Denise and Barry's Caravan Travels: Travels 2021

Covid is once again proving to be causing problems with travelling. As we were unable to travel in 2020 we really needed to go this year to secure our bookings that we had in QLD as we rolled them over last year.

We left a month later than usual boarding the Spirit 3/5/2021 some restrictions were in place on board with masks required in public places able to use lounges & bar but no food available. With the Tasmanian boarders being closed we have been extremely lucky with only a few cases of Covid, as Victoria has had extremely high numbers of Covid we needed to travel directly to NSW without stopping.

After disembarking from the Spirit we headed directly to Tocumal for a fuel stop which is just over the boarder in NSW, expecting to be checked at the boarder we were surprised that we were able to enter NSW without being checked. Our plan was to get into QLD as quick as possible so we travelled big kilometres our first stop was West Wyalong next day we were over the boarder in Goondiwindi. We had trouble going past Moree as we love to stay there enjoying the thermal pools but didn’t want to risk the boarder closing.

Our next stop was Murgon where we met our friends Alison & David, it was lovely to catch up with them spending the night at the free camp in the towns centre we were able to walk to the RSL for an enjoyable meal. Unfortunately they needed to return home the next day so we continued on further north.

We spent the next three weeks in Tannum Sands with our family it was great to see everyone especially the grandkids who had grown & changed so much in 18 months since we had seen them. Leaving Tannum we went on to our usual bookings at Burrum Heads, Bargara Beach & Agnes Waters all up 10 weeks. We found that the talk at the caravan parks was centred around Covid & the travel restrictions that were again coming into place. We were getting concerned about getting back into Tasmania without having to go into quarantine as now both Victoria & NSW had extremely high numbers of Covid cases & Tasmania had put restrictions on anyone travelling through NSW & VIC. We could have chosen to stay in QLD but if things got worse there we didn’t know when we would get back home, the decision was made to do the big trip home via NT, SA and travelling directly across Victoria only stopping for fuel approximately 5,500 kilometres.

Our friends Cheryl & Greg from Tassie decided to travel with us & were lucky to be able to change their boat booking to the same night as us. With a couple of weeks to make the journey we met them at Mt Larcom north of Gladstone then headed north towards Rockhampton turning west on the Capricorn Hwy to Longreach then in a north westerly direction to Cloncurry. Most days we travelled big kilometres between 500 - 600 klms we made sure we would stop every 200 klms for a break not the way we like to travel but we were on a mission. Crossing the boarder into NT we had to stop at the boarder to have our boarder passes checked, ended up the only boarder other than Tassie we had to show our passes after the stress involved in applying for boarder passes. In case we had trouble at boarders we kept all our receipts for fuel & caravan parks to prove that we were just travelling through & were on a mission to get back to Tassie. We had a stop at Barkly Homestead then Devil’s Marbles before making Alice Springs for a couple of nights to wash & stock up & have a rest from the travelling. Up to this stage we were quiet enjoying the journey until around about the SA border I got out of the car and was in extreme pain when trying to walk only consolation I didn’t have pain while sitting in the car but sleeping & walking was a big problem.

Greg & Cheryl had an evening at the Marla pub to watch the AFL Grand Final, I managed to get it on the fetch box in the van as was unable to walk to the pub. Our next stop heading south was Coober Pedy where we decided I should go to the hospital to get pain relief, what a waste of time was that! A

Rottweiler nurse triaged me on the doorstep saying she would have to call a dr in & they wouldn’t prescribe anything stronger than I was already taking. Certainly not interested in travellers! We had a night at Woomera before a well earned stop at Burra for a couple of nights where I was able to see a local doctor who prescribed nerve tablets & pain relief not that it helped a great deal. I couldn’t wait to get home to get to the root of the problem. Upon reaching Tas found out I had two bulging discs that was pressing on the nerve had to have a discectomy to relieve the pressure on the nerve.

Leaving Burra we travelled via Pinnaroo making our way to Bordertown where we would stay for the next three nights before our dash across Victoria, only stopping for fuel & food before boarding the Spirt for home.

Our friends Raeles & Ken wanted us to stop in to see them at Horsham but due to Covid restrictions didn’t risk it, they waited along the highway to wave to us as we passed. Cheryl & I had streamers we waved out the window like a couple of idiots but it was all good fun.

Arriving in Port Melbourne it was a relief to have those big kilometres behind us & just hoped that we had done all the right things to get back into Tassie without having to quarantine. Border closures had been a real pain in the neck for us this trip. There were tighter restrictions on board the Spirit on the return voyage with us having to go straight to our cabin & stay there until we docked. There were supplies delivered to your door & if you needed hot drinks you could call the purser & get it delivered. All was good when we docked & had our passes checked able to go home no hotel quarantine!

Hopefully next year will be less stressful.