Winter escape - take two........

After our three weeks at home we have the van back fully repaired and looking as good as new.  Now it's time to pack again and get on our way in search of some warm weather.

While at home we did our best to stay warm, and that I have to tell you was almost an impossible task, with Victoria in the grip of one of the coldest winters for a number of years.  Overnight temperatures remained between 0 and -5 and the days were lucky to see 12 degrees.  A bit of a shock to our system I must say.  

We spent a few days in the car as we had to visit the van to pick up some of its contents before it was repaired.  A day trip to Beechworth and Yackandandah took care of another day and the longest day of all was when Bill had to visit his dentist in Dandenong (a toothache) and ended up having to be fitted in with the specialist for an emergency Root Canal.  Now we really HAVE spent the kids inheritance!  The next day we returned to pick up the van and bring it home at last.  Loved the sculptures in the park on the way.

And so we leave - again.  We took three days to pack and see that everything was right and then we hitched up, complete with locking tow pin, and headed off again.  Not wanting to retrace our route along the Hume we took the back roads to Yarrawonga.  Once here we had a walk around town, did a bit of shopping and then continued on across the border into NSW where we stopped and had lunch next to Lake Mulwala.

We drove on stopping that night, just out of Urana, where we camped beside a little waterhole.  The next day we checked out the tiny town and I must say I really am bemused by the 'Big Spider' on the side of the silo.  It has been made completely of recycled material but it still begs the question - Why?

Our next stop was Narrandera where we went in search of the 'Big Guitar'.  We found it inside the information centre and yes it was big.

Right next door was the Tiger Moth Memorial commemorating the No 8 EFTS (Elementary Flight Training School) during the Second World War.  The DH 82 Tiger Moth is the main feature but there are many model planes, photos and other memorabilia to see as well.  Well worth the time to stop and have a look.

From here we made our way to Griffith and stayed just out of town at Lake Wyangan.  Right on the lake is fabulous camp ground for travellers.  A three day limit allows you to stay and play.  Toilets and views what more could we want eh!  We only stayed one night but will keep it in mind for future visits.  The drive out to the lake takes you past many orange orchards and vineyards.  That alone is a good reason to return but I'm guessing it might be 'the important bird area' that brings Bill back.

The next day we continued on stopping at Hillston for lunch and then made our way 'up the map' to Mount Hope where we stayed the night.  As I mentioned before there is nothing here but a pub and a community hall.   The hall was a hive of activity as many locals, from where I have no idea, were preparing the venue for their annual Christmas in July the next night.  They told us to camp anywhere on 'the golf course' between hole one and nine.  Who knew that patch of red soil and scrub was a golf course.  Complete with flags in barrels marking the holes!  

We did as we were told and by nightfall were joined by a few other vans.  We all met later that evening in the pub for dinner and I revelled in a night off.  Nothing better than a country pub meal every now and then.  

Waking up the next morning to a bright blue sky, sunshine and warmth was lovely and by the afternoon Bill had shed the jumper and jeans and was in a pair of shorts.  He's a happy man at last.  We drove on to Cobar where we stayed overnight at Newey Reserve.  Not even a heater was needed here as the overnight temperature was 14 degrees.

Bourke was our destination the next day and after topping up the water tanks at the information centre we made our way to the boat ramp where we stayed the night before heading on to Cunnamulla the next day.  We are going to spend a few days at Bowra before continuing our trip north.  So watch this space to see which way we go next.

until next time........

The journey home.......

but first we had a week in Flinders View while the insurance was sorted out.  No point just sitting around we may as well get out and about and see some more of this part of Queensland.  On previous trips we had only ever driven past this area and I'm glad that we have got to see there is so much more to Ipswich than just the highway through it.

On Sunday we drove up to Wivenhoe Dam and enjoyed the lovely parklands there.  The information centre was very informative and we learnt all about this area known as Lake Wivenhoe.  The dam itself is a rock and earth-fill embankment dam with a concrete spillway across the Brisbane River.  As well as providing water for the Brisbane and Ipswich areas the dam also provides for flood mitigation control, hydroelectricity and recreation.  

Monday and Tuesday saw us busy with phone calls and insurance people so other than looking around the local shops we were pretty much grounded.  Once the assessor had been we just had to wait to see what would happen next.  The next day we decided to see what Ipswich had to offer and spent the afternoon in Queens Park Gardens.  There is a fabulous little Nature Centre which is free to enter and an absolute delight to wander around.  More like a mini zoo, the boardwalks take you past lots of native animals, ponds, waterfalls and a walk through rainforest bird aviary.

We saw kangaroos, wallabies, dingoes, wombats, lizards, snakes, emus and my favourite of all The Greater Bilby.  These little guys are listed as a vulnerable species and it was so good to see them here in the nocturnal cave.  Three little bilbies emerged from their mums pouch in time for Easter this year and they are growing fast.  We saw them all and their mum as they quite happily played and explored their area.  Of course no pictures from inside the cave but found this one instead.

A short walk from the Nature Park is the Nerima Japanese Gardens.  Once again a lovely area to have a wander through.  Beautiful water feature and of course The Tea House features as always.  From here we called in to the cafe and whiled away the rest of the afternoon with a coffee.

That night we joined Abi and Geoff at their place for a BBQ and to watch the 'State of Origin' match.  We enjoyed meeting some family members and some friends and the night ended on a high when Qld came through in the last minutes and won the match.  Now I have to watch the final next week!  It was a great night and I even learnt a bit about Rugby League.

The next day we ventured a little further afield with a drive to O'Reillys in the Lamington National Park.  It is somewhere we have always wanted to visit and other than the freezing cold we enjoyed our visit.  I must say that I did not enjoy the drive up from Canungra.  The already narrow and winding Lamington National Park Road was made worse as the weather following Cyclone Debbie had caused landslides and lots of damage.  Almost all the way up there were plastic orange poles and caution tape on the edges.  Really didn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling I can tell you.  

Once there we had a look around the shop and cafe then walked to the lookout to admire the view.  Pretty spectacular even though it was quite misty.  We then did one of the smaller walks through the rainforest and finished with the famous treetop walk.  It is one of the more rickety ones we have been on.  We did see some birds during the walk but unfortunately it was far too dark in the forest to be able to get any good photos.  Such a shame as the Alberts Lyrebird and the Logrunners were quite unconcerned about us being there.  We did find this Grey Goshawk just watching us and the world go by.  

Of course we did see the parrots as people fed them in the feeding area but we were more interested in the plane standing nearby.  This is a replica of the Stinson Model A airliner which disappeared during a flight from Brisbane to Sydney in February 1937.  The wreckage was found by Bernard O'Reilly who went looking for it after believing the aircraft had failed to cross the border.  He found the wreckage and three survivors, four others had died in the crash.  Unfortunately one of the survivors died trying to bring help the others.  There is a Bronze statue at the guesthouse depicting the rescue.

A large part of the plane has been removed but it is still a popular hiking destination for the experienced bush walkers.  I think we'll leave them too it and just admire the birds.  Our half day visit was not long enough but I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle that road again any time soon.  Maybe one day when the memory has faded a little.

On Friday we stayed closer to home driving out to have a look at White Rock Conservation Estate.  We did a few of the smaller walks, climbed Little White Rock and enjoyed a picnic lunch before heading back to base again.

On Saturday we readied the van for its journey south and spent most of the day enjoying the sunshine.  We packed the car and then settled down to wait.  Would they pick it up Sunday or Monday.  It was Sunday.  A phone call during the morning to check we were ready and then it was all go.  We said goodbye and a huge thanks to Abi and Geoff for their kindness during the past week.  We watched the van get loaded onto the truck and then we were off too.  It seemed very odd heading out without our little house behind us.

We made our way up the hill to Warwick where we stayed the night in a motel.  The next morning we had a walk around the town and was very impressed by the grandeur of St Mary's Church.  

We drove on to Tenterfield where we stopped to have a walk through town and of course to see The Tenterfield Saddler made famous by Peter Allen's song.  It was such a tiny little building and not open so we could only look in through the windows.  From here we drove on and stopped for the night at Glen Innes.  

We had a walk around the town, enjoyed coffee in a old pub now converted to a coffee shop and then found a motel and settled in for the night.  As always the most impressive building was St Joseph's Church and School.  Quite a different style and colour than St Marys yesterday.

The next morning was freezing and Glen Innes certainly lived up to its name as one of the coldest places around.  This whole area is know as Celtic Country and we visited the Australian Standing Stones before we left.  Home of the Celtic Festival in May each year the stones pay tribute to the Celtic heritage of the early European settlers to the district.  

We continued to drive south stopping for a break at Armidale where we made coffee and visited the visitors centre.  Here we found a short tourist drive to Dangars Falls and Gorge so we set off to explore.  On the way we stopped to see the Dangarsleigh War Memorial.

The Perrott family erected this monument in memory of all those who were killed in World War One.  They lost their eldest son in the war and wanted to 'do something to keep forever green the memory of those poor boys who would never return'.  One more amazing thing to find in the middle of nowhere.

We made our way out to the falls and found a fabulous little camping area in the National Park as well as the waterfall and Gorge.  The falls themselves are a 30 metre cascade waterfall very picturesque and somewhere we will go back to and explore properly one day.

 

Our next stop was just down the road to have a look at the tiny Gotswynd Chapel.  Past its spectacular best it still looked lovely without its colourful leaves.  

We had lunch at Uralla and then made our way to Tamworth where we had a walk along the footpath of fame with its little plaques for each years winners of the country festival.  Starting in 1973 there are quite a few to read.  The life size statue of Slim Dusty and his wife Joy McKean takes pride of place mid mall.

We stopped to look at the Golden Guitar centre but once again it was closing so we just took the picture out the front.  Oh well, next time.  We made our way to Scone and stayed the night in another motel.  

A quick look around town the next morning.  Cold and wet now, seems we are back into winter well and truly.  We drove to Singleton passing lots of coal mines and two power stations.  All very ugly additions to the landscapes but for now necessary evils I guess.  St Patrick's Church in Singleton was another grand building and much easier on the eye.

From here we left the New England Highway for the more sedate drive along Putty Rd to cross the ranges.  A great road and a lovely drive but it rained all the way.  We stopped at Windsor and had a walk around the little town.  It seemed a little down at heel with lots of empty shops and an awful smell in the air.  The waterwheel was an interesting feature in the Main Street.

We found a place to stay that night just out of Penrith in Wallacia.  The grand old building, Hotel Wallacia, is trying its hand at boutique accommodation.  Still has a way to go I think!

The next morning we drove out to see the Rock Lookout on the Nepean River before making our way to Canberra where we were staying for the night with Anita and Greg.  On the way we stopped to look at Goulburn and after lunch in the park took a walk around town.  More amazing buildings and churches here but it was the Courthouse which I think was most impressive.  And of course I had to have a picture of the Big Ram!

A little later we found our way to Anita and Gregs place and had a fabulous night with them both.  A Slow cooked masterpiece for dinner and a bottle or two made for a great night with friends.  Thanks so much for having us and making us so welcome.

The next morning we said farewell and turned the car for home.  Initially thinking we would take another day to get home we decided we couldn't face another motel so we just kept on driving arriving home around 4.30pm.  And with perfect timing we arrived back for a weekend of -4 and -5 deg overnight.

Yes, it's certainly wintertime in Euroa, brrr!  Now we just have to survive until the van is fixed and we can be off to find some warmer weather.  Should be about three weeks.  In the meantime the heaters are on and working overtime.

until next time........

How quickly plans change........

We drove along the highway for a few km trying to decide which way we would head after we shopped in Toowoomba when all of a sudden the car jerked a couple of times.  Bill slowed and checked behind and his next words were just a little scary "I think the van has come off the car".   And indeed it had!

He stopped immediately pulling up on the side of the Warego Highway and we got out to see what had happened.  The entire tow bar had come off the car and was still attached to the van.  It seemed that we had lost both the pins that hold the tow bar in place.  A man travelling behind us stopped to help and congratulated Bill on pulling up so well without any further incident.  It could of been so much worse!  He also suggested that the only way this could have happened was that someone had removed the split pin and then the larger pin had worked its way out in the few km we had travelled.

At first look we thought all was OK and we could just replace the pin and continue on but a closer look proved that would not happen.  The tow bar was damaged as was the front of the van with small slits where the jerry can holders had pierced the front checker plate as it bounced on the A frame.  There were also some dimples in the frame under the van so there was nothing to do but ring the RACV who we are insured with and they organised a tow truck to come and rescue us.  

When the tow truck arrived the driver, Geoff, was so concerned about what would happen to us.  As we were living in the van he did not want to lock us in the holding yard where it would normally go.  Other than organising the tow, the insurance co. was closed until Monday making it difficult to know what the next step was.  At that point Geoff decided to take us home to his place and park the van on his front lawn.  That way we were able to stay with all our stuff until we knew what was to happen next.

This I'm sure was absolutely above and beyond anything he needed to do and we will never be able to repay him for making our lives a little bit easier at such a difficult time.

And so we had a very unexpected week in Flinders View, a suburb of Ipswich.  Geoff's partner Abi made us as welcome as Geoff did and we were able to concentrate on getting the insurance sorted without the worry of where to go.  The assessor came out and the decision was made to return the van to JB in Melbourne where it would be fixed.  It was picked up a week later and travelled to Melbourne on the back of a truck.

And so just four weeks into our four month trip we were returning home to the cold, cold winter we had been escaping from.  Not really something to look forward to but we'll be back on the road as soon as the van is fixed and be off in search of the sun once more.

until next time........