Moree

We started the week in Toowoomba and visited more flower gardens. It is a very beautiful place in spring. I have included a couple of snapshots of different things you might see in Toowoomba if you’re not careful.

Me as a Dolly Vardon cake!!










A new sort of flower – Umbrelliads









Wood ducks with one of their 8 babies. (We also saw Moor hens with their cute little black fluffball babies)










On Wednesday we left Toowoomba and travelled to Stanthorpe. Fortunately it was overcast that evening so Stanthorpe didn’t live up to its reputation of being the coldest place in Queensland.

Next morning we went down to Girraween National Park and walked in the bush. On the short walk I managed we saw 26 different sorts of wildflowers. (See example photo). There were also lots of unafraid hoppies (kangaroos), lots with babies. I saw my first white winged choughs in the picnic area. They look a lot like crows till they fly but they congregate in families. After lunch we slipped into NSW for a spell before overnighting in QLD at Glenlyon dam. There were lots more unafraid hoppies there! It was a great spot for fishing people and the company was very friendly. We saw a rare turquoise parrot there.

Next morning was off to Sundown National Park. It is really different from Girraween even though they are only about 50 km apart. It was showering lightly but we walked along a track to a permanent waterhole (see photo). There were birds everywhere and a few wildflowers (see photo of orchid – what sort of an orchid is it Marian? I only caught sight of it by mistake when I was looking at something else.) Then it was back to NSW for a trip west. We weren’t ready to start daylight saving yet so we stopped at Goondiwindi. Doug had never been there before and I had only ever passed through. You’re right Gwenda – it is a pretty little town.










And that brings us to where we are now – at Moree for the hot springs. Doug prefers the one at 39 degrees and I prefer 35. The people were super friendly at church today and we brought home a container of cake from morning tea. This is a very pleasant camp site but tomorrow we’ll be off to Inverell. (See photo of Doug relaxing)

Coonabarabran

We left Moree on Monday morning after a slow start. Morning tea was in Warialda where Doug’s cousins used to live. We drove past the manse and church before seeking coffee at the bakery. Not far from Warialda we were enticed off the road by a sign for Cranky Rock. It was an interesting spot (see photo) and Doug remembers scrambling over the rocks as a child. This spot also produced one of those memorable signs – see photos.




On the way to Inverell we detoured by Copeton Dam but they wanted us to pay $8 for the privilege of using their picnic tables so we went on to Inverell. Doug noticed lots of changes since his childhood there. We stayed at a lovely caravan park and wandered through a lovely wetland area. The swans were posing for us (see photo)

On to Glen Innes the interesting way. We went via Kings Plains and the Kings Plains National Park. We saw diamond firetail finches there – see photo and notice his red tail and gorgeous spotted waistcoat. It was very pretty countryside and a really nice drive.





In Glen Innes there was really only one choice of Caravan Park. I wonder if Michael, Claire and Robin remember this place (see photo). We had a very exciting few minutes as we watched an echidna!!!! foraging around for ants under the rocks. It rained most of the night to add excitement and there was also a possum growling at the rubbish bin next to the van. I had to scare it off by shining the torch out the window. Altogether a too exciting stay.

Once again we chose the interesting way as we drove to Armidale the next day. We drove via Ebor falls (see photo [abseiling only permitted between upper and lower falls]), New England National Park and Point Lookout, and Wollomombi gorge and falls. The cloud was down at Point Lookout which made it all nice and spooky. We crept through the bush and saw where the lyre bird had been. The rainforest was all covered in lichen and moss – really different from the rest of the bush. Wollomombi gorge was very edgy and I stood back while Doug took photos. We have also seen lots of lush farming country and lambs and calves. In Armidale we stayed with cousins Tim and Raelene. We hadn’t seen them since they moved from Perth 10 years ago. (Their kids have grown)

Armidale to Coonabarabran was a big drive for us – over the Moonbi ranges and down through Tamworth. Doug grew up in Tamworth too so we visited his old house there too. We stayed 2 nights in Coonabarabran to do washing. We drove out to a really interesting pottery place and stopped to see the wildflowers on the way back (see photo of one out of dozens). We had our first experience of the soft touch of flannel flower petals. Today we came out to the Warrumbungle National Park and we are camped here for a couple of nights. (See photo of some of the rock features of the park - next time). On the way we stopped at Siding Springs Observatory. Doug really enjoyed the display of information there.

A Big Week

What a big week we’ve had! That’s why the blog is so late.

We started in the Warrumbungles. Doug did a big 5 hour walk on Monday up around the breadknife (see photo). I did a bit of a walk and caught up on a few things while I waited. There were lots of kangaroos in the park (see photo), doing all sorts of cute and characteristic things. I was disappointed at how many weeds there were in all the public areas.





On Tuesday we travelled to Dubbo and on Wednesday we went to the zoo. It was a cold day with a very nippy breeze and we needed our windproof jackets. The area isn’t as big as I remembered it but the animals still looked like they had enough space and were well cared for. There were some great statues around the park and this one of the world’s tallest baby took Doug’s fancy (see photo). I enjoyed all the animals but I think my favourite spot was the aviary where they had local endangered birds like the diamond firetail finches and a pair of Regent honeyeaters. Doug seemed to spend most time looking at the monkeys and lemurs (see photo). They certainly are very amusing.

After Dubbo we wandered on to Orange. The night we spent there was one of their coldest – down to zero and the caravan park had all the joys of night trains passing and early morning galahs in the trees overhead.

Onwards through Bathurst (saw Mt Panorama) and Kanangra Walls (sheer cliffs) to Jenolan caves and finally to the Blue Mountains. The road through Jenolan doesn’t look like it has been upgraded for 40 years. I would hate to meet a bus on one of the many steep hairpin bends!!




We spent 3 nights in the blue Mountains and saw lots of stuff. There was something for everyone. There were sheer drops (see photo) and steep, rough walks for Doug and lots of wildflowers for me. I did look at the views from well away from the edge. I took the photo of the three sisters (very brave – see photo). I also took photos of over 50 different sorts of wildflowers. Some were spectacular like the waratahs and some amazing like this orchid (see photos). We also went to Norman Lindsay’s ‘cottage’ and garden and saw the 90th birthday exhibition of the Magic Pudding. I didn’t like his titty nudes but I loved his comic sketches. The Mount Tomah Botanical Gardens was another lovely place we visited. There were lots of touristy things we didn’t do. Doug did a big walk down the grand staircase near the 3 sisters, along the valley and up the other side. This took him 3 hours and he really enjoyed it.

Monday saw us travelling again as we drove the interesting way from Katoomba to Gosford via Wiseman’s Ferry. It was a pretty, windy, bumpy drive. We saw a friend on the way (see photo) – our third wild echidna!

Now we are in Gosford for the week.

Party Day

What a big weekend we’ve had! That’s why the blog is late.

We had a quiet week, staying with Doug’s parents. We did lots of cleaning. I washed everything in sight (like blankets) and Doug cleaned and vacuumed the hard surfaces of the van so we’ve started off clean again.

We had a little excursion to Patonga one day and did a walk through the wildflowers to the lookout. I had never seen red hairy gum buds before (see photo)

On Sunday Doug and I arrived early at Royal National Park to bags our spot for the big party. We had perfect weather – overcast and not too hot. I think we had about 30 rellies come and the 80’s had a great time. We barbecued and ate and played games and chatted and saw 2 echidnas and altogether had lots of fun. (see photo of cake ceremony)

Doug and I are now in Towradgi and heading south down the coast.

South Coast NSW

On Tuesday we left Vic and Kim’s place after an early morning tea. We drove down the coast. We stopped at Kiama to see the blowhole and nearly had our hair blown off (we don’t have wigs). It was freezing and windy and after discussion over morning tea we decided to head inland. We drove up Saddleback lookout which had magnificent views up and down the coast. Then we went up the scarp and had some eats at Barren Ground. The wildflowers were magnificent up there. We visited Carrington Falls (see photo) which were specky and then came back down the scarp to Kangaroo Valley (saw our 7th echidna on the roadside on the way down). It was a real up and around and down sort of day.

The next day we headed back to the coast. We stopped at Currarong and walked out to whale point. A bit like our experience on lyrebird track, lo and behold there were whales out there playing. It was lots of fun watching the splashing and fin waving and tail flapping. They were a fair way out but if you zoom in on the photos some of them were quite good (see photo). The steak sandwiches from the general store there were really yummy. Then we toddled off to Ulladulla. Notable overnight at Ulladulla was the possum. I went out to investigate the noises and the possum headed straight for me and kept coming (see photo). I had to flap things at it to deter it.

Thursday saw us setting off down the coast again to Potato Point. There are supposed to be emus who frequent the beach there but we didn’t see any. I wanted to go for a paddle but there were lots of blue bottles washed up on the beach and I wasn’t risking a sting. I told Doug how Robin had enjoyed himself one day by standing on them and popping them. You guessed it – like father like son! There were lawns full of kangaroos and wallabies there (and their poo) and some came to ‘help’ at breakfast (see photo). The baby one was very cute doing bog laps round the van for entertainment.

On Friday we went the picturesque way down to Pambula Beach via Bermagui. (Nice coffee at Bermagui!) It was a very up and around and down sort of day again and I felt quite spun out by the time we arrived. The caravan park there was quite nice (more kangaroos) but definitely not worth the $38 a night that we paid. Once again we walked on the beach but didn’t paddle because it was cold and rainy and windy and there were blue bottles. I wonder if you can guess what Doug did?

We left Pambula and came the interesting way south. We went via Ben Boyd Forest Drive. It was steep and windy and mostly ran along a ridge but disappointingly there were no places to stop. The only excitement was when 2 lyrebirds rushed across the road. We got back to the coast south of Eden and decided to head to Mallacoota where we are now – in Victoria.

After all that travelling we have had a nothing day today which included a sleep in and an afternoon nap. We went for a bit of a walk this afternoon and heard lots of birds and saw where there ought to have been lyrebirds. I took this picture of a flower I haven’t seen before.

South Gippsland

This week has whizzed by. We ambled off from Mallacoota via Shipwreck Cove (see photo) and Cape Conran and eventually made our way to Buchan. We stayed in the camping ground at the caves and it is beautiful. There are lots of large trees – some English and some Aussie and nice grass and lots of peace.

Just as well we forget!! Tuesday we went to McKillop’s bridge via W Tree and Seldom Seen (Yes there was a tree shaped like a W I’m told). I had forgotten how steep and narrow (single car) and edgy the unsealed road was for 11 km and we went in and came back out the same way. McKillop’s Bridge has an amazing story. It was washed away by a flood before it was opened so they raised it and in 1971 a flood of the same magnitude lapped the bottom of the bridge. You can’t imagine that much water in the valley! Doug and I paddled in the benign looking Snowy river at the bottom. (see photo of bridge). We ended the day being spoiled by my uncle and aunt in Bairnsdale.

Wednesday and Thursday were spent in Bairnsdale visiting people and places. We took photos of the houses Mum and Dad lived in. It was very hot.

On Friday we left and travelled the interesting way to Toora. We went via Calulu, Wuk Wuk, and Meerlieu to Sale. Then we went to Tarra Bulga National Park via Yarram. That was beautiful – all ferny gullies (see photo) and lyrebirds. It was cold and rainy which was the right sort of weather to have in a place like that. Then on to Toora via the Grand Ridge Road and some other small localities. It was late when we got there so we bought take-away. Always buy your pizzas at Toora if you want them generously made by an Italian couple!

Saturday’s adventure was The Prom. Doug had never been there and I hadn’t been for a long time. It is still very beautiful. We did an easy walk to Lilly Pilly Gully for me. There were lots of wildflowers out. Then Doug climbed up Mt Oberon. It was VERY WINDY! It was viciously cold as well. Doug felt like he could hardly stand upright at the top. We spent the night with the roof down on the van as it felt like it would blow away. We saw wombats wandering round the park that evening. (See photo of Mt Oberon from Tidal River.

Sunday was on to Corinella to catch up with Marian and Lorraine and today we spent at Phillip Island. It was much warmer and we saw penguins (see photo), koalas, seagull babies, white fronted chats, cape barren geese and their babies and I saw a varied triller. Oh yes, there was some fairly nice scenery as well.

South West Victoria

Hello from Warrnambool.

We slipped past Melbourne on Tuesday by driving down the east side of the Mornington Peninsula and catching the ferry from Sorrento to Queenscliff. On the way down the peninsula we saw these gorgeous pelicans at Hastings (see photo).



After arriving at Queenscliff we went the interesting way to Geelong. Firstly we visited Point Lonsdale and took this photo back across the Rip to Point Nepean. Then we did a Cooks tour of the Bellarine and arrived in Geelong.





On Thursday we visited Serendip sanctuary, the You Yangs and Anakie Gorge. While up the You Yangs we saw a group of people clustered in the bush and as we pulled over I asked a man what they had found. He said it was a Kowaylrr. So I proudly introduce you to the new Aussie bush Mammal – Kowaylrr (see photo). You can see from the photo that it was cold and windy and being in bed was probably the best place to be.








The weather continued cold and very windy. We left Geelong early Saturday, bought a beanie for me and set off along the Great Ocean Road. We’ve seen lots of spectacular scenery, ferny gullies, Kowaylrrs and wind whipped sea. Today we mainly spent our time admiring the 12 apostles and other associated rock formations. (see photo). I included this photo of a wildflower that I saw while I was cowering behind some shrubbery to get out of the wind. I think it might be a Guichenotia.

Tomorrow it will be farewell to Victoria and travelling west.

South Australia

Warrnambool to Mount Gambier was fine and cold and windy. The scenery wasn’t as spectacular as the Great Ocean Road but it had some interesting spots. Just out of Portland was a petrified forest only it wasn’t at all – just solution pipes that looked a bit like a petrified forest (see photo)



At Mt Gambier we visited the Blue Lake which is grey in winter and turns blue on a couple of days in November. We were lucky to arrive after it turned blue (see photo). We also climbed the Centenary Tower, well Doug did, but we had to walk up a very steep track up the crater rim to get there (puff, pant) and there were spectacular views from the top. Mt Gambier is on interesting geological stuff. There are volcanic craters and also limestone caves and sink holes. I don’t think I’d feel all that safe living on something that might fall in.

Into South Australia and on to Meningie. We stopped at the Coorong for lunch with flies. You can certainly see why people are so worried about the level of water in the Murray and why it so desperately needs saving. Meningie is a place of social significance in our family. It is where, at 18 months, Michael learned to like olives!



From Meningie we crossed the Murray by ferry. This was our 10th ferry trip this holidays and one of the free ones. We went on to Goolwa which is a waterbird paradise. We drove over the bridge to Hindmarsh Island and saw the Murray Mouth (see photo) and down to one of the barrages that separate the Goolwa from the Coorong and the salt water from the fresh.





We stayed at Victor Harbour for a couple of nights. We visited Granite Island for a walk and morning tea. We caught the Horse Tram (see photo) which was a bit of fun and supporting the locals. One of the most amazing things we saw at Victor Harbour was the Inman River breaking its way out to sea. We went for a walk and saw the very full river seeping over the sand banks and sea weed. Doug commented that it really just needed a boy with a stick to set it going. On the way back we saw that there were 2 small channels and we stayed to watch the river wash all before it in a great and mighty rush. It was very exciting.

From Victor Harbour we drove around the Fleurieu Peninsula and up to the Adelaide Hills. We bypassed Kangaroo Island. It was going to cost about $400 for a day’s visit. We thought the ferry prices exorbitant so we kept going.

We visited Belair National Park, Mt Lofty Summit, bypassed Adelaide, saw Hans Heysen’s place and now we are in the Barossa.

Peninsula

This week Dorothea Mackellar's famous poem 'I love a sunburnt country' has been echoing round in my head. South Australia is certainly sunburnt with sweeping plains of golden crops and the rugged ranges near Port Augusta. Some of the coastline has been very rugged and awe inspiring and some has had beautiful gentle beaches. We have travelled up and down the coastline of all three SA peninsulas now and seen some very diverse things.

Highlights of the week.

Eating Barossa cherries fresh from the orchard!

Visiting Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop and tasting a sample of the produce as well as seeing a cooking demonstration that was in the set for the Cook and the Chef (see photo).









Seeing lots of beautiful trees that Hans Heysen might have painted (see photo)












Seeing lots of beautiful costal scenery on both the Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas as we travelled round the edges of them.

Visiting some National Parks and seeing the sights.
We saw a mallee fowl at Innes National Park (see photo)









We paddled at the most beautiful place called September beach in the Lincoln National Park where the water was as clear as in a resort swimming pool (see photo)










Staying in little seaside places like Edithburg, Port Broughton, Marion Bay, Arno Bay and Coffin Bay. At Edithburg the fishing people were feeding the pelicans as they cleand their fish – see photo.









And to conclude I have put in a photo of a gossipping corella. I wonder what he’s saying to his friend?

Back across the Nullarbor

We left Coffin Bay on Monday and travelled up to Venus Bay. On the way we saw some more of South Australia’s magnificent coastline. The soft limestone structures really make for some dangerous and spectacular sights (see photo of Doug at woolshed cave).

After that it was on to Ceduna and preparing for the long haul across the Nullarbor. The trip to Ceduna was made exciting by stumpy tailed lizards who were basking in the sun on the road. Every couple of kilometres or so there would be another one to dodge. It’s a bit hard to tell which way they’re heading when they don’t have a long tail pointing behind.

Wednesday saw us arriving in WA. We had to give up ½ an onion and 2 stalks of celery at the border. On the way we drove in to the head of the Bight. Of course there were no whales at this time of year but the scenery was great – enormous white dunes in one direction (blowing inland at 11 metres a year) and cliffs in the other (see photo). The weather started out fine but became cloudy, stormy and rainy as we went along. At one point it was sunny and windy And raining AND hailing!!

When we arrived at Eucla it was just rainy and windy. Even the galahs looked miserable (see photo)

Thursday was a 700+ km day from Eucla to Norseman. It was rainy and long. It was quite amazing to see the Nullarbor so green. It was like pasture land. It was also so wet and the drains were so full that the water was lapping the edge of the highway in places.

Friday – on to Kalgoorlie after seeing some of the sights in Norseman. Because it had rained there were wildflowers out (see photo)

We arrived home Sunday after a long hot drive into the sun from Kalgoorlie. All the children were there t o greet us and to see what the dog would do. That was interesting. Because we’d been away so long and she’s gone deafer and blinder in the meantime, she actually growled at us and was going to bite – no memory at all. That was a bit disappointing because I think everyone thought she would turn herself inside out and just want to sit on Doug for hours. Anyway we had a lovely family tea and the dog loves us again.

Now we’re unpacking and stuff… not so very interesting.

Summing up:

What was your best experience?

Jean:

Seeing a platypus literally at my feet in the middle of the day (see March in Tasmania)

Doug:

Wonderful bush walks in the Warrambungles and Blue Mountains.

What was the worst thing that happened?

Jean:

Tearing a ligament in my foot in Townsville (see August) and not being able to walk for weeks. It still hurts!

Doug:

Getting a ding in the back of the van by reversing into someone – very embarrassing!

What are two places you would go back to?

Jean:

Cheyne’s Beach WA, 70 km east of Albany (see January)

Tasmania – Even though we spent 6 weeks there it was really beautiful and there’s so much more to see.

Doug:

Tassie, Blue Mountains & Warrambungles for some of the more challenging walks.

Signing off for now

Jean and Doug