Day 5 - Launceston to St Helens to Hobart

Slept really well, then up and out by 08:30 to visit the Bay of Fires in Eastern Tasmania.
Road was good, hit a couple of road works but didn’t slow us down much. Saw lots of nice valleys and hills, the weather was overcast but not too bad.
We saw a couple of signs advising that “St Mary’s Pass is open” - as we continued we encountered a very steep and twisty road with high cliff faces and netting. I guessed there had been a rock fall that blocked the road; if it had still been blocked we would have had to go back.
Made it in good time and decided to eat in St Helen’s before heading up the coast to try and find the fiery thing.
There wasn’t much choice but found a bakery and had some sandwiches and a ham roll.
Followed the gps and after 10 minutes saw lots of signs saying “Bay of Fires Conservation Area” so turned down a dirt track to the beach.
Disembarked, headed to the beach and saw tons of rocks with red lichen, giving the appearance of flames - hence Bay of Fires. Very impressive.
Lots of photos were taken, and we were able to climb onto the rocks and see more along the coast.
It was still overcast but ok.
After several hundred photos were taken, headed back to Hobart, this time taking the coast road. After a while the sun came out and as we drove encountered stunning bays and beaches as well as valleys. Incredible scenery.
Stopped off for a leg stretch and toilet stop and carried on to Hobart, arrived at the predicted time and checked into the rooms - the same block as before but a different company. Drove about 750km in 2 days.
The car was a bit grubby from the dirt roads so we took it to a car wash to avoid a cleaning charge and filled up with petrol.
Parked the car near the rental place and looked for somewhere to eat, but after wandering around for a bit decided to phone a seafood restaurant and managed to get a table.
I had seafood pie, Song had octopus and chips and Victoria had seafood linguine.
All were excellent, a lot better than the other place we went to.
Back to the room and crashed, fly out at 13:30 tomorrow.

Day 4 - Hobart to Launceston

Slept well, worn out after yesterday, had a quick breakfast then walked 15 minutes to get the car. Made sure it didn’t have any damage and drove back to the apartment to pick Song and Victoria up.
Headed out of Hobart, traffic not bad. Zipped along until we hit some roadworks so down to single lane and speed of 60 kmh.
Very annoying, it went on for about 20km. We’d decided to stop at a small town to stretch our legs and turned off just as the roadworks ended.
Wandered around, saw an antiques shop so went over but they were shut. Probably for the best because the shop was filthy - there was a bird’s nest in the window and lots of twigs and poo on some of the items, plus loads of cobwebs and dust.
Carried on in the car, weather still great, and turned off to go via some lakes since Launceston was only a couple of hours away so thought we’d go the long way around and see some scenery.
After a few metres we hit a gravel road - dang - there was something on the rental agreement about it, so I checked and it didn’t say not to go on them but there was a charge if I had an accident.
It was 20km so decided to chance it.
It actually wasn’t too bad, and passed a few other cars - we had a Nissan X-Trail SUV which I’d deliberately chosen just in case. I’d also pre loaded the Google map of Tasmania, again just in case.
Bounced along for a while through dry trees and rocks on either side of the road, then came across the lakes - a bit disappointing. Carried on down the dirt road and then realised I might be going the wrong way so checked the map, luckily had just turned off so turned around and headed off down another dirt track for another 25KM.
The landscape was still mostly dead trees and rocks, not very interesting and Song and Victoria went to sleep.
Trying to take the scenic route was a bit of a let down.
Finally arrived back onto tarmac and drove a bit until we hit Miena, a small town but there was a pub which served food so I had a warm chicken salad, Song had salmon salad and Victoria had a fisherman’s basket (fried seafood and chips).
Back on the road, and we saw the Great Lake to our left, and kept seeing it as we drove alongside. Started to climb, and were soon driving along winding roads amongst the trees, catching glimpses of the lake every so often. As we reached the top, there was a sign for a lookout, so stopped.
Amazing. An incredible view across the lake, and with the weather perfect we could see for miles. Stayed and took photos, then back in the car and started to head downhill. Lots of valleys and mountains, and we could see Cradle Mountain in the distance.
Stopped off at Deloraine for a stretch and loo stop, then just 30 minutes to Launceston, we arrived around 16:30. Song and Victoria slept about half the trip from Hobart.
The accommodation in Launceston was a bit ropey - a motel on a main road, and the room smelt of curry. A rare stumble by Song. But it was clean and had a good view of the city and river.
Decided we needed to walk since we had been in the car all day, Song remembered a nice spot when she visited 10 years before, the Cataract Gorge so drove 10 minutes to that. It was pretty spectacular- a river that had a couple of small waterfalls and ran through a gorge into a basin before flowing out again, and there was also a suspension bridge that you could walk across over one of the waterfalls, which we did.
Walked around a bit and came across a couple of peacocks and a wallaby just sitting under a bush.
Googled for somewhere to eat, a lot of places were shut because it was Monday, but one of the top rated places was open so thought we’d see if we could get in, and we did.
I had a Thai Beef Salad, Song had Salt and Pepper Calamari and Victoria sea food pasta. All were good.
Drove back to the curry-scented room and I watched the World Cup final, I’d managed to avoid the result all day because we’d been in the car (Argentina won against France on penalties).
Watched a bit of TV, then bed.
Tomorrow we are going to Bay of Fires, the main reason we came to Launceston, then back to Hobart, a lot of driving for me and sleeping for Song and Victoria.

Day 3 - Bruny Island

Slept well, but had to get up at 06:30 to get ready for a trip to Bruny Island.
Song had booked the apartment which was only 5 minutes away from the trip start, so a quick couple of slices of toast and then down to the bus.
Drove for about an hour, the weather was nice and clear but a bit cold, saw some nice views of bays and then arrived at the ferry, which was basically a flat deck, but apparently this was the backup ferry, there are others with 2 decks.
Ferry took about 10 minutes across a small channel of water, got off the coach for a couple of minutes to stretch our legs, then drove for about an hour to a stop where there is a thin spit of land between the water, called the Neck. Climbed 233 steps and had a fantastic view across 4 bays, the sun was out and it was clear so could see for miles.
Back on the bus, passing several beautiful beaches and bays; a lot of Tasmanians have holiday homes here. They ranged from nice stone houses with manicured lawns to 1980s caravans on a patch of mud. As we drove along the driver stopped and pointed out a white cat on someone’s lawn. Not really interesting, but it turned out to be a white wallaby, quite rare (about 40 are thought to be on the island). Arrived at the tour company building which had a restaurant and had a free muffin and cup of tea. Song realised she’d left her water bottle back outside the tour office, so had to buy a bottle of water on the way.
The main part of the trip was a boat jaunt along the coast, and three smallish boats (seated about 30) were waiting for us by the dock. We were told it would be cold, and some spray, so we were all given bright red waterproof jackets that almost touched the ground.
We were told that the swell was around 1.5 - 1.8 meters, which was small; sometimes they go out in swells of up to 4m.
We headed out of the bay, bouncing around a bit, then left the bay and into the Southern Ocean - and it felt as if we were standing in front of an industrial sized fan blowing freezing air in our faces.
The waves looked pretty big to me, but the boat was pretty stable except for the odd drop now and then, which elicited lots of “oooh’s” from the passengers. After a while a few people, including Victoria, weren’t feeling too well and went to the back of the boat which was supposedly more stable.
The weather was perfect, clear skies and sunny, but cold. Speeding along in the boat made it even colder, but I had a t shirt, jumper, down coat and bright red windproof jacket on and the only really cold thing was my face.
We kept close to the coast and stopped at various places - sea caves, cliff faces, blow holes etc where we could stand up and take pictures. We then headed over to some small islands where there was a colony of male Fur Seals - the females were at a different place further south. We got quite close, and some seals were swimming just near the boat. As we drifted along the rocks, we suddenly caught the smell of them - basically a public toilet.  
Since the weather was so good, the driver took us a bit further down, giving us great views of the cliffs and landscape. The rock is called Jurassic Dolerite, about 180 million years old. We were in the national park, and there is basically nothing here but nature - no walking tracks etc. There were also no trees, nothing can grow there.
We then headed back to the restaurant, pushed away from the coast and headed out to sea and got some great views of the island. The swell was about the same, but it got colder, if that was possible. The trip back took about 30 minutes and was pretty uncomfortable - not the motion, but the cold wind.
Finally turned into the bay and slowed down and started to warm up. Our boat was last so we sat on the water for a few minutes as the other boats unloaded, and watching all the people walk in a line up the dock in their red coats made them look like a cult, or a scene from The Handmaid’s Tale.
Headed up to the restaurant, now we were on land and out of the wind we warmed up even though it was probably only around 14C it felt a lot warmed. Removed the red coats and sat down for lunch (fish and chips for me, Pumpkin soup and salmon role for Song and Victoria).
Back on the bus then an uneventful drive back to the tour office in Hobart, had a bit of a snooze.
The tour office was still open so I said I’d go and ask if Song’s water bottle had been handed in, when Victoria saw it still in the place where it was left, it had been sat there all day.
Went back to the apartment to relax, then over the road to the restaurant we’d booked back in October, one of the better seafood places.
It was quite nice inside, with a view of the marina, but the food wasn’t great. I had fish and chips (again), Song and Victoria shared some oysters (I tried one, still don’t see the attraction), then Victoria had salmon and Song had seafood laksa. I also had a beer, a Cascade Stout.
My fish and chips was average, same as any you’d get in a pub. Song couldn’t eat her laksa it was so salty. Victoria said her salmon was nice but she might just have been being polite.
Left the restaurant and went for a walk to Battery Point, then back to the apartment, tried to stop for an ice cream (for Victoria, not me) but they had just shut.
Felling pretty exhausted, went to bed early.
Hiring a car tomorrow and driving to Launceston.

Day 2 - Broadmeadows to Hobart

 Didn’t sleep well, a combination of the unfamiliar bed and anxiety over the potential of yet another flight cancellation.
We had an alarm call set for 04:00 but I set my phone alarm for 03:55 just in case.
Woke up, shower, out into the cold and dark and hopped onto the shuttle bus. Checked in, told them the woman yesterday said we would be given breakfast vouchers (she didn’t, but I wanted to see if I could score some more). Got another 2 $8 vouchers, Take that, Jetstar.
Through security, 2 bacon and egg McMuffins later, watching the departures board like a hawk just in case it was cancelled again, but finally got the boarding gate.
Very short flight, they said it was full but there was a row of empty seats behind us so I hopped into that and tried to sleep but didn’t manage it. Stepped off the plane into a cold, drizzly grey morning, 10C - apparently Melbourne was going to be 22C and sunny.
Through to the baggage pick up (we only have hand luggage), and met up with our travelling companion, the friend of the daughter of a friend of Song’s (got that?) who is studying medicine in Sydney who we know very well, she used to live in Melbourne. Her name is Victoria.
Got a taxi to the apartment where we are staying, opened the door and wow. Song booked an amazing place. Just next to the wharf, a 2-bed, 2-bath apartment with a huge lounge and dining room with a laundry.
Made a cup of tea and then headed out to the Salamanca Market, and JB Hi Fi because I forgot to pack a connector to download my TV shows to my Mac.
Weather was cold and overcast, down coats were needed. The market was about a 10 minute walk away, and on the way we saw a cruise ship docked, the SS Covid Incubator (actually the Queen Elizabeth).
The market was packed, obviously people off the ship as well as other tourists like us.
I asked one couple if they were off the boat, they said yes so I asked where they were from - “Melbourne”. Oh. I asked where they were going after Tasmania. “Melbourne”. Adventurous travellers.
I followed Song and Victoria through the crowd, occasionally stopping to present my backpack for them to load up their purchases. By the end of the market I felt like a pack mule.
Went back to the room to dump the stuff, picked up a lobster, some scallops and prawns for dinner on the way and then googled for somewhere to eat lunch, couldn’t really find anywhere that looked decent so Song suggested a sausage from the market, which we did.
We’d earlier booked a trip to Richmond, an old town that just about everyone visits, so after lunch jumped on the bus.
Took about 20 minutes to Richmond, the bus driver telling bad jokes as they do. Stopped off at the oldest bridge in Australia and the oldest Catholic Church nearby.
Back to the main town where the bus parked for a couple of hours to let us wander.
Rain held off, Song and Victoria went into every antique shop in Richmond while I waited outside, nearly falling asleep a couple of times, the early start catching up with me.
Stopped off to have a scone and cup of earl grey tea at a cafe before heading back to the bus and back to the apartment.
Realised we needed something to go with the seafood so walked to the grocers and grabbed some salad stuff, then popped into the place where we’d booked a trip to Bruny Island tomorrow to check on the details. They said we should have breakfast because they don’t serve anything till 10:30, so walked back to the grocer to get some bread and Vegemite for toast.
Had dinner, and had an early night - Victoria had been up since 03:00, we had been up since 04:00 and we were all pretty tired.
Another early start tomorrow, we have to be at the trip place for 07:00, but luckily it’s only a 5 minute walk.

Day 1 - Short trip to Tasmania / Broadmeadows

Finally travelling again after 6 months, spending 6 days in Tasmania.
Packed, discovered that the Skybus has restarted running from near the train station which is handy - 42 minutes to the airport which saves us having to walk - train - change - train - walk - bus; now just walk - bus.  
Having read about all the delays at the airport due to staff shortages decided to get there early, so got the 07:00 bus, arrived bang on time at 07:43 ish.
Checked in the day before, so just needed to get through security and then sit for a while before boarding.  
The airport wasn’t too busy, the queues were small and moving quickly. Just about to queue up when I got a text “We are sorry to tell you that your 09:40 flight to Hobart has been cancelled”. They forgot to add the middle finger emoji but I assumed it was implied.  
Welcome to the new normal of travel, where flights can be cancelled just before they leave.
Went to the service desk and they re-booked us on a flight at 13:15, which was better than I expected. They also gave us 2 breakfast vouchers worth $8 each. Whoopee.
Not a lot we can do, so went through security and sat down for breakfast, we each had 2 McDonalds breakfast muffins each. Last time we had McDonalds was at another airport, Doha 2017.
Settled down for a 4 hour wait - unfortunately they don’t have an open access lounge in the Domestic terminal otherwise we would have sprung for it.
Went for a wander, took about 3 minutes, there’s not a lot at domestic departures. Walked past the busiest place - the bar. People getting on the beers and cocktails at 0900, starting their holiday early.
Read some stuff, watched a TV show, keeping an eye on the departures board. Our flight appeared. Yay! Cancelled. FFS.
Down to the service desk, into a queue of about 10 people. Got to the desk, trying to be polite but was pretty annoyed. She poked on the keyboard, looked at the screen, poked a bit more - “I’ve booked you on the next flight, 06:00 tomorrow morning”. FFS. So we have to be at the airport at 04:00, which means leaving at 03:00, which means getting up at 02:00. Wonderful. She said she could put us up in a hotel, where did we live? Oh, pity you live in Melbourne - if you weren’t in Melbourne, we could put you up. “Did I say Melbourne, I meant Ballarat”.  She booked us into the hotel. I can accept one cancellation, that’s the risk at the moment, but to cancel 2 and leave so many people to have to alter plans is pretty poor.
The queue was now about 200 people long, just as well I went there straight away - I don’t think as many people were watching the board and only realised when it was announced or they got an SMS.
So we were given $20 in lunch vouchers, plus booked into a nearby hotel so we wouldn’t have to get up at 02:00 (04:00 instead). Looked to see if there was a one-way Qantas flight, which there was, but it was $650 ish for the 2 of us. Seriously considered it, thought about it, decided to do it, went back to book and now the price was around $900. Yeah, no.
Called the hotel to tell them we wouldn’t be checking in today, they directed us to hotels.com because that’s who we booked it through, they said they couldn’t do it, so would call the hotel, they couldn’t get through so sent an email. What a pain in the arse. I also had to cancel a restaurant booking.
Went back to the departure lounge to use our vouchers, had 3 banh-mi between us. It was now around 14:30 and I was beginning to feel like the Tom Hanks character in Terminal.
Called the shuttle bus for the hotel, checked in and found out that we also get $60 in restaurant vouchers so booked into the restaurant.
The room was OK, clean and spacious but a bit tired, but probably better than going home and getting up at 02:00.
Moped around for a bit, read and watched a bit of TV, then went to the restaurant and had a passable meal - Song had a seafood risotto-like thing and I had gnocchi with bacon, mushrooms, peas. I also had a Tasmanian beer to remind me that instead of being where we were supposed to be, in a nice seafood restaurant overlooking Hobart harbour, we were in a Motel in Broadmeadows overlooking a carpark.
Went for a walk because we’d been sat down most of the day, then got back to the room and prepared to go to sleep, it was about 08:00 but we’d been up since before 06:00 and were going to be getting a 04:00 alarm call.
This was when we discovered that our room was directly below the function centre where a Christmas party had just started. We may as well have been sleeping on the dance floor. FFS.
Along to reception and told them our sad story, they were very good and moved us to a new room a long way from the function. Opened the room door and…oh. King size bed. Bigger TV. Went in the bathroom…shower, and a spa bath. Yeah, we’re using that, we deserve it.
Sat in the spa, very relaxing and Song said that despite not being in Hobart this is basically what we would have done - meal in a restaurant, go for a walk and if the room had a spa we would have used it.
Went to bed around 21:00, hoping that they wouldn’t cancel the flight for a third time, but the way things are, who knows?

Day 6 - Perth to home

Woke up early at 06:00 but then back to sleep for a while, then breakfast, drop bags and go for a walk. 

The hotel was next to a steep set of stairs called Jacob’s ladder which was popular with exercise nuts - people were walking up and down, using twigs to note how many times. 

We went up to get to the botanical gardens, it was over 200 steps and hard work for an unfit 59 year old, but managed.

Walked along path through the gardens , weather was great, sunny and warm and the views over the bay were stunning.

Walked back to the hotel, back down the steps and popped into the cafe next to the hotel for a coffee and ham and cheese sandwich.

Got the hotel to call a taxi and got to the airport and through security early.

Flight was pretty busy but not full, yet when I tried to change my seats online earlier it showed as full. 

There was a big guy sat next to me who spilled over into my seat but moved to an empty one once we'd taken off so Song and I had a seat between us.

Flight was uneventful, went quickly and we were back into the Melbourne cold, on the skybus then the train back home to the cat who meowed when she saw us and the dog who didn't seem too bothered.

Had a great time, saw lots and drove a lot.

Day 5 - Rottnest island

Song woke up at 05:30 and therefore I woke up at 05:30 but I tried to sleep a bit more which I managed, got up at 06:30. 

Walked down to the ferry, got there in plenty of time so sat with a coffee. Weather was chilly and overcast with rain threatening.

Managed to score a seat right up the front of the upper deck because it was open and the seats were wet, but Song put her raincoat across 2 of them so we were ok.

We’re going there mainly to see the Quokkas and I fear Song’s phone will explode with all the photos.

Ferry trip took about 90 minutes, the first hour a cruise of the Swan river with commentary which was interesting. Saw a dolphin on the way.

Got to the island and it was a bit cold so put on our jackets that we’d only just put away. We had 30 minutes before the bus tour so wandered around and saw our first Quokkas - cute and tame, lots of photos were taken. 

The bus tour was good, the same guy who did the boat commentary was the guide and it was fun. Stopped at a lookout and saw a couple of humpback whales, unusual for the time of year. Also saw 2 Osprey nests, one with an Osprey sitting on it. The nests were huge piles of sticks.

The island has some spectacular beaches and coastline.

Got dropped back at the main part and grabbed a roll from the bakery, more Quokkas and more photos.

I didn’t know much about the island, I thought it was mostly empty and mainly a wildlife reserve but it’s basically a resort island with coffee shops, restaurants, shops and even a small cinema for the kids. It gets packed out during peak season and you have to book a year and a half in advance for some of the accommodation.

Had a couple of hours before the boat back so went for a walk, the sun came out for about 10 minutes and then it got chilly again. Song decided she wanted more Quokka photos so I decided to get a beer and sit down with a view of the bay with Perth in the distance.

Started to rain heavily so couldn’t go for a walk so just sat undercover and waited for the boat back - a bit disappointing but can’t do anything about the weather so just relaxed.

Song went to take more photos of the Quokkas.

Back on the boat and back to Perth, decided to look for somewhere to eat rather than go back to the hotel. Tried a seafood place where we got off the boat but it was fully booked so decided to go back to the tapas restaurant we went to the first night and have the set menu again because we’d only had a roll for lunch and were both hungry.

Over full again, walked back to the hotel and watched tv before sleep.

Day 4 - Cervantes to Perth

Not much done today; woke up at 06:00, earlier than expected, packed up and drove down to the beach to have a look and then on our way back to Perth. 

Same as before, roads good and very little traffic. 

Stopped off for a pee and a coffee, then another look at the beach, then back on the road.

Needed to fill up with petrol before dropping the car back, had to turn off the freeway to find a station but still had plenty of time to get the car back for 11:00.

Decided to drop the bags at the hotel first and I took 2 wrong turns for which I blame Google, the directions weren’t great. Managed to get the car back at 10:58, making the most of the hire period.

Walked into the city stopping to look inside the cathedral, then wandered about the shops a bit before looking for somewhere to eat. Settled on a Vietnamese place but when we got there saw it was more of a takeaway place and also had a big queue, so decided on the Japanese next door. Good choice, it was really good, I had a special lunch box which had miso soup, tempura, sashimi and teriyaki beef. Song had a sashimi and tempura plate. 

Wandered around the shops again and sat down for a coffee before heading back to the hotel. 

Spent a couple of hours watching tv downloads then went out for dinner, chose a Vietnamese place and had pho, mine was ok, not great, and the place was pretty busy for an early Tuesday night. 

Walked back to the hotel, did a lot of walking today, then watched more tv and slept, up early tomorrow to visit Rottnest island.

Day 3 - Geraldton to Hutt Lagoon and back to Cervantes

Didn’t sleep too well, bed was very soft and the fridge in the room kept buzzing every so often and woke me up through the night. 

Woke up at around 06:40 and tried to sleep more but gave up and got up at 07:00. 

Had a shower and breakfast and went for a walk on the beach. It was warm but overcast and then started raining so sheltered under a tree. A guy in his yard asked if we wanted to shelter under his house which was nice of him, but the rain wasn’t too bad so we thanked him but didn’t bother. 

It stopped after about 5 minutes and we went back, packed up and drove off towards Hutt Lagoon about an hour away. It’s a pink lake, and if you’ve seen the new Qantas ad, it’s where the kids are singing. 

Roads in WA are really good, probably spent some of the mining money - all in good condition and no potholes, not like our trip to Sydney. 

Not much traffic again, and we noticed most vehicles are white (probably because it gets so hot here), and are mostly Utes, camper vans, caravans and trucks. The weather was what we were getting used to - overcast, sometimes sunny, sometimes raining.

Arrived at the lake, there was a lookout with a few people, but it wasn’t very high and the lake didn’t look particularly pink.

We got back in the car and drove up the road to a toilet and got chatting to a retired couple who had a caravan and spent about 20 minutes talking about travel, camper vans and cruises, a very nice couple.

Back to the lake and there were a few more people there, including an “influencer” in a bikini with her boyfriend taking photos, because of course there was. 

The lake looked more pink now, I think it depends on how sunny it is, the time of day and the cloud cover. 

We walked around a bit, spoke to a guy who had a drone and his photos really showed how pink it was from a high vantage point. 

Song took loads of photos, it really looked amazing, quite unusual. We’re now thinking of getting a drone.

Back in the car, back to Geraldton for lunch. Seemed to be quicker getting back, pulled in to search for a place to eat and found somewhere that looked decent. 

Turned out to be a great find. I had beef cheeks in a ginger and soy sauce with black rice and asian slaw, Song had Brussel Sprouts with aioli, prosciutto and pomegranate. Both were excellent.

Went for a quick walk and Song found a jewellers, I waited outside and wandered about, waiting for her to come out with a big grin and a few bags, but she didn't buy anything and my wallet breathed a sigh of relief.

Back in the car, a 2 hour drive to Cervantes - we need to drop the car back to Perth by 11 so the closer we can get, the better.

It was an easy drive again, not a lot of traffic and I think I went about an hour without seeing a car going in the same direction, just put cruise control on and followed the road. 

Got to the motel just as it was getting dark and starting to rain at around 17:30, checked in and looked on Google for something to eat. The good news was that there was a restaurant just opposite the motel that did a nice looking seafood platter which we decided we would share. The bad news was that it was closed even though Google said it was open. Looked at Google again and most places were shut or back in a town we'd passed 30 minutes ago, but a lot of them were also closed because it was a Monday.

Asked at reception and she said there were 2 options - a burger / pizza / kebab place or the service station that sold burgers / pizzas / kebabs. Not feeling like any of these, but bereft of choice, we headed in the pouring rain to the cafe, only to spot a grocery store that was open but about to close, so decided to do it ourselves. Grabbed some sausages and veg, then I spotted some cans of soup and Song found some instant noodles so decided that was good enough. Lucky for us we didn't pick the sausages because when we got back to the room we discovered it only had a microwave. So a bit of a low-rent dinner but that's the risk when you stay in a small town off-season. The room was also a bit basic, even though it was the best in the area. I can see why most people around here have a campervan or a caravan, the accomodation options are limited.

Checked on the cat - we left the cat at home and the neighbour kindly agreed to go in twice a day to feed her and keep er company for a while - we'd set up a couple of webcams so we could see what she was up to, plus I'd bought a gadget that allowed me to turn the reverse-cycle AC on and off remotely, and I could also VPN into my PC and play videos for her to watch. I think she was having a better time of it than us.

We need to get up early tomorrow to make sure we get to Perth in time to drop off the car, so would try to get a decent night's sleep.

Day 2 - Perth to Geraldton

Slept well but woke up early at around 6 which was 8 in Melbourne. Pottered around for a bit, had cereal for breakfast which Song had bought in Coles the day before then checked out, dropped the bags and walked to pick up the car. The weather was overcast but warm, with dark clouds over the bay heading towards us. 

The car pick up was a bit further than I thought but we got there just as the rain came down, pretty heavy. 

Not sure what it’s going to be like out of Perth but we can’t do anything about it so will just have to see.

Drove back to the hotel to pick up the bags and grab a coffee then we hit the road.

Traffic wasn’t too bad, but it was raining quite a lot. 

It was about a 5 hour drive, but with stops would probably be nearer 8.

The road was good, but after a while the rain really came down and I had to slow to around 70kmh because visibility was really bad, but luckily there wasn’t much traffic.

It eased up after a while but it alternated between rain and sun for a while. 

We pulled off at a place called Lancelin to look for something to eat, it was a small town so didn’t expect much and we were right, but found a cafe that was decent enough and I had a BLT and Song had a chicken wrap with salad, both were good considering. 

Had a quick look at the beach which was a bit smelly due to some large piles of seaweed, and there were more dark clouds threatening,

Back in the car and on the road again, heading to The Pinnacles, a load of stones (much more interesting than it sounds. 

The landscape along the drive was a bit dull, just scrub and bushes for the most part, but very green, it seems like it rains a lot. There were also the occassional white sand dunes which were nice. We also saw a couple of wild goats, so there you go.

By the time we got to The Pinnacles the weather had cleared up and the sun had come out, but it was still a bit cloudy.

The Pinnacles were amazing - thousands of standing stones, some a few centimeters tall, others a couple of metres and everything in between. You are allowed to walk among them, but not allowed to climb or sit on them - which of course we saw people doing. Arseholes.

I'll post some photos, it's well worth visiting if you go to Perth, you can get a coach trip.  

Back in the car and then a non-stop drive of about 3 hours to the hotel in Geraldton. I did consider stopping for a break but didn't need it, the road was good (one stretch was just straight for miles), not much traffic, no rain and if I did stop I might have ended up driving in the dark which isn't a good idea.

Got to the hotel just as the sun was setting, dropped the bags and looked for something to eat, decided on a place right next to the hotel - decent enough again, I had fish and chips and Song had a seafood platter. Both meals were good and it meant we didn't have to drive anywhere.

The hotel was comfortable enough, had a bit of an 80s / 90s vibe and was OK, but places in this area are limited so it was fine.

Watched a couple of episodes of The Crown (we've just started to watch it in honour of Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee - not really, we've just run out of stuff to binge) then slept.

Western Australia Take 2

Last year we nearly got to travel to WA; we managed to get as far as sitting on the plane before seeing news that WA would turn interstate travellers back, resulting in us getting off the plane before it left.

We’ve decided to try again and are currently sitting in the airport at the gate waiting to board.

We have 6 days, booked a car and a trip to Rottnest Island with a day or so in Perth.

The flight is just over 4 hours, hopefully we’ll get to actually take off, our first domestic flight for 10 years and our first flight for about 3.

Ah the joys of air travel I’d forgotten about - the plane was delayed by about 50 minutes, there was a screaming baby a couple of rows behind me and a few people who had their masks under their chin the whole flight. Arseholes.

I had a beef pasta thing on the plane which was ok, and a glass of wine because why not?

Got out of the airport and it was raining heavily but not cold. Took a taxi to the hotel, and discovered the bin in the room was full of empty KFC and McDonalds rubbish - luckily the cleaners were just outside and they were very apologetic but it wasn’t a big deal, just lucky I found it straight away.

Dropped the bags and walked into the city, just 10 minutes away. 

I wondered if Perth was still in lockdown and nobody told us because it was empty. Everything was closed and there were about 5 people around. 

Walked a bit further and more people started to appear, but still pretty quiet considering it was a Saturday afternoon - a lot of the restaurants were shut, and looking at Google most of them didn't open till 17:30 / 18:00. We were 2 hours behind Melbourne, and it was now 16:00 which was approaching dinner time for us in Melbourne.

We walked around a bit and found a Tapas place attached to the Intercontinental Hotel, and it looked OK so we went in to ask if we could book a table for when they opened, but it turned out they had just started serving, so we sat down and checked out the menu - looked pretty good and in the end opted for the 'Madrid Menu' which was a set menu for 2 with lots of different dishes. I was tempted to order a side of something because it didn't look like it would be enough. It was $65 each, which wasn't too bad. I also ordered a beer, because why not?

The first course came out, a plate of toasted bread slices with tomato on top plus a bowl of olives. Very nice.

Then a plate of bread with the thinly sliced ham from Spain, with a small piece of cheese. Very nice.

Then a plate of patatas bravas, and one of calamari, and one of chorizo. A large amount of chorizo and potato. 

Feeling a bit stuffed, Song said the last thing was a plate of churros, the doughnut things.  

But instead came a plate of steak, and one of tomatoes.

Finally out came the churros, 8 small doughnuts filled with chocolate. I really couldn't eat anything else, then I realised they were doughnuts filled with chocolate so forced myself. Song said she would have one and I could have the rest, but she had 3, obviously saving me from myself.

Hoping that was the end of it, paid the bill and left before they offered us a wafer-thin mint.

I usually over-eat on holiday, but not usually for the first meal.

We were the first there, but when we left it was pretty full, popular for a reason.

Really nice and great value. 

We walked back to the hotel, it was still warm and lightly raining.

We pick up the hire car tomorrow, will probably skip the next 5 meals.

Day 7 - Lakes Entrance to Home

Usual bad sleep, woke up early and then down to Lakes Entrance to have a look around.
Parked in the shade to make sure the cat was OK, it was a glorious day again; we've been really lucky with the weather, only 1 overcast day and 1 day with very light rain for a couple of hours. Almost every day has been sunny.
Had a wander, took some photos and a guy asked if we wanted him to take one of us. Well, I say a guy, it was the Chapter leader of the Newcastle branch of The Longriders Motorcycle Club, a huge guy with several piercings in his face and ears. I wasn't going to say no thanks, and thought I can always buy Song another Iphone when he decides he wants to keep it.
He was actually a nice bloke, had a little chat about where they sleep, where they were going and what's the going price for a murder these days.
Looked them up when we were a safe distance away, they are actually called The Longriders Christian Motorcycle club. So there you go, don't judge a book by it's piercings.
Crossed over the bridge and to the main beach, stopped to chat to a couple of blokes fishing - country people are very friendly. 
The main beach was spectacular, the sea quite rough but the beach is the longest I've ever seen, it went miles in both directions.
Walked back to the van, cat was fine. We debated whether to stop and stay the night at Warragul on the way home since we didn't have to return the van till Saturday, but in the end decided it wasn't worth it so would just get home to leave us plenty of time to clean and tidy the van.
Drove to Bairnsdale and put some diesel in - we'd paid $139 so that we didn't have to return the van full, or the gas bottle either, so it was a calculation to see if we could drop it back with as little fuel as possible, but we over-compensated. Still, it saved us having to fill it up.
Stopped off at Sale for a walk around a lake, then again at Traralgon to stretch the legs, have a coffee and do a bit of shopping.
The road turned into 4 lanes from Traralgon and was straight most of the way, so it was easy driving after the twists and turns and forests of the previous few days. Cruise control on and just stay in the lane.
Hit some road works on the way back, but not too much of a delay and arived back home at just after 19:00.
Spent the next hour and a half unloading all our gear - I couldn't believe how much stuff we took, and a lot of it not used.
So that was our first experience in a Motorhome - it was certainly an experience and we learnt a lot.
We stayed one night at most places, but the everyone else books into a site for a week or two. In our case the main point of the trip was to see if we liked the #vanlife - which we did for the most part. We had never intended to stop for too long at any one place, we didn't have the time, plus we don't do that when we travel, we tend to stay in a place for a day or two then move on. We might have to change that if we get a van.
Driving it at first was very daunting and nerve-wracking, worrying about the size, was I going to clip the wing mirrors again, will it tip over (there were a couple of scary moments going around corners on a slope, even though I slowed to a crawl). But by the end I was more confident and relaxed about it, although it did take a lot of concentration.
We made a long list of things that we would put into any van we buy - and we're going to the motorhome show next month to check out ideas. We probably won't buy one in Aus, but wait till we go to Europe in a couple of years.
So things we learnt - don't park on the grass, park on the slab or the astroturf. Plug in the power, water and waste pipe when you arrive. Get to the park when the staff are on site. Remember where you put stuff; the amount of time we spent looking in all the cupboards for something was ridiculous. Don't drive at night. Don't leave your toiletries in the shower block. Check everything before you leave - it didn't happen to us, but it would be easy to drive off with something plugged in or not locked.
Our next trip is probably a weekend in Canberra, then this year we might go to Queensland and hopefully Europe in October or over Christmas.

Day 6 - Merimbula to Lakes Entrance

Still didn't sleep well, not sure why, could be the bed, could be the changes, could be the temperature fluctuations, who knows?
Finally got a call from the guy at the camp site we had to leave, I said it's a bit late. He said Wednesday was his day off, I said where does it say that, he said it doesn't say it anywhere, I said so how am I supposed to know then? I also asked why he didn't answer the phone, he said it was for emergencies only; I said all he had to do was call me back or send an SMS. Long story short, he said he wouldn't give a refund so I said I'd raise a dispute with the credit card company and he could argue with them. He called again later and apologised for not answering the phone and said he will refund the money because he didn't realise I'd booked that day, he thought I'd booked a while ago and wanted to cancel at the last minute.
We'd set the alarm for 0800 so that we could be out by 1000, which we were, and headed off to Eden because Song wanted to go, and it was on the way, so why not? Parked in the main car park, then walked to the lookout, which we found out was down a huge slope and up another one. The weather was a bit overcast today, and the further South we went, the colder it got.
Eden is known for it's Whaling history and now Whale watching, but that happens between August and November so we didn't see any. Had a look from the lookout, then went back to the van.
Song also wanted to go to Malacoota for some reason, and it was on the way (sort of), so why not?
Turned off the main road to get there, and it was another twisty road through a forest, not the easiest to drive, especially with big trucks that insisted on going over the speed limit and stuck close behind me until I got to a passing place to let them overtake.

All along the road the trunks of the trees were black - a reminder of the forest fires from 2020; we also notice most of the house were new.
Decided we would eat at Malacoota, so parked the van and walked around looking for a nice seafood place, but what we found was a pizza and fish and chip shop, a cafe that did Eggs Benedict and bacon and egg sandwiches and a Chinese restauarant. Campervan to the rescue - Song finished off the prawns she'd bought the day before, and I had some soup and bread we bought from the IGA. Decided to have a big meal in the evening.
Back down the twisty forest road to get onto the main road, for some reason it seemed a lot quicker and less twisty on the way back.

For miles and miles all of the tree trunks were black, a huge area was affected by the fires - but there was also new growth as well, it was quite green so they were recovering.
We're now back in Victoria on the last leg of the trip. We were heading for Lakes Entrance, which was about 2.5 hours away, just about as far as I wanted to drive, and also to make sure we got there when someone was there to avoid the dramas we've experienced. Stopped off at Orbost to stretch our legs (nothing there), then got to the camp site, checked in and drove into the main part of town to look for something to eat.
Parked up in a side street, then Googled for restauarants - Fish and Chips, Pizza, McDonalds, KFC. Oh for god's sake. There was one place that looked decent, called Sodafish, so called them and asked if they had a table - they said we could sit outside but it might be a bit cold. Faced with the other options we agreed.
Best meal for a long time. Still fish, but a proper meal. We chose the Chef's choice; starters of scallop, octopus and baby carrot (more elaborate than that but I can't remember); then I had the King George Whiting and Song had the Flounder with a vege dish to share. It was a bit cold, we were sitting on the deck overlooking the lake with some moored boats, but they put on a heater and it was really pleasant.
Since we were on holiday we both had a dessert; I ordered the white chocolate mousse with Pear sorbet and Song ordered the chocolate and hazelnut praline - which we swapped.
Finally a nice meal.
Walked back to the van, pretty cold by now, drove to the park and connected up and settled down for the night.

Day 5 - Jervis Bay to Merimbula

Didn't sleep well again; packed up, disconnected, dumped the toilet, went to leave but the code didn't work for the boom gate. Went to reception, apparently check out time was 10, and it was now 11. Oops. But luckily they let us out.
Got back on the main road, Princes Highway, which you'd think was a major road but it was single cariageway with passing places. Quite difficult to drive.
Followed the road along the coast, crossing over some narrow and rickety bridges now and then, then arrived at Bateman's Bay where we stopped for lunch - Fish and Chips. Song also did some shopping and bought a support for my back - the van seats aren't great.
Song wanted to see the Horse Head rock which is a rock in the shape of a Horse Head, obviously. So we turned off the main road and headed (ha!) towards it, but drove past a sign for Camel Rock. Checked Google and the Horse Head rock was nearby, so we parked up and walked along the beach, saw Camel Rock, then followed a path and saw Horse Head rock.
Back to the van, we decided to stay at a park nearby in Bermagui so that I wouldn't have to drive in the dark again. Unfortunately I booked for the following night by mistake, the web page defaulted to it for some reason. I called them but the office was closed, so I left a message and we thought we'd drive there and swap the nights - it was only 15 minutes away.
Got there, left another message and sent an email, told them we were sat outside so could they please call us and let us know the code and the site number. There was also an emergency number, so called that.
And called it again. And again. After waiting about an hour decided we couldn't wait any longer so called a place about an hour away, the guy said he would be there to check us in.
So I ended up driving in the twilight and the dark along the worst possible road - twisty and through a forest. We saw some kangaroos in a field, as well as a couple in the bushes at the side of the road - if they had decided to jump across the road I wouldn't have been able to avoid them. Very scary.
Eventually arrived and the guy checked us in, when he saw our address mentioned he used to live nearby and frequented the local pub. Small world.
Set up and went to sleep.

Day 4 - Sydney to Jervis Bay

Woke up around 0900, shower, breakfast, tidy up the van and on the road again.

I've come to the conclusion that Google maps directions are pretty shit.

I plugged in Jervis Bay and it decided to take me West and through a forest, around some steep and winding roads, then onto the M1,not what I need in the van. It could have just taken me South on the M1 straight away, across the bridge and it would have been a lot quicker and easier. From now on I'm going to select the route myself.

Stopped off in Woolangong for a walk along the beach, couldn't leave the AC on for the cat (it needs external power) so parked in the shade and made sure we weren't long.

Found a restaurant close by, I had a burger and chips (OK, not great) and Song had a Bacon and Tomato sandwich.

Went for a short walk along the beach, Song carried on and I went back to the van to make sure the cat hadn't roasted. She was fine.

Song came back then there was a knock on the door - I thought it would be someone moaning that we couldn't park there, but it was an old guy who was interested in the van.

He was looking to buy one that was for sale in Melbourne, and it looked like the same model as ours so he had lots of questions, which we answered. He told me he had an AC Cobra that some guy bought off him for $300k so he paid off his unit and wanted to buy a van.

Said goodbye and drove off towards Jervis Bay, this time I plugged in a town on the way so that it took us the right route. 

We needed to fill up with diesel, but since we have Coles / Woolworths credits looked for one of those. And kept looking, and then the low fuel warning light came on. Not wanting to run out, turned off the freeway to a small town and put in $50 to keep us going. Just as well I did, because back on the main road there was no sign of a petrol station. 

About 5k from the turn off to Wollongong we hit a traffic jam - Google said there was an accident, and soon we ground to a halt. We sat in a traffic jam for about an hour, finally got past it and on towards Jervis Bay. Song wanted to go there to see the arch.

Drove along twisty, bumpy, narrow roads then came to a gate - Jervis Bay National Park. Not what we wanted, we expected a town. Asked the woman at the gate and she said we needed to go to Huskisson - so we turned round and drove back along the twisty, bumpy narrow road.

Parked up and went to look for dinner, it was about 18:00 so cooling down so the cat would be fine, wandered around and settled for fish and chips at the World Famous fish and chip shop. That was the name of the shop.

So basically a junk food day today.

Booked a camp site just down the road, luckily they had a spot, then got a phone call from them asking what I needed - I said a powered site for a campervan. She said OK, the website didn't ask that so she sent a mail.

Got to the camp site, and couldn't find the place we were supposed to park - so far none of these places have decent signage - they provide a map but they are hard to follow in the dark. Found the spot - just a patch of astroturf. No power or water or anything. Called the number and of course it's not 24x7 - really annoying.

It turned out that I had looked at the first email that came from the website, there was a second email with the correct site number. So stressful, easily avoided if they had decent signs and a 24x7 number.

Had a look at the shower block (clean), dumped the toilet (smelly) and settled down in the van with a beer and the cat, wrote this.

Might watch something I brought that I'd downloaded, or might just go to sleep.

Day 3 - Sydney

Didn’t sleep too well again, both nights start off hot, then got a bit colder, then colder still so we both wake up to change the doona.

Woke up at 0730 because I’d forgotten to turn off my alarm, then a few minutes later heard a crunch and a shout, someone had backed their van into another, so I’m not the only one who can’t drive these things.

Shower, then time to do the van maintenance - fill up the fresh water, empty the waste water from the sink, and empty the toilet cartridge.

When we picked up the van we were shown how to do this stuff but she went through it really fast and a lot of it went in one ear and out the other.

Also everything was new and it turned out they didn’t have the proper tap fitting for the hose, they’d provided a clip on one but the taps at the site were screw ones. I headed over to the reception to see they had one when I saw the tap on the site next door had the connector, the previous people had left it behind. Stroke of luck.

Filled up the fresh water then attached the waste water hose and turned the release lever and the hose leaked. 

I had to ask a guy nearby if this was normal, he had a look, then got a screwdriver and tightened it up but it still leaked and he said it looked faulty.

Managed to empty it out then had the pleasant task of emptying the toilet. They make it easy by using a plastic cartridge that slots in under the toilet, it contains a pellet of some chemical, and every camp site has an aptly named dumping station where you empty them.

Still, at the end of the day it’s still a toilet.

Cartridge unplugged ok, quite full (yuk), the thing comes with wheels and a handle so you don’t have to carry it as it sloshes around (yuk).

I’d watched a YouTube video about it, so knew the principle but wasn’t prepared for the reality.

You basically open the cap and pour the contents into a pipe and wash the cartridge out with a hose. 

I unscrewed the cap and WOAH THAT’S BAD.

5 minutes later the job is done, back to the van to plug it in again.

Tidied up the van, turned on the AC for the cat and walked 15 minutes to the nearest metro station (North Ryde). The station was impressive, used to be a train station but was changed to a Metro in 2019. Very deep, spacious and clean. The trains are driverless as well. Visitors can buy a ticket on a credit card, none of the messing about with Myki.

Only about 20 minutes into the city, as we approached I was looking out for the Harbour Bridge only to find that we were going over it, no wonder I couldn't see it. Got off just before Town Hall, went looking for something to eat. Wandered around for a bit, marvelling at some of the old buildings. We haven't been here for 10 years, not sure why, just never really thought about it. There is a lot of construction going on, lots of new apartments going up, some with amazing harbour views.

Found a food court and I had a beef thing with chips, the description on the menu sounded better than it tasted, Song had rice paper rolls and a Banh-Mi.

On the way in it was a bit overcast and there was some very light rain, but in the city it was sunny and quite hot. Walked down to Circular Quay, and around to the Opera House, taking pictures of the bridge. 

The area around the Opera House looks quite new, a lot of restaurants and shops.

I realised I'd never really been close to the Opera House, just walked past it and for some reason never went up the steps, so did that now and realised what a spectacular building it is, not sure if anyone else is aware.

Took more photos, then walked back through the city to the Queen Victoria building, sat and had a coffee and wandered around the inside, popping into the odd shop to have a look.

Getting pretty tired now, decided to head to Coles to get some flat bread for some sausages that we'd brought from Melbourne to barbecue, so did that and also some salad.

Ten minutes later, on the way back to the van Song remembered that the sausages were frozen so that was out. We'd brought some soup and other stuff so just had that.

The cat was happy to see us back.

We'd left the bed set up, so had to undo it and set up the table (another first).

It's a real pain. Lift the sheet, lift the mattress protector, put them away,lift the cushions, remove 2 planks of wood that act as supports and stow them, get the table and pole from a cupboard, fix the pole, lock the tabletop into the pole and finally replace the cushions. Then when it's time for bed, reverse that to get the bed set up.

Had a well-deserved beer, ate my soup and watched the Formula 1, first race of the season, while Song read, then went to sleep.

Day 2 - Off to Sydney

Forgot to say that we stayed overnight at Holbrook, about half way between Melbourne and Sydney.  

Didn’t sleep too well, at first it was hot, then it got chilly so put the doona on, then it got cold so had to dig out the heavy doona. Luckily Song had foresight and packed well.

When I saw what was going into the van I thought it would be easier to just put wheels on the house and tow it around.

Woke up around 0800 which was later than we anticipated, walked past other campers waking up, packing up and generally milling about, had a shower and then packed up our van.

Went next door and filled up with diesel ($134!!! The war in Ukraine is about 3 weeks old and prices have gone up. Not the best time to go on a road trip).

Scraped off the butterfly and insect collection we’d built up and headed off, it was now about 10:00.

Did a u turn because our neighbours told us there is a submarine in the middle of the town, and since that’s something you don’t see every day decided to have a look. 

It was actually a small 1/5th model of a submarine so thought “meh” but took a couple of pictures anyway.

Got back in the van, drove down the road and saw the real submarine, a life size one now a thing for kids to climb on. Not sure if was a real one that saw service or a mock up. Maybe I’ll Google it.

Yes, a real one but only the shell.

Forgot to mention the weather - really nice, a bit hot yesterday but both days clear, and the van’s AC worked great.

Drove for about an hour and a half and stopped off at Gundagai for lunch, a small town but really nice; lots of Art Deco buildings and some information about the great flood of 1852 that basically wiped out the town. 

Seems every small country town has a story of some kind. Found a very popular cafe and I had a lamb wrap thing and Song had a BLT in Turkish bread, both nice.

Had a little walk, but it was a bit hot so back to the van to carry on. The cat had found a spot behind the seats that was dark and cozy so she seemed happy.

Not much traffic, set the cruise control to 105 and pointed it down the road. The limit was 110 but I felt comfortable at 105. 

Pulled over after about an hour to stretch and have a cup of tea and a pee. Having the toilet in the van is really good.

Pushed on, making good time so stopped off at Goulburn for a quick walk, again a very pleasant town but not much open on a Sunday afternoon.

Back on the road, and after a while the traffic started to build and soon it was very busy, lots of people heading home after the weekend.

A bit stressful, lots of cars and trucks merging and overtaking, checking the mirrors and making sure I didn’t take a wrong turn.

Eventually arrived at the block of flats of our friend, parked illegally and unloaded all her kit, then I went off to find a place to park. Luckily found a spot not too far, made sure the cat had food and water and went back to help carry the stuff up but they’d found a shopping trolley and everything was done.

Our friend lives around the corner from a busy street with loads of restaurants and we chose a Japanese place. I had Gyoza and Ramen, the others had a selection of stuff. Was very good, but the people at the table next to me had a selection of sushi which looked better.

We had planned to go to the Blue Mountains tomorrow but decided the van might be a bit hard to drive there, so will either stay another night in Sydney and look around since we haven’t been here for years, or maybe go to Canberra for a couple of days.

That’s the advantage of the van, you can change plans.

Suitably stuffed with dinner, headed off to the camp site. Again quite stressful, driving in the dark in an unfamiliar van through narrow streets where I’ve never been.

But got there ok, had trouble finding the site but got set up. 

So much more room with all the crap gone, we could actually sit down on the seats at the back which had been piled up with boxes.

Pottered about a bit then set up the bed and went to sleep.

Day 1 - Van pick up, on the road

Up at 7, drove to pick up the van (it’s a 4 berth motor home but from now on it’s the van).

Turned out it’s brand new, 50km on the clock, so don’t have to worry about previous people having used it.  

Got a quick tour of how to plug it in, empty the water and toilet etc then I sat in the driver’s seat and tried to figure out all the buttons.

I’ve never driven something this big so it’s a bit daunting, but looked ok, remembered that most of the driving is going to be on the freeway and small towns so I’ll keep away from narrow roads and city traffic till I’m more used to it.

Plugged in home into the gps and headed off.

10 minutes later realised the gps was directing me onto the toll road which I didn’t want to take, so ended up driving through the city.

Luckily it was actually pretty easy to drive, it was a Mercedes Sprinter base so was really good.

Got home and put it in the driveway, a tight fit through the gate, only to realise there wasn’t enough room to load it so with the help of a neighbour backed it out. 

Whereupon I caught the wing mirror on the gate post and broke it. Must be a record, I’m not looking forward to giving it back.

In my defence, the bit that broke off was actually the indicator behind the main mirror and can’t be seen from the driver seat, the bit that I could see cleared the post.

Not a good start.

It could have been worse - it could have been one we bought, and also there is no excess so it won’t cost me anything.

Still pretty pissed off with myself though.

We’d packed the night before but had to load up all the gear of a friend who had moved to Sydney to study; we stored her stuff and said we would hire the van and take it to her to save her having to hire removalists.

Little did we know her stuff took up most of the room.

We have also decided to take our cat, she took a bit of persuading to get in her bag, then when she was in the van we let her have a poke around for 10 minutes and then decided to leave. She liked a shelf in a cupboard and we thought she'd found her place but she soon left and spent most of the trip under Song's feet.

So we left a bit later than we expected but we were finally on our way, but hadn’t eaten so decided to stop somewhere once we got out of Melbourne.

After a couple of hours turned off at Seymour and found a sushi place but they were cooking more rice and there was a 20 minute wait so we decided to go to Woolworths and grab some sandwiches. Couldn’t find any so went to coles, voila, something to keep us going.

Cracked on, van comfortable to drive but when a large truck overtakes it wobbles with the disturbed air, a  bit scary the first time it happened but I was prepared after.

Got to Albury at just after 18:00, our first time out of Victoria for 2 years and 10 months. 

Song found a French Bistro on Google so we parked the van and walked around the corner only to be told they were fully booked. Found another one and walked to that, also fully booked. Eventually found a nice cafe and had some tapas; a banh-mi thing, pork belly and calamari. Nice, but not too filling and a bit pricey.

Back to the van, it was dark now and we had another 80k or so to get to Holbrook where we'd booked a powered site. The cat had found a spot on all of the boxes and seemed a bit more comfortable about the whole thing. 

Drove along, a bit wary in the dark, and seeing quite a few dead kangaroos made me slow down a bit. 

Eventually arrived at the site, couldn't find ours so had to drive around a bit but finally found it and plugged in, turned on the AC and I went for a shower - very clean, water hot and pressure great, but I made the mistake of looking up and seeing the myriad of multi-legged insects that could drop on me at any moment so headed back.

Had a cup of tea, then set up the bed and settled in for our first night of sleeping in a campervan.

ROAD TRIP!!!

So we are finally actually going on holiday, for the first time since Greenland in 2019.

We hired a campervan (motorhome really) today, pick up tomorrow and the plan is to head up to Sydney, then go to the Blue Mountains, then drive back along the coast.

We planned a similar trip in 2020 but NSW had storms which closed the roads we had planned to use so we had to cancel at the last minute.

Last year we managed to actually sit on a plane before WA closed the borders and we had to get off.

The only time we went away was for a weekend in The Grampians, so to say we are looking forward to this is an understatement, but I wouldn't be surprised if there's a meteor strike or alien invasion next week based on our luck.

So, tune in for our brief but hopefully relaxing drive about.

I've never driven a motorhome before, so that's going to be interesting....