Home Sweet Home!

Home again!



The caravan has been unpacked, cleaned and parked up. We're now living with space and it's time to reflect on my earlier questions.

1. Did I enjoy the trip.... Absolutely, yes, YES. Everyday was an adventure. With no firm plans and if we wanted to stop...we did.


In the morning I couldn't actually tell you where we'd end up that night. I liked that. Walking around we'd find out things about the area then follow up by visiting, reading, photographing, talking to people.

Living in such a small space meant that we had to cooperate, if Greg was at the sink I had to sit down... Shame!

I cooked and washed. Greg did all the outside work, I did a lot of the inside duties and we both shared the tidy up stuff.  

We had to keep thing tidy; things needed to be put away and organised but we're pretty good at that. We ate well, lots of healthy food. That was easy to manage with the facilities we had. By the time we hit the camp it night we were usually tired as we'd either travelled a long distance or been exploring and walking about. Greg read the paper, did the puzzles and would try to get the TV tuned (with varying degrees of success and frustration). Often we had no TV and so we watched a few videos or read.









I would cook tea, download photos and try to update the blog.

I did "spit it" once after 3 very long days of travel. With washing building up around me I just wanted to make the hurricane traveller spick and span again and needed time out to do that. Greg sensed the moment (got the message) and Rifter got an extra long walk that day.  But we didn't run out of conversations, laughs and never ever got bored by it all.


I did get a bit sick of trudging up to caravan park bathrooms and the vagaries of their shower heads.



It was good to have a bathroom on board but we didn't use the shower that often.

We also had some very cold nights which I hadn't predicted. Silly really as we were travelling in winter. It was easier when it was warm. Getting up when it's 1C outside and about the same inside was tough ...OK I'm a bit soft.. I know!

2. Rifter! He added an extra dimension to the trip, and yes there was always the frustration of not being able to go into National parks but there were lots of positives.

 

He travelled really well, slept for hours in the car on the long days, took up a small space, was easy to feed, didn't bark, wagged his tail and was always happy to meet and great others...both dogs and humans.  He often walked up wagging furiously and introduced himself and people were very happy to chat. He enjoyed sleeping in the car if we needed to do something without him so we'd find a shady tree, park up and off we'd go. Luckily it was cool winter weather. In one caravan park we even found a dog sitter that allowed us to do the scenic railway. Also he'd get us out walking. Freezing cold and we'd be walking in the park instead of coffee and muffins at the warm coffee shop. There was lots to see on this trip that didn't involve National Parks. Finding caravan parks to stay in was not a problem; it was only in Cairns that we didn't have a choice.

3. Was I homesick? Not really as I constantly sent texts, emails, photos and blogged. Probably drove everyone crazy but I just wanted to share the amazing things happiness we were having on the trip and know how everyone was back home. I think most days we had good connections....except bush camping at Minindee lakes and in the Flinders Ranges.

4. Greg did a great job of driving, setting up and manouvering the rig and had no issues. The one "ding" we had was out of our control. It was not always easy and some caravan parks were built in an earlier era so a bit tight to get into/out of. No reversing discussions of the heated variety on the trip, or any other driving discussions...from either of us! Great patience was demonstrated throughout. We got better at hitching, packing up, unpacking and remembering. everything. Didn't forget anything drastic (like drive off still attached to power, water.. thank goodness) but did leave the aerial up once, left the jockey wheel on once as we moved off and a very polite neighbour prompted us and occasionally forgot to put the mirrors on before we got out of the park....little things ... that we noticed within a couple of minutes..... It IS a bit of a business.

5. We met nice people and stayed at some great parks in the outback with a friendly "happy hour" But I reckon there are some definite "old farts in caravan parks". Mostly we avoided any of that stuff. One night out of Townsville we were underwhelmed by the happy hour brigade consisting of screeching noisy women telling not so funny stories and being grilled about ...what career did we have... We didn't go back the following night and instead chatted to our interesting neighbours. Plenty of "Dick and Dora, channel 18, Just Cruising" on the back of the vans, country music blaring types!! Triple J was our radio channel if we could get it, and the new Double J. There are a lot of retirees travelling about; of varying ages, in endless varieties of vans. Some sit and prop for ages, others are permanently on the road and other just pass through. All different.

6. I enjoyed the travelling and even though I had books to read there was so much to see out the window that I rarely read while we were driving. We did a lot of walking and even on long driving days would stop ever couple of hours for a stretch/march about. Greg went paddling a few times, probably not as often as he'd have liked though. Didn't need to pack the bathers as it was too cold.

We have a couple of short trips planned before Christmas and will make sure the van is not mothballed. There is plenty of Australia to explore yet.

Hopetoun

 

 

We are slowly creeping home but not home yet. 

 

Our next destination was Hopetoun, about 200 kilometres away. We packed up quickly but had promised some friends we'd call in on our way out. Unfortunately we dallied too long and by the time we'd hit the road the wind had sprung up. 

 

We finally left Esperance hoping we would beat the wind..... But the wind had other ideas!  Was shocking! Dangerous! Front winds, hang onto the steering wheel ..hard work ... just gobbles up the fuel. But a lot of the trip... it was side winds and that's just plain murderous. We were rocking and wobbling. Greg hated it. Finally got here safely. The whole experience was quite unnerving, especially when we met road trains. It was the most difficult driving conditions we experienced on the trip.  

We were both thankful for our sturdy, strong, solid van.  Arrived and set up only to find that the wind dropped away for a couple of hours.  So much for weather watching, our timing was bad.

Once again we walked to the jetty and once again Rifter balked and had to be carried.

 

 

 

 

Hopetoun has also grown with the injection of mining money, and then stalled with the withdrawal of BHP. But there is still mining here and maybe it is for the best that it is not super huge. Hopetoun sits at the edge of the Fitzgerald River National Park. Not for us with Rifter. It would have beautiful wild flowers and spectacular coastal scenery set amongst mountains...another time. I know whales gather at Point Ann with their calves. Instead we drove east along the coast to Mason Bay. It was also pretty.

Greg went paddled on the Jerdacuttup River, a 16 kilometre round trip. After three nights we were off again…. one more night then….HOME!

 
A night in Boyup Brook and then on to Dawesville, via Donnybrook and up the coast. A nice drive as everything is green. It is a happy/sad feeling as we head home.

Esperance

We stopped again briefly in Norseman to replenish the fruit and vegetable supplies. I also wanted to see if there had been any impact from the mine closure, but everything looked the same. It was drizzling rain, quite wintery, but good weather for travelling.


The bush surrounding Norseman is lovely with gimlet, black butt and salmon gums washed clean and sparkling in the rain. There is a back-to anniversary coming up and after reading the local community newsletter things are still happening.



Noted that Patrick Hogan still has business interests in Norseman including the funeral business. He replaced Hector-the funeral director while we were living there. Plenty of larger than life stories about Hector.
 

No deviating off the road to Esperance as it was wet. So no visit to Dundas Rocks or Bromas Dam; places we used to go to when we lived there. We’d tramp lots of miles in the bush exploring and looking for old bottles and relics. Also went out on Greg's motor bike. Lots of fun.

Stopped at Gibson Soak hotel for lunch, a steak sandwich which was delicious but had the thinnest slice of beef...like a wafer. The fire was blazing, it was warm inside and outside rain hammered down.  Cosy so it was difficult to move away from the fire...but it was time to go.



Finally booked into Bathers Paradise caravan park with a steep entry to drag the van up then perch on the top while booking in. I was quite surprised to see friends from Mandurah driving out so jumped out and the only way of getting their attention was banged the back of their vehicle, probably scaring the pants off them.  Turns out they were on their maiden voyage with their new van. Caught up that night, they'd had a nice trip but were driving back to Perth the following morning (that's a big drive!)  

We spent three nights in Esperance. It has grown a lot since we were last there. They are in the middle of a huge foreshore beautification program which looks wonderful.

           








As I've mentioned before returning to places you've spent a lot of time in but haven't seen for years you see it with "different eyes". I have visited a lot of coastline and Esperance has "THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACHES" in Australia.

The sand is so white, the water so clean and sparkles, shimmers and is translucent in beautiful shades of blue. 
 

     







 We went out west to Twilight Cove, Nine Mile and Eleven Mile beach.

And we went east to the Duke of Orleans Bay and walked along Wharton Beach. All of these places we had to ourselves. Incredible scenery.

       







With Rifter we couldn't go to Cape Le Grand because it is a National Park. But I know there are many wonderful spots there as well.  We missed out on seeing the full size Stone Henge replica made out of granite. That's for another trip. 










I was happy to get the twin tub out and create some clean clothes. It was windy and rainy but with the annex up they dried on the mini rotary line under cover. After a few very long days it was good to stop










We caught up  with friends we haven't seen for years. We dined out at the local pub " Travellers Inn" and ate the special..the $12.00 T bone. It was Fred Flintstone sized, huge, I think we've had our monthly quota of red meat!! It was delicious too. We walked about, window shopped the Main Street, walked the beaches, watched some Commonwealth games and read a West Australian newspaper for the first time in months.










Refreshed and watching the weather forecast closely we decided to make a break for it on Saturday before it got too windy.

Jilah Rocks to Fraser Range

We have been watching the weather and trying to time our travels so we don't cop heavy head or side winds. We are not going to get tail winds coming this way. Our destination today was Fraser Range and we reached there by two o'clock after. Stopping for a mug shot doing the washing at the tanks.


Great spot. All the sites appear to be drive through separated by hedges of salt bushes. Lots of the original building are evident; one is the office, the other was the shearers quarters.



There are cabins for hire and lots of caravaners camping the night.



They provide tea ( $25 got us maple sausages, mash and fresh veggies with lemon merengue pie) so we decided to treat ourselves. It was served in a great "shearers kitchen" decorated with farm artefacts (fox traps and water bags) and warmed by a massive homemade oversized potbelly stove. Cosy! It was drizzling rain outside by thus stage. People who arrived after us had got caught up on a short intense thunderstorm with plenty of lightening and rain.

The station itself was first settled in the 1870s and stretches 160 kms long and 25 kms wide along the range. It is surrounded by the largest hard wood Forrest of black butts, salmon gums and gimlets in Dundas Nature Reserve. Originally shepherds would move the flocks of sheep each week up and down the range. The wool was transported by camel to Point Malcom, collected by sailing ships and sold in Adelaide. Nowadays it no longer merino but damara sheep ( meat animals that shed their wool and don't need shearing ) and cattle. On the station granite was previously mined and currently there is gold and nickel mining.