suesbent

February 10, 2020

Nullarbor – no trees

‘Nullarbor’ means no trees which is obvious when you think about it. And although there are trees in the 1,200 kilometres of the plain as you cross it, there is a distinct place where the native bushland ends and the Nullarbor begins. That place is just east of the Nullarbor Roadhouse, where the Yalata Aboriginal Land ends.

We left Ceduna early on a clear calm morning. Ahead of us were three hundred kilometres to the Nullarbor Roadhouse and five hundred kilometres to the Western Australian border. For the first couple of hundred kilometres the land is like a gorgeous pristine native parkland with small undulations.

Our first stop was at the Nullarbor Roadhouse. The first thing I saw as I got out of the car was a young dingo walking close to me. A truckie had just got out of a road train full of sheep and for a moment I thought it might be his dog. But no, it was a wild dingo. A worker told me there were three young dingos hanging around the roadhouse.

Mick and Sues at the Nullarbor Roadhouse

We took the ubiquitous photos that everyone takes, ate our fruit and vegetables in the caravan ready for the quarantine check at the border crossing, and filled up with fuel. We had already given our honey and a big bag of potatoes to a young farmer and his family who we had camped next to at Ceduna.

We stopped to gaze in awe at the cliffs at the edge of Australia on the Great Australian Bight. A couple of lizards popped their heads out from under a sign there. At some point well before the border our phones went back by 2 ½ hours as we crossed an invisible timezone.

At the border we were met with a large covered building with boom gates and stop signs. An official asked us some questions and then inspected the car and the caravan including all the cupboards for any fruit, vegetables, honey, and other prohibited items. We were all clear and so pressed on to Eucla.

Down an escarpment there was a distinct change of flora, and still no visible fauna despite the warning signs. A mountain range on the northerly side of the road provided a repeating pattern of bluffs in the distance. As we passed a bluff, a new one would appear in the hazy distance. This went on for kilometres.

Cocklebiddy Roadhouse was the place we chose to stay overnight parked on the gravel with a token for a short shower. It is a fuel stop with a bar, restaurant, cabins, airstip, two wedgetail eagles in a large aviary, and a loud generator that operates continually.

The next morning, we were back on the road by 6am. It was overcast and warm. We headed for Norseman which is at the western end of the Nullarbor Plain and about 440 kilometres from Cocklebiddy.

The landscape was once again like a lovely parkland with changing varieties of eucalypts, bushes, and spiky grasses. The longest stretch of straight road begins after Caiguna and stretches into the distance for 150 kilometres. We saw many wild wedgetail eagles near the road and perched in the trees.

Once again, the landscape changes to empty barren white rocks under a grey overcast sky. Then the western woodlands appear with more mature eucalypts and red dirt. At Balladonia the recent bushfire was obvious as the trees and ground were black. The road had been closed for about a week stranding travelers and truckies. The roadhouse was lucky to be saved. A piece of the old skylab is displayed proudly on the roof of the building. And then, disturbingly, bushfire smoke appeared and grew thicker on the highway. We tried to tune in for updates but there was no phone or radio service. Eventually we left the smoke behind us. We guess it was smoldering stumps.

We arrived in Norseman in time for lunch and then headed north to Kalgoorlie. Norseman was named after a horse who apparently pawed the ground and uncovered some gold, thus starting the gold rush of the 1890’s in the area.

We passed the time in the car by listening to ABC Conversations podcast episodes in the morning, and then music on my iPod in the afternoons.

February 8, 2020February 8, 2020

Eyre Peninsula

Is this Mars? It could almost be, if you take away the few scrubby trees, a couple of sheep, and the roads, vehicles, power lines, wind turbines and oxygen. Hmmm.

Driving through Port Augusta and to Whyalla shrinks everything into an epic landscape. Dark red rocky mountains inhospitable to everything except mining for iron ore minerals; the port at Whyalla a perfect location for the steelworks.

The previous night we stayed at Chinamen’s Creek in the Winninowie Conservation Reserve. It was not on any of our maps, but Mick located it and from the online reviews thought it would be interesting. Not exactly “heaven on earth with crystal clear water”, but it is unique. Mangroves for miles, inlets akin to something you might find in Kakadu minus the crocodiles. Not as many birds as one would expect. In the near distance the rugged Southern Flinders Ranges stand in a protective rim. There is silence apart from the click-clack of freight trains near the highway.

The knowledgeable self-appointed camp manager lives in a ramshackle house at the camp. He likes to chat, find out who you are, and tell you much on many topics. He takes notes.

Our boots sank into the deep mud as we walked along the tidal flats with the sweet toxic fragrance of the yellow mangrove flowers sticking in my throat and giving me a headache. We had a dip in the briny pools of the inlet waters, while a few other people explored in kayaks.

Across onto the Eyre Peninsula we drove to Port Lincoln stopping at the little towns along the coast. We stayed overnight which was one night too long. Pretty Coffin Bay would have been a better option we discovered the next day.

So once again along the coast heading north-west, we stopped in at the little towns. This coast is rugged and wild along the cliffs, but tranquil and inviting in the bays. It is perfect for fishing, boating, surfing and snorkeling. We were not prepared to stay long.

We drove on to Ceduna keen to get to W.A. This is the land of the long straight road with not much in between the small country towns. A night in Ceduna was quite enough, and we headed off to The Nullarbor.

February 4, 2020February 4, 2020

Yorke Peninsula

If you like to fish then the Yorke Peninsula is a great place to visit. This seems to be one of the main attractions of this place. Situated between the Gulf St. Vincent and Spencer Gulf the possibilities for sea fishing is vast.

We stayed at Stansbury Caravan Park on the east coast. Our campsite was right next to the beach. Stansbury was once named Oyster Bay and when you walk out into the shallows it is obvious why: Razor Clams appear at low tide in the thousands. You need to wear shoes as they are extremely sharp. There are also oyster farms easily seen further out in the bay.

Stansbury Yorke Peninsula South Australia

The thing to do here is to hunt for crabs: Blue Swimmer Crabs. Mick got the tools and technique tips from one of the old regulars and off he went in the dark coming back with enough for a lovely crab salad for two. The next day we both went out in the shallows and found a few more for the old guy and his wife. The smell of boiling crabs is unique and one I can now identify easily.

Kangaroo Island appears and disappears like a ghost on the distant horizon. We went sightseeing down and across the Peninsula to Edithburgh, Yorketown, Point Turton, and Minlaton. Seeing quite enough of the dry barren windswept fields and small quiet towns we opted out of exploring further south to Marion Bay and Innes National Park.

Back at camp Mick tried some fishing at the pier, while I watched pelicans, dolphins, swans, and windsurfers glide by.

January 31, 2020January 31, 2020

Port Elliot

With the vibration and disturbance of the wet sand the tiny mollusk’s rise up to ‘have a look’ and then burrow down again. These are too small and so we smile and watch them disappear.

Despite our efforts to twist our feet in the sand on the many beaches we visit, we still can’t locate Pipi’s big enough to use as fishing bait. (Cockles here in South Australia).

We spent our first free camp and off-grid experience at The Granites which is just a bitumen carpark next to the expanse of sea and endless beach. A few granite boulders sit in the shallows giving the spot its name. Our systems all worked well, and with just three other vehicles in the carpark it was a gorgeous quiet night with a classic sunset and sleeping with windows open to hear the sea and get the breeze. In the morning the sea had disappeared behind a veil of mist.

Driving further into South Australia along The Coorong was a blue-on-blue experience; with enough water in The Coorong to reflect the clear sky. The dry fields and scrubby trees the only break in the blue immersion.

Port Elliot drew us back as we have fond memories of our last stay here. We opted for the Big4 Caravan Park at the edge of Horseshoe Bay. With families gone back to work and school we hoped to find a spot in this popular campground. It has all the amenities which are clean and well maintained.

One day was 43 degrees and so we spent the day alternating between the shade of our awning and the little cove at the end of our ‘street’. It has underwater rocks and so swimming is not recommended, but the waves were small and so we dived in and out. Floating on the currents with our masks and snorkels we could see different varieties of fish amongst the kelp and rock ledges.

A drive through the rugged hills of the Fleurieu Peninsula took us to Cape Jervis which is the ferry point for Kangaroo Island. We drove on to Second Valley, and Normanville; pretty towns and great beaches, but not much in between. In the cooler months perhaps these ranges are green.

I joined the morning swimmers at Horseshoe Bay one day. It was overcast and the water was grey with minimal visibility. I swam alone for a while, but it is disconcerting to be out in the deep water without being able to see much. As I swam back to shore, I was zapped in the upper arm by a stinger. After the initial sting it didn’t hurt much at all but left a red welt.

From here we will drive north to Adelaide, then across to the Yorke Peninsula.

January 27, 2020January 27, 2020

Nelson on Glenelg

Australia Day Ceremony at Bridge Park Nelson

The flag flew in the breeze at the Australia Day breakfast held on the banks of the Glenelg River at Bridge Park in Nelson. Free breakfast attracted a crowd of locals and visitors. A local woman was awarded with the Citizen of the Year certificate for her contributions to the town. Among other things, she keeps the town gardens tidy. With typical Aussie humility she stated, “I just love weeding.” The rain held off long enough for the celebration and then it chased us all away for a timely close. Mick won a prize in the raffle – a packet of sausages. We’ve put them in the freezer for our Nullarbor crossing.

We weren’t as lucky finding pippies for bait though. At the wild ocean beach, we copied the technique of a large Asian family, shuffling our feet in the wet sand, trying to disturb the pippies as the waves rushed out. I found one tiny pippy. Back at home on the Mornington Peninsula they are easy to find. Mick bought bait from the shop for his fishing expeditions, catching a couple of shining Bream in the green river. (In South Australia pippies are called cockles.)

Kywong Caravan Park is set in a quiet bushland area not on the Glenelg River but easy walking distance. Kangaroos and birds live here. It is a great location for family groups and on this long weekend tribes of kids circle the camp on bikes or play a never-ending game of all-in cricket.

Walking along the bush tracks is peaceful and we inevitably disturb kangaroo and wallaby families. I keep an eye out for koalas but haven’t seen one yet. Our eldest grand-daughter turned three this week and I have been drawing a picture at each place and posting it in the mail. This week I drew one of these pelicans.

Pelicans near the boat ramp Glenelg River Nelson

Soon we will cross into South Australia and I need to confirm the rules about what food is prohibited to take across the border. Is it all fruit and vegetables, or just fruit? I’ll check at the Information Centre.

January 23, 2020January 27, 2020

Not Belfast

Port Fairy is the prettiest town in Victoria in my opinion. Originally named Belfast in a sentimental link to ‘home’, the Irish and English influences of the early settlers are still obvious.

The original old buildings and quaint cottages are still in active use and lovingly looked after. The Caledonian Inn was the first licensed pub in Victoria and is still enjoyed by locals and visitors. The many cottages have lovely gardens with roses flourishing in the volcanic soil.

Situated at the mouth of the Moyne River a rich culture of fishing and sailing abounds. Griffiths Island was once a key location for the whaling industry and whales still visit the bays midyear. The lighthouse is situated out on Griffiths Island where the migratory Mutton birds congregate. The walk out to the lighthouse is a must-do activity when visiting the town.

We lived and worked here from 2010 until 2013 and we built a house here in keeping with the local style. Recently we dropped in and are glad to know that the new owners are very happy with the house, location, and lifestyle.

At nearby Tower Hill a mother emu bailed us up on a trail nervous about protecting her young emu. We walked around the extinct volcano which was identified as a National Park in 1892. The ‘Last Volcano’ sits within the lakes and inner hills and was last active in 5000 BC. We saw emu and one baby emu, koalas and one baby koala, and wallabies.

Even in mid-January you need a coat and beanie here, as it is often cold, windy, rainy and grey and our stay was no different. It is a relief from the hot dry summer with bushfires, but not so great for the summer holiday campers. Feeling brave we donned our wetsuits and snorkels then plunged into the cold water to see what lives in the rocky ledge along the edge of Griffiths Island. There are lots of fish to see amongst the garden of kelp. It was a lovely experience and I hope the first of many on this trip.

January 18, 2020January 18, 2020

The Golden Triangle

The bell struck ten times sounding out across the town and I turned to locate the source. There atop the post office was the bell tower. It filled me with happiness because I love that sound, and contrary to the sentiments of Mark Twain who visited Maryborough and stated that he did not like bells, I think there is a huge lack of town bells across Australia.

Maryborough sits inside The Golden Triangle where gold was found in the 1850’s and since. The heritage buildings of the town are evidence of a rich past. So, while I walked around the town taking photographs of the architecture, Mick went out onto the scrubby goldfields in search of a nugget.

Nearby Talbot is where some of Mick’s ancestors made and lost their fortune through their pursuit of gold and celebratory drinks afterward. At one point they owned three houses in the town. I guess that the gold fever must be in his genes. These days though detectors are used which many presume can find the nuggets still hidden.

Old architectural buildings have a charm that is attractive. I think it resides in the grandeur, symmetry, muted colours of natural materials, sculptured artistic details, elegant signage, columns and frames. They bring an interesting profile to the skyline.

I enjoyed looking at the old buildings: The Central Goldfields Shire Offices was formerly The School of Mines; the original Public Library sadly now houses some other boring organization; the local swimming pool has a lovely Art Deco entrance; the football ground stadium at Princes Park is another grand building; the Post Office sits proudly on the hill well placed for the town bell; and gorgeous old pubs sit on the street corners adorned with nymphs and sculptures.

The Maryborough Railway Station stands out as a major place of interest and has an interesting history. Its grandeur seemingly misplaced for a small country town was supposedly meant to be built in Maryborough Queensland. This myth persists despite efforts from locals to dispute this. It is a beautiful building and worth a visit. It is a functioning railway station with daily train trips.

Victoria Lake sits beside the football ground and swimming pool at Princes Park. Our caravan site was just alongside the lake where birds, ducks, waterfowl, one neurotic swan, and turtles live. Each day I walked the circuit trying to spot the turtle noses as they peaked up from the water.

The hot days and smoke haze were broken by a thunderstorm with impressive lightning and much needed rain, especially to the bushfires in other parts of the state.

Mick joined in with the Maryborough Park Run group and I did Yoga with Adriene in the caravan and walked around the lake.

January 9, 2020January 9, 2020

Minding Archie

While the bushfires raged across the country, we travelled south back to Rosebud leaving the caravan at Horsham. We had offered to mind Archie the dog while our son and his family went on holiday to Queensland.

This little interlude was always in our plans, but it does feel a lot like ‘Groundhog Day’. We are keen to get moving with this trip but with many major highways closed we wouldn’t get very far anyway.

It has been a good opportunity to attend to the problems with the car and caravan; so timely as it turns out. The mechanics could not find a problem with the Triton. It is under warranty and we will continue to monitor it.

The smoke haze has choked many areas including here on the busy Mornington Peninsula. We could not see the nearby ridge of Main Ridge for a whole day. It hasn’t deterred the hordes of summer tourists.

We have had a nice relaxing time sleeping in a comfortable bed, walking Archie, and catching up with friends. Mick has played golf and joined in with the Saturday Park Run. We have watched some great Australian content on TV: The Gloaming set in Hobart; The Commons set in Sydney. And I did Yoga with Adriene.

Living_Room_1_Jan_2020

One of my past blog posts, ‘The Aussie Fire Beast’, was picked up by Libraries Interact Daily. It is not the first time one of my posts has been picked up and included in their newsletter. This gives me confidence to continue this writing endeavor.

Hopefully when we leave Rosebud this weekend we won’t be back until next Christmas.

January 2, 2020January 23, 2020

Staying with Family in Horsham

Approaching Horsham from the north along the Henty Highway, the Grampians outcrop looks mysterious, ghosted in the smoke haze.

We were returning to Horsham after spending a day exploring the Silo Art nearby. In all we looked at six silos with artworks:

Rupanyup – Two local young sportspeople – Ebony Baker and Jordon Weidermann – by artist Julia Volchkova.
Sheep Hills – Colourful portraits of four local aboriginal people – two elders: Uncle Ron Marks and Aunty Regina Hood – two children: Savannah Marks and Curtly McDonald – by artist Adnate.
Brim – Four local farmers depicted – by artist Guido van Helten.
Rosebery – Local farmers depicted at work – by artist Kaff-eine.
Lascelles – Local farming couple Geoff and Merrilyn Horman – by artist Rone.
Patchewollock – Local farmer Nick ‘Noodle’ Hulland – by artist Fintan Magee.

My favourites were the first one at Rupanyup and the last one at Patchewollock.

These small towns are connected by bumpy sealed roads amidst farmland. It was an empty landscape of pale-yellow harvested crops under a hazy hot blue/grey sky. Other tourists were travelling this route to look at the silo art. We had lunch at a very clean new general store in Brim where we also bought an insect house for our family’s garden in Horsham. We bought ice-creams and fuel. The silo art had taken us into towns we would not normally visit and allowed us to contribute in a small way. It is a great idea.

Mick’s brother’s house in Horsham sits on ten acres of flat dry paddocks. They have animals, a nice garden, and an inground pool with a sunshade. The house and land were in a poor state when they bought it last year and they have worked hard to get it to a lovely condition. The old house has high ceilings of pressed metal patterns, chandeliers, timber floors, and large rooms. The back verandah and pergola serve them well on hot days. The pool is a perfect place to dip into on the 42⁰C days.

We drove out to Mount Arapiles and walked up to the summit that overlooks Mitre Rock and beyond. A band of dust and smoke approached ominously from the west with the fast-moving winds. In the shade at Melville Caves a group of rock climbers were scaling the cliff with ropes. We drove on through the Little Desert National Park to Nhill and Dimboola before returning to Horsham.

The day got dirty with fierce hot winds, roasting sun, and a thunderstorm in the evening that started some spot-fires in the district.

We saw in the New Year with food, drinks, and chatting with family and friends beside the pool. Then Mick and I watched the Sydney concert and fireworks on TV in the caravan.

January 2, 2020January 2, 2020

Leaving Rosebud

Freedom from Rosebud eventuated after Mick wriggled the caravan back and forwards with the car, trying to drive out of the foreshore campsite. With such a poorly arranged campsite and campers using every square inch of their site for tents, caravans, marquees and other temporary structures, we were hemmed into an almost impossible predicament. Mick could not simply drive forward as several large trees and neighbouring caravans on three sides blocked the exit route.

It was not a happy escape though because we broke the awning arm in our first attempt to roll it back up. This meant we had to take off the awning and put it inside the caravan for transporting. Until this is fixed, we won’t be able to continue.

The drive through Melbourne’s motorways was easy despite major roadworks underway to the Westgate Bridge arterial.

It was a warm morning with 29⁰C heat and the car overheated pulling the caravan up the Pentland Hills. It was also losing power. We stopped at Gordon to let the engine cool. This is a new Triton that should be able to pull this caravan. Mick had done all the research about the weights, loads and towing capacity. We managed to limp along and arrived at our destination in Horsham.

The Anderson plug was also not working properly and so the refrigerator did not function while we were towing.

Staying at Mick’s brothers house in Horsham allows us a little bit of time to address the problems which are:

Car overheating.
Awning arm replaced and remounted.
Anderson plug rewired.