Island of Kangaroos

We are now in Adelaide again after returning from Kangaroo Island. We spent 2 weeks there, when most visitors spend 3 days.

Kangaroo Island food.

The first 4 days on the island were in the largest town Kingscote - population 1100. We attended the island Seafood festival where there were we tasted wine, and ate Whiting, with salads, and cheese platters. Marron (Freshwater Crayfish), Oysters, and Lobster, and KIS (Kangaroo Island Spirits) cocktails were also available. All produce was from the island. Evening entertainment with keyboard / clarinet, Sax and impromptu soloists gave us a good introduction to the island locals.

Cape Borda Lighthouse

Another highlight of the island was our 2 nights in one of the cottages at Cape Borda lighthouse. It is at the far end of the island 55 kms from the nearest settlement. Even more interesting was Mick, the South Australia Parks Ranger responsible for the grounds, and the tours of the lighthouse. He was also responsible for firing the cannon at precisely 1:00 pm daily , a tradition from the late 1800 so that visiting ships might correct their watches after sailing across the roaring forties from Europe. We seriously think his 5 years in isolation at the lighthouse had affected his personality.

Koala

Blue Wren

Wildlife on the island was everywhere, and we had a great time taking their pictures.
Bobbie also found several beaches and was able to swim most mornings. She said it was no colder than Mona Vale Beach in Sydney.


 P.S. If you go there, make sure you have lunch at Chapman River Wines. Lunch platter displayed above.

Friday 20 April
Coorong National Park South Australia

Bill finished with us leaving the Rutherglen in Victoria and heading west.  We left our rather pedestrian caravan park in Bundalong and headed along the Murry River to Echuca. (Never did figure out how to pronounce that name).  We settled in for a few days of "urban tourism".

Echuca is a major caravan holiday site with twelve big parks in Echuca and Moama (just over the border in NSW).  The big deal in Echuca is taking a paddle steamer cruise on the Murray River, so we did.  We cruised on the Emmy-Lou, a wood-fired paddle steamer that used to be used for freight and towing timber, that dated from the early 1900s.  Although the cruise was relaxing and provided a lot of interesting history, I was disappointed that the Murray River at that point is more like a deep muddy ditch than a mighty river.  I was very interested, however, in the number of little paddlewheel boats that people have built or restored for private use.  There were also numerous huge houseboats for rent, with all the mod-cons including a huge hot-tub on the upper deck.

Small private paddle boat at Echuca

Commercial paddle steamer Canberra

The next morning we went for a bike ride on paths along the edge of the Murray that basically followed our steamboat cruise route to the junction with the Campaspe River.  This took about one third of the time that the cruise did. (Mainly due to the fact it was very cold and I was peddling as hard as I could to keep warm.)

After Echuca, we headed for the Grampians with a brief overnight stop at Melville Caves Campground.  This area in Kooyoora National Park was the hideout of a bushranger named Captain Melville.  We did an unexpectedly long morning hike (6K instead of 2) due to poor signage.  The rock formations were fascinating, however, and I was quite taken with the womens' toilet block in the picnic area that looked like modernist architecture colliding with a boulder.

Melville Caves, Captain Melville's Hideout (boardwalk added after time of  Captain Melville)

Womens' Toilet Block, Melville Caves

We then headed for  The Grampians National Park, via the pretty little country town of St. Arnaud, and Stowell, home of the Stowell Gift footrace.  We missed it by about a week.

 The Grampians are basically a huge pile of rocks that stick out of a very flat plain.  They probably attract so many visitors as they are one of the few interesting features in landscape.  The Grampians are a very old (late 1800s) and popular Victorian National Park.  They are also one of the few National Parks to have a lot of 4WD tracks running through the park.  (Although I'm not sure they need them as some of the so called gravel access roads were pretty rough.) We spent our time hiking and sightseeing, including a 12 kilometre hike around and to the top of Mt. Stapylton, which ended in a scramble up a short, narrow chimney to the summit.  On a more genteel note, we also walked down a very steep 750 metre flight of rock stairs to view the lovely Mackenzie Falls.  The Grampians also had the very civilized "bush showers" for any campers who cannot do without their daily shower. (A bush shower is basically an enclosure with a bucket which you raise on a pulley to have a shower.  You have to provide your own hot water).

Mackenzie Falls

Interior of The Grampians from Reid's Lookout

View over surrounding farmland from the summit of Mt. Stapylton

 After the Grampians we headed to the Coonawarra area of South Australia.  Although we had not yet consumed the spoils of our wine buying spree in the Rutherglen, we could not let a wine producing area, especially one with such nice reds, pass without sampling.  Unfortunately, sampling leads to buying.  We sampled and bought at Rymill, Redmann and Leconfield wineries.  Rymill was particularly nice as we had a coupon for a free bottle if you bought over $60 worth of wine. We camped at Bool Lagoon, a seasonal wetland that is one of the world listed RAMSAR Wetlands to protect migratory birds.  It was, however, low water time and much of the lagoon was dry.  We did not see many birds, but it was a quiet place to camp.

Rymill Winery,  Coonawarra SA

Bool Lagoon, Coonawarra SA

We made an overnight stop in Mt. Gambier to fill up on water, do laundry etc.  The caravan park we selected was one of the less expensive ones, but it was filled with little hoons on bicycles racing around the camp.  Turns out the BMX championships were being held in Mt. Gambier.  We did not stay to watch.

Since then we have travelled along the SA coast and are camped at The Coorong NP.  There is supposed to be 4 wheel driving on the beach here, but it is very narrow and boggy.  Bill was interested in having a go, but I chickened out.  Didn't want to be stuck without any help and the tide rising.  Even swimming looks ugly as there is a big gutter and dumpers on shore.  I haven't swum in over a month, but can't bring myself to go in.  We did a short hike to Chinaman's Well, a well from the gold rush days that provided water to Chinese travelling overland from SA to the Victorian goldfields.  They used this route to avoid the 10 pound head tax levied by Victoria on immigrants.  The well was built of local stone cut from the bottom of salt lakes and you can still see where the stone was cut.

Chinamans Well

Lid for the well cut in one piece from this sandstone lake bottom site

Thats all for now folks.  We are off to Kangaroo Island on Monday.

9 April 2012 Rocks, trees, and wine

 You would think we had had enough of mountains in Tasmania, but no - we have returned to the mainland and gone straight to the Australian Alps, staying in Mt. Buffalo National Park. Hiking was beautiful, and we went cycling on one of the tracks. Interesting rock formations, and well groomed trails.

Mt Buffalo

This is ski country, and has some very interesting Alpine roads. Large red and Yellow poles remind you not to stray to the left or right, depending on which side the 100 metre drop is!

Alpine Road

We then went to Corowa April 4 to stay with Bobbie's friend Joanne. She has 2 children, Alana 10 and Murray 5. We enjoyed the space of staying in a house, and Murray's dancing (but not the yells). Ian (Joanne's husband) is a wine maker, and was putting in long days at the winery, as it is harvest time. It is now Easter and we are in a overflowing caravan park on the Murray River. 

Campbell's Winery

Yesterday we spent the day visiting cellar doors in the Rutherglen area sampling their wares. We visited Chambers, Calico Town (home of the Wicked Virgin olives),All Saints, and Campbell's (where Ian works). Bobbie had a very nice time sampling her favorite Durifs (petite shirah), so much so, a nap was required before dinner! Bill bought a couple of stickies - a Tokay and a Muscat, another specialty of this region.

All Saints

Today we plan to wander through one of the local historic towns, Beechworth. This was goldrush territory 150 years ago.
Our plans are thne to move onto South Australia and the Coonawara wine area, before heading over to Kagaroo Island where the penguins, seals, and whales live. BTW the island is also know for fresh produce and an active artistic community. Hope to stay there  a couple of weeks and do some exploring.

27 March 2012 Last days in Tasmania

We leave Tasmania (the south island of Australia, as we have found out) in 2 days after 6 weeks here.

Figure of Ram  - Egypt 100 BCE

Last week  in Hobart we spent a full day at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). It has become Tasmania's leading attraction having opened only a year ago. It is the brain child of a David Walsh who built it for approx $75M, and collected all the pieces. Visitors walk around with an "O" device (ipod in disguise) to discover the details of the pieces. No labels on the wall! The "museum" is almost completely underground, carved out of the rock, and definitely not your typical museum or art gallery.

CLOACA - Wim Delvoye

Wim Delvoye - Tattooed pigskin (Osama)

The current special exhibition is works by Wim Delvoye which consist of bronze rotating Crucifixes, tattooed pigskins and the CLOACA , a digesting machine which creats excement, and smells like it! It is fed twice a day.



Enough of culture.... We then headed back out into the majestic mountains of Tasmania to Mt. Field National Park, where we did a hike at Mt Dobson in the snow. We are now sure we will not return to live in Canada!

We than proceed on to the Gordon River Hydro electric dam, where we were able to walk across the top of the dam, and watch in amazement as several women abseiling 140 meters down the inside face of the dam. Bobbie didn't think it looked that difficult, but unfortunately it was late in the day, and they were packing up.

We are now in Cradle Mountain and spent the day hiking around this world heritage area. It attracts close to 200,000 visitors a year, so the accessible trails are well maintained, with boardwalks across many of the sensitive areas. We managed to make it to Marion's Lookout, with views over the nearby ranges and lakes. See right. Tomorrow, we we do more of the same, and then Wednesday head for our 6 pm ferry back to mainland Australia, arriving at 6 am in Melbourne. Cheers for now Bill&Bobbie

13 March 2012 Topiary In Triabunna

13 March 2012

Went out for a short bike ride around Triabunna Tasmania today.  Found a local who wanted to make their yard stand out.  I thought they were quite cute, and it must be a lot of work.

13 March 2012

Hello again.  Some updates on our recent activities.  Last week we were in Freycinet National Park in Tasmania.  It is the oldest National Park in Tasmania and famous for beautiful white sand beaches and walking tracks.  We did a bit of both, staying at Coles Bay and swimming at Muir's Beach, and doing a couple of hikes in the park.  We also did one of the best know hikes in the park, over the range to Wineglass Bay, and return to the start via the Hazards, a range of hills on the coast of Coles Bay.

Wineglass Bay from beach level, where you can't see the wineglass shape of the bay 

  We also had a swim at Wineglass Bay, despite the rather nasty shore dump.  

Freycinet is a beautiful park, but very heavily used as it is so famous.  It is serviced by the town of Coles Bay, where everything is twice the price of anywhere else as they have a captive market -- like diesel at $1.75 a litre.  Luckily we had filled up before we got there.  And a bakery that had no baker and only white sliced bread at $5.00 a loaf, although they somehow managed to have a huge selection of gooey cakes to go with the coffee they sold in the cafe part.  We did have an excellent dinner at Tombolo that specialized in pizza and fish and chips.  Also some very nice local cab/sav.

We next travelled to Triabunna, site of the contentious and now mothballed Gunn's Woodchip Mill.  Triabunna is also the jumping off point for ferries to Maria Island, an offshore National Park.  At one time a prison island, it is now a wildlife sanctuary with particular significance for the Cape Barren Goose.  There are no cars;  the only way to get around is on foot or bicycle.  It is a lovely island and with no motorized vehicles moves at a slower pace.

Cape Barren Geese

We spent a lovely day on Maria Island, cycling around and hiking.  Some of the attractions of the  island include the Fossil Cliffs, where they used to mine a large fossil bed for the lime in the shells.  It is now protected and it is awesome to see metres deep layers of shells and silt from millions of years ago.

Fossil Maria Island

There are also the "Painted Cliffs", an area of striking marked amber and gold striped stone which is very soft and eroded by wind and sea.  Rock pools at the foot are filled with tiny starfish, anenomes and  sea plants.  The whole area smell rather unpleasant, however, as the colours in the rock are created by sulphur deposits which the waves expose.

Painted Cliffs, Maria Island

We spent the greater part of our day climbing one of the peaks on the island, called Bishop and Clerk as the early settlers thought the two stone pillars looked like a bishop being followed by his clerk.  The climb went through woodlands and got progressively steeper as it went over rock scree, boulder fields and ended up in a scramble to the top of a piller.  Fantastic view from the top and not too much wind, which was great, but the day was rather overcast so photos tended to be misty.  The trail was also great as you could ride a mountain bike (well, perhaps push it part of the way) to about the half way point of the trail.  The ride back was all downhill so that was the best part of the trail.

Top of Bishop and Clerk, Maria Island

Echidna seen on the trail to Bishop and Clerk

We are  heading out tomorrow, probably to the South Coast for some remote camping and then back to Hobart to see MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) and some more civilized sightseeing.

1 March 2012
Scamander Tasmania


Hello Everyone,


Sorry it has been so long since we contacted anyone, but it seems to have taken us quite some time to get organized to do anything.  I wanted to send out emails but Bill insisted on us doing a blog, but it has taken him about 2 months to set it up, so this is a bit of a catch-up on what we have been doing.  Bill has posted our "Christmas Newsletter" for 2011, which should take you up to about the end of 2011.

Our Camp at Yagon, Seal Rocks

Sugar Loaf Point Beach, Seal Rocks

Sugar Loaf Point Lighthouse, Seal Rocks

After spending Christmas at Yagon Campground near Seal Rocks NSW, we headed further north for a bit.  We spent a few days in Port Macquarie with Peter Thompson (formerly of Mona Vale and the Dawnbusters swimmers) who very kindly lent us his "spare" unit near Flynn's Beach.  This was true luxury after camping for a month.  You cannot imagine how good a built in bathroom and shower looked to us.

Monster Tent Camping Australian Style-2

Port Macquarie was fine and hot while we were there.  We visited my second cousin Darlene, her husband Nigel and newish baby Estella, as well as exploring the town and all of the beaches.

Monster Tent Camping Australian Style-1

We later made our way further north to Yuragir National Park and camped at Pebbly Beach, a 4WD camping area accessible only by crossing a tidal river at low tide.  This was fun and a  test of our nerve and driving skills.  You don't want to get stuck in a tidal river as if you can't get out you'll soon be underwater.  Pebbly Beach had some good examples of typical Australian bush campers -- take as big a tent as you can, centre it on your site, and cover it with a massive tarpaulin.  We did a long hike up the coast towards Wooli, but after about two and a half hours the trail got very faint and rough, so we contented ourselves with watching the sea turtles swimming off the rocks.
We had to return to Sydney by Australia Day as Bill had to slip and anti-foul his sail boat. (He hadn't managed to get this done before we left).  

Top of Cathedral Rock

We left Pebbly Beach and travelled up to Dorrigo in the inland via Nana Glen (home of the (in)famous Russell Crowe).  This is a spectacular drive, much of it steep, twisting gravel road, through  forest area that ends up at the Waterfall Way.  

Trail up Cathedral Rock

After seeing our fill of waterfalls, we camped at Cathedral Rock  National Park, and climbed the Rock which is one of the highest points in NSW.  The last bit is accessible only via a scramble assisted by a chain on the rocks.  The view from the top is beautiful, but was disappointing as the day was quite overcast and there is another peak nearby called Round Hill.  After you struggle up Cathedral Rock, you look across at Round Hill and see what looks like a little suburban house at almost the same level you are!!  Apparently it is a top secret radar station of some sort. We continued on to the inland city of Armidale, which was experiencing unusually cold weather (like people wearing polar fleece jackets in January). The city is very beautiful, nicely laid out with gentle, hills and many early colonial buildings.  We took the free city bus tour, which was a fascinating introduction to the history, buildings and trains of Armidale.




We returned to Sydney via a brief stop in the Hunter Valley to check out a couple of wineries, and an overnight camp at Watagan State Forest, another great dirt road drive to a campsite amoung the pines.  


In Sydney we stayed with friends Jon and Julianne, who came up and camped a few days with us at Yagon at New Year.  They very kindly put up with another truck in the driveway and two "guests" who were busy tying up loose ends from the house sale, making repairs and alterations to camping equipment, and Bill painting his boat.  All this during a week of miserable pouring rain.  We also helped out with the Mona Vale Surf Club's "Don Jenkin Memorial Swim" while  there.  To those in Sydney we missed while we were there, our apologies as we were very busy that week.

Friends cleaning Bill's boat

We left Sydney and headed south.  We stayed with friends Ray and Gayle at Windellama, near Goulbourne.  The took us to Race Day at the Goulbourne Race Track.  As they were members (they breed race horses) we got to watch the races from the  members lounge.  It wasn't quite the same as a track in Sydney, but it was great fun and we got to meet Ray and Gayle's next big prospect, Northern Star.


We drifted south along the coast of NSW, staying at Murramurang and Mimosa Rocks National Parks on the coast.  Good swimming and hiking at both. We had a few experiences with wildlife, with a rat getting into our annex one night and dragging off an empty milk bottle (what for, I don't know) and waking up one night to find a mouse in the kitchen area of the tent, and having chased him out and blocked up the hole he came in through, having to listen to him trying to get back in all night.

Waratah Bay Victoria near old lime kilns

Further along the coast in Victoria we camped at two or three lovely parks, including Cape Conran and free camping at Paradise and Golden Beaches.  We met up with another former Mona Vale Dawnbuster, John Leach and his wife Helen at Waratah Bay near Wilsons Promontory.  Did some exploring and hiking with them to the old lime kilns and swam in the very flat and shallow beach at the Caravan Park.
We went inland for a couple of days and visited a turn of the century mine and mining town at Walhalla.  Very pretty little federation town that lives on tourism.  Tour of the mine was great.  The conditions that the turn of the century miners worked under were scary.  Most men started in mines about age 15-16, and if they reached 30 they were considered old men and given an easier job on the surface!!
We camped a few days at Wilsons Promontory.  The campsite is very crowded, as they only allow car camping in one large site.   The hiking and walks were beautiful, however, and swimming at Norman Beach was great.  One of the few places I've managed to get in long swims, rather than just body surfing in the waves as the seas have been big most places we've been.

50 Metre Free Swimming Pool, Cascade Gorge, Launceston  Tasmania

Tamar Valley Launceston

Since then we have been touring Tasmania.  We stayed in Launceston for a week, meeting up with friends Neal and Carol from Sydney who were also visiting Tassie.  We spent a beautiful day exploring the Tamar Valley and checking out the wineries.  I swam every day in Cascade Gorge, where they have a 50M free swimming pool, open 24 hours as far as I can tell.  We spent a day at the Penny Farthing National Racing Championships in Evandale.  A fun event in a little rural community with everyone taking part.  And some of the best fast food I've ever eaten from a mobile food van "The Garden of Vegan". (Some wag had placed them next to the Spit Roast food stall.) 

Penny Farthing Races Evandale Tasmania

Penny Farthing Races Evandale Tasmania

We also did a 4WD track to the Central Highlands, and camped overnight near Leeawenee, the coldest spot in Tasmania.  It was.  It was also spectacularly beautiful, a sort of "blasted heath" and we were the only people camped there.  At night, apart from the road in, there was no sign of anything man made.  The night was clear and the the stars and milky way bright. No other lights, no noise but the wind. Awesome.  The next morning we met some hikers starting a 3 day hike into "The Walls of Jerusalem" Mountains.  One of them was from Mona Vale and trained in the ocean pool.  


We are now near St. Helens on the east coast.  Went for a pleasant walk through a conservation area/bird refuge this morning, and are spending the afternoon on chores as it has turned windy and rain.  I hope to make more frequent updates to this so you get some better idea of each place we go, rather than trying to cover what happened in the last 3 months.