stopover, near Noosa – $12 pn. Must be self contained

Advancetown Caravan Park – $49 pn

Jandarra Farm – $40 pn

Jandarra Farm

Witherin Heights Bush Camp – $20 pn (no power or water)

Witherin Heights Bush Camp

New South Wales

Suffolk Beach Holiday Park (Byron Bay) – $49 pn

Toowoon Bay Holiday Park- $54 pn

Goulburn South Caravan Park – $34.20 pn with G’day card

Ardlethan Free Camp – free or $2 for 12 hrs power. Toilets, supermarket, Cafe etc

Ivanhoe – $30 pn

Broken Hill (Outback View) – $35pn

Australian Capital Territory

Alivio Tourist Park, Canberra – $65 pn (lots of drive through sites)

South Australia

Orroroo – $30 pn

Woomera – $25 pn

Coober Pedy (Tom Cat Hill) – $30 pn

Oasis Caravan Park, Coober Pedy- $40 pn

Wudinna Showgrounds – $15 powered site, $10 unpowered. Toilets and coin operates showers

Streaky Bay – $27 pn with G’day card

Madura Pass Roadhouse – $35 pm

Western Australia

RAC Esperance – $45.90 pn RAC Member

Jerramungup CP – $36

Busselton Jetty CP – $54.50 pn (school holidays)

From the Outback to the Coast

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We woke in Coober Pedy to the news that Queen Elizabeth II had died and we had a new king – King Charles III. There was no television reception and I’d heard through a message from my sister in Scotland. The news filtered through the campers as they passed each other on the way to the showers. Over the following days we did see some of the pomp and ceremony online and on tv that goes along with such a momentous occasion. It was certainly something steeped in history and tradition.

Speaking of history, this is the land of the Kokatha Tribe which extends approximately 140,000 sq kms and is mostly very harsh and waterless land. Of course it was colonised and many of the roads and towns are named after the explorers and pioneers of the 1830s and beyond. For example the Eyre Peninsula after John Eyre, the city of Sturt and the flower, the Sturt Desert Pea, after Charles Sturt. (Woomera, however, translates to a rod that is used by Aboriginal people to throw a spear further!)

When we left Coober Pedy we stayed again at Woomera where we enjoyed another stunning sunset.

Sunset at Woomera

We continued to drive on Kokatha country heading towards the coast. On our way we stopped for lunch at Kimba on the Eyre Highway. Kimba is the half way mark across Australia but is also home to great silo art and The Big Galah.

Silo art painted by Cam Scale from Melbourne

We pulled into the showgrounds at Wudinna to camp for the night. It was quite busy with caravans probably because it was good value at $15 per night with power ($10 without power) and they had very clean amenities.

After a good sleep, we took off for a few days at Streaky Bay, a little town we had visited some years before and vowed to return to. It was lovely to see the sea again after having been in the dry and dusty outback. Everything looked very bright, clean and fresh! We pulled into Venus Bay for coffee. It was such a pretty little town right on the water.

Venus Bay

We arrived in Streaky Bay to a forecast of cold winds and rain but we managed to dodge much of the bad weather and have a look around. The caravan park was right on the beach and the pelicans reminded us of Kalbarri. We enjoyed coffee at the bakery in town and wandered through the shops and Visitors’ Centre. John also had a look at the golf course but decided he wasn’t interested in playing in the rain. But the windy weather was a chance to catch up with laundry before starting across the Nullarbor.

View from our caravan
Looking across to the caravan park at Streaky Bay

One place that was ideal to visit in the wind was the ‘Whistling Rocks and Blow Holes’ which was quite spectacular with the ocean pushing up through the blow holes and making a whistling sound.

All to soon it was time to move on towards Western Australia and home.

Coober Pedy

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Coober Pedy – a huge tick off my bucket list. Driving into town, I was glad someone had told me how unimpressive it is. My idea that being a mining town (even though it’s opal mining) it would be like Mount Isa was very far removed from reality. First it’s tiny; second there are almost no bitumen roads; it’s all gravel or red dirt. This, together with all the scrap metal strewn around and the mining equipment spilling from back yards makes it look very grubby and unkempt. There is no greenery, no gardens at all because there is almost no rain. Nothing grows here. After all it is a very remote desert town miles from anywhere.

None of the locals seemed particularly happy. They all complained about there being nothing to do for people who live here. There didn’t seem to be that pride in their town that we’ve seen throughout our journey. However, there has been effort made to provide facilities for the townsfolk. For example there is a Greek Club, an Italian Club and an RSL Club that provide drinks and meals; there is a drive in movie theatre (which does look a bit derelict), a speedway, a racecourse (which just looks like vacant land full of gravel and weeds), and a golf course that looks exactly the same as the racecourse. John did consider playing golf until he had to climb the fifteen steps to the first tee.

The first hole at Coober Pedy Golf Course

When you look past all this, Coober Pedy is a fascinating town. For us the fascination began as we drove into the Tom Cat Hill Caravan Park. We found it on the top of a hill. It looked nothing like a caravan park but had the most amazing views.

Tom Cat Hill Caravan Park

The great thing about it was the beautiful sunsets (and sunrises) we enjoyed while we were there.

SUNSET FROM TOM CAT HILL
AND SUNRISE

The not so great thing was that we were quite exposed to the elements. During the drive from Woomera we had experienced horrendous headwinds all the way which had lifted our awning and unravelled it several times. We had to keep stopping to try to secure it, fighting the wind as we did so. When we reached the caravan park, the wind hadn’t eased at all and both John and the owner had to wrestle to keep the awning contained. They managed to use a strap to secure it but not before the awning had ripped in several places. The large caravan next to us had the same problem. Because of the wind we were unable to put the roof up on the van or use the kitchen to cook dinner but John managed to find some cheese, smoked salmon and wine in the fridge. So we were fine.

Thankfully we woke to calm conditions. After breakfast we set out to explore the town. We also booked a tour which was both informative and entertaining. George, our tour guide, had lived in town for a long time and had lots of stories to tell.

We loved the underground churches, There are a few in town and we visited two, the Catholic Church and the Catacomb.

Air vent in the church

We were also able to have a look inside a ‘dug out’- the home of a local which is rented out as holiday accommodation. Despite there being no windows it felt quite light and airy. I worried I’d feel claustrophobic but I didn’t. Of course the reason the locals live underground is because of the heat. In summer it can reach 52°c.

John and I had a look around town above ground before going back underground to look at an opal mine.

The old jail!
Sturt’s Desert Pea, the only flower we saw
Unmarked graves
More recent graves – one with a beer barrel gravestone !

The underground mine was interesting. Again I felt safe, there was plenty air and it was roomy, except for the tunnels where we had to dip our heads. Underground in Coober Pedy is very clean. The guide, Rudy was an opal miner and told us that above us was sandstone. He also mentioned the dust from mining here is harmless. At 87 years old he had been told by his doctor that he had the lungs of a teenager!

Later John and I took a drive out to the Breakaways. We read that these were hills that had broken away from the Flinders Ranges. Hence their name. We drove to the Dingo Fence then followed it until we reached the breathtakingly beautiful Breakaways. The Dingo Fence, by the way, was constructed to keep sheep safe from dingoes, and stretches for more than 5,000 kms across the outback.

The Breakaways

Coober Pedy was amazing! It is unlike anywhere else we’ve ever been. We were so pleased we made the time to visit as we would have hated to miss out on seeing such a remote and unique place.

Priscilla, Pro and Mad Max – All in One Day!

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Broken Hill has been on my Bucket List for a long time, but not on John’s. I could sense he thought it was a long drive for nothing but he made sure we included it on our trip. I absolutely loved it and John seemed to enjoy himself too. He was right, it was a long drive, with very little to look at except desert, more emu families and wild goats. But it was a very relaxing drive.

The long drive to Broken Hill

We knew very little about Broken Hill other than it is a mining town in the middle of nowhere so we were curious about what it had to offer. In fact it had a lot to offer.

We camped at the Outback View Caravan Park and set off the next morning to check out the town. There was a time change we didn’t know about so we were out exploring earlier than usual. We began our tour at the Many Faces and Big Ant sculptures by Australian artist Pro Hart which he created as a tribute to the miners here.

Broken Hill reminded me a little of Kalgoorlie and Mount Isa, all being remote mining towns, particularly with the mine looming in the background as well as sculptures, artwork and old relics all around town. It is such an old town with beautiful historical buildings.

The mine is always in the background
We loved the old buildings in Broken Hill

The Pro Hart Gallery was in town so we made our way there. Wow. It was great. His paintings were all around together with an amazing mural which I felt showed the ‘progress’ of Australia from First nations people living on country to white Australians mining it. There were examples of his other work in different mediums and a documentary about him. Until today I had never realised how controversial Pro Hart was and it was so evident in his art which we both loved. We spent ages in the gallery and then crossed the road to check out some more of his sculptures.

We dragged ourselves away and drove out to Silverton, 25 kms from town. What a quirky place this was. As the sign says it’s definitely an outback town! We had lunch at the bakery then wandered up to a couple of quite different art galleries including the John Dynan gallery.

Although neither of us are particularly Mad Max fans, having only seen the first movie in the series, we couldn’t resist having a look at the Mad Max 2 Museum which was housed in a shed. Even though it wasn’t really our thing, it was fun to look around and it probably inspired us to watch at least the second movie as we would recognise the setting.

We left the museum and drove a few kilometres to the Mundi Mundi Lookout where many of the scenes from Mad Max 2 were shot.

Mundi Mundi lookout

We ended our day with a drink at The Palace Hotel back in Broken Hill. This hotel is well known for its links to another film – Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Some scenes in the film were shot here – for example the scenes on stage – and both crew and actors stayed in the hotel during filming.

We had such a great day! A huge tick off my bucket list and so worth the long drive.

Turning Towards Home

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As John keeps reminding me we still have a few thousand kilometres to drive. However I feel sad that we are on the last leg of our trip and I wish we were just starting, about to do it all over again. That’s how much I’ve loved it.

When we left Wollongong, we drove to Goulburn and spent the night there in a caravan park. Much as we prefer free camping, it was just too cold for us at night now and we wanted to be able to use the heater in the van.

Goulburn is known for the Big Merino

There are two places still on my bucket list – Broken Hill and Coober Pedy, and John is quite happy for us to go that way home. On our previous trip, we saw most of Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia so the trip back to Western Australia won’t be very long.

Canberra was not on either of our to-do lists because we have both been there, although many years ago. However when John mentioned we were only an hour away, we decided it was definitely worth another visit. We first drove to Red Hill Lookout to get our bearings but in the decades since we last visited, the trees have grown and much of the view has been obscured.

Next we sought out the Australian War Memorial. Neither of us had been since it’s renovation. We were so glad we decided to come here, the displays were incredible. I truly believe every Australian should visit at least once in their lifetime as the Memorial covers all the conflicts Australia has been involved in.

Each war has its own section in the museum and each military branch has too. John read information on where his parents were stationed during the Second World War. Both were in the medical corps. He was also able to see on the Honour Roll the names of friends who were killed in Vietnam. (John was fortunate that his birth date was not drawn out of the ballot for young men to go too war. Others weren’t so lucky).

We certainly found the visit to the Australian War Memorial worthwhile and very interesting although it was also a very sobering experience. Entry is free so at the end of our visit, we bought lunch in their cafe. I was interested to see that they even had war photos on the chairs we sat on – photos of men and women in uniform enjoying a cup of tea.

From the War Memorial we decided to have a look at Parliament House and the National Portrait Gallery but we were unable to find a parking spot, especially with the caravan on the back. Instead we had to make our way back to a caravan park nearby. We realised later that it was the first sitting of Parliament – no wonder it was so busy.

The next morning we packed up and set off on the road to nowhere in particular. We were heading in the general direction of Broken Hill. It was a lovely day and a beautiful drive. The canola crops were bright yellow on both sides of the road and we were reminded it was the first day of spring (and John’s sister’s birthday) as we watched the lambs playing in the fields and foals asleep in the sun. We passed silo art and drove over narrow railway bridges.

We saw some lovely old villages and stopped at Temora to have lunch at the side of the road. This town was one that had very clearly marked areas for parking of long vehicles. It makes life for us Grey Nomads so much easier!

After lunch we had a wander around Temora. I had spied a vintage shop on the way in and led John there first. It was one of those quirky shops we love and seem to find in little out of the way towns.

My eye was drawn to paintings of budgies – because our daughter Tayler has three real ones. I thought they were great particularly when I saw they were painted by an eleven year old.

We wandered the main street before continuing on our journey.

Temora

We hadn’t planned to stay anywhere in particular but I thought we should have power so that John could watch the first elimination game in AFL and we could use the heater if we needed to. (Our van has solar so watching TV is no problem but I think running the heater might be pushing it). I checked our trusty wikicamps and found a free camp in a little town called Ardlethan. It was run by the Lions Club and the local community; there was a $2 charge for 12 hours of power and a toilet on site.

It is such a great idea for little towns like Ardlethan to provide free camping for Grey Nomads. Right opposite the camping area is a supermarket, newsagent and cafe. I saw several people walking back to their vans carrying shopping. Most little towns we’ve passed through have historical buildings or information on display as well as visitors’ centres, museums or gardens for tourists to enjoy. It gives them a reason to stay and perhaps buy lunch or souvenirs. Ardlethan is an old town with the potential to do this but it needs some TLC. The museum here charges a fee to enter which is a pity. It put us off as we don’t often carry cash and we didn’t know what was on display. We always go into visitors’ centres and museums with free entry and more often than not make a purchase of some kind. Nevertheless, we bought a few items at Foodworks and enjoyed our stay here.

John organising dinner in Ardlethan

After a good night’s sleep, we continued on our journey. Passing through Barellan. John reminded me we had been in this area before on our previous caravan trip some years ago. I had no recollection of being here but, after checking my last travel blog (www.gonetorecess.wordpress.com), I saw that we had indeed been here although not driving the same route. Barellan is where tennis great, Evonne Goolagong was born, grew up and learned to play tennis. It is a tiny, country town not too far from Griffith in the Riverina.

Barellan

We continued through Griffith and onto a gravel road which went for a couple of hours. The road is closed in wet weather but there were still lots of puddles and potholes along the way. Despite this, it was a lovely drive and good to be back in the country, away from towns and cities. We saw wallabies and lots of emus. On three occasions we saw emu families – one adult had ten little chicks. Another sign of spring.

We stopped for the night in a little town called Ivanhoe which sits on what was once a well used stock and stagecoach route, now the Cobb Highway, and was named after the book Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. The town was founded in the early 1870s. In the evening, John and I crossed the road to the hotel for a drink and pizza.

The caravan park was behind this general store
The Ivanhoe Hotel

Thank goodness we had our heater. We woke to 1°! The wind was icy. We skipped showers and breakfast and headed out of town, heading back in again because we forgot to fill up with fuel in our rush to escape the cold. Our planned route was closed so we continued on the Cobb Highway towards Broken Hill. By the time we reached the small, historic town of Wilcannia we were starving so pulled in to the roadhouse along with a dozen other caravans which were coming in the other direction. We didn’t hang around. We had just 200kms to go until Broken Hill.

Welcome to Wilcannia!

“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.”- Eleanor Roosevelt

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Before hitting Sydney, we had arranged to spend a night in Toowoon Bay to see a friend from Glasgow. Linda and I both went to Levern Primary School in the 1960s and she was in my sister’s class. We booked in to Toowoon Bay Holiday Park where Linda has a permanent caravan, and she came up from Sydney to stay for the weekend to see us.

Of course Linda and I had lots to catch up on so we talked for hours! She had lunch prepared for us and we bought fish and chips in the evening. It was quite cold and wet but the next morning we woke to sunshine. The three of us wandered down to the local surf club for breakfast. It was lovely overlooking the beach.

It was great to see Linda and I hope it’s not too long until we meet again.

Our next stop was Umina but we detoured on the way to see Ross and Sue at Lake Munmorah. We had caught up in Rockhampton when they were on a road trip in their new van. It was nice to have coffee with them at their home and meet their youngest grandchild, Libby. We exchangeď travel stories and future plans with them. But too soon it was time to move on again.

We have family in Umina and they had invited us to stay with them. Richard and Frances had dinner prepared and the heater on in the spare room. They must have known we were feeling the cold! We had a terrific catch up with them. They seemed disappointed we couldn’t stay longer but we left with promises to keep in touch and see them on their next visit to Western Australia.

And the family visits kept on coming! We headed to Milperra to Jan Flannery’s home and were delighted to find most of her family there. Bacon and eggs were already on the barbecue so we enjoyed breakfast with them all. At 84, Jan looked amazing which was comforting, and the rest of the family were well and happy. Some of them were planning caravan trips so were keen to check out our van and hear about our travels. They also had a look at the map on the wall of our van on which we have traced our trip so far.

The green shows our current trip, the orange a previous trip

We left Jan and her lovely family and drove to Vineyard to camp at long time friends, Jenny and Robin’s. They insisted we stay in their granny flat and that turned out well as we were really feeling the cold. Jenny and I have been friends since 1979 when I started my first job in Australia as a secretary at Eagle and Globe Steel. Jenny was the receptionist there and Denise, whom we spent time with in Laurieton, also worked alongside us. We used to go out lots in those days and Robin sometimes came along. They often invited me to family events and I remember both their families fondly. What I also remember fondly is the delicious Indian curries that Jenny used to make.

Once again Jenny had prepared a yummy curry for dinner! She and I also enjoyed a bottle of the wine we had bought at Boydell’s, and caught up with all our news while John and Robin talked golf.

We had two nights with them and they made us so welcome. We had a great time and hope it won’t be too long until we see them again.

Another friend I managed to meet was Leonie. She and I were secretaries at Binder Hamlyn in Sydney in the mid 1980s. Like all the others we have caught up with on this trip, we only see each other every few years but just pick up where we left off. We met for morning coffee which went through to lunch then to afternoon tea! We still had plenty to talk about but the cafe was closing!

Leonie and I had a very long catch up!

Our last catch up was in Wollongong so we headed south to the Towradgi Beach Hotel to meet Alexandra for lunch. The last time I saw Alex she was a girl; now she is a mother of two. Isabel was in kindy but we enjoyed her gorgeous little boy Sebastian. It was yet another lovely, chatty time with a long time friend. Again, I hope it isn’t too long until we meet again.

It was lovely to see Alexandra and Sebastian

It has been very special to see so many long time friends all the way from Townsville down to Wollongong. Unfortunately distance keeps us apart, but this trip has shown me that the bonds remain.

We have reached the point in our journey that I have dreaded: we begin to go west and slowly head for home.

Hanging out in the Hunter

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Our plan was always to spend a few days with Janis and Jim in Medowie, near Newcastle, on our way south. However, a death in the family just before we arrived meant they had to leave for Victoria for a funeral. They asked us if we could housesit and look after their two year old schnauzer, Tashi, for a week. We were happy to do this and they managed to delay their trip to have the weekend with us.

They are another couple who have moved house since 2014 when we last visited but it was easy to find them at their beautiful home overlooking the Pacific Dunes Golf Course. It was great to see them again and meet Tashi! Janis informed me that Tashi is male and his name is actually Tashi Deleck which means ‘good luck or blessings and greetings’ in Bhutanese. (Janis visited and loved Bhutan). Anyway Tashi was a delight, an extremely happy and friendly pup.

Tashi

Janis wanted to make the most of the weekend and, since we had just missed Jim’s birthday, she suggested we go out for lunch in the Hunter Valley. On the way, we stopped at the Vintage Golf Club. It was beautiful and John was very impressed with the course which he told me Greg Norman designed. Apparently it’s one of the best courses in Australia. We moved on to look at the Bimbadgen Winery where Janis and Jim had their wedding lunch four years ago. It was just lovely. So much so that we decided to have a drink there! And Janis bought a carton of bubbly – her favourite.

The happy couple four years after their wedding here
Janis and I at the winery

The restaurant Janis booked turned out to be Circa 1876, a hatted restaurant located on the lovely grounds of Roscrea Estate in the wine region of Polkobin, and set in an historic cottage with exposed beams on the ceiling. We were seated and presented menus by very attentive staff and I felt we were all quite underdressed in our jeans. However, the staff didn’t seem to notice or care, and were very professional. The menu was incredible (expensive of course) and we had some trouble making our choices! As well as the three courses, the chef sent out some little tasting dishes and a special extra dessert for Jim in honour of his birthday. The food was amazing.

We had a wonderful lunch and a great day. Thanks Jim!

The following day, we took Janis and Jim out for breakfast at The Poyers at Lemon Tree Passage. We had a little look around the town but it was quite cold so John and I said we’d definitely come back and we did although The Poyers was closed. Instead we had a lovely coffee in the Lemon Tree Cafe then browsed the local shops.

Lemon Tree Passage

When we returned home, Jim and John went out for a game of golf. Janis had tickets for a choral concert by Port Harmony called ‘Earth and Sky’ so she and her friend Jackie took me along to the Soldiers Point Bowling Club. We had a delightful afternoon and I was introduced to some of their friends.

Jackie, Janis and I at the concert

Janis and Jim took off for Melbourne and left us in charge of Tashi. He was great company but also slept in our bed each night! He seemed to take a liking to John maybe because he played with him and walked him.

Jackie very kindly invited John to play golf with her in the Vets Competition and I went later and joined them for lunch when they’d finished, as the clubhouse was only a few minutes walk from the house. Everyone was very friendly and Jackie asked me to join her, Wendy and Joanna on a hike the next day up Mount Tomaree. I must admit I was a bit worried I’d embarrass myself as I’d heard it was a very steep climb.

As it turned out I managed fine. We were all puffed out but it was well worth the climb to see the fantastic view from the top across Port Stephens.

The views were stunning. We could see the Port Stephens coastline, Cabbage Tree, Boondelbah Islands, Yacaaba Head, Broughton Islands, Zenith, Wreck and Box Beaches, Fingal Island and the Port Stephens Lighthouse. On the way back down, we took time to look at the World War II gun emplacements.

When we finished our hike we had a well earned glass of wine and a beautiful lunch at The Shoal Bay Country Club. What a lovely group of ladies they were. I had a lovely time.

Myself, Jackie, Wendy and Joanna at the lovely Shoal Bay Country Club

Jackie drove us back to the estate and I assumed that was the end of a wonderful day. However these ladies don’t do things by halves. Joanna invited us into her house (for coffee I thought) and opened more wine. We sat out on the balcony overlooking the eighth hole and all the way down the golf course. Her husband, Paul, joined us and we had a very pleasant afternoon. I certainly slept well that night!

During the hike the girls had recommended John and I take the ferry over to Tea Gardens from Nelson Bay so we did. We didn’t know what was there but I assumed it was a tea room in some gardens. In fact Tea Gardens is the name of a small town so we discovered on our arrival! We had booked the 8.30am ferry and it was really cold while we waited to board. Luckily the little ferry was warmer and we had a very pleasant one hour trip over there.

Tea Garden Ferry

We had over four hours to kill in the tiny town so we headed straight for a little cafe on the edge of the water for breakfast. We shared French toast with maple syrup and berries, and watched the ferry return to Nelson Bay. We also watched a pod of dolphins herd a school of fish and later we saw some pelicans outside the fish market obviously waiting for their breakfast. They must all have been hungry too.

It wasn’t hard to kill four hours in Tea Gardens. It is a charming little place with some nice shops, cafes, a local arts and crafts shop run by volunteers, and a pub overlooking the water. We checked out the library which had some artwork outside and also some ‘peg people’ that represented the families of the first settlers in the area. Along the foreshore was the Anzac Memorial Park and some sculptures which we found interesting.

Further along a dog was sitting on top of the rubbish bins! John called it ‘The Dog on the Tucker Box’. It kept barking and looking towards the pub but it wouldn’t come down – until one of the patrons, its owner, called him over!

Around midday we had finished exploring and shopping so we also went into the pub for some lunch. We sat in the beer garden and enjoyed the sun. I was really pleased the girls had suggested Tea Gardens to us, we had a very relaxing day.

When Janis and Jim returned from Victoria, they persuaded us to stay a couple of extra days. They drove us back to the Hunter Valley to a village called Morpeth. It was certainly our kind of town – small and quaint with old buildings and unique shops. It was lovely.

As it was close to Janis’s birthday this time, she again booked a restaurant for lunch. This one was Boydells, a beautiful restaurant within a winery set in an old, renovated cottage. The meal was sensational, and the waiter talked us into wine tasting. Before we left we bought some wine to drink later. It was so delicious.

We had a super day but for Janis and I it wasn’t finished. Janis had tickets for the Opera in the evening and wanted me to go along because Jim wasn’t keen. After a short nana nap when we got home, we left for the Civic Theatre in Newcastle.

We took the ferry across to Newcastle which was just a five minute trip but it was lovely looking at the lights of the city. We were quite early so popped into a restaurant for coffee and dessert. Unfortunately we were still too early so decided to enjoy an Espresso Martini!

The Civic Theatre was absolutely stunning, ornately decorated in the 1920’s baroque style. I couldn’t stop looking at the walls and ceiling.

With the wine at lunch and Espresso Martini before the show, we were both worried that we’d fall asleep. However The Barber of Seville is a funny and upbeat opera and we both loved every minute of it!

We had a fabulous couple of weeks at Janis and Jim’s and were quite sad to leave. But leave we did, south towards Sydney.

New South Wales Catch Ups with Old Friends

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At the time of writing we have been on the road fifteen months. I always felt when we hit the east coast and began to meet up with long time friends, we would be nearing the end of our journey, and it does feel like that. We still have probably six weeks until we get back home to Western Australia and I’m starting to feel sad that the end is nigh. What makes me happy though is that we managed to meet up with more friends we hadn’t seen for a long time.

The last time we were at Kay and Jim’s house was in 2014 when we did a caravan trip in our Jayco Dove to Tasmania and the southern part of the country. You can check out my travel blog from that trip on www.gonetorecess.wordpress.com

We had stayed with them in Kinchela and they had had a daily itinerary planned! So we saw a lot of the area including Crescent Head, South Head, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Lorne and Kendall. We had a great time and the scenery was stunning. On this visit though, we just planned a catch up, rather than a sightseeing tour!

Kay and Jim live right on the MacLeay River where they have the most incredible sunsets. Their home is lovely with a large garden in which they used to plant lots and lots of vegetables. Unfortunately this area is prone to flooding and recent floods destroyed some of their fruit trees and vegie garden. However, they still have some – paw paws, mandarins, oranges, lemons, limes, bananas, peas, and more. Kay makes use of them all and they also swap their produce with neighbours. We particularly loved the herbs growing in toilet bowls but weren’t sure about eating them! They also have the most beautiful parrots visit each day knowing Kay will feed them.

Kay and Jim did insist on taking us for a drive. We loved looking at all the old character homes in the area and enjoyed a wander through a nearby town called Gladstone where we browsed some lovely vintage shops.

Then we drove to The Gap. The weather was overcast but we could see what a popular beach this would be on a sunny day.

We had a lovely time with our friends, Kay and Jim, who looked after us and made us feel so welcome. Too soon we were in the car and driving south towards Laurieton to visit other long time friends Denise and Russ.

Denise had moved house since 2014 when we last visited and it was exciting to see her brand new home in a lovely, modern estate close to town. We had so much to chat about that I completely forgot to take photos! But it was a beautiful home and she insisted, like Kay and Jim, that we sleep inside rather than in our van. It had been pretty chilly at night so we didn’t argue. Denise does not enjoy sight seeing and we were perfectly happy to stay home and catch up with all her news instead. She cooked both nights and Russell came over to spend a lot of time with us. It was great.

After a couple of terrific days, we said goodbye to Denise and Russ but, before leaving Laurieton, we called in for coffee with another friend, Jaci, who coincidentally lives just five minutes away. Jaci and I had been trying to coordinate a catch up but she is a busy lady with a hectic social calendar (and to be fair she also works)! We had an hour and a half to cram in all our news before she left for an organised day out with friends, and we managed just fine! Jaci and I initially met in Mandurah but haven’t seen each other for a few years. I was happy to see she enjoys her beautiful home in an over 55 residential village. She took us for a tour and we were very impressed. It looks like an amazing place to live.

It was soon time to hit the road again this time for Medowie to meet up with some family. It has almost felt like we are already home as everyone has been so familiar!

Beautiful, Bustling Byron Bay

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We booked into Suffolk Beach Holiday Park about six kilometres south of Byron Bay. The parks in town were expensive and we thought Byron would be very busy. This park was small but had a path through to a beautiful beach. We had a very pleasant stay here.

Suffolk Beach

By coincidence our day out in Byron Bay was a Sunday, market day. We had never seen so many market stalls anywhere and there were lots of interesting and quirky goods for sale. We enjoyed browsing. As well as lots of gazebos, there were a few small, subtle side shows for the children, a couple of bands playing, and a food area. With the weather so lovely, we decided on an ice cream. While John found a seat near the band, I made my way to a stall that sold some sort of natural ice cream. I ordered a banana and strawberry waffle cone for John and a sundae for me. They were absolutely delicious. It was actually frozen fruit and mine had lots of other yummy, healthy toppings like cacao and nuts.

Yum!

We expected Byron Bay to be busy and it was but it wasn’t uncomfortably so. The streets were wide with plenty of parking, and there were open, grassy areas near the beautiful beach where people were enjoying the sunshine. Neither John nor I had been here before but friends and family have always sung its praises. We were not disappointed; we loved our visit. There was so much on offer – the markets, the beach, picnic areas, great boutique shops, trendy cafes and bars, not to mention lovely scenery. There was also plenty of room to wander. Unlike Airlie Beach, which we found suffocating, here the people were all part of the buzz and appeal of the town.

Byron Bay Markets

We spent most of the day enjoying Byron then drove a short distance to Bangalow where we strolled down the main street which felt quite historic with all the old buildings and quaint shops. It was another lovely town but with a very different feel from Byron Bay.

Our trip had already begun to change somewhat.We had previously caught up with friends Sue, Linda and Barry whom we hadn’t seen for some years. And now we were leaving Byron Bay to drive to Kinchela to stay with other long time friends, Kay and Jim.

On the drive down the coast, we called in to Coffs Harbour to check it out and have lunch. If anything proved to us that we had left remote Australia and were back in civilisation, it was when we had to find our own table in a cafe in Coffs, order our lunch and coffees, then pay our bill all on a QR code on the table. No-one spoke to us at all during our visit. A waiter brought the food and coffees we’d ordered and we left when we were finished. No-one took our money, no-one asked how our meal was, no-one said ‘thank you for coming’. It felt odd and impersonal. I’m all for progress but……give me the outback any day.

Coffs Harbour
Me trying to order and pay online

Margaret Olley Art Centre

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We dragged ourselves away from Tamborine Mountain and collected our newly repaired and serviced caravan from Carrera to head south into New South Wales. I was keen to call into the Margaret Olley Art Exhibition at Murwillumbah which was on our way to our destination for a couple of nights, Byron Bay.

The exhibition was held at the Tweed Regional Gallery which was also displaying work by other artists who have been inspired by Olley including Linda Kruger, Natalie Popovski and Deb Mostert. We certainly found their work interesting but it was Margaret Olley’s still life paintings I was keen to see.

it was not just Olley’s art on display here

The gallery has recreated some of Olley’s home which was also her art studio – in particular the ‘yellow room’ and ‘hat factory’. It was amazing to see the actual yellow room which was the subject of one of her paintings.

Reconstruction of Olley’s home
Recreated Yellow Room
Standing next to the ‘Yellow Room’

As well as Olley’s own artwork, there were several portraits of her but I was a little disappointed that Ben Quilty’s Archibald prize winning portrait wasn’t there.

The gallery itself is set up high with the most lovely panoramic views of the Tweed Valley.

After a browse in the gift shop, we made to leave. On our way out, however, a wonderful painting of David Gulpilil caught our eye. This work was by artist Craig Ruddy and won the Archibald Prize in 2004. We were in Nhulunbuy recently when Gulpilil’s body was returned to await a traditional Aboriginal burial. We have always loved him as an actor.

David Gulpilil

Coincidentally I was talking to the lady in the caravan next to us and she was telling me that Craig Ruddy was a good friend of her friend and that he passed away here in Byron Bay earlier this year from covid complications.

Magical Mount Tamborine

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We arrived at Eagle Outdoors on Monday to find out they were short staffed (like most businesses at the moment) due to covid and they’d need the caravan for most of the week. It was booked in for some warranty work and a service, and we had expected it just to be a couple of days. However, our friends from our days in Mandurah, Linda and Barry, made us very welcome and insisted we stay with them all week at their lovely home on Tamborine Mountain.

I’d seen some of Linda’s Facebook posts and knew that ‘the Mountain’ must be a lovely part of the country. Indeed we discovered it is a very special place, definitely somewhere I’d enjoy living. Part of the Scenic Rim, Tamborine Mountain is surrounded by beautiful rainforest and national parks. There are beautiful drives and bush walks through the lush green forest to spectacular waterfalls. We loved that the houses in the area have been built with character and in keeping with the rural theme.

Linda and Barry’s lovely home

Over the week it became clear that there is a terrific sense of community here; everyone is friendly and supportive of everyone else. It is a very ‘arty’ and spiritual town with nice art galleries and lots of people selling essential oils, offering massages and reading tarot cards. Another friend from our Mandurah days, Sandy, lives here and makes her own beautiful products called Sacred Blends. (https://instagram.com/sacredblendsaustralia?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=). While we were there, she gave me the most wonderful hour long massage.

During our trip John and I have used a lot of book exchanges but on Tamborine Mountain, they go one step further- they have an Edible Exchange where community members leave home grown fruit, vegetables or herbs for others to use or swap. More recently they have also started a seed library.

Linda at the Edible Exchange

John and I enjoyed a wander along Gallery Walk, a street popular with tourists that has quite an eclectic mix of shops and cafes including my favourite shop A Wee Bit of Scotland. There is also a very unique shop called the German Cuckoo Clock Nest which has some great clocks and nesting dolls. We loved looking through the vintage, gift and fudge shops, to mention just a few.

As we have done in most towns, we took a walk through the Botanical Gardens which were lovely. I liked that there were several areas set aside for contemplating!

The weather was quite mild all week but some evenings were quite cold. One of those was when John and I joined Linda, Barry, Sandy and their friends, Dianne and Alan, to watch the sunset. Luckily Linda and Barry supplied us with extra hats, jackets and rugs to keep us warm. And the red wine also helped!

What a busy week we had. Linda and Barry kept us entertained by inviting Sandy and her husband, Tony, for dinner and board games. They also took us to their favourite op shops and coffee shops. Their dogs, Ollie and Jet, allowed us to walk them several times to the dog park.

Ollie and Jet enjoyed walks with us

Linda and Barry are very much a part of their local community. Amongst other things they are both carers for people who need extra support; teach dancing; play the ukulele; enjoy singing with locals; help with and perform in local plays; and are very involved in a support group called “Mountain Mates”, created by the Lions Club of Tamborine Mountain for over 18s with disabilities and their families. Mountain Mates get together regularly to ‘eat, drink, laugh, sing, dance, paint, garden, make music, dress up’, cook and do craft. The highlight of our week was being invited to their monthly bowls night. We had a fabulous time. It was such a lot of fun watching members and their carers bowl. There was so much joy and laughter. Afterwards we all had dinner together in the bowls club before Barry announced the night’s winners. It seemed that everyone was a winner, there were prizes for all the members. The evening finished with one of the boys, Keegan, playing DJ and getting everyone up to dance. It did our hearts good to see these lovely young people having so much fun and we were so pleased Linda and Barry persuaded us to stay an extra night and go along.

Had so much fun at Mountain Mates Bowls Night

Thanks to Linda and Barry for having us stay. Tamborine Mountain is certainly up there as one of the highlights of our trip. Thanks to Sandy, Tony, Dianne and Alan too. We had a wonderful week.

Far from the Madding Crowd

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I’ve always said to John that our trip is more about the journey than the destination but now I’m not so sure that’s true. We wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the Gold Coast so stayed in two amazing bush camps this week.  However the drives in to both were quite hairy. We were actually very happy to reach our destination!

The first was Jandarra Farm, previously a banana plantation that has been restored using holistic land practices. There were three camping areas, one of them elevated.  Although I thought that would be the nicest I decided John would prefer not to have to pull the caravan up unnecessary hills so I booked a lower one which turned out to be just as beautiful. The scenery was magnificent with 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains. We had access to a compost toilet, bush showers and an infra-red sauna!

Our camp at Jandarra Farm

The drive in was interesting. We passed the cute little town of Tallebudgera and the golf club then drove along winding roads with the most lovely homes and gardens on each side.  All of a sudden the road became narrower and we hit potholes and road works. We held our collective breaths as we crossed at least three of the narrowest bridges ever going over a creek, hoping the caravan would make it across.  It did- just. And then we hit the rough road with steep hills and sharp corners. We prayed no-one was coming in the other direction as we didn’t think we could stop. There were two big sighs of relief when we pulled up at the farm.

We had a fabulous couple of nights here and the first we enjoyed sitting around the campfire with Tania, the owner, and Brad, a young lad with a swag who spent one night on the elevated site.  John played golf at the local course while I gave myself up to the complete peace and quiet of our camp. We took a stroll down to the river but didn’t swim. Too cold for us. However we did have the infra-red sauna overlooking banana trees and a vegetable garden followed by a shower with views of the hills. Fantastic! The journey in was a little nerve-wracking but it was so worth it.

In the sauna!
The view from sauna!
View from shower
Our camp at Jandarra Farm

We were sad to leave this gorgeous camp but the next one was just as beautiful.  I told John I’d organised for us to have three nights at another bush camp. He said ‘Great, as long as there are no more hills!”  I looked back at the name of the camp – Witherin Heights Bush Camp. I really hoped the name was just a play on the book or Kate Bush song and not an indication of how high up it was.

The drive through the Hinterland was just beautiful but it was extremely mountainous and I could hear John cursing me under his breath. I don’t think he enjoyed the scenery as much as I did. It didn’t help that I directed him onto the wrong track on arrival at the camp and he had to back up the caravan along a narrow dirt road with a ditch on either side.  Oops.

The owner, Terry, asked us if we wanted to camp at the top although there was road noise or continue down to the mid level or lower level.  I couldn’t believe it when John said we’d go lower down. I don’t think he thought it through because the road was horrendous – narrow and rocky with sheer drops at many spots; there were hairpin bends and big holes in the road. It made the last one look like kids’ stuff. (John has now decided he likes caravan parks where we are squashed in with everyone else. Hopefully he will get over that quickly).

When we arrived at the mid-level camp, John said it might be nicer further down! I thought it looked lovely where we were but further down there was a perfect camping spot overlooking the valley. So he manoeuvred the van across a muddy track to set up.

Wow! What a place.  Each campsite was huge with no-one else in sight. A portaloo and fireplace were provided at each site but otherwise it was just an amazing view, the noisy kookaburras and the cows that occasionally strolled by. There was nothing to do but collect wood for the campfire and relax.

It seems crazy that in some bush camps such as this one, there is no power or water.  We rely completely on our own water and solar but there is often excellent TV reception! So here John got to enjoy the remoteness of our camp but didn’t have to miss the football or the Commonwealth Games!

Witherin Heights Bush Camp

The next morning we left camp and drove into the local town of Canungra to have a look around. And we were very impressed! I counted at least six cafes and all had five stars on Google. There were a few vintage clothes shops, a fabulous book and art shop plus quaint gift shops. In fact, we walked up a side street and discovered a couple of gift shops in homes and a very cute cafe in the back garden of a house. We enjoyed a lovely coffee and homemade date scone there then a browse through their vintage shop – inside the home. They even had items for sale in the bathroom!

On our return we did little but enjoy the ambience of the camp. It was very peaceful.  We read and collected more firewood. However, at the back of our minds there was the thought of the drive back up the hill with the caravan. We decided to have the last night on the top level so we could drive out easily on the Monday morning as we had the caravan booked in for repairs on the Gold Coast.

So on Sunday morning we packed up and connected the van to the car. We agreed I’d walk up alerting John to the dangers on the track. We didn’t have to go far for the first one! John drove up the steep hill and onto the dirt track which had very deep 30cm or so grooves made from previous cars in the rain. He tried to avoid the grooves and stay to the side of the track but the van’s left wheel caught in the ditch and dragged the van and car sideways causing the kitchen flap to fly open and some fruit and veg to spill onto the track. It could have been breakables I know. I picked them up and secured the latch to the kitchen. John drove on around bends and up steep hills avoiding wandering stock. One of the hairpin bends seemed impossible to get around with a hill on one side and ditch on the other and it took him a few goes to get the van around. But the van wheel slipped onto the edge of the ditch and the caravan started to tip over and slide taking the car with it. My heart was in my mouth as I yelled at John to stop but he yelled back that he had to keep going so he, the car and the van struggled slowly up the hill slipping close to the edge and dropping into pot holes. It was so frightening watching from outside. I had to run past them to open the gate so that John could put his foot flat on the accelerator and get all the way up.

When we met up at the top of the hill our hearts were thumping and I was sweating from the exertion of running uphill! But we were safely at the top and easily reversed into a very flat camp-site close to a compost toilet and the road. We couldn’t have cared less about the traffic noise!

I think we were both secretly happy that the day was overcast and chilly so we had an excuse to stay in the van and read. Of course when we had recovered we were able to enjoy yet another lovely view from this site and chat to the – not cows this time, but goats!

View from the top camp

At least we could sleep well knowing that we wouldn’t have to negotiate that track and could, instead, drive quietly out onto the road back to Nerang, just half an hour away, to drop off the van. We were looking forward to catching up with friends Linda and Barry from our days in Mandurah, and seeing Tambourine Mountain where they live.

From a Soaking on the Sunshine Coast to Glorious Days on the Gold Coast

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Unfortunately we didn’t get to see Noosa at its best. It was pouring with rain when we packed up to head into town. We could see Noosa would be stunning on a sunny day, but not this day. Due to the rain, we hadn’t been able to have breakfast at the van so, as we drove down the coast, we kept an eye out for not just a cafe but also somewhere to park with the van. After a few false starts, we found a double parking bay opposite a potentially lovely cafe. We felt dryer and warmer after a nice breakfast.

With the weather as it was, there was no point in following the scenic route so we just set the GPS to take us directly to Samford, out of Brisbane, where my friend Sue-Ellen lives. In fact it was a lovely drive particularly as we neared Samford. It’s been more than thirty years since I visited Sue here (although we have caught up in between in Melbourne and Sydney when visits coincided) and I really hoped the area hadn’t been built up and become just a suburb of Brisbane. Certainly there were more homes but they were all beautiful with acreage around them. Sue’s home sits up high on ten acres and is the epitome of a stylish and comfortable country home with a veranda overlooking the bush. We loved it.

Sue’s lovely home

It was wonderful to see Sue again after so many years. (We met in our early twenties when we shared a house with two others in Parramatta but since then have always lived in different states or countries). She made us so welcome and insisted on cooking a delicious dinner for us both nights. John pottered around on the first day while Sue and I talked non stop, catching up on all the news; but the following day, with the sun finally shining, Sue took us out for a drive around the local area. We had lovely lunch at the Lifestyle Garden Centre close by and nosed around the delightful ‘Baffies Oan Books’ before buying a book each. The garden centre was very nice with a beautiful gift shop too. But most special was the Horse Tearoom set out for horse riders and their ponies to rest. A few riders were taking advantage of relaxing with a coffee while their companions chomped on the grass alongside them.

Then it was back to Sue’s for a glass or three of wine and a chat in front of the open wood fire before dinner.

Bella
Sue and I
Sue, John and I at the garden centre

Too soon it was time to move on again so the next day we said our goodbyes to Sue and Bella, her lovely dog, with promises of not leaving it so long before our next catch up. We headed off in the sunshine towards Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

The drive out of Samford was beautiful and we were looking forward to having a look at Brisbane thinking that, being a Sunday, it would be quiet and there would be plenty parking. Wrong! The city was bustling and South Bank chock-a-block. It looked lovely but we were not going to be able to park so we kept moving south towards the Gold Coast which we knew wouldn’t be any quieter.

The traffic was thick as we drove into Surfers’ Paradise. I wanted to stop and look around because I was there in 1982 with my parents when they visited me from Scotland. They had loved it. I knew it would be more built up and it certainly was. The charm it had back then was less but we still enjoyed walking around.

Later we drove into Southport which was also very built up and busy. Of course this is the area for theme parks so we knew what to expect. The high rises didn’t look out of place, they just screamed ‘Gold Coast’. The beach was lovely and stretched all the way back to Surfers’ Paradise. The Surf Life Savers were patrolling the beach which was dotted with sunbathers and swimmers. It was a lovely day but definitely not hot enough for us to even put our toes in the water. Instead we opted for a cappuccino in a nearby Cafe.

Unsurprisingly we had trouble booking into a caravan park. We prefer to be away from the hustle and bustle but there are no free camps here. I finally managed to get us into a very quiet park in Advancetown near Nerang. We booked in for three nights to give us time to look around the Gold Coast.

After a good night’s sleep, we continued down the coast stopping at Palm Beach. This was more òur kind of place: it is a much smaller and quieter version of Surfers’ Paradise and Southport with great cafes and bars as well as the lovely beach. (John loved the shop names- Hunky Dory (the fish shop) and Well Bread Cafe and Pastries are two that come to mind). Families were enjoying the water – swimming, kayaking, using stand up paddle boards and so on. It had a lovely holiday-feel but with room to move around (and park!) We felt this was a far better option for people like us who liked the old Surfers’ Paradise before it grew so big.

Before moving on, we took a drive up to the Hinze Dam near the caravan park which supplies water to the Gold Coast area, and had a wander around. It was certainly worth the visit.

Hinze Dam

With a few days up our sleeves before our caravan was booked in for some warranty work on the Gold Coast, we decided to head inland away from the crowds and check out the Hinterland region.