We are going on a summer holiday to
Warrnamboo with a little help from the
Camps App we found the
Warrnambool Holiday Park and got a booking leaving on the 26th for ten days, we will be putting the
Memory Map system to work when do we some beach 4 x 4, we will have a bit of a trial run with
FREE internet to post, should be interesting finding places other than the Big M. There will therefore be a delay until the next posting of our Outback Adventure
I modified the one draw, the small draw they had was a waste of space, I got the plate holders from Ikea and we will install them, works well.
The caravan is once again being packed, this time for ten days, so I guess we will be using the freezer which is normally used when we are on the tracks doing some 4 x 4
Thursday 26th December
We met for
lunch at around 12 PM at the Highway Lounge situated at the Werribee on ramp to
the Princes Highway, after a good feed we were on the road just after 1 PM to Warrnambool a distance of 242 Km which is
South East of Melbourne on the Great Ocean Road, we used the inland road as we
have traveled the sea route many times and it would have taken at least five
hours travelling time. We arrived at the
Warrnambool Holiday Park around 4:30 PM checked in and had to have our electric
cables ‘tested and tagged’ something new at caravan parks, at a cost of $5.00 but
it is valid for a year. This is a Top Tourist Park and the staff was most
helpful, two of them were at our site to assist with parking the van and to
show us the facilities, we have an on suite site which is very nice indeed and
well worth the extra $3.00 per day. After setting up camp we had dinned and
were in bed by 9:15 PM and asleep within minuets.
Friday 27th December
After a
leisurely late breakfast we set out to explore Warrnambool, first stop was
Logans Beach Whale viewing platform, no whale as they visit from June to
September but still a great look out. From there we made our way to the
information centre via a long detour, missed the turn off so visited the outer
suburbs. An interesting info centre and shop, it overlooks Flagstaff Hill and
the lighthouse, we did not think that the entrance fee warranted the visit so
did not go in. From there we had a light lunch and then did some shopping for
the necessary, then watched some cricket at camp. At 5 PM we visited the Night
Market at Lake Pertobe which comes alive with a unique shopping and dining
experience, there are many stalls with free live music, it is one of the
largest we have visited and was most enjoyable and was a great evening out, it
is well worth the visit should it be on when one visits the area.
Saturday 28 Dec. 2013
Today’s
forecast is for 30+ deg but the wind is blowing so we are visiting Allansforf
Cheese World which is about 10 Km out of town, across the road from the
milk/cheese factory which
was established in 1888 and processes more than
1,000,000 litres of milk a day. Did some cheese tasting and purchased some very
tasty cheeses to be enjoyed over the next few days. After a cup of tea we
visited the museum, most interesting, they have the largest collection of model
tractors I have ever seen from the very old to the latest, also saw some
equipment that I remember using on dad’s farm when I was about 5 years old, I
clearly remember turning the handle of the milk/cream separator!
It was now
lunch time the wind had picked up and was gusting up to 65 K/h most unpleasant
so we spent the afternoon browsing the shops, then back to camp for a beauts
dinner of pork chops and salad then relaxed and watched a bit of TV before bed.
Sunday 29 Dec. 2013
Today our
alarm clock was a flock of Cockatoo’s purchased on the tree next to our van
screeching as if there were a thousand of them so there was nothing for it but
to rise and shine.
After breaky we decided to visit the Hopkins Falls which is about 10Km from town, it is one
of the wildest in Australia 90 metreswide and 11 metres high and if one is
lucky Platypus can be seen at the bottom of the falls, we were not lucky.
Hopkins Falls is called Thangang-poonart in the Kirre Whurung language which
translates to ‘eels bite the stone’.
From there we
returned via the scenic route, large herds of milk cows dotted the country side
letting one know that you are in dairy land. It must have been a good year for
the farmers judging by the number of hay bales in the fields. We stopped off to
have a look at
‘granny’s grave’, it is situated high up a hill right on the
beach with a excellent view of the bay, a beautiful final resting place. The
writing on the head stone was very difficult to read but we made out: In loving
memory of M. Ruddlestone buried in 1848 the first white woman buried in Warrnambool.
Erected in1904 by the Town Council.
We spent the
afternoon on the beach and played in the shallows with the young grand kids,
found out that I did not use enough sun-screen when we returned to camp and had
a shower! So ended another enjoyable relaxing day.
Monday 30 Dec 2013
Well I
finally did it this morning, I locked the key in our on-suite and had to wait
until the office opened at eight to get the spare so we could shower.
After a late
breaky we decided to trundle down to Port Fairy about 30 Km down the coast,
nothing much on there, it was a fishing village in days gone by, we trundled
around the town then stopped at Clonmara Tearoom for a delicious lunch then
back to our camp site to prepare for some 4x4ing tomorrow at Portland tomorrow,
so it will be early to bed as we will be up at 5AM
Tuesday 31 Dec 2013
Up early, had
a good breaky and on the road by 7:30 AM, first stop the Big M for Nathan and
Maryleen to have brekkie then on the road to Portland which is about 110 Km, I
had marked
the route on Memory Map as per the Portland Dune Buggy Club’s
instructions on their web page which in my opinion were rather inadequate. I
entered the address on the Garmin but not having a number entered the first, no
problem it showed the turnoff at the first garage – just what we needed to fill
up @ $1.60 ! ouch! We then continued to Telegraph Road as per the Garmin, turns
out we needed the end of the road so had a pleasant drive on the edge of the
mount Richmond National Park (there looks to be a few tracks in there that
could be fun) and finally found my marker at the turn off to Swan Lake where
the Dune Buggy Club is located. About a kilometre from the Club we came across
a Koala walking down the road, it continued on its merry way as we drove slowly
past.
We arrived at
the Club area at about 11 AM and the camp was just coming to life, to drive on
the Dunes you have to become a Club member at a cost of $50.00 for a four day
membership! A bit over the top in my opinion if one only wants to spend a few
hours there. Eventually we found the correct person, completed the forms and
paid our $50.00, lowered out tyre pressure to 18 Lbs and hoisted our desert
flags, then it was onto the Dunes and what a pleasure it was. We first went
West and it was not long before Nathan crested a bit too far to the left and
bogged in the soft stuff I had to find a way around so I could snatch him out –
no problem the Terracan came to the rescue and we were soon on our way, we went
as far as we could then turned East and headed back to the river mouth and onto
the beach. Back onto the dunes and further East then a stop for lunch and
continued for quite some distance then had to back to our start point as it was
getting late and time to make our way back to our camp.
It was great
fun the Dunes are very white with many soft patches, one enters a valley and
all that can be seen in any direction is white dunes, quite spectacular. All to
soon we were back at the parking area at the Club, packed the flags away and
pumped the tyres back to their normal pressure then back on the road arriving
back at our camp at about 6:30 PM after a great day out. I wish we had had more
time to explore the tracks in the Richmond National Park but no such luck, I
think it calls for a return visit – perhaps Australia day weekend?
We did not
stay up to see the New Year in as we were bushed after a long day 4x4ing and
were asleep by about 10:30 PM.
Wednesday 1 Jan 2014
Happy New
Year!
We woke to
the sound of rain, so decide it was a day to ‘vege’, just resting and did a bit
of reading. Watched the T20 cricket, then to bed.
Thursday 2 Jan 2014
The weather
was a bit better today so we decide to visit the state heritage listed
precinct, Flagstaff Hill’s Maritime Village, entrance fee is $12.50 for
seniors. It is set on 10 acres and shows how the pioneers of the 1870’s ports
lived.
On entering one walks through the Great Circle Gallery where one can
read accounts of the many ships that went down on the Shipwreck Coast, in the
centre the priceless Minton earthenware statue, the Loch Ard Peacock,
Australias most valuable shipwreck relic. It was being transported on the
Clipper Loch Ard in 1878 from England for display in Melbourne’s Great
International Exhibition of 1880 when she ran aground, the life size Loch ArdPeacock was washed ashore in a packing crate just days later. We then walked
around the village having a look at the Doctors house, Dressmaker shop, school,
bank, sail makers and shipwright. We then climbed the Lady Bay Lighthouse which
is still in operation, a great view of the bay and ocean.
 |
| View from the Lighthouse |
After lunch
at the Big M we decided to do the 200 Km Costal Village Tour taking in the
Tower
Hill Reserve , a dormant volcano where a lake has formed, which supports many
bird species and wild life, we saw a pair of Emus. Not far from Macarthur the road passes through the centre of the wind farm and one can get close to these monsters, most were still and there must be a few hundred, I counted fifty in one paddock.
We got back to camp had dinner then went to watch the sunset with Nadeen and family, a perfect end to a most enjoyable day.
Friday 3 Jan 2014
Overcast with
a cold wind blowing so we decided to just walk around town for a while window shopping the veged for the rest of the day reading and watching TV
Saturday 4 Jan 2014
It rained
last night and is cloudy and windy, our time here is coming to an end we leave
for home tomorrow. Kathleen and Nadeen have decided to do some shopping so off
they went. Once again it was raining (on and off) so watched the cricket. Packed most of the gear after dinner then to bed.
Sunday 5 Jay 2015
We packed up and left for home about 10:30 AM stopping at Colac for lunch arriving home at about 2:30 PM. We did a total of 1,167 Km at an average of 15.4 L per 100 Km (best 11.6 worst 17.7) average cost $1.57 per L.
All in all a most enjoyable time away, rather sad that it had to end but looking forward to the next weekend away in March.
Until next time.....................relish small pleasures
Police officer Mark Michigan asking if we were travelling into the desert and
taking our drivers licence no etc and also breathalyser for records just in
case we get lost in the desert and at least there is a record of us driving
through and can send a rescue search out for us in case someone says we are
missing.
