Seymour - Melbourne- Home

Yarrawonga

Dust storm Cobram

Deloraine (Tas)

Echuca - Cobram

We had a very pleasant three night stop at Echuca Top Tourist Caravan Park, it was nice just to hang around the caravan park and to walk to the Port and local shops unwinding after the big klms covered over the past week. We also enjoyed the usual visit to the Beechworth Bakery for their famous Beehive Bun, we didn't share this time. Would have liked to have stayed in Echuca for the rest of the week, but it would have meant we would need to move sites. Bazza said if we have to move, might as well make it worthwhile so decided to continue onto Cobram 106 klms east. We will stay here  for our remaining days then return to Melbourne to catch the boat on Saturday.

Tuesday we headed north back over the Murray River (Vic & NSW Boarder) back into NSW, as Kenny our Tom Tom decided this was the fastest route, 16klm nth of Moama we headed east the route taking us through Barmah where we crossed the Murray again and back into Victoria. We arrived at the Cobram Top Tourist Willows Caravan Park by 11am, giving the van a wash down before going onto our site. Today we were back in NSW again after going over to Tocumwal (Toc to the locals) for lunch, stopping on our way back at the Big Strawberry to have a home made strawberry ice cream cone.

Don & Bridget live in Cobram and today we were able to catch up with Don as Bridget is overseas visiting her daughter who has just had a baby. We met them a couple of years ago when we were at Seaforth and have kept in touch since.

Houseboat on the Murray River Echuca

Lunch at the Tocumwal Hotel

Bazza & the Big Cod Tocumwal 

Town Beach Tocumwal 

The Big Strawberry

Melbourne - Echuca

Friday morning we left Rutherglen travelling down the Hume Hwy to Melbourne, a very good dual lane hwy but other wise a very boring journey. Along the way we saw a large B Double Truck that had taken a slight detour off the hwy and down through the grass verge, luckily only cleaning up some small gum trees before coming to a stop. The front of the truck had considerable damage and a broken windscreen, not sure how the driver came off after what looks like a quick nap at the wheel.

We hit the Melbourne City Link around 3pm, just as the Friday afternoon traffic was building up, over the Holt Bridge then it was into the tunnel everyone going flat chat, swapping lanes getting no where fast. We did have to break suddenly once when some ethnic person decided they would come to a stop in our lane. He had missed the exit road before the toll way started, did think the van may have fish tailed as there was a screech of breaks before we pulled up as this person shot off at a right angle across to the exit.

Arrived at the Jurgens factory at Tooradin just in time to leave the van locked up in their yard for the night. The van was booked in at 8am Saturday for some warranty issues and to have an additional window installed in the ensuite. As it was going to be such an early start thought it was easier to drop it off Friday and treat ourselves to a night in a Hotel in Dandenong. It was nice to have some space to spread out in ! Bazza and I were feeling considerably short this morning when we had to share the lift and the dining room at breakfast with very young tall basketball players that were also staying at the hotel, there was a pre season tournament in town, one of the teams was even from China. We had just finished breakfast when we had a call to say the van would be finished by 10am, so it was back down to Tooradin then back on the road again heading for Echuca.

OMG school holidays have just started in Victoria, the caravan park is over run with camper trailers, tents and kids. Just hoping we haven't got the family from hell beside us, they seemed quiet nice and had their kids in bed nice and early. Hoping they sleep in until at least 7am !

Murray River Echuca

Moree-Forbes-Rutherglen

We left a lovely hot sunny Gold Coast early Monday morning to start our journey south, we headed West travelling through the Cunningham Gap to Warwick then onto Goondiwindi. Just before Goondiwindi we could see the weather changing and it wasn't long before we were travelling in the rain and the temperature was dropping. We were heading to Moree a 500klm day to stay the night to catch up with Carlene and Rex who had left the G C the day before. On the way we received a call from Faye and Alan whom we had stayed with in Queanbeyan that they were heading north and would be in Moree Tuesday night, so we did a few quick calculations and decided we could stay two nights in Moree. Once again we were able to enjoy the artesian hot spa's as the caravan park has five pools, all kept at different temperatures, the coldest being 25 degrees and the hottest 39 degrees. We had a thunderstorm Tuesday night with lightening and heavy rain, we had walked to the nearest Tavern for a meal $7 for a 250gm steak with salad & chips if you bought a drink. Lucky for us the storm had passed over by the time we needed to walk back to park.

Wednesday we left Moree around 8am for another big day of klms around 580, had to make up time for the extra night spent in Moree. We arrived at Forbes just before 4pm and set up camp beside the river.

This morning we left Forbes around 8.45am for the next leg to Rutherglen, only 435klms today. We detoured into Junee to visit the Chocolate & Licorice Factory and to buy a supply of goodies. As it was nearly lunchtime we decided to have an early lunch at the Factory then it was back on the road arriving at Rutherglen by 3pm. We have a lovely spot opposite Lake King, it was very pleasant sitting in the late afternoon sun watching the bird life on the lake and the sun setting.

Climbing Cunnigham Gap & roadworks

Hanging out with the Big Boy's

Enjoying the cheap $7 steak at Moree

Chocolate & Licorice Factory Junee

Lake King Rutherglen Caravan Park

Gold Coast

We arrived at the Broadwater Tourist Park at Southport early Monday morning after a very enjoyable weekend in Brisbane. Not long after arriving we caught up with Maree and Brian who have been here for some weeks, after their move from Tassie to Newcastle, so there was a lot to catch up on over a coffee or cup of tea for me.They had just left when our friends who live here on the Gold Coast, Alison and David came over for a visit, as usual it is like we have never been apart all trying to talk at once.

The weather has been lovely around the 24degrees, had planned only to stay for a few days and have a leisurely drive down to Melbourne but once again have changed our plans. Will not leave here until Monday, then will make a four day dash as we need to be in Melbourne by the weekend, as the caravan is booked into the factory to have a couple of things done.

Visa card has been hit very hard with the retail therapy since being here, especially when you receive a list of requirements from our daughter. We were going well for space in the van, have now had to juggle some things around under the bed to fit in the extra purchases. Bazza was also like a kid in a candy shop when he visited RV Coastline, went in to enquire about a gas heater for the van and the next thing I know arrangements were being made for the heater, reversing camera and other wiring to be done on site on Saturday. Looks like I wont see another Big 4 again, as will not have an excuse that it is too cold to free camp.

Wednesday night we went out with Alison and David to Crown Towers where we enjoyed a seafood platter for 4, then it was a phone call to their daughter-in-law to pick her brain as to the best coffee and desert location. We ended up going to the Marina Mirage to enjoy an unique chocolate experience at a Max Brenner Chocolate Shop, Bazza enjoyed a Giant Bald Headed Chocolate Truffle and I had a Banana Crepe drizzled with melted chocolate yum yum.

Today is our last day here at Southport, I had my last swim this morning while Bazza was packing up, he was also ready to put up the jacks until I went off my tree and told him to leave them until tomorrow. Then it was off to have lunch with Alison and David at their unit needing to be back at the park by 5.45pm as a courtesy bus was picking us up along with Maree and Brian to take us to the Shark's Club for a meal.

Will miss the fresh prawns that we have been getting direct off the prawn trawlers, will send Bazza around in the morning before we hook up to get some to take with us. Two weeks today until we are home, hoping the weather is improving !

View of Gold Coast from the caravan park at Southport

Broadwater Caravan Park Southport

 

Emerald Lakes where Alison & David live in the French Quater

Brisbane

Thursday was our last day at Bargara and of course it was superb weather, certainly did not want to be leaving the next day.  As it was our last day we thought we should go into Bundaburg and visit the Botanical Gardens, we had a very enjoyable walk around the boardwalk wetlands where we saw many turtles, ducks, geese and bird life. The Japanese Gardens were very picturesque and there were many turtles in the lake and some were certainly enjoying sunny themselves on the rocks.

We also made sure to pick up another 1kg of Strawberries to take with us the next day.

Once again that afternoon our friends Pauline and Les caught up with us , so after catching up with all the news since we had last seen each other we went to the local bowls club for an enjoyable meal.

Friday we said goodbye to Bargara and our friends and headed south stopping at Childers for a walk up the main street, and popping into the Bakery for a vanilla slice to share with Bazza. I am sure he would have preferred one all to himself. We stopped just north of Gympie to have lunch and decided that we would continue further south and head to Maleny that is up in the hinterlands inland from the Sunshine Coast. We were a bit surprised at the slow steady climb up the Brown Mountain Range which had amazing views over the Glass House Mountains and out to the coast. We pulled into the showgrounds that offers overnight camping to find that the following day there was going to be a food festival to be held there and we would need to be out by 8am. Surprise surprise Bazza had me up early and we were heading out the gate by 7.05am ! We headed back down the range and out to the coast to have breakfast at Caloundra before heading down to Brisbane.

We were at the Aspley Caravan Park by 9.20 and spent a nice quiet morning settling in,  then after lunch we went to visit our friends Sue and Tony that live only 5mins away from the park. We had given them instructions that we wanted to go the Thai Restaurant that night  that is near their home. We had been there previously and have always enjoy the food, we were not disappointed once again it was lush !

This morning Sue & Tony popped in for morning tea and then we all went back to their place for a lovely lamb roast and of course more bubbles and beer.

 

 

 

 

Bargara Beach cont..................

The 10 days that we have been here at Bargara have gone really fast, time is certainly flying. Monday Carlene and Rex arrived for a few nights and Barry's cousin Judy and her partner Derrick also stopped in to give us a freezer full of fish, as they had been up the Gulf of Carpentaria fishing for several months. Once again we were having very social happy hours, and Tuesday night we all went to the local Bowls Club for their Roast Pork, only to be disappointed that there we not any crackle !

Wednesday morning we said goodbye to Judy & Derrick, then it was off to Elliott Heads to play bowls. Bazza & I could not believe our luck or bad luck when we saw who we had to play, it was a couple that come over from NZ every year. We were beaten by them last year, once again we lost to them but were lucky enough to win the Jackpot draw and we came home with $67.25 each.

Carlene & Rex left us on Friday to head to Harvey Bay, had hoped for a few alcohol free days but received an invite to a BBQ up with some of the permanent so that was the end of no alcohol. Saturday there was a couple here in the park that set up to entertain us, unfortunately the guy had had the flu and his vocals were a bit strained. Enjoyed the musical instruments that he played, flute, clarinet, trumpet and electric guitar with his wife on the keyboard.

Today being Fathers Day I managed to get myself out of bed earlier and treat Bazza to eggs and bacon for breakfast. Later we went into a market in Bundaburg to get some fresh vegetables and strawberries, the strawberries here are lush very ripe and sweet.

This afternoon we thought we would go for a little bike ride nothing too strenuous, but ended up riding all the way to Burnett Heads which took us an hour and half return, did have trouble getting off the bike when we got back. Lucky for Bazz that he has cable ties sticking out of his helmet, as the Magpie's must like or dislike his bright bike helmet as they swooped down attacking him. I could hear their beaks snapping as they were swooping on him, my bike helmet is black and they did not take any notice of me.

 

Helping with breakfast in my apron !

 

Well fed !