Heading home

So we headed inland from Byron Bay, to join the Newell Highway and head south. We stopped overnight at Parkes, Tamworth and then Shepperton before we ran into Melbourne and got the boat home.

This last photo is of Bluff Rock, very typical of the inland rocky escarpments of our country.

It is so good to be home!

Crystal Castle

We left Jimmy and Bel's, headed back to Brunswick Heads for a couple of nights, and planned on heading down to coast to visit Dan and Michelle again. The night before we left, there was a mini tornado at Red Rock, near Woolgoolga, and where we had planned on stopping, and the torrential rain had cut the Pacific Highway in 3 places, with it not going to be cleared for 5 days. So we decided to head inland, and down the Newall Highway and home. But while at Brunswick Heads, we went through Mullumbimbi to the Crystal Castle which is such a special place.

Check out the sizes of the amethyst caves, the huge crystals and the rose quartz.

The view from the Crystal Castle. This all hinterland from Byron Bay. Very tropical and lush. Such a wonderful huge Buddha surrounded by a pond, with a lotus flower in mosaic.

Bli Bli again

We went back to Jimmy and Bel's from Hervey Bay to look after their house and dog Jack, while they went down to friend Eric's 40th birthday at Byron Bay.

I think I have some photos taken when we went to the hinterland from there. This one of our car parked at a scenic viewpoint, overlooking Nambour, but the photo is to show the wild sunflowers or daisies that are growing everywhere.

This is looking towards the Glass House Mts from near Maleny.

This bed and breakfast place, Frog House is up for sale, overlooking the Glass House Mts. How wonderful to be able to own it, but just had to take a photo of it!

Bats at Hervey Bay

Just near the caravan park at Hervey Bay, were wetlands that edged the wonderful botanical gardens and this is where the bats hung from the branches during the day. Can you see the black specks in the trees?

Toogoom

While at Hervey Bay we went 20 minutes north to a really nice little beachside place called Toogoom. Tony did some fishing here on the small jetty and actually did catch a fish, but it had to be thrown back as it was too small!! Yep, this is the fish!!

Hervey Bay

We left Jimmy's, went past Gympie and Maryborough (love the colonial buildings here) and on to Hervey Bay. This can be known as the hip and knee capital or the nearly wed and nearly dead capital, as basically there are so many really old people who holiday or live here!! Or the backpackers who go over to Fraser Island.

At the caravan park we were at at Urangan, every night the bats would head out overhead and then turn and go to Fraser Island to eat insects. They would return by morning, and hang upside down in the trees across the way, and you could hear them chattering noisily to each other.

At least at Hervey Bay I did wear shorts and swimsuit for a few days, until it got cold here!! Then it was back to my big black coat!!

Hervey Bay has a very long jetty, but although you can fish off it, you can't take dogs on it, so we spent a lot of time, and I mean a real lot of time, just driving along the Esplanade checking for where you could take dogs, and then the tide wasn't right to fish anyway! Here when the tide goes out, it goes way out, as the bay is very flat.

Also a photo of Boat Harbour where the boats head off to Fraser Island, or Whale watching.

Jimmy and Bel's at Bli Bli

So here we are at Jimmy and Bel's place at Bli Bli on the Sunshine Coast. They have a renovated Queenslander house, with a large back deck which is good to sit out on. In the garden is a large Moreton Bay Fig tree, and at night, the spot light shines up in to the branches and we could see a large python snake!

The house is surrounded by tropical trees and plants, on a hill overlooking a valley of sugar cane. We had a really big thunder and lightning storm the first night here, so still getting rain! While here we went to Eumundi Market, the hinterland towns of Montville and Maleny, along the coastal strip of Maroochydore to Mooloolaba, to the Yandina ginger factory. But we are still in our Tasmanian winter clothes! No shorts yet.

This is Jimmy and dog Jack. And Jimmy and Bel walking with Jack along a path in some wetlands. Also a view of valley where the sugar cane grows.

A photo of the large Moreton Bay Fig tree, and the back of their house.

Fishing at Brunswick Heads

Tony and Joey sitting fishing along the river at Brunswick Heads.

While here we also had a day in at Byron Bay, which was nice, yet really rather scruffy looking still.

Brunswick Heads

At Brunswick Heads we camped right beside the river, which was nice. Tony and Joey did some unsuccessful fishing, however Joey did fall into the river, in the dark, and Tony had to scramble to pull him out. While there we had a day in Byron Bay - raining all this time. The rain seemed to follow us up the coast!

This is the view from the camper.

Woolgoolga

After Forster Tuncurry we headed to Woolgoolga which is just north of Coffs Harbour, in the banana growing area. A lot of the plantations around Woolgoolga are owned by Indians, so there is a large white Hindu temple there, and a restaurant with wonderful sculptured elephants out the front.

A coastal coal ship was washed up on the beach here a long time ago, and now it can be seen sticking out of the sand.

We also then went into the sugar cane country - took this photo while we were waiting at road works!

Forster Tuncurry

We left Toowoon Bay and head north to Forster Tuncurry, another place we really like. The caravan park is right on a lake there also. Also lots of pelicans around. It was here at Forster that Tony wasn't well, saw a doctor who wanted him to go straight to Taree Hospital for a CT scan, or to head straight home to get his head looked at. But next day he felt better!! We had really torrential rain and high winds here so stayed an extra day, rather than packing the camper up while it was wet.

Also here I had the privilege of having a seagull poop in my hair! Yuk. Saw dolphins as always here.

Daniel and Michelle, East Gosford

This is Daniel with 3 year old Zoe. She loves the picnic basket and tea set that I gave her for her birthday.


After Wallaga Lake we stopped overnight at Kiama, drove through Sydney, and put up the camper at Toowoon Bay, just near The Entrance. We couldn't stop with Dan as they have a unit where you can't have a dog. While camped there, someone nearly stole our fridge esky, but as they grabbed it they must have tripped over a guy rope and stumbled and dropped it. Since then we have it inside the camper at night!

Dan and Michelle live in the bottom unit of this large block of units, right on the water, with their own jetty!

This is Daniel, Ben and Joey, on their own jetty, hoping for some fish.

Wallaga Lake

These images are of Camel Rock, Cobargo and Central Tilba. Both quaint little places.


Wallaga Lake has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. It is tranquil and quiet, far away from all the noise, we can camp right on the lake, and look over to Mt Gulaga. This mountain used to be an aboriginal women's centre!

Just nearby is Bermagui, and over the road from the caravan park is the sea, with Camel Rock. Inland a bit is Cobargo and Central Tilba, where we went for a wander.

Metung

Yesterday there was supposed to be a craft market at Metung, but due to the very cold and rainy weather it was cancelled. Metung is on the Gippsland Lakes, and again has expensive boats, villas, marinas, etc, has a nice walkway around the water. This is a place we could live quite easily. There are some affordable places, but for the same money as our house, they would not be as good!

The green park on the water is where the market would have been! The other photos are of the shop area, just little gallery type shops, small corner store etc.

And then one of fat Joey sitting up on the bed!

Tomorrow we will head off, have morning coffee at Cann River, lunch at Eden, and then maybe stop at Wallaga lake, which we like but has no TV reception (!), or go on to Narooma.

Thanks Sue, Sue and Saakia for becoming followers! I will try and keep this updated as much as I can. I have WiFi at the moment from the caravan park, so hasn't cost me!!

Lakes Entrance

This the 90 mile beach at Lakes Entrance.

Lakes Entrance is in the Gippsland area of Victoria, a whole lot of lakes here, so boating and fishing is an important part of the towns focus.

This is the jetty area of Lakes Entrance, right the other side of the road from the main shops. I took this photo from a walking bridge that goes across to the dunes, as this is Cunningham Arm, and then there is dunes, and then the 90 mile beach. It felt that long when I was walking along it this morning too!!

So while I was walking along the footpath to the town, Tony and Joey were fishing, but the sea was too wild and waves too fast to catch anything.

The last couple of days had been rainy and very windy, but today it eased up and has been sunny, although the wind is cold.

Melbourne to Rockhampton and back

Well, you can see that this is an old map that we have used quite often! Maybe we should get a new one, do you think?

We will be leaving cold Hobart, well, sunny Primrose Sands on Thursday May 12, will get the Spirit of Tasmania that night, and arrive in Melbourne on Friday morning, very early. After a quick walk with Joey on the beach, who will sleep in the car while on board, we will turn right and head towards Lakes Entrance, in the south Gippsland of Victoria. There is a good caravan park, East Beach C/van park, that takes dogs, and it is just over the sand dunes to the long 90 mile beach where no doubt Tony and Joey will go fishing, and probably catch crabs (stop laughing!) instead of salmon.

From Lakes Entrance we will head north, following the coast, to Eden, just into NSW, where there is a really good caravan park called the Garden of Eden. At the wharf you can also get really good fish and chips.

We may stop at Wallaga Lake after that, or go on to Bateman's Bay which doesn't have a very good doggy caravan park, but just before Bateman's Bay is a little arty crafty town called Mogo, which is just full of craft shops and all things interesting. Half of the buildings are run-down and rusty looking, but also at Mogo is a zoo that has endangered animals.

We usually then stop at Kiama which is a really nice spot on the coast, with green hills and the mountainous divide just inland, and then we will bypass Sydney - who would want to stop there!! - and on to Gosford to see Daniel and Michelle. They are living in an apartment so can't take Joey there so we will stay at a caravan park, probably at Toowong Beach (?????!!!) or The Entrance. This will be the weekend of May 21. Then on we will go, further up the coast, probably stopping at Forster Tuncurry, then Woolgoolga, favourite place, maybe near Yamba at Palmers Island, as that area is a favourite place we could move to. Around McLean, along the Clarence River, which flooded last year!! We also could easily move to Lakes Entrance.

Onwards and upwards through Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast, to Bli Bli where Jimmy and Bella are living in an old renovated Queenslander house, which is one of the houses that are up on stilts, as it were! Lets the air blow under the floor to keep the house cool. I love these houses, especially the ones at Maryborough, but I am getting ahead of myself!

We should be at Jimmy's around the weekend of the 28th, when Bella's mother, Helen will be there so we will meet her, which I am looking forward to. She looks a very glamorous mother, not a paint splattered one like me!

After the Sunshine Coast we will head on to Hervey Bay (sigh!), where I hope by then my good friend down here, Sue, will be at Maryborough, visiting her brother, will be soo good to see her then. And we also go for the day to Bundaberg, but this time we may go on further up to Rockhampton and Yeppoon, so an area that Tony hasn't been to. Isn't he brave to venture further afield.

Of course then we will head back and see Jimmy and Daniel again on our way down, and visit places we didn't go to on our way up. We will have the Sunshine Coast hinterland towns to visit, which have wonderful arts and crafts, Eumundi Market which is just inland from Noosa, and other places. We will see sugar cane, pineapples, bananas, tropical landscape......

Hey, lets go!!!

But first I think I will need to get a new map!!