Visiting UK with Doug

Both these items have been our best friends over the past 10 weeks although I have to say the heater was our BFF on more days than I wish to remember. I think the sunscreen was used more against 'windburn' than sunburn! We were looking forward to our return to Brisbane until we heard that a 100 year record was broken when it went down to 2.5 on Friday morning. I know it's winter but that's ridiculous. Climate change! Better get planning the next trip. Thanks for the memories Alistair

My man - always hanging out with the "birds".
We drove the Tweed Coast Tourist Drive from Pottsville to Tweed Heads stopping at Cabarita Beach, Kingscliff and Rainbow Beach. Fantastic weather as we get closer to home.

Rainbow Beach looking across to the Gold Coast, fabulous place to have lunch on  the final day of our 10 week trip inland from NSW to Victoria and South Australia.

As the school holidays were coming to an end we decided to hangout at Hastings Point for the weekend and let all the traffic sort itself out before we travel on our final stage home. We heard there has been a whale sighting so made our way to the lookout only to be disappointed once again. Lots of people but a camera shy whale. Surely he knows the photo would have made the papers!

Not to be outdone this Osprey kept circling above, no doubt laughing at us all standing in the cold waiting for a sighting.

Whales or no whales this fisherman wasn't letting the incoming tide worry him.

Big 4 Emerald Beach just north of Coffs Harbour - beautiful hideaway, close to the beach and many cafes. A very natural setting with Wallabies and kookaburra's wandering all through the park. Very relaxing and could have spent more time there.  Also set amongst residential homes but so different from Manning Point yet the same cost - no comparison. Forgot to take the camera on our walk so it will just have to be a memory.

Big 4 Manning Point was next stop, sadly no photo's as the park may have been touted to be between the beach and the Manning River, you'd never know it as it is actually stuck in the middle of a very tired residential area and you can't see either from anywhere in the park. And they had the hide to charge $30.60 per night. It is one of those out of the way places off the main highway otherwise we would have turned around and gone somewhere else.
One night and never again!

As we are definitely on our way home we decided to travel via the NSW South Coast and stay at places we have not visited before. Canton Beach at Toukley was our first stop from Canberra. Had to get there and set up early as this was the night that NSW Blues would be awarded the Trophy! Sadly we didn't make it 3-0 but the trophy is back where it belongs.

Moved on to Canberra and visited my old childhood home built in 1964. Not a lot has changed except for that the front yard tree that all of us used as a swing has almost eclipsed the house. Winter is never the best time to visit as we were there for 3 days and had morning temperatures were -4, -2, -4 with a good frost to boot. Thanks for the memories Canberra!

Our street was named after  F/Lt W E Newton a VC recipient.

Arrived in Moruya on the NSW South Coast where we caught up with long time friends Allyson & Ian Hamilton. They were celebrating their 39th wedding anniversary so we were also able to catch up with Natalie, Dave & the boys - great time had by all. It really does feel like we are homeward bound once we start travelling through familiar places we used to go for weekends when we lived in Canberra.

Oasis in Moruya or Top Tourist caravan park? Drive through sites were at the back of the park overlooking the mountains but right next to the river. Great location as you could also walk over the bridge into the town and the weekend markets.

Historic Tathra Wharf  built for large boats transporting cattle & pigs to Sydney in the late 1800's. Recently 4 lives were lost in this bay area - a 28 year old father and his 2 sons were fishing on the wharf when the pram rolled over and he dived in to save the boys and all drowned and then a local woman swimming with her husband and other club members was taken by a shark in this bay.

The shed at the Tathra Wharf was converted into Café/Restaurant & Art Gallery using all the old beams boat material where possible. This wharf leads up to a Memorial Garden that was started by a local when she realised that Tathra didn't have a cemetery so the garden walk is lined with plaques remembering the locals.

The shed has large loading doors that open wide and become the most amazing picture windows overlooking the bay area. You can also see Frankie J Holden's caravan park lining the beach opposite.

Merimbula beach on the Sapphire Coast - it certainly sparkles. It was wonderful to welcome a fine sunny day after 2 weeks or more of on again off again wind and rain.

Some were game to surf the water but not my man. He reckons this is the only way to enjoy the winter sun! There were 4 of these deck lounge chairs at this spot which overlooks the Back Lake that feeds into the sea.

Sapphire Coast Top Tourist Park - every Monday to Thursday they cook up free Pancakes at 10am. Needless to say we had a late breakfast every day we were there. This was Alistair's plate - you could actually see the jam on my pancakes! Great park with heated pool and spa area, giant chess & draught games and very sheltered from the wind.

We found the sign for the caravan park but can't believe where they want us to park. Must have rained a lot here overnight! Once we opened our eyes we saw that they also own the caravan park across the road. North Arms Tourist Park at Lake Entrance. Nothing fancy just a small concern but so clean and tidy.

Revisiting and old haunt. About 27 years ago we had our first "blended family" holiday away at Lakes Entrance Victoria. Can't believe it's taken us so long to revisit such a beautiful place. One of the activities we did at the time was to hire a small boat and take a 4 hour trip on the Lakes fishing lines and all. We ran out of fuel and had to be towed back to the boatshed - how embarrassing although the children thought it was hilarious at the time.

North Arm at sunset - the quieter end of Lakes Entrance and very sheltered.

Now we move on closer to Melbourne where our original plan was to catch up with our son Jeff. A couple of weeks prior to us arriving he advised that he has a work project that will be taking him to India over the time of our visit - not fair ANZ Investment Bank we booked in first!!
Anyway we will now have to stay the whole 3 days with our friends Bill & Margaret who moved back to Melbourne last March. We had a wonderful time going to markets and wineries around Berwick where they live and on Sunday Margaret and I went to see David Hobson & the Victorian Welsh Choir - what a wonderful treat. Thank you Bill for giving me your ticket, although I got the impression you had a better afternoon showing Alistair around town. Oh and did I mention that the girls won at cards 5 -2. Very impressive playing ladies. Can't believe not one picture taken over the 3 days - photographer must have been off duty.

Our stay in Ballarat was not quite as successful as some previous prospectors but this place certainly has some history. As the weather was so wet and windy we decided not to wander around the Sovereign Hill attraction ie. individual miners tents, gold digs and saloon bars etc. Instead we drove around the city streets and admired the many historic buildings. We will have to visit again in the warmer months as it is a very interesting place.Our accommodation at the Sovereign Hill Big 4 caravan park was the best stopover yet - under floor heating in the amenities block!

Daylesford - "The Convent". A feast for the senses, this is now a fully restored art gallery on three levels in a historic 19th century mansion that was once a Convent. It now has decadent retail areas (with prices to match!), a Mediterranean restaurant, an Altar bar and lounge.

The chapel has been restored and is frequently used as The Convent was voted as one of the Top Ten best venues for weddings in Australia. There is also a nuns museum , a penthouse apartment that can be pat of your wedding package and it includes 360* views of the town and a spa bath. There are also 2 glass fronted function spaces that are regularly used to host wedding receptions and art shows. They have kept most of the religious statues, altars and stained glass windows and used them tastefully throughout.

The nuns greet you at the Bad HabiTs Café where you can buy a bottle of "The Good Catholic Girl" Shiraz or Merlot at $38 a bottle. Thought about buying a bottle but they wouldn't let you taste so wasn't willing to take the chance as most of the Catholic girls I know probably had more bad habits than the nuns!
All in all a lovely day out with a lot of old-style rural charm and unspoilt countryside. Daylesford and neighbouring Hepburn Springs are also well known as the nation's Spa Capital and Melbourne's best short break destination. Certainly was very busy on a Wednesday.

We are now staying at Ballarat and the weather hasn't really improved much so rather than walking around Sovereign Hill to experience the 1850's gold rush fever and duck in and out of the rain we decided to go for a drive in the surrounding areas. What better place than a Trout Farm at Smeaton called Tuki.

From the pond to the pan you can have some fun fishing and then dine upon your catch. And the best part is they clean and prepare it and serve it to you with all the trimmings. It's the perfect scene: your cast, their crew, the best lines and a happy ending.

So on a cold winter's day at the trout farm (8*) we decided to have some plunger coffee and a trout pate plate for lunch around the roaring fire. We also requested 2 freshly caught trout to take home. The farmer's wife passed on the message to her husband who thought we wanted it for lunch so he put one on the barbie so to speak. When she told him we wanted to take them with us he said "you look like good people and I hate waste" so he served it up to us free of charge! Alistair will cook  up our Trout tomorrow as we would be 2 little piggies having it for lunch and dinner.
Smeaton was a boomtown in the 1850's and was home to eight hotels, a five-storey bluestone flourmill, a butter factory and several banks. Today it offers tantalising hints of its thriving past. But some things never change and the town's social nucleus is still the Cumberland Hotel, established in 1860.

When we first arrived at Portland we headed to the Visitor's Centre at the wharf as the Whale Flag was up. There had been a sighting of a Southern Right Whale mum and calf in the harbour. A crowd had descended on the wharf and we stayed for 40 mins but no luck with a sighting. So we set out to
Cape Nelson Lookout 13km out of Portland. The sun was desparately trying to peek through on a very bleak day. Not raining - yet, but very windy.
The significance of the photo shows just how much we were praying for better weather!

A very rugged part of the Limestone coast which stretches through SA & Vic. Rainy weather and storms have been following us for the last week.

Cape Nelson near Portland - Clare is still looking for all those whales. Everyone says there out there! One thing about Portland we will never forget is the weather. We had 2 days of 120km wind and rain - not much fun when you're in a caravan. The force of the wind actually snapped our TV aerial in half and a few trees were worse for wear in the van park as were we. We didn't get much sleep those 2 nights but luckily we didn't have to travel on the road.

Pouring rain in Mt Gambier so we decided to take a 47km drive to Dartmoor Waterfall Gardens as suggested in the Visitor Guide book. They obviously haven't been there for a while as the locals told us it has been closed for 4 years and the walk to the waterfall was very overgrown and slippery as Alistair found out when we tried to get closer for a photo of the waterfall. Thank goodness for the telescopic lens!

Original Cyprus Trees were planted prior to WWII by the Dartmoor & District Progress Association to beautify the newly constructed road bridge over the Glenelg River. The trees were lopped in 2006 and carved by chainsaw sculptor Kevin Gilders. The carvings on this tree represent over 22 nursery rhymes.

Lots of small animal carvings line the main street into town.  The carvings are all finished off with a water based decking oil to protect them and give the a long lasting shine. Some properties around the area also have a sheep or cow carving at the entrance to their farm.

Mt Gambier - Umpherston Sinkhole referred to as "the sunken garden". It was once a cave, formed through the dissolution of the limestone,. The sinkhole was created when the top of the chamber fell to the floor of the cave, creating the perfect environment for a garden.

The gardens have been made accessible to the public with a safe walkway and it's the perfect place for a picnic/bbq with tables, chairs and gas bbq's  available above and in the sinkhole. The length of the ivy hanging from above is amazing. Early pioneers settled around this area to access the ample supply of fresh water. Today Mt Gambier is surrounded by beautiful gardens and is most famous for its roses.

The garden's were originally beautified by James Umpherston who owned the land and set out to create "a pleasant resort in the heat of summer" by constructing terraces, rock walkways and planting ferns, shrubs, roses, hydrangeas and walnut trees. There was a small lake at the bottom of the cave were he had a row boat for the children to enjoy.

 A trip to the Limestone Coast wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Naracoorte Caves - the SA World Heritage Fossil Mammal Site. We did a guided tour of the Alexandra Cave which has some great examples of stalagmites and stalactites. Some dripped at a rate of one drop every 5 seconds so a stalagmite grew very quickly and others were only one drop every 90 minutes so they remained a stalactite.

This is the entrance to the Wet Cave which means that at one stage the sea was running through carving out the cave millions of years ago. Many fossils can be found in all the caves - shells, bones & fauna. The caves provide a rare insight into Australia's past, showcasing world renowned fossil deposits. They have found a Diprotodon Optatum - Australia's largest ever marsupial that roamed the area until some 50,000 years ago.

Another part of the Wet Cave showing the limestone formations that have occurred over time. This is a self guided tour but there are a few others that you can take with a guide where you have to get down on your hands and knees and even your belly in some areas to get through. We had to beg 'lack of time' to get out of that one!!! One cave has been used for a production of Macbeth because of its acoustics.

Custom House is one of over 84 historic buildings and sites in Robes seafaring history. The Harbor Master claimed that "a quick offload of goods and turn back to sea" prevented many a disaster in the treacherous seas. It is such a small building for the important role. After a poor agricultural season, a fall in wool prices and the construction of a rail line to Kingston in 1878 Robe was closed as a port and it has become a quiet little country village great for visitors.

The shores of Lake Fellmongery was our stopover whilst staying in Robe (Top Tourist Van Park). This large freshwater lake was given its industrial sounding name in 1853 when a fellmongery was established there to wash wool salvaged from one of the many wrecked ship in Guichen Bay. It is now also a breeding spot for local black ducks.
In 1857 a ship called "Land of Cakes" sailed  into Robe's Bay with 264 Chinese passengers. The numbers swelled to over 17,000 Chinese staying in Robe for a short time to avoid paying the Victorian poll tax, then they paid local guides to walk them 150km to the unguarded border & then another 400km to the Victorian goldfields. That's a long walk!

Robe SA - Obelisk at Cape Dombey built in 1855 after 30 shipwrecks occurred in this area in 1853. It is 40ft high, 100ft above sea level and could be seen 20 kms out to sea. It housed flares and explosives for safety ropes to be fired out to ships in distress. It sits on a limestone cliff and will eventually fall into the ocean as the cliff wears away.

Some of the limestone rocks the ships had to navigate past to come into the harbour. This formation has been named the "Doorway Rock"

The cliffs of Cape Dombey are very fragile as the limestone wears away from continual pounding of wind and water. Lots of fishing for Sweep, Snapper, Whiting, Rock Cod and Garfish.

Leaving Victor Harbor heading for Robe in SA we had an argument with the GPS lady. She wanted to take us over to Hindmarsh Island from Goolwa & cut 90ks off our journey. This is where we had gone yesterday to see the Murray River meet the Southern Ocean and it is a Peninsula! Maybe she forgot we didn't have floaties.We won the argument and chanced our own way along the coast - lucky for us we came across this free ferry to take us across from Jervois to Tailem Bend.

After chancing our ferry ride we stopped at Meningie for lunch. The cloud was very low and almost looked like a fog - very eerie but beautiful at the same time.

Lake Albert at Meningie - very healthy environment as there was lots of birdlife among the reeds. Lots of people including us stopped here for a homemade pie and a cuppa. Too beautiful not to take a photo.

Today we took a trip to Goolwa to check out the Mouth of the Murray River. Goolwa is the last port on the Murray River before it reaches the sea. It is the only place in Australia where paddle steamers and steam trains met to carry produce inland for shipping overseas. It has many wonderful old sandstone buildings dating back to 1850s that have been lovingly restored.

The SA Water Authority and State Government together fund a project to keep the mouth open. Between 600,000 and 1,000,000 cubic metres of sand are dredged each year at a cost of $6m to ensure that the salt water reaches the river to maintain the eco system needed for the flora & fauna to survive.

Weather improved at Victor Harbor so we stayed another day to explore surrounding towns. This place has a lovely community feel to it and would gladly revisit as there is lots to do. Cockle Train, a steam train journey from Victor Harbor - Port Elliott - Goolwa and return. Whale watching - 11 sightings last year. Paddle steamer rides on the Murray River and eco-cruise through the Coorong National Park.