Well we have now spent a little more than a week in Narooma. The weather until today has been beautiful - around 19 degrees, brilliant sunshine and no wind. Even though we had a house at Kianga for four years, we had never ventured to Montague Island as I have always feared being seasick however, this time I took some tablets and we booked a four hour tour with National Parks and Wildlife. The twenty minute crossing was a delight and the sea was as calm as a mill pond. The boat circumnavigated the island and anchored just off the seal colony where a couple of hundred seals of all ages sunbaked, and frolicked in the sea as if on demand - it was wonderful. We then landed on the island and with a ranger as tour guide walked over the island, learned about the ecology and care of this place, the penguins and the nesting birds. We also climbed to the top of the lighthouse and had a spectacular view of the coastline.
Arthur and Libby Giugni have acquired a 70 acre property 10km out of Bodalla so we took the opportunity to visit them and wander down to the 750m frontage to the Tuross River. What a delightful spot - we have even offered to housesit their dogs and cattle when they need a break.
The Armstrongs from Canberra joined us here in their caravan for five days and those who know Andy will be aware that she likes to be on the go all the time so we visited Tilba Tilba and Cobargo, the Moruya markets, Bingi Beach and Tuross Heads. Several fish and chip lunches pleased Rob no end and the walks along the boardwalk helped the digestion.
The rain seems to have set in for a few days so we will be relaxing, reading etc .
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Quaama Olives
We had a delightful week at Quaama - 25km north of Bega staying at the home of friends who had planted 500 Olive trees. The Hudds joined us and we visited Cobargo for its craft shops, Bermagui for the ever lovely scenery and fish lunch as well as Bega where we had not previously visited the Cheese Factory. Apart from that we got some exercise looking for the pesky fireweed and tending to the needs of the olive trees.
There is nothing quite like sitting in front of a cosy fire watching the sun setting on the hills. Then again sunrise on misty hills is also ethereal.
The next three weeks will be spent in and around Narooma visiting old haunts and enjoying delightful coastal scenery and hopefully Rob will catch a fish or two!!
There is nothing quite like sitting in front of a cosy fire watching the sun setting on the hills. Then again sunrise on misty hills is also ethereal.
The next three weeks will be spent in and around Narooma visiting old haunts and enjoying delightful coastal scenery and hopefully Rob will catch a fish or two!!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Eden South Coast NSW
The drive from Canberra to Eden via Bombala was uneventful although the road surface on the Imlay Road had deteriorated substantially since the last time we drove down it. Fortunately there were no logging trucks on the road at the time we drove. We stayed at the Twofold Bay Beach
Resort in a very spacious en suite site with the beach only 100m away.
The week here has been very relaxing with daily walks along the beach in temperatures in the low twenties during the day, dropping down to about 12 degrees overnight. We visited the whale museum and absorbed some of the whaling history of this area. We also drove out to Boyd Tower from where the whalers of old kept a look out for the migrating leviathans. A 500m stroll along the beach from the caravan park took us to Boydtown where we enjoyed a delightful meal and the walk back helped lose some of the weight we put on at lunch. Rob did indulge in some fishing although he only caught bait size fish but it was very pleasant on the beach.
We did enjoy the company of some very nice people from Strathalbyn in SA and are off to Quaama to check out the olive farm.
Resort in a very spacious en suite site with the beach only 100m away.
The week here has been very relaxing with daily walks along the beach in temperatures in the low twenties during the day, dropping down to about 12 degrees overnight. We visited the whale museum and absorbed some of the whaling history of this area. We also drove out to Boyd Tower from where the whalers of old kept a look out for the migrating leviathans. A 500m stroll along the beach from the caravan park took us to Boydtown where we enjoyed a delightful meal and the walk back helped lose some of the weight we put on at lunch. Rob did indulge in some fishing although he only caught bait size fish but it was very pleasant on the beach.
We did enjoy the company of some very nice people from Strathalbyn in SA and are off to Quaama to check out the olive farm.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Fraser Island side trip
After stopping in Canberra we chose not to tow the caravan to Queensland but took a train trip to Brisbane instead. The sleeper from Sydney was quite comfortable and meant we arrived in Roma Street station at 6.20 in the morning. Countrylink provide a welcome pack containing toothbrush and toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo conditioner and a biro in a neat little package for each passenger and a towel to use (but not to keep). Two sleepers (i.e. 4 people) share a shower and toilet so it is all quite convenient. Each person also receives a package containing water, dip, cheese and biscuits to keep you going until dinner is available. The food is typical airline type serving but not too bad considering.
On arrival at Roma St we had to wait for the Sunstate tour bus to collect us. It was the poor driver's first day so he managed to get lost on the way to the airport to collect more passengers and Rob actually got our GPS system out to find our way. As we arrived on Anzac Day the Bruce Highway out of Brisbane was gridlocked for 30 Kms. so we arrived in Hervey Bay too late for the 4pm ferry. As a consolation prize the bus took us for a tour around Hervey Bay which seems to be a town full of shops and caravan parks.
We took the 7pm ferry after having had a fish and chip dinner at the wharf and enjoyed a very smooth ride with a black sky showing a brilliant milky way. Kingfisher Resort is beautifully blended into the countryside with comfortable rooms and verandahs overlooking trees and ponds.
We opted to take a 4WD tour which collected us at 8.30 and took us along the rutted dunes to visit Lake McKenzie which is the most pristine blue lake you could wish to see nestling in brilliantly white sand. The sand is so fine that rubbing jewellery with it cleans it beautifully and it also smooths out rough skin on heels. They also claim that swimming in the waters makes you look ten years younger but...... The tour next took us to Central Station and the very pretty 1.2km rainforest walk followed by a buffet lunch at Eurong Resort. The afternoon was spent on the 75mile beach which is the main highway and airstrip. Here we visited the Pinnacles (formerly known as the coloured sands) which apparently are a site for secret womens business for the local aborigines and men are requested not to enter, the wreck of the Mahengo which is now a rust heap, and Eli Creek. On the way back there was a stop at the Stonetool Sand Blow which shows how the island is growing before returning to the resort for a Seafood buffet. There were many warnings about dingoes but we only saw their tracks on the beach.
The next day we spent meandering around the east coast of the island before returning to Brisbane where we spent three days seeing friends and relations as well as walking around the city centre and Southbank to see the many changes and huge construction jobs being undertaken.
The overnight train back to Sydney had to be picked up in Casino so we had a further opportunity to see the expansion around the Gold Coast. The last two months of our travels will be spent on the south coast of New South Wales starting at Eden.
On arrival at Roma St we had to wait for the Sunstate tour bus to collect us. It was the poor driver's first day so he managed to get lost on the way to the airport to collect more passengers and Rob actually got our GPS system out to find our way. As we arrived on Anzac Day the Bruce Highway out of Brisbane was gridlocked for 30 Kms. so we arrived in Hervey Bay too late for the 4pm ferry. As a consolation prize the bus took us for a tour around Hervey Bay which seems to be a town full of shops and caravan parks.
We took the 7pm ferry after having had a fish and chip dinner at the wharf and enjoyed a very smooth ride with a black sky showing a brilliant milky way. Kingfisher Resort is beautifully blended into the countryside with comfortable rooms and verandahs overlooking trees and ponds.
We opted to take a 4WD tour which collected us at 8.30 and took us along the rutted dunes to visit Lake McKenzie which is the most pristine blue lake you could wish to see nestling in brilliantly white sand. The sand is so fine that rubbing jewellery with it cleans it beautifully and it also smooths out rough skin on heels. They also claim that swimming in the waters makes you look ten years younger but...... The tour next took us to Central Station and the very pretty 1.2km rainforest walk followed by a buffet lunch at Eurong Resort. The afternoon was spent on the 75mile beach which is the main highway and airstrip. Here we visited the Pinnacles (formerly known as the coloured sands) which apparently are a site for secret womens business for the local aborigines and men are requested not to enter, the wreck of the Mahengo which is now a rust heap, and Eli Creek. On the way back there was a stop at the Stonetool Sand Blow which shows how the island is growing before returning to the resort for a Seafood buffet. There were many warnings about dingoes but we only saw their tracks on the beach.
The next day we spent meandering around the east coast of the island before returning to Brisbane where we spent three days seeing friends and relations as well as walking around the city centre and Southbank to see the many changes and huge construction jobs being undertaken.
The overnight train back to Sydney had to be picked up in Casino so we had a further opportunity to see the expansion around the Gold Coast. The last two months of our travels will be spent on the south coast of New South Wales starting at Eden.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Home
We did like the park at Renmark and spent most days in the pool. Apart from that we made a quick visit to Almondco and picked up some almonds in various shapes and sizes. The weather for the last week or so has been an incredible 40 degrees plus so we have slept with the fan going full blast and the temperature still 27 degrees at 5 in the morning. We did survive better than we thought and took the car through the car wash although the van looks totally grotty. There were quite a few water skiers on the Murray and houseboats were chugging up and down. For something different we just missed being hit by a eucalypt branch cracking and breaking for no good reason at all!!
The drive from Renmark to Mildura was quite uneventful even though there were more road trains than we thought possible. Mildura is a place we have visited several times in the past so apart from more time spent in their pool, we visited Orange World and did the tour around the orchard.
We decided to leave early for the trip from Renmark to Hay to minimise the heat and after the overnight stay in our (now usual) site went to Wagga Wagga for the last night before reaching Canberra.
It seems incredible that it is 10 months since we were here last. At the end of May last year we were wearing warm clothes and this time we are wearing as little as possible to make the (now quite pleasant temperature) 31 degrees comfortable.
We will now spend about a month in Canberra before heading off for Queensland for the winter.
We would not have missed doing this for the world but it will be nice to see the changes in the grandchildren and collect a few cuddles that were missed during our travels.
The drive from Renmark to Mildura was quite uneventful even though there were more road trains than we thought possible. Mildura is a place we have visited several times in the past so apart from more time spent in their pool, we visited Orange World and did the tour around the orchard.
We decided to leave early for the trip from Renmark to Hay to minimise the heat and after the overnight stay in our (now usual) site went to Wagga Wagga for the last night before reaching Canberra.
It seems incredible that it is 10 months since we were here last. At the end of May last year we were wearing warm clothes and this time we are wearing as little as possible to make the (now quite pleasant temperature) 31 degrees comfortable.
We will now spend about a month in Canberra before heading off for Queensland for the winter.
We would not have missed doing this for the world but it will be nice to see the changes in the grandchildren and collect a few cuddles that were missed during our travels.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Almost Home
After all these touristy visits it was very relaxing staying in Mitcham where Joan and Garry Richards visited us to catch up on 20 years. Gardening Australia had an expo at the showgrounds which we visited and picked up a few ideas for when we do return to normality. We drove to the Mt Lofty lookout which does provide a wonderful view of Adelaide and also wandered around the Mt Lofty Botanical Gardens. Hahndorf was a pretty little township with an excellent Museum/Gallery and a cheese shop "Udder Delights" which lived up to its name. Beerenberg farms 1/2 km away had pick your own strawberries so we had our strawberry fix and picked up some new season apples from a local orchard. Whilst we knew the Adelaide Hills existed we were not aware just how hilly the area was and quite how pretty and lunch at Bridgewater on the way home was enjoyable - right next to Petaluma!
The weather was really heating up about this time but we did go into town on the train and wander through Rundle Plaza, the Art Gallery and the Museum as well as admire the old magnificent buildings that face North Terrace.
The next move was to the Tanunda Caravan Park and again I must say that the distance was almost urban. Gawler was not the small village we expected but quite a thriving town. Marilyn and David Tucker picked us up for a visit to the Angaston markets where fresh local produce abounded and was very well priced. Under our own steam we visited the Jacobs Creek Visitor Centre which was very impressive and apparently they provide tours and information for schools. Wolf Blass has also changed their cellar door since we last visited 21 years ago .
David and Marilyn have 75 vines and we were invited to join them for the press of grapes and the long table lunch which followed. Rob certainly enjoyed watching and listening to the "experts" as they took the grapes which had been fermenting for 9 days through the process of loading into a 1932 press which had been brought out from Italy. You usually do not get to see the different colours of the juices and the lees or "snot" as it is commonly known but we managed to experience the transition and get splashed in the process.
We are now in Renmark and knowing that we will be back in Canberra in a week's time seems a little hard to believe. The last week has been very hot and Tanunda was in the low 40's. Predictions for the next week are all in the high 30's but Renmark does have a pool and we have already had a swim.
The weather was really heating up about this time but we did go into town on the train and wander through Rundle Plaza, the Art Gallery and the Museum as well as admire the old magnificent buildings that face North Terrace.
The next move was to the Tanunda Caravan Park and again I must say that the distance was almost urban. Gawler was not the small village we expected but quite a thriving town. Marilyn and David Tucker picked us up for a visit to the Angaston markets where fresh local produce abounded and was very well priced. Under our own steam we visited the Jacobs Creek Visitor Centre which was very impressive and apparently they provide tours and information for schools. Wolf Blass has also changed their cellar door since we last visited 21 years ago .
David and Marilyn have 75 vines and we were invited to join them for the press of grapes and the long table lunch which followed. Rob certainly enjoyed watching and listening to the "experts" as they took the grapes which had been fermenting for 9 days through the process of loading into a 1932 press which had been brought out from Italy. You usually do not get to see the different colours of the juices and the lees or "snot" as it is commonly known but we managed to experience the transition and get splashed in the process.
We are now in Renmark and knowing that we will be back in Canberra in a week's time seems a little hard to believe. The last week has been very hot and Tanunda was in the low 40's. Predictions for the next week are all in the high 30's but Renmark does have a pool and we have already had a swim.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Adelaide continued
We've been a little slack in updating the blog partly because the adaptor gave up the ghost and it took us a couple of days to replace it.
Over the last 10 days we visited historic Glenelg Beach and the GPS system got a bit confused with the roads closed for Clipsal but eventually the detours worked. We also visited Port Adelaide and saw the soon to be commissioned patrol boat 'Glenelg'. There is also a Latvian Museum as part of the Latvian Hall which we were lucky enough to strike on the last Saturday morning of the month.
Out trip to Kangaroo Island was quite interesting. We left the park on an overcast morning and drove via Strathalbyn ( a quite picturesque Scottish origin village), Goolwa (the mouth of the Murray River) and Victor Harbour (where we took a horse drawn tram ride across the jetty to Granite Island) to Cape Jervis. We had decided to stay in The Cape Jervis Homestead B&B for the night (very pleasant spot) before taking the 9.00 am ferry across to Kangaroo Island. Fortunately for me the crossing was like a pond with the sun shining brightly. We were met by the Sealink bus which took us (together with 17 other tourists - mainly Europeans) to visit a Bee farm where we saw the honey makers in action and tasted the results of their efforts. Lunch of fish, chips and salads were served at the Parndana Hotel before visiting the Wildlife park which fascinated the foreign tourists. The next stop was Seal bay where the beach was littered with about 200 sea lions mainly trying to dry off after their swim but quite a few playing in the water.
An entertaining feeding of pelicans was on display at Kingscote before being dropped off at our Seafront Hotel accommodation where we enjoyed pizza and a red sitting on our verandah looking across the bay. Later in the evening we joined a penguin tour where we did see about a dozen of these cute but shy little creatures.
Next day was an 8.00 pick up to visit the Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distrillery and then on to the Kelly Hill Caves. A BBQ lunch was provided at the Cassidy Homestead (which also has a caravan park) and then we proceeded to the Flinders Conservation Park. The damage of last year's bush fire was quite evident but a there was already substantial regeneration under way. The view of Remarkable Rocks was quite remarkable and the shore quite impressive. Not far from here was Admiralty Arch and the New Zealand Fur Seals which are quite different from the Sea Lions and seem to prefer rock ledges. The scenery here was quite awe inspiring - just the force of the waves crashing into the cliffs.
Next came a visit to the Island Pure sheep farm where we did see sheep being milked and tasted
the various cheeses made from the milk. Then back to the ferry to watch the sun set as we arrived back at Cape Jervis and bed at the B&B.
The way back along the short road took us through McLaren Vale and you guessed it - wineries.
But not just wine - also cheeses (goat's this time) and kalamata olives.
Over the last 10 days we visited historic Glenelg Beach and the GPS system got a bit confused with the roads closed for Clipsal but eventually the detours worked. We also visited Port Adelaide and saw the soon to be commissioned patrol boat 'Glenelg'. There is also a Latvian Museum as part of the Latvian Hall which we were lucky enough to strike on the last Saturday morning of the month.
Out trip to Kangaroo Island was quite interesting. We left the park on an overcast morning and drove via Strathalbyn ( a quite picturesque Scottish origin village), Goolwa (the mouth of the Murray River) and Victor Harbour (where we took a horse drawn tram ride across the jetty to Granite Island) to Cape Jervis. We had decided to stay in The Cape Jervis Homestead B&B for the night (very pleasant spot) before taking the 9.00 am ferry across to Kangaroo Island. Fortunately for me the crossing was like a pond with the sun shining brightly. We were met by the Sealink bus which took us (together with 17 other tourists - mainly Europeans) to visit a Bee farm where we saw the honey makers in action and tasted the results of their efforts. Lunch of fish, chips and salads were served at the Parndana Hotel before visiting the Wildlife park which fascinated the foreign tourists. The next stop was Seal bay where the beach was littered with about 200 sea lions mainly trying to dry off after their swim but quite a few playing in the water.
An entertaining feeding of pelicans was on display at Kingscote before being dropped off at our Seafront Hotel accommodation where we enjoyed pizza and a red sitting on our verandah looking across the bay. Later in the evening we joined a penguin tour where we did see about a dozen of these cute but shy little creatures.
Next day was an 8.00 pick up to visit the Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distrillery and then on to the Kelly Hill Caves. A BBQ lunch was provided at the Cassidy Homestead (which also has a caravan park) and then we proceeded to the Flinders Conservation Park. The damage of last year's bush fire was quite evident but a there was already substantial regeneration under way. The view of Remarkable Rocks was quite remarkable and the shore quite impressive. Not far from here was Admiralty Arch and the New Zealand Fur Seals which are quite different from the Sea Lions and seem to prefer rock ledges. The scenery here was quite awe inspiring - just the force of the waves crashing into the cliffs.
Next came a visit to the Island Pure sheep farm where we did see sheep being milked and tasted
the various cheeses made from the milk. Then back to the ferry to watch the sun set as we arrived back at Cape Jervis and bed at the B&B.
The way back along the short road took us through McLaren Vale and you guessed it - wineries.
But not just wine - also cheeses (goat's this time) and kalamata olives.
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