Around Australia

Legend

Driving
Hiking
Boat
Bus
Plane
Chairlift
Train
Ferry

Home ‐ Jan 4, 2025

566.6 km

We woke early at 4:30am to get sorted for our last leg home. We were very keen to see Katelyn and Daisy. A pretty uneventful drive with traffic building quite a bit as we neared Brisbane. It was wonderful to get home! Katelyn and Daisy were waiting for us out the front – and both of them remembered us! 😀 Katelyn has done an amazing job at looking after the house and Daisy for us. The house has never looked better. Thanks so much Katelyn, we really appreciate it. So …. Big Lap done.
Leisure Caravan Park ‐ Jan 3, 2025

38.7 km
The Royal Hotel (Kew)

33.9 km

To celebrate the last night of our trip, we drove to Kew for dinner at The Royal Hotel. It’s been beautifully done up and the meals were fantastic. Well worth the drive and a nice way to finish off our last full day on the road.
Leisure Caravan Park ‐ Jan 2, 2025

5.6 km

After a long drive from Mittagong, we were both stuffed. While it isn't the most salubrious caravan park we've stayed in, it — as they say — is better than nothing.
Town Beach (Port Macquarie)

25.8 km

Before checking into our caravan park, we stopped at Town Beach in Port Macquarie, right next to the Breakwall. Nicole, Katelyn and I have stayed here at the Breakwall Caravan Park a number of times over the years, however unfortunately we booked too late to get a spot at this time of year. As with every other caravan park along the coast at the moment, it is PACKED! When Katelyn was a lot younger, she decorated one of the rocks along the Breakwall, as many people do. She would have been around [...]
9 years old at the time. We used an old photo to track down her rock, and did find it. Unfortunately, someone had decided to paint over her work — or, giving them the benefit of the doubt, perhaps it had been erased by then., A shame, but there it is.

+3
Bonny Hills

6 km

A lovely view from Bonny Hills. We also spotted a very nice caravan park that we'll try out in the future.
North Haven Beach ‐ Jan 1, 2025

1.3 km

Before moving on too far we had a look at the beautiful (but very crowded this time of year) North Haven Beach. A lovely spot that we'll have to return to in quieter times.
North Haven

8.7 km

We decided to have a look at some of the nice towns just south of Port Macquarie, as a break from the monotony of the dual carriageway of the M1. North Haven looked like a nice spot to have our lunch, so we did.
Laurieton

455.2 km

We made a very early start to 2025, leaving the caravan park in Mittagong at around 6:15am. We had to go through Sydney to head north, so figured if you were going to pick any day/time of the year to get through Sydney traffic it would be before 8:00am on New Years Day. And we were right, with a very hassle-free trip through the NSW capital. With a few quick stops along the way for a rest, our first stop of any note was in Laurieton for groceries — our last grocery shop on this trip!
Mittagong Town Centre Walk ‐ Dec 31, 2024

3.7 km

This morning, we went for a walk around the Mittagong Town Centre. While it wasn't the best we have seen by any stretch of the imagination, it was still a very tidy and neat town and a pleasant walk.

+2
Mittagong Caravan Park ‐ Dec 30, 2024

85.7 km

After a fairly long day's drive, we finally arrived at Mittagong Caravan Park at around 3:45pm. Nicole and I had been keenly listening to progress of Day 5 of the Boxing Day Test during our drive. After quite a dull middle session where Australia took no wickets, it all started to kick off after the Tea break, just as we were arriving. So, the immediate priorities were internet connection, chairs, table and awning so that we could watch the last session. It was very tense for a while, but Austra [...]
lia was able to take the win in the end.
Goulburn

97.2 km

For a break from the Hume Highway, we stopped in Goulburn. Goulburn is a special place for me as Mum attended high school there at a Boarding School. She used to go to the Paragon Cafe for a treat with her friends. Nicole and I ate there last year on our trip down to Victoria (while my Mum was still with us), however it was closed today. We had a nice look around the main street and Belmore Park, and even stopped for a quick photo of the Big Ram.
Fyshwick (Canberra)

109.2 km

We decided to stop in Canberra for lunch – in Fyshwick. Coffee Club was our choice of establishment at the Canberra Outlet Centre. It’s been nearly exactly 30 years since I first visited Fyshwick, where I was working with Andersen Consulting for a federal government client here. It’s changed a LOT!
Cooma

61.2 km

We stopped in Cooma, a lovely town in the Snowy Mountains area, for groceries. Nicole, Katelyn and I had been here in 2013 when Katelyn was only 9. It doesn’t seem to have changed that much based on my memories.
Fred Piper Memorial Lookout

81.4 km

We had a very steep and windy climb up to around 1,100 metres above sea level to reach Fred Piper Memorial Lookout. For a leg stretch we did the 450m loop walk that was some good exercise and very pleasant.

+2
Merimbula

24.7 km

Another early start for our drive to Mittagong. First stop was in Merimbula for breakfast.
Garden of Eden Caravan Park ‐ Dec 28, 2024

2.6 km

We arrived at the Garden of Eden Caravan Park for two nights only. I'm surprised we got in for two nights when we booked back in October, as this park is absolutely packed! Eden is also on the "Next Time" list, and also on the "Don't visit in the Christmas-New Year Period" list.
Rotary Park (Eden)

86.8 km

Upon arriving in Eden, we drove to the Rotary Park to take in the view. We were surprised to see a massive cruise ship docked as well. Must be a nice deep harbour.
Mallacoota

70 km

We made the drive into Mallacoota along the very windy road to have a look. We're glad we did as it looked like a really lovely spot. Mallacoota has also been added to our "Next Time" list, however we won't be coming in the Christmas-New Year period as it was just soooo crowded. Crazy stuff.

+3
Cann River

A quick stop in Cann River for a comfort break. Once again, we were very strong willed after walking into the bakery for a look at their offerings and then leaving empty handed. The long lineup helped too ...
Wairewa Road Trestle Bridge

30.1 km

A quick stop at this old bridge. The railway line has now become a hiking and mountain biking trail.
Lakes Entrance

2.7 km

Lakes Entrance itself looked very nice. After a wander along the esplanade looking at the boats we grabbed a fantastic coffee each from .... "Bloody Good Coffee"! Indeed ...
Lakes Entrance Lookout

24.9 km

We made a quick stop at Lakes Entrance Lookout to see what we will be taking in Next Time ...
Lakes Bushland Caravan & Tourist Park ‐ Dec 27, 2024

16.2 km

We had a geat (and huge) site at the Lakes Bushland Caravan & Tourist Park, however unfortunately we were only here for one night. Lakes Entrance has definitely been added to our "Next Time" list. We spent the afternoon watching the cricket.
Bairnsdale

68.1 km

We stopped for some groceries in Bairnsdale along with what seemed to be 10,000 other people, being such a very popular area for tourists for this time of year.
Sale

79.6 km

We stopped for a leg stretch in Sale, a really lovely little town. We stopped in at the local bakery to get some bread rolls to have with our leftover Christmas ham for lunch, where I was VERY strong willed not to buy a sausage roll!
Moe

148.1 km

We left Melbourne early the day after Boxing Day. Given the time of year we had a pretty good run with traffic through the city, but there were a lot of cars heading east on the Princes Highway. I have a Christmas tradition (since 1995) of calling friends in the UK. With the change of routine this Christmas I'd forgotten to call Anthony at the usual time on Boxing Day, so we made up with it with a great chat on the 27th. So, we stopped in Moe for this chat, rather than risk being on the road and [...]
losing reception.
Discovery Parks Melbourne ‐ Dec 23, 2024

11.3 km

+7

Boxing Day Test

+4

Christmas Day

Boxing Day Test

I was able to tick off another one of my 'Sporting Events Bucket List' by attending the first day of the Boxing Day Test between Australia and India at the magnificent MCG with Nicole. The weather was...

Christmas Day in Melbourne

Christmas this year was different, with just the two of us together and away from home. Thankfully Santa did find the carrots we (and Elfie) left out for him. After spend
Melbourne CBD

13.1 km

After a nap (sleep for me, an episode of Nashville for Nicole) we headed into town. We thought there would be a lot of people, but were surprised at just how many people there were in there. We had a good look around, saw the Yarra River and MCG where we’ll be on Boxing Day, and had a nice dinner at South Bank. After dinner we watched “Love Actually, A Musical Parody” at the Athenaeum Theatre. It was really, really, really good. Nicole and I laughed out loud the entire show. Then, to top t [...]
hings off, we saw some of the Christmas lights including Flinders Street Station decked out in Christmas colours. So, a long but very good day.

+5
Discovery Parks Melbourne

233.8 km

We made an early start for our drive into the ‘big smoke’ of Melbourne. I was excited to be heading there, as I really like Melbourne. We had a nice drive up through and over the hills as we headed north to the Princes Highway. On the way we saw the absolutely massive Loy Yang power station and coal mine – very impressive. We arrived late morning after some quick grocery shopping and checked in.
Yarram Tourist Park ‐ Dec 20, 2024

20.3 km

We then headed back to Yarram for a quick look at a little more of their street art, then to our temporary home of the Yarram Tourist Park. The following day (our last day there before heading to Melbourne) we had just finished making our lunch when I received a text message from the park saying that we were welcome to come to their Christmas Lunch. While the timing was poor, we decided to finish our lunch then head over to have a look. The park owners had put on a wonderful spread of food for s [...]
taff, permanent residents and temporary residents, so I had a roast pork roll (plus some pork crackling), potato salad and a sausage — all for lunch #2! We had a lovely chat to the owners' parents, then headed back to the motorhome for a rest (a Nanna nap in my case). So, a nice way to finish our stay in Yarram before heading to the 'big smoke'.
Woodside Beach Hotel

10.3 km

We decided to stop for a snack at the Woodside Beach Hotel and were very glad we did. It was very nicely set up inside and so we ordered hot chips and gravy for afternoon tea.
Woodside Beach

41.5 km

We then drove out to Woodside Beach, which is at the south-eastern end of Ninety Mile Beach. Not much there and, yes, the beach did look very long.
Port Albert

50.4 km

Port Albert was very nice. There was a very maritime feel about it (obviously) and what looked to be a very nice fish and chips shop at the end of the road near the jetty. We saw a LOT of seagull poop everywhere, then saw a lady and her daughter walk out of the fish and chips shop with some chips that the mother had started to eat — under protest from here (as it turns out wise) daughter. She was absolutely swarmed by seagulls, so decided to just toss the lot on the ground to escape their atte [...]
ntion.

+6
Agnes Falls

66.4 km

Then it was a drive back towards Yarram and into the hills to see this quite impressive waterfall. We decided to stop to make our lunch there before continuing our travels for the day.
Wildlife Viewing Area

12.2 km

Then we stopped at what looks like a fairly newly established wilderness walk. For our troubles we got to see some emus, a wombat hole, and another snake slithering across the pathway; two in one morning!
Glennie Lookout

5.5 km

We stopped for a brief look and photo here,.
Norman Beach

0.5 km

Norman Beach is the beach right at Tidal River. We didn't stay long though. We wanted to drive up to a higher viewing area, however the road was only open to their shuttle bus. Given the first one hadn't run yet and there were swarms of people waiting around to catch it, we decided to just not bother and head on.
Tidal River

Tidal River is a little township on "The Prom" where most of the campers stay to do their various walks. We didn't do any of the longer walks as we had a bit to see this day, but maybe next time.
Squeaky Beach

2.9 km

We had a good walk around on Squeaky Beach, so named because the fine sand 'squeaks' as you walk in. As we were leaving some young children were enjoying this aspect. It was a very photogenic spot, and I got a little carried away with my photography, which I subsequently paid for when editing them all. Attached is a sample.

+4
Picnic Bay

0.9 km

Picnic Bay was just south of Whisky Bay, with very similar — and absolutely stellar — views.
Whisky Bay ‐ Dec 22, 2024

106 km

We left Yarram early for the roughly 100km drive into Wilsons Promontory. Our first stop was Whisky Bay, where we parked and set off for the short walk down into the beach. As we rounded the first corner (me just behind Nicole) I ran into the back of Nicole as she stopped suddenly rounding a bend. Before I could say anything, she pointed at a snake on the walkway just ahead. We tried to stamp our feet and wave at it to get it to move off the path, all to no avail. So, we decided to play it safe [...]
and head to the next stop. Lucky we did, as Nicole identified it from the photo as an Eastern brown, one if the deadliest snakes in Australia! Fortunately, we could still access Whisky Bay from the next stop, so we still got to see these wonderful views.

+2
Yarram CBD Walk ‐ Dec 20, 2024

3.2 km

Despite nice weather again this day, we decided to just rest up and take it easy. We did however go for a walk into town to have a look around. Yarram's a very nice, tidy little town.

+2
Yarram Tourist Park ‐ Dec 19, 2024

1.3 km

It was then time to set up and rest for the night after a very long, but very good, day.
Commercial Hotel (Yarram)

54.7 km

It was around 7:00pm by the time we arrived in Yarram after a very long day sightseeing (we left Geelong at around 6:30am). Before we set up for the night we decided to enjoy a meal at the Commercial Hotel. Luckily for me it was Ribs Night! Nicole ordered the Seniors (aka small) size of the Roast of the Day (lamb) and the meal was still huge.
Foster North Lookout

102.3 km

As we got closer to Yarram, we took in this magnificent view out over Wilsons Promatory. We'll visit this in the days to come.
Tooradin

39.6 km

We made a brief stop at Tooradin for a comfort break and a cold drink from our fridge.
Mount Martha Beach

13.9 km

Before leaving the beautiful Mornington Peninsula we stopped at Mount Martha Beach to get up close to some of the famous beach huts. Very cool, and I'm sure very expensive to own. There seem to be a LOT of money and well-heeled people on the Peninsula.
Arthurs Seat Chairlift (Down)

1 km

We didn't spend a lot of time at the top as we still had a nearly three-hour drive to Yarram ahead of us, so we pretty much came straight down again.
Arthurs Seat Chairlift (Up)

1 km

Nicole doesn't like heights, and is not a fan of chairlifts, however she did extremely well to enjoy the ride and the absolutely stunning views.

+2
Arthurs Seat Scenic Chairlift Base

17.2 km

The next stop was to catch the chairlift up to Arthurs Seat.
Point Leo Estate + Sculpture Garden

11.8 km

We stopped at the wine estate to have a look. Two Porsche GT3 cars were parking as we did, so we got an early impression that this was a quite fancy place. We walked through the eating / cellar door area to look at the very nice view, however didn't pay to walk around their Sculpture Park.

+2
West Head Lookout

0.8 km

Before heading off we had a quick look from West Head Lookout. There were a lot of surfers there with their shirts off, so I had to drag Nicole away!
Flinders

16.6 km

We drove further around then to Flinders, a nice little town where Nicole posted a parcel back home.
Cape Schnack Loop Walk

0.6 km

We decided to drive out to Cape Schnack and were so glad we did. We did a relatively short loop walk that gave us some magnificent views of the cape, Bass Straight and, of course, the lighthouse.

+4
Cape Schnack + Lighthouse

13.8 km
Blue Mini Cafe

We both needed a coffee and snack after our early start, so we stopped at the Blue Mini Cafe. We'd seen it in a guide but didn't know what to expect. It's in the middle of an industrial estate and is a re-purposed bowling centre. the bowling centre floorboards are still visible, plus some random bowling paraphernalia. In the outside eating area is a sliced off section of a blue Mini, hence the name.
Rye

15.8 km

Driving along the beautiful Mornington Peninsula Coastline, we stopped at Rye for a walk out on the jetty. An absolutely magic day there.
Point Nepean National Park

0.5 km
Cattle Jetty

0.5 km

We drove into Point Nepean National Park. With a big day ahead, we didn't do a lot of exploring, but did do a short walk to the old Cattle Jetty — or at least what's left of it.
Point Nepean National Park

7.6 km
Sorrento Ferry Terminal

11 km

The ferry trip was awesome! We were first on (and first off) and the facilities were top notch. A very, very pleasant (if not a little expensive) way to get to the Mornington Peninsula.

+2
Queenscliff Ferry Terminal

34.6 km

We got up early for a very big day ahead. We were heading for Yarram in the Gippsland region today, so decided to try a different approach and booked the ferry from Queenscliff to Sorrento to avoid the Melbourne traffic.
Barwon River Walk ‐ Dec 18, 2024

3.4 km

Before dinner, I took a walk along the Barwon River. This was a really nice walk, on an absolutely gorgeous day.
Discovery Parks Geelong

3.4 km

Then back to the caravan park for a rest and to get ready for our drive to Yarram tomorrow.
Little Creatures

3.4 km

For lunch, Nicole and I shared a burger and chips and a beer paddle at Little Creatures — the same brewery we'd visited in Fremantle. The beer still tasted good!
Geelong Waterfront

31 km

Next stop was the Geelong Waterfront, which was very busy on this beautiful day. They have their floating Christmas Tree, as well as all sorts of wooden statues / figures. We also had a quick look around the CBD.

+4
Portarlington

23.5 km

A quick stop in Portarlington for a look at the water.
Queenscliff

12.5 km

Queenscliff is where ferries to Sorrento (on the Mornington Peninsula) leave from, as well as ferries to Tasmania. At around 4:45am this morning there was all sorts of activity at the sites around us in the caravan park. Quite a number of groups were on the Tasmanian ferry and obviously had to be there quite early. When we came out this morning, they were all gone! It's also a very quaint and pretty town.
Ocean Grove

5.2 km

Next stop was Ocean Grove for a look at the surf beach. looks like a very popular place.
Barwon Heads

22.7 km

Today we decided to take a drive to explore the Bellarine Peninsula. First stop was Barwon heads, which looked lovely. The weather today was glorious, which only added to it.
Discovery Parks Geelong ‐ Dec 16, 2024

Before checking into our caravan park in Geelong, we had arranged to meet Mum's cousin and his wife — Gordon and Anne Collis. While we had never met either of them, Mum spoke fondly of her chats with Gordon over the years. Gordon won the Brownlow Medal for Carlton in the VFL (as it was known then) in 1964 — a huge achievement in one of the toughest sports around. We had a wonderful time chatting to Gordon and Anne and enjoyed a lovely lunch and then dinner. I really enjoyed hearing some of G [...]
ordon's stories of growing up and playing football. Gordon also introduced me to some of the rules of billiards and coached me through making my first billiards 'cannon'. Thank you very much Gordon and Anne for your wonderful hospitality.
Torquay

8.1 km

We had a quick look around Torquay, but mainly stopped for a big grocery shop and a coffee.
Bells Beach

16.3 km

Next stop was Bells Beach. There were a few surfers, but not many. There was however a woman who seemed to be on her own, standing on slippery rocks, who decided to jump in for a swim. Talk about a great way to get yourself sucked out to sea or smashed on the rocks. We couldn't watch in case something happened, so headed for Torquay.
Anglesea

8.2 km

After a brief but pleasant stay in Aireys Inlet, we headed for Geelong. On the way we made a brief stop at Anglesea but moved on pretty quickly.
BIG4 Aireys Inlet ‐ Dec 15, 2024

1.4 km

On the Sunday morning we wandered down to the local markets. We wouldn't normally have done this, however we had arranged to visit one of my Mum's cousins (Gordon Collis) and his wife (Anne) in Geelong the following day. As it turns out, Anne was selling some of her wonderful art at these markets on Sunday morning, so we were able to meet her, have a lovely chat, and buy a lovely print and some greeting cards — all with a 'crazy chook' theme.
Split Point Lighthouse

1.9 km

After watching quite a bit of cricket during the day, we walked to Split Point Lighthouse. A great walk and some great views. There was also a VERY nice house on the top of the hill that would be worth many millions of dollars. What a spot!

+4
BIG4 Aireys Inlet ‐ Dec 14, 2024

6.2 km

We arrived at Aireys Inlet at a reasonable time and set up. The next day we went for a short walk up the hill to Aireys Pub for some hot chips and a nice cold, locally brewed beer. A really nice pub!
Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch

14.6 km

A quick stop at the Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch which gave some interesting information on how Australian soldiers returning from WWI were given jobs building this magnificent road.
Teddy's Lookout, Australia

44.8 km

We followed directions from Apple Maps to Teddy's Lookout, which we'd read about as being worth seeing. The street that we were directed up was the steepest street I think I have ever driven up. It caught us by surprise and, by the time we realised what we'd gotten ourselves into, there wasn't a thing we could do about it as there were no side streets to turn off on to and it was way too steep to stop and try to start again. All's well that ends well, but I did get very anxious on this one. The [...]
view wasn't too bad either.
Apollo Bay Bakery

32.8 km

Nicole likes Scallop Pies as much (or more) as I like sausage rolls. Nicole had tried a Scallop pie in Port Fairy and was left very disappointed. She then tried again in Apollo Bay and gave a high 9 score for their effort. Magnificent!
Cape Otway Lighthouse

24.8 km

We decided to squeeze a trip down to Cape Otway to see the lighthouse, despite being a bit short on time. A walk up into the lighthouse wasn't possible as it is being renovated, but it was still nice to see.
Castle Cove Lookout

46.4 km

A quick stop here for a few photos.
Princetown

6 km
Gibson Steps

1.4 km

Just down the road was Gibsons Steps where you can walk down a (very steep) set of steps on to the beach for a closer look at the Twelve Apostles.
The Twelve Apostles

7.1 km

In 2000 we were able to just pull up in a simple car park to photograph the Twelve Apostles. Now, there is a massive car park / visitor centre / kiosk on the non-ocean side of the road, with a walkway across to the Twelve Apostles. There's also a very impressive lookout too. The pace was absolutely packed with visitors, however the weather had improved. Very impressive!

+3
Port Campbell National Park

0.8 km
Mutton Bird Island Lookout

1.1 km

And then the last of this set of rock formations in Port Campbell National Park, Mutton Bird Island Lookout.
Loch Ard Gorge Lookout

0.8 km

We tried to recreate a photo from 2000 with Nicole and her mother, Max. I took the photo back then on a Pentax compact zoom camera with film. This time I took it on an iPhone. How things have changed, with technology, with the rock formations, and with us.

+2
The Razorback

0.4 km

Then we got to some of the more popular sights of the Great Ocean Road, starting with the Razorback.
Port Campbell National Park

10 km
Port Campbell Scenic Lookout

5.5 km

This was a nice view looking down at Port Campbell. We didn't stop at Port Campbell though.
London Bridge

2.3 km

London Bridge was very photogenic. Nicole and I hadn't been along the Great Ocean Road for nearly 25 years, with Nicole's mother. So, these sights brought back some (fuzzy) memories in various places.

+2
The Grotto

4.3 km

Next stop, The Grotto. Very nice.
Peterborough

2.6 km

We just drove through Peterborough. Not much to see here.
Bay of Martyrs

3.9 km

Nearby was the Bay of Martyrs, with similar rock formations. The cloud was still hanging around, making good photos difficult. But the temperature was lovely, with no wind and no rain — a definite bonus in this part of the world.
Bay of Islands

74.4 km

By taking an extra day, which we needed, we'd committed to doing nearly all of the Great Ocean Road in one day. So, after an early start, we stopped first at the Bay of Islands.
Port Fairy Gardens Caravan Park ‐ Dec 12, 2024

1.1 km

The next day we had a rest day. This included feeding some friendly magpies, and Nicole cleaning up after Elfie had an accident in the toilet. Bad Elfie!
The Stump (Caledonian Inn)

For dinner, we walked into the CBD for dinner at The Stump (aka The Caledonia Inn). It was recommended by the caravan park, and we had to agree the food was very good. I had the Nasi Goreng which was delicious, huge, and nice and spicy.
Port Fairy Gardens Caravan Park ‐ Dec 11, 2024

1.1 km

We chose a site at the Port Fairy Gardens Caravan Park well away from the wind, as it was really blowing here. A lovely spot for a few nights.
Port Fairy CBD

2.1 km

We made a stop in the Port Fairy CBD to scope out some places for dinner for one of the nights, plus a quick look around.
Port Fairy Oceanfront, Australia
Griffiths Island Lighthouse Walk

1.2 km

We made the 1.2 km walk out to Griffiths Island and the lighthouse. A really nice walk with lots of birdlife around. And another very nice lighthouse.
Port Fairy Oceanfront

20.3 km

We drove back to Port Fairy where we'd be spending the next few nights. We'd stayed here for a night on our Victoria trip last year and really liked it. Before setting up we drove to the oceanfront area for a look. Lovely!

+2
Viaduct (Warrnambool)

3.3 km

We drove down to the marina-type area and took some photos around the Viaduct. And it was WINDY!!!
Warrnambool CBD

42.3 km

We stopped in the Warrnambool CBD to pick up something I'd had posted plus to post a few Christmas cards. We'd been here last year on our Victoria trip, so didn't spend too long.
The Crags

62.9 km

These rock formations were all out on their lonesome. Very nice.
Portland

12.2 km

We stopped in Portland for a light lunch. The bakery we chose was very disappointing in terms of what we bought to eat (Nicole couldn't even finish her pastie), however the takeaway coffee I bought at a cafe was very nice.
Cape Nelson Lighthouse

27.5 km

The Cape Nelson Lighthouse was well worth visiting. It was your classic coastal lighthouse, free to look around, and the weather had gotten much better. very, very windy though.

+2
Cape Bridgewater

74.6 km

The drive down into Cape Bridgewater was stunning, and the view from the beach beautiful. We stopped just long enough to take a few photos and watch some kids learning to surf ... then back into Knight Riders.
Nelson

4.3 km

We made a very brief stop in Nelson; a pretty spot, but not much there.
South Australia-Victoria Border

18.2 km

We arrived at the border waiting for someone to crawl through our fridge and cupboards, but there was nobody there at all. Awesome sauce! Bye South Australia ...
Ewens Ponds

17.6 km

We made a stop at Ewens Ponds however it was a waste of time for three reasons; a) it was closed for access, b) it's all about snorkelling in the crystal-clear water and seeing the formations underneath, and c) it was way too cold to bother trying to snorkel.
Cape Northumberland Viewing Platform

29.4 km

The next morning, we headed from Mount Gambier to Port MacDonnell. There wasn't much to see in the town itself, but we did enjoy the view from the Cape Northumberland Viewing Platform — despite the overcast weather.
Blue Lake Holiday Park (Mount Gambier) ‐ Dec 10, 2024

2 km

Nicole saw an idea for a mini-Christmas tree online and decided to give it a go. A nice addition to our minimalist Christmas decorations.
Centenary Tower Lookout (Mount Gambier)

2.3 km

After taking a rest day after our busy day getting from Adelaide to Mount Gambier, we decided to walk up the hill to the Centenary Tower Lookout. Whil the map said it was only a 1.2 km walk, the walk was STEEP! It was definitely worth it though for the amazing views out over Mount Gambier.

+2
Blue Lake Holiday Park (Mount Gambier) ‐ Dec 9, 2024

3 km

The Blue Lake Holiday Park is a great place to stay, being so close to the lakes for walks plus the beautiful green grass sites and impeccably kept gardens. A real treat.
Cave Garden (Mount Gambier)

2.6 km

We then drove into the CBD to see the Cave Garden in the middle of town. While the park space setting was very nice, the Cave Garden itself was a little underwhelming. Oh well! We then wandered the CBD for a little bit before stopping for groceries in Woolworths on our way to our caravan park for the next two nights.

+3
Umpherston Sinkhole (Mount Gambier)

3.9 km

Next stop was Umpherston Sinkhole, which was once a private garden established by the landholder to take advantage of the natural sinkhole setting. He apparently would invite friends around to share it with him and his family and as a place to cool off on hot days. Well worth seeing.

+3
Blue Lake (Mount Gambier)

104.2 km

Our first stop in Mount Gambier was Blue Lake, a volcano crater made of limestone and filled with beautifully clear water that provides the town's water supply. With the beautiful sunny day we had, the water looked incredible.
Naracoorte

331.8 km

It was time to leave Adelaide to head to Mount Gambier as our last main stop in South Australia before making our fourth border crossing for this trip into Victoria. We stopped for lunch in Naracoorte — a really lovely country town filled with happy, friendly people. And the weather was gorgeous. So great memories of our very brief stop in Naracoorte.
Brownhill Creek Caravan Park ‐ Dec 7, 2024

2.7 km
Train to Mitcham

8.5 km

We decided to catch the train home as a change, but mainly as the quickest way to get home with the crowds from the cricket. A very squishy ride on the train, and a long walk back to the caravan park, but we finally made it home at around 11:15pm.
Walk to Adelaide Station
Adelaide Oval (Second Australia vs India Test Match)

1.4 km

On Saturday we headed into the CBD for a third time, this time to watch Day 2 of the Australia vs India Test Match. This has been on my sports watching "bucket list" for a long time and we're both so glad we went. We had a perfect day weather-wise, and got to see one of the best days cricket you could ever hope to see. While the action on the ground was great, the real highlight was soaking in the wonderful venue and the range of characters and people enjoying their time at the cricket — parti [...]
cularly the Indian fans and the crowd on "The Hill" just beside us. A really great day.

+9
Bus to Adelaide CBD

9 km
Bus from Adelaide CBD ‐ Dec 5, 2024

9 km
Walk from Adelaide Zoo

1.7 km
Adelaide Zoo

2 km

Today we caught the bus into thew CBD again, this time to visit Adelaide Zoo. We'd purchased discounted entry to Adelaide Zoo when we visited Monarto Safari Park. It was a VERY hot day reaching 37 degrees, so we were struggling a bit and a lot of the animals decided to stay hidden in the shade. Overall, we were very disappointed with this zoo; Monarto Safari Park is much better.

+4
Walk to Adelaide Zoo

1.6 km
Bus to Adelaide CBD

9 km
Bus from Adelaide CBD ‐ Dec 4, 2024

8.7 km
Adelaide City Walk (Part 2)

4.1 km

We then wandered through the Botanic Gardens to enjoy a variety of works by "the world's most celebrated contemporary glass artist, Dale Chihuly" spread throughout the gardens. They were very impressive, especially set in the garden landscapes. We then walked back along Rundle Mall and then down to Chinatown and the Adelaide Central Market. All in all, a very enjoyable day, however we did end up walking around 16km all up including the walk to and from the bus stop.

+2
Adelaide City Walk (Part 1)

4.4 km

After navigating Adelaide's bus system, we found ourselves in Adelaide's CBD. I was very impressed with the green space surrounding the CBD as envisioned by the original designer Colonel William Light, South Australia's first Surveyor-General, as a "city in a garden". We enjoyed breakfast at Coffee Club, a walk along the river, a visit to the Museum to see the Australian Geographic winning images for 2024 (amazing!) and a visit to the State Library. It really is a very interesting and well laid [...]
out CBD, and the weather we had that day was absolutely fabulous.

+17
Bus to Adelaide CBD

9.7 km
Brownhill Creek Caravan Park ‐ Dec 3, 2024

30.8 km
Port Adelaide

3.8 km

We made a quick drive through Port Adelaide but, once again, didn't stop. Next time!
Semaphore

12.6 km

While we didn’t stop at Semaphore, it looked really interesting and somewhere I’d like to explore the next time we’re down this way.
West Beach

5.3 km

We then went for a drive north along the coast picking up some of the more popular beaches.
Glenelg

80.2 km

We decided we’d had enough of Port Elliot Caravan Park and so left a day early to head to Adelaide. Our first stop in the Adelaide area was Glenelg where we stopped for a good look around. It’s a really nice area just a short tram trip from the CBD, with lovely beaches and good shopping areas and eating/drinking places. I imagine this would be a very popular place on weekends.
Port Elliot Caravan Park ‐ Dec 2, 2024

8.8 km
Big Duck Boat Tour

27.3 km

We returned to Victor Harbor a couple of days later to do our Big Duck Boat Tour. Leaving from the Granite Island Causeway, we had a great trip out and around a few of the islands. We saw sea lions, fur seals, a variety of birds, and a very large pod of dolphins just off the coast. We stopped for quite a while to watch the dolphins, which was amazing. They were just playing and frolicking all around the boat, and there were so many of them. I’ve never seen so many dolphins in one place — a r [...]
eal highlight for both of us. The cliffs were very impressive too!

+16
Victor Harbor

8.1 km
Port Elliot Caravan Park ‐ Nov 30, 2024

11.6 km
Spirit of the Coorong Cruise (back)

16.3 km

Then it was back on the boat for our very relaxing trip back to Goldwater Wharf.
Barker's Knoll Walk

1.9 km

We made land at Barker’s Knoll for a walk across the sand dunes to the ocean side. We encountered some strange ball like things that were explained to us as dried seaweed balls that the indigenous people use as very effective fire starters. Our guide also took any volunteers through how to catch pippies on the beach by grinding your feet into the wet sand as the water recedes. Nicole had tried this before, but never seen so many pippies being caught. Impressive!

+8
Spirit of the Coorong Cruise (out)

15.3 km

We had booked this tour of Coorong area from Normanville, and so prepared by watching Storm Boy (1970s version) plus the 2019 remake. The first one had lovely scenery, but was a bit slow, and I couldn’t even finish the second one. Anyway, by the time we took this tour we were well acquainted wth Mr Ponder, Mr Proud and Mr Percival. The tour was great, with a nice lunch and afternoon tea and comfortable seats to enjoy the scenery from. We traversed one of the several locks along the waterway, a [...]
s we approached the mouth of the might Murray River. We did see quite a bit of wildlife along the way, along with the boat used in the original Storm boy movie.

+12
Goolwa Wharf

11.2 km
Port Elliot Caravan Park

2.1 km

To add to our disappointment at Port Elliot Caravan Park, I developed shingles. I’d started to get a tingling sensation on my upper left leg in Normanville, then a bruise feeling with pain, then a rash. After waiting a long time to see a doctor, it was confirmed and so I had a fairly uncomfortable next week. I was lucky that my pain wasn’t that severe really, however Nicole went above and beyond to care for me. Thank you Nicole, I love you!
Middleton Walk

2 km

We had as nice walk early in the morning towards Middleton, trying to get a bit fitter (and lighter) before our return home.
Port Elliot Caravan Park ‐ Nov 29, 2024

1 km
Port Elliot Walk

1 km

After checking in we went for a nice walk around the horeshoe-shaped bay there. We wanted to check out the Flying Fish Cafe which is highly rated, however it wasn’t open and gave no reliable indication of when it would be open. So we gave up. As we walked along we heard a group of very loud ‘schoolies’ boys partying at an uber-expensive looking beach house, then saw some young lads staying in the caravan park heading out for the night. It seems like a long time ago I was that age … I mus [...]
t be getting old.
Port Elliot Caravan Park

8.8 km

We checked in to Port Elliot Caravan Park and were immediately underwhelmed by the state of the park. While in a great location, it seemed very ‘ratty’, shower blocks a bit grubby, plus they decided to put us (clearly stating at time of booking we are not travelling with kids) right next to the massive jumping cushion. So, we had screaming, squealing kids in our ears most of the time — especially considering it doesn’t get dark until around 8:30pm at this time of year.
Victor Harbor

1.5 km
Granite Island

1.4 km

Granite Island was very nice. We walked to the top for a view of Seal Rock against the vast expanse of the Southern Ocean and its waves crashing against Granite Island. We also had some wonderful views back towards Victor Harbor. As a treat on our walk back towards the causeway we encountered the horse drawn tram that operates between the Victor Harbor foreshore and Granite Island. This is a relic of the days when horses drew goods along a railway line to ships docked at the port of Victor Harbo [...]
r.

+7
Victor Harbor

7.6 km

We stopped at Victor Harbor (spelt correctly without a ‘u’ strangely) for a look around the CBD area, which was very nice. thankfully the South Australian ‘schoolies’ had mostly gone (this is their Gold Coast equivalent), although there were still a number around. All well behaved too. After stopping for a (non-sausage roll) bakery snack we headed towards Granite Island — connected to the mainland by a fairly new causeway.
Whale Lookout

30.8 km

Just before we reached Victor Harbor, we stopped to check out the views at Whale Lookout — an OK view but nothing too special.
Tapanappa Lookout

26.4 km

We then drove through Deep Creek National Park. It was a lovely drive through some semi-rainforest areas. We didn’t do any of the walks, as they were all quite long and category 4 or 5 with steep climbs. So instead we enjoyed the view from Tapanappa Lookout, along with several kangaroos.

+2
Cape Jarvis

24.9 km

Next stop was Cape Jervis. This town’s main claim to fame is as the ferry departure point for trips to Kangaroo Island, and there really isn’t much else there. Next stop …
Wirrina Cove

8.7 km

On our way from Normanville to Port Elliot on the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula, we made a few stops. The first was Wirrina Cove, a nice, quiet coastal town with a lovely beach. We just stopped for a few quick photos then moved along.
Lady Bay Foreshore

5.5 km
Normanville Jetty Road Caravan Park ‐ Nov 26, 2024

1.3 km

For the rest of our time in Normanville we took the time to relax, soaking up the fact that our Big Lap is coming to an end relatively soon. We made a walk back to the Normanville Hotel for exercise — plus a cold beer. However they charged like a wounded bull for the privilege, so we left it at just the one each. We also spent some time walking on the lovely beach. Seeing dolphins swimming just off the beach was wonderful, and a common sight I confirmed with the locals.Plus we also tried out t [...]
he cafe a few times … YUM! Normanville is a beautiful spot and well worth a visit for anyone heading this way.

+3
Normanville

1.3 km

Before breakfast we made the 1.5 km walk into town. We scoped out the Normanville Hotel (established in 1851 and one of the oldest pubs in South Australia) and grabbed a few groceries at Foodland. We might have to come back for a drink at the Normanville Hotel before we leave.
Normanville Jetty Road Caravan Park ‐ Nov 25, 2024

14.1 km

We arrived in Normanville in the early afternoon, and immediately felt we'd made a good choice to stay here. While it's only a small town, it's very neat and tidy with a very nice beach. There's also a nice cafe and the Surf Lifesaving Club right beside the caravan park, so we'll have to try those out while we're here.
Myponga Reservoir Lookout

13.7 km

We made another quick stop to photograph the Myponga Reservoir, then back in the motorhome for the final leg to Normanville.
Sellicks Beach

23 km

At the end of the Route 31 Coastal Drive, we stopped at Sellicks Beach. Once again, we were a little underwhelmed after reading so much about how wonderful Sellicks Beach was. maybe it was just the overcast weather that made it look less than its best.
Onkaparinga River Mouth View Point

2.7 km

We made a quick stop here to photograph the mouth of the Onkaparinga River, which we followed for quite a way when travelling from Nuriootpa to Hahndorf.
Port Noarlunga Jetty

2 km

We stopped at the Port Noarlunga Jetty for a walk and watched lots of groups of school kids being taken out to snorkel over the coral very close to the coast.
Christie's Beach

16.9 km

We then headed to the coast to drive Route 31 Coastal Drive running 31 km from O’Sullivan Beach to Sellicks Beach. our first stop was Christie's Beach. While the beach was nice, the area had a bit of a rundown feel to it (to me) and the beaches, while OK, weren't anything to write home about.
d'Arenberg Cube

3.6 km

The one winery we did visit was d'Arenberg — not for their wines but for their 'cube' building. It's a very interesting design, but we didn't go in. They also had a Salvador Dalí exhibition on, which we also didn't look at.

+4
McLaren Vale

47.7 km

On our way to Normanville, we made our first stop in McLarenvale. While it is mainly known for its wineries, we were winery-ed out from the Clare and Barossa Valleys, so decided just to walk the main street of McLarenvale instead. We had a nice time browsing a local gift shop run by a German fellow who was wonderful to talk to, with a great sense of humour.
Mount Barker Caravan & Tourist Park ‐ Nov 23, 2024

1.4 km
Mount Barker Central Shopping Centre

0.7 km

We also did some general shopping, and I got a haircut. Overall, it was a very relaxing few days in Mount Barker not doing very much at all.
Wallis Cinemas (Mount Barker)

1.7 km

The caravan park is withing easy walking distance of the CBD, so we were able to walk to the cinemas to watch Gladiator II (not a bad movie actually).
Mount Barker Caravan & Tourist Park ‐ Nov 22, 2024

9.5 km

We'd planned to stay an extra 2-3 nights in Handorf, however the caravan park is so popular (especially on weekends) that we could only get a site for 3 nights. So, we decided to make the short 20-minute drive to Mount Barker and spend some time relaxing there.
Discovery Parks Hahndorf ‐ Nov 20, 2024

53.7 km
Monarto Safari Park

52.6 km

Today was a day trip to the Montaro Safari Park, around 50 km from Hahndorf. It's a little like the Dubbo Western Plains Zoo in that it is huge, but with this one you catch buses between and through the animal sections, rather than drive your own car. We got to listen to a lot of the keeper talks, which were very interesting, and got nice and close to some of the animals. Our favourites were the Giraffes and the White Rhinos. Nicole loved the ostriches too. All in all, a great day and well worth [...]
doing.

+20
Discovery Parks Hahndorf ‐ Nov 19, 2024

1.8 km
The German Arms Hotel

1.8 km

Fortunately, our caravan park was only a short walk into the town centre, so we were able to walk to our dinner at the German Arms. We'd scoped it out earlier in the day and knew the meals were BIG. Nicole ordered the Roast Pork, while I ordered the Slow-roasted Crispy Pork Hock. My meal was absolutely enormous and, I’m ashamed to say, I didn’t quite make it all the way through it — but I got close.

+2
Discovery Parks Hahndorf

2 km

We arrived at Discovery Parks Hahndorf, a very nice park, and set up.
Hahndorf

29.3 km

We passed through a number of lovely little towns along The Epicurean Way (with some water tank art) before reach Hahndorf. Hahndorf, located in the Adelaide Hills region, is Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement1. It was established in 1838 by Lutheran migrants escaping religious persecution in Prussia, with the town named after Captain Dirk Hahn, who assisted the settlers. We browsed a lot of the interesting shops (including Christmas stuff), Nicole got a massage to help with her st [...]
iff neck, and we sampled some delicious food. A very, very pretty town indeed.

+6
The Toy Factory (Gumeracha)

29.7 km

While we weren't seeking it out, we did spot The Big Rocking Horse as we were leaving (Gumeracha), so stopped for a quick photo. the motorhome nearly got squashed!
Whispering Wall

30.4 km

Our first stop on our drive from Nuriootpa to Handorf in the Adelaide Hills was the Whispering Wall. We were quite intrigued by the name and so thought we'd visit. It is just a standard, curved dam wall, however they have placed areas at each end of the wall (right up next to the dam wall face) where you can speak. The curvature of the dam means that the sound reflects along thew wall to reach the other end. It was amazing how softly you could speak at one end, yet the person at the other end (e [...]
asily 100 metres away) could hear no problem whatsoever. Very cool!
Barossa Valley Tourist Park (Nuriootpa) ‐ Nov 17, 2024

5.5 km

Dinner was some BBQed pork steaks and zucchini with rice, — a little healthier than the other stuff we'd eaten that day.
Maggie Beer's Farm Shop

10.8 km

Our last stop was Maggie Beer's Farm Shop. Neither of us are cooks of any note, so we just browsed then bought some of their chocolate with salted caramel ice-cream. How are we meant to manage our weight????
Barossa Cheese

12.3 km

Next stop a cheese factory, where we tasted and purchased some great cheese. You could really get used to this Barossa lifestyle!
Hayes Family Wines

4.3 km

We then visited Hayes Family Wines. Nicole and I worked with the owners (Brett and Kylie) around 25-30 years ago at Andersen Consulting. They have established this fantastic winery, and Steve took us through a very extensive and interesting tasting experience of their wines. the wines were the best we tasted in our time here, and so we sent another lot of wine home. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area!

+5
Barossa Valley Chocolate Company

6.4 km

The next day we started off with a trip to Barossa Valley Chocolate Company. If you want to buy overpriced chocolate, this is your place. We opted for a coffee each instead.
Barossa Valley Tourist Park (Nuriootpa) ‐ Nov 16, 2024

8.6 km
Calabria Family Wines

5.9 km

Our last winery was Calabria Family Wines. Nicole and I visited their home base in Griffith at the very end of last year, and even met the owner, Bill Calabria. Their setup here in the Barossa is to grow the grapes (plus a cellar door), with all wine produced in Griffith. The lady helping us with the tasting was doing her best to explain their wines, however by this stage everyone was feeling quite happy and focussed more on drinking and talking than listening. A really great tour that we all th [...]
oroughly enjoyed.
Lambert Estate Wines

7.6 km

We had a magnificent platter lunch at Lambert Wines where we sampled a great range of local produce. One of the owners is from Peru, which influences the food they serve a lot, and I REALLY enjoyed it. The wines were great too — so good we bought six and had them sent home.
Menglers Hill Lookout

15.2 km

A quick stop at a lookout with lots of sculptures ...
Reillys II Cellar Door

9.9 km

Next stop was "Reillys II" Cellar Door, with "Reillys I" being in Mintaro where we visited a few days earlier. Once again, a lovely person helping us sample their wines and great wines.

+3
Ubertas Wines

5.6 km

Ubertas Wines was established by a Taiwanese family that came here with little English skills but big plans. A really beautiful, modern cellar door setup with lovely wines. Really lovely people too!
Barossa Farmer's Market

5.4 km

We booked a wine tour with a group called "A Wine Wagon". They were recommended by the caravan park, and we could see why, with pick up from the office and drop off to our actual site! Mark was great, we had five other ladies on the tour, and four wineries to visit. First stop was the Barossa Farmer's Market where Nicole and I shared a great salmon and cream cheese bagel.
Barossa Valley Tourist Park (Nuriootpa) ‐ Nov 15, 2024

1.7 km

Nicole and I have been enjoying ourselves a little too much with food and drink of late and so are using our time in Nuriootpa to do some regular exercise walks. Let's hope it has the intended effect. But it doesn't help when, as BIG4 members, you get "buy one ice-cream get one free" now does it!
Nuriootpa Main Street

1.7 km
Barossa Valley Tourist Park (Nuriootpa) ‐ Nov 14, 2024

8.3 km

We checked in to the caravan park in Nuriootpa. We'd been thinking of having an extended stay somewhere as a bit of a break, and as soon as we saw the site we knew it would be here. Five nights it is! We walked to the local (fantastic!) grocery store and got some amazing steaks to cook for dinner.
Tanunda

0.8 km

We really enjoyed a walk around Tununda, one of the two main centres in the Barossa (Nuriootpa being the other). Nicole was excited at seeing Christmas stuff (me, not so much) and we had an awesome lunch at a 50's diner.

+5
Chateau Tanunda

9.5 km

Chateau Tanunda is another showpiece winery, however once again we didn't go in.
Gnadenfrei Lutheran Church

2.3 km

A lovely church in a tiny town.
Seppeltsfield Winery

19.2 km

Seppeltsfield Winery is one of the showpiece wineries of the Barossa Valley, with very old buildings and 5km of boulevard lined with massive data palms. We didn't taste their wines, however did buy some balsamic vinegar.

+5
Kapunda

26.7 km

Another lovely country town with great street art and an even better bakery. We had a great chat to some locals enjoying a visit to the bakery with their dog.

+4
Eudunda Silo Art

23 km

Another quick stop in Eudunda to see this silo art, dedicated to Colin Thiele who grew up in Eudunda — author of "Storm Boy" and many other books.
Marrabel

35.3 km

We stopped briefly in Marrabel, made famous for its rodeo. The fame of Marrabel Rodeo rested upon Curio, a brumby that was unbeaten for eight years from 1945, and became the most famous buckjumper in Australia.
Mintaro

14.7 km

We left Clare Valley to head for the Barossa Valley. Our first stop was the lovely, historic town of Mintaro, famous for its slate production.

+4
Discovery Parks Clare ‐ Nov 13, 2024

3.1 km
Sevenhill Hotel

1.6 km

Before heading home, we had a nice lunch at the Sevenhill Hotel. This has no connection to the winery, as the town itself is called Sevenhill.
Sevenhill Winery

8.1 km

+15

Sevenhills Winery

Next we headed just north of Clare to Sevenhills, site of the first winery in the area. Fathers and Brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) fled Central Europe in the mid 1800's to be relieved...
Clare

43.3 km

We walked the main street of Clare and had a look at some shops, as well as some of the very nice street art around the place.
Burra

4.4 km

Burra is a lovely little town with some very old, historic buildings. It also had a bakery ...
Midnight Oil House

36.9 km

Our next stop was around 3km north of Burra top see an abandoned house made famous on the cover of Midnight Oil's "Diesel and Dust". A lot more grass around the house all these years later ...
Spalding

43 km

After a well-deserved rest day (including catching up on washing clothes) we took a day trip around the Clare Valley. First stop was Spalding which, while a quaint little town, wasn't really worth spending much time in — or taking a photo as it seems.
Discovery Parks Clare ‐ Nov 11, 2024

23.8 km

We checked into this nice caravan park, with the plan to have a full rest day the next day. I was feeling very tired; must be getting old. And that night we actually had a storm, although we only seemed to get the edge of it. Just like home!
Farrell Flat Silo Art

142.5 km

Before setting up at the caravan park we drove over to Farrell Flat to look at their silo art (via a nice lookout near Clare).
Ardrossan

43.3 km

I was in need of a comfort break and a coffee, so we stopped in Ardrossan. It’s a very nice little town, with a decent bakery (sausage roll score to come). Coffees in hand, we headed back to Knight Riders for the drive to Clare — our destination for the next few nights.
Port Vincent

18.3 km

A very quick stop at Port Vincent to check out their water tower art.
Stansbury Caravan Park ‐ Nov 10, 2024

19.4 km

We finally had success at Stansbury Caravan Park (answered their phone and at reception when we arrived), so we booked in for one night. After a long day we decided to have dinner at the local hotel. My cheeseburger was awesome, although most of the sauce and mustard ended up all over my hands (a very good sign in my book). Then, we had a nice video call with Nicole’s brother (Paul) and his partner (Sam). Thanks for the chat guys!

+5
Coobowie

5.7 km

So, we made the short drive up to Coobowie to see if we could find somewhere to stay there. Once again, nobody at the caravan park reception and no answer to a phone call. What the!!
Edithburgh Caravan Park

2.9 km

We had wanted to stay in Edithburgh for the night. I had called about two hours earlier (no reply) and when we arrived at 4pm there was nobody at reception. Time to find another caravan park!
Edithburgh Water Tower Art

85 km

We checked off another piece of tower art on Nicole’s list, which was off a cuttlefish and coral that can be found in and around the local jetty.
Marion Bay

28.2 km

Before leaving Marion Bay, we stopped for a coffee at the General Store which was surprisingly good. I needed a caffeine hit as I was starting to feel a bit tired (perhaps from the farewell drinks the night before).
Shell Beach (Innes National Park)

3.4 km
Dolphin Beach (Innes National Park)

5.3 km
Pondalowie Surf Beach (Innes National Park)

4.2 km
West Cape Lookout Walk (Innes National Park)

4.5 km

+6
Ethel Beach & Shipwreck (Innes National Park)

7.8 km
Cape Spencer Lighthouse (Innes National Park)

3.6 km
Stenhouse Bay Lookout Walk (Innes National Park)

0.8 km
Chinamans Hat Island Lookout (Innes National Park)

63.8 km

We headed into Innes National Park for a look, and we’re very glad we did. We had a beautiful day to do it too. The park was very well organised and easy to explore.
Flaherty's Beach

114.8 km

Our first stop the next morning was Flaherty’s Beach, which we had read had been voted 2022 Best Beach. We really need to start reading the fine print on these claims because we seem to have been burned again. While the beach I’m sure is nice in summer, it wasn’t anything to write home about — or stop for.
Moonta Bay ‐ Nov 9, 2024

Back at the caravan park we enjoyed our last night with the Kalbarri Crowd with some drinks, music and a game of cards. Thanks very much for the hospitality guys!

+2
Port Victoria

42.5 km

Port Victoria showed a lot more promise. However it was now close to lunch so we decided to have a cold drink and lunch at the local hotel. There were a lot of great photos of the old Dutch sailing ships that would collect wheat from the local jetty (carried there by horse and dray) and take it all the way back to Europe via Cape of Good Hope. Nicole and Moira also had some fun with a local mural.
Balgowan

50.8 km

Then it was on to Balgowan where we hoped we could buy a coffee somewhere. No luck I’m afraid, as there was no shop of any description to be found — just a very small caravan park. A strange little place.
Port Hughes

3.9 km

The next morning we went for another drive, this time starting at Port Hughes which is only a 5 minute drive from where we were staying in Moonta Bay. It was a very nice spot, and so we walked out on the obligatory jetty. Looking over the edge I saw a whole heap of bubbles come up and couldn’t work out what they were. I had just started thinking it may have been a leaking pipe of some sort when the bubbles started moving towards the end of the jetty and then under it. A local then pointed out [...]
to me that it was actually a local scuba diving group practicing. there you go …
Moonta Bay ‐ Nov 8, 2024

18.8 km

That afternoon we all enjoyed dinner at a place just next to the caravan park, then enjoyed a walk along the jetty as the sun slowly came down.

+2
Bond Store (Wallaroo)

9.5 km

Then we made the short drive to Wallaroo. It was a nice little town, however we didn’t look around too much as we were mainly there to have lunch at the Bond Store. It was a very well done establishment with great beers and a surprisingly good food selection — surprising mainly for the fact it was here in this small town. We all enjoyed our lunch and drinks (ranging from beer to wine to gin) and set off back to the caravan park.
Kadina

After a great first night catching up with the Kalbarri Crowd, they kindly offered to let Nicole and I join them for a trip to Wallaroo, just up the road. First, we made a stop in Kadina to have a look around the shops, have a coffee, and grab some groceries.
Moonta Bay ‐ Nov 6, 2024

20.5 km

We finished up a busy and tiring day at Moonta Bay Holiday Park. We'd been contacted by the Kalbarri Crowd (the lovely people we met in Kalbarri and have since caught up with in Perth) to see if we wanted to spend three nights together with them, as they are also in this neck of the woods. We jumped at the opportunity and so we will spend four nights here, with the Kalbarri Crowd joining us for the last three nights. Should be great!
Kadina

30.3 km

Our next stop in Kadina was to see this piece of silo art (located in a car park, which was a real shame) and wash the motorhome. The motorhome hadn't been washed since Karratha (northwestern WA), and we'd done a lot of driving on dirt and other roads since then, so it REALLY needed a wash.
Bute

102.7 km

We made a quick stop in Bute for a comfort break and to see this lovely piece of silo art.
Port Pirie

184.5 km

Between Hawker and Quorn we got our last glimpses of the amazing Flinders Ranges area. Then it was on to Port Pirie to take on supplies and fuel. The drive all this day was challenging as we had a gale force wind blowing into and across us the whole way, which has quite the impact when your vehicle is 3.1 metres tall!

+2
Flinders Food Co (Hawker)

55.2 km

We left Wilpena Pound early to head towards the Yorke Peninsula. First stop was the Flinders Food Co (home of the now equal top scored sausage roll) for breakfast. We both ordered scrambled eggs on toast with a big cappuccino, and it was FANTASTIC! A very good start to the day.
Wilpena Pound Resort Campground ‐ Nov 5, 2024

3.3 km
Hills Homestead

0.2 km

We stopped for another rest at Hills Homestead and admired the fantastic rock carving of the traditional owners. We were all said and done and back at the motorhome by 8:30am, which we were very happy with considering the temperature was going to get into the mid 30s later in the day. Rest time!

+2
Lower Lookout

0.4 km

We stopped at the Lower Lookout on the way back down for a rest, but the view was much the same, just lower down.
Wangarra Lookout

3.9 km

We rose very early (again) for this walk of around 7.8 km return. Most of it was pretty easy, however the section climbing up to the Wangarra Lookout was a bit more strenuous, particularly as I was racing to catch the sun rising over Rawnsley Bluff — and I did!

+7
Wilpena Pound Resort Campground ‐ Nov 4, 2024

25.3 km

After all of our early morning we had a bit of a sleep in. This involved me watching the Brazilian F1 race. Then it was breakfast, pack up, then the short drive to the other side of Rawnsley Bluff to Wilpena Pound Resort Camground. The reason for this is to get us closer to the walking trails to a) catch the early light more easily, and b) to avoid the heat of the day while walking. After setting up we met some of the locals (kangaroos) then headed for a snack and cold drink at the resort — en [...]
joyed under the shade of a beautiful big gum tree.
Rawnsley Park Station ‐ Nov 3, 2024

1.3 km

After resting for the rest of the day (plus getting our weekly washing done) we headed to the Woolshed Restaurant where we had that yummy Lamb Platter on the first night. We ordered two takeaway pizzas (which were fantastic — mine "The Vader") and enjoyed a cold drink each while waited. And that was our last evening at Rawnsley Park Station, which we had thoroughly enjoyed.
Alison Saddle Track

0.7 km

The views from Alisons Saddle were fantastic, giving us a view across a number of the ranges as well as across the caravan park and eco cabins. Well worth the climb, but we were glad to now be heading back down to the caravan park.

+7
Pines Cave Trail

Early the next morning we did the other of the walks at Rawnsley Park Station we'd wanted to do — the Pine Caves and Alison Saddle Walk. After walking to the point where the track heads for Pine Cave and feeling a bit stiff and sore, we decided to leave out Pine Saddle and just do the Alison Saddle bit. In hindsight, when we finished the walk, we both looked back on this decision being a very good one.
Kangaroo Gap Lookout

0.9 km
Rawnsley Park Station ‐ Nov 2, 2024

80.6 km

On arriving back at the caravan park I headed for the toilet, only to find a sign saying there was now a total fire ban in place. While completely understandable with the current weather conditions (hot, dry and windy), we were both disappointed — and particularly Nicole, who loves her fires.
Blinman Mine

0.8 km

Before leaving town, we made the very short drive to the old Blinman Copper Mine. We had a cursory look around, but it was hot, dry, dusty ... and not that interesting. We could have joined the tour and paid $30 each to see below the ground, but decided we'd had enough for one day and needed to get back to rest up.
Blinman

32.5 km

We then headed east to drive 32 km of some of the worst dirt road we've come across so far, even though they had recently graded it (apparently). Blinman was once a copper mining town, but is now a small town trying to keep itself alive (also see "Sausage Roll Scorecard — Three Middlings and an Exceptional" blog post).

+2
Parachilna

45.2 km

As the (dirt) Moralana Scenic Drive reached The Outback Highway, we headed north to Parachilna. It doesn't have much there, however is famous for the Prairie Hotel. The Prairie Hotel started in 1876 as a railway siding for the. Blinman copper mines, then in 1905 the current stone hotel and outbuildings were constructed. It has become a legendary destination for all types of people to enjoy its cold schooners and rustic hospitality. Unfortunately, the hotel had been booked out by a group for FOUR [...]
DAYS for a wedding, and so we couldn't even get access to the front to at least get a photo. A real shame; maybe next time.
Moralana Scenic Drive

8.5 km

At one point we stopped at a lookout but couldn't immediately see where it was. Then we looked up the hill and saw what they were talking about. I scrambled up the hill and am so glad I did, as I was greeted with one of the best views I've had in the Flinders Ranges.

+6
Moralana Scenic Drive Lookout

33 km

We headed off very early in the morning to do the Moralana Scenic Drive. It's meant to be one of the most scenic drives in the Flinders Ranges, and we both agree. We enjoyed fantastic views and scenery plus so much wildlife around that time of the morning.

+6
Rawnsley Park Station ‐ Oct 31, 2024

24.7 km

That night (and a couple of other nights) we had a fire in the firepit provided at the rear of our site — with those fantastic views of Rawnsley Bluff and all sorts of wildlife including kangaroos, emus, sheep and a variety of birds. The first night we invite the couple that had just arrived next door over to join our fire with us, and we all had a great chat over a few drinks.

+2
Wilpena Pound

23.7 km

Before returning to our base at Rawnsley Park we stopped at Wilpena Pound to check out the caravan park and facilities. This is the head of a lot of the walking trails, so we will likely stay here for a couple of nights to do these walks. While we there, we just HAD to get a bowl of hot chips to enjoy. Yum!
Bunyeroo Valley Lookout

0.8 km

A very similar view from slightly further up the ridge.
Razorback Lookout

14.7 km

This would have to be one of the most stunning views we have enjoyed on our trip. Magnificent! Although the photos can't do it justice.

+2
Brachina East Camp Ground

1.1 km

There's a geological tour you can do through here pointing out all of the different geological ages and formations of the area.
Aroona Valley Lookout

4.4 km

A nice lookout here.
Brachina Gorge Lookout

19.9 km
Appealinna Ruins

9.4 km

Next stop was some old ruins of a homestead established very early on in the region's colonised history, based around a natural spring. Disputes then took place between the landholder and local miners. The emus and kangaroos are the only ones left behind now to enjoy the water spring.

+3
Stokes Hill Lookout, Australia

Next was Stokes Hill Lookout — even higher and a pretty steep, rocky incline to get to it. Nice view!
Hucks Lookout

32 km

We set out early to da a half-day loop drive recommended to us by the caravan park staff. We stopped a few places along the way to our first stop to photograph some great light on the ranges, then arrived at Hucks Lookout for a great view.

+4
Rawnsley Park Station ‐ Oct 30, 2024

2.3 km
Clems Corner

2.7 km

There are a number of local walks here at Rawnsley Park, so we decided to tackle the “Clems Corner” walk on our first morning. We got up very early (set off at around 6:15am) to get the good light for photos, and we were definitely rewarded with a great view of the amazing Chace Range.

+6
Rawnsley Park Station ‐ Oct 29, 2024

2.3 km
Woolshed Restaurant

3.2 km

For dinner the first night, we booked a table at Rawnsley Park Station’s Woolshed Retaurant. We’d read great things about the food, especially the “Lamb Platter for 2” made using their own sheep we see running around all over the place here. It was a magnificent feed and a very memorable meal!
Rawnsley Park Station

1 km

We had booked a powered site and were very impressed when we saw the site we’d been allocated and the view we would have. And, each site has their own fire pit. Looking forward to enjoying our stay here.
Station Hill Lookout

36.7 km

As we headed into Rawnsley Park Station where we’d be staying the next 6 nights, we made a stop at one of their lookout points. While our first stop was in the early afternoon, we did return later in the evening to get some magical views of the sun setting over Rawnsley Bluff and other parts of the magnificent Flinders Ranges.
Hawker

67.6 km

Hawker was another pleasant little town, although in my opinion not as nice as Quorn. We checked out the general store (on the lookout for sausage rolls) and found it to be a bit unappealing. So we took the chance to head into the very appealing looking “Flinders Food Co” and … sorry, you’ll just have to read about it in my next Sausage Roll Scorecard post!
Quorn

118.2 km

On our drive to the Flinders Ranges, our first stop was Quorn. It’s a lovely little town with lots of street murals and a feeling that they take a great deal of pride in keeping the town fresh and retaining markers to the past. The war memorial statues made from chicken wire were one of my lasting images — very clever.

+3
Whyalla Foreshore Caravan Park ‐ Oct 27, 2024

1.6 km

We’d paid a little extra for a nice waterfront site and, so good it was, we decided to extend to a third night. Unfortunately, pretty much as soon as we extended the booking the gale force winds started up. It was so windy that the motorhome was shaking all over the place. When opening the door to get in/out of the Motorhomes, you had to use two arms pushing to hold it open. I expected to wake up in the morning and find the motorhome pushed back a few metres from where it was parked. And this [...]
wind kept up for two full days, meaning spending most of our time inside. Oh well …
Whyalla Jetty

2 km

As exercise to offset the sausage roll intake, we went for an early morning walk to the Whyalla Jetty. It was a lovely walk that time of the morning and not very far at all. The old jetty was falling into a state of disrepair and so the council commissioned a new jetty. The winning design was very popular, and we could see why with such an unusual and clever circular ring in the middle. Whyalla was known for its steelworks and seems to still be exporting iron ore. For an industrial-type town, it [...]
is really quite pretty and they've done a great job with the foreshore area around the jetty.

+6
Whyalla Foreshore Caravan Park ‐ Oct 26, 2024

55.1 km

We arrived in Whyalla early in the afternoon. We'd planned to stay only two nights, however when we saw the site we had booked on the waterfront (costing only a few extra dollars) we immediately decided to stay an extra night and take the time to relax. And we got a very nice sunset view for showing so much faith (Nicole enjoying it from the bathroom window in the motorhome). A great way to end the day.
Iron Knob

88.9 km

As we turned of Highway 1 to head down to Whyalla, we drove through Iron Knob. There was a massive open cut iron ore mine there, but apparently it stopped mining a while back — although there are still some stockpiles they are running down. Iron Knob the town was one of the biggest s**t hole towns I've seen on the trip. It looked completely deserted, although there seemed to be cars parked at houses. So, Iron Knob is NOT on our "Next Time" list.
Kimba

87.2 km

We then headed inland to Kimba, where another nice work of silo art was on display. We stopped for a "wake up" coffee at the Kimba Roadhouse and found the "Big Gallah". Unfortunately, it decided to sit on the bonnet of the motorhome, but with no real damage done. Kimba — on Highway 1 coming off the Nullarbor — also markets itself as the midpoint between the east and west coasts of Australia.

+2
Cowell

79.6 km

Cowell was another lovely little town. We explored the main street which contained a bakery (SRS alert) and some very clean public toilets. In the ladies toilet, Nicole was presented with "Crap Art", the idea being that you could choose a painting from the wall and buy it at the displayed price by placing the amount (in cash obviously) in the envelope. Very trusting of the artists indeed.

+2
Port Neill

40.6 km
Tumby Bay

2.7 km

Tumby bay itself was a lovely little town, with the people being particularly friendly. It was only early, however we received some good power waves from early morning walkers. We have added Tumby Bay to our "Next Time" list.
Silo Art (Tumby Bay)

50.1 km

We left early from Port Lincoln to give ourselves plenty of time for the drive up to Whyalla. While there had been a lot to see down the western side of the Eyre Peninsula, there didn't seem to be as much to see up the eastern side. We had a lovely sky as we left. On the way into Tumby Bay we stopped first at some very impressive silo art. Nicole is a huge fan of this artform and I quite like them as well. This one was commissioned and the artist given latitude to decide what made the area uniqu [...]
e. He chose jumping off the jetty as he had enjoyed doing this with the locals himself.
Port Lincoln Tourist Park ‐ Oct 25, 2024

2.2 km
Parnkalla Trail

2.4 km

The next morning, we headed the other way along the Parnkalla Trail. Once again, some very nice views. For the rest of the day it was catching up on washing, photo editing and updating web pages.
Port Lincoln Tourist Park ‐ Oct 24, 2024

3.5 km
Parnkalla Trail

3.8 km

That afternoon we walked nearly all the way into the CBD along the Parnkalla Trail which runs along the port foreshore. This gave us a good look at the cruise ship that by this time of the afternoon was getting ready to set sail.
Port Lincoln Tourist Park

3 km
Jump Ship Brewing

29 km

We made a brief but enjoyable stop at Jump Ship Brewing. We had sampled their beer on the oyster farm tour, and I was keen to try their other brews. Nicole and I shared a 4-beer tasting paddle and made two choices to take away with us. very nice beer and very friendly staff.
Wanna Lookout

32.4 km

This was a fair slog along some pretty rough roads, but the view was mostly worth it.
September Beach

2 km

A short drive then to September Beach, which was really quite lovely. And, once again, nobody at all on the beach.
Cape Donington Lighthouse

0.9 km

A very short drive to the Donington Lighthouse where Nicole spotted another sea lion enjoying himself.
Donington Beach

43.8 km

The next morning, we left early to drive into Port Lincoln National Park. While it was nice, it wasn't to the same level as Coffin Bay National Park. Plus, the roads were VERY corrugated and rough to drive on. First stop was Donington Beach, with quite threatening weather.
Port Lincoln Tourist Park ‐ Oct 23, 2024

7.8 km

We checked into the caravan park and found we had a very nice view over the water.
Winter Hill Lookout ‐ Oct 24, 2024

4.9 km

Next stop was Winter Hill Lookout to get a commanding view of the town and port. The next morning, a large cruise ship would sail into the port for a day stop.
Port Lincoln CBD ‐ Oct 23, 2024

61.9 km

It was then time to leave Coffin Bay National Park and Coffin Bay itself and make the short 35-minute drive to Port Lincoln just on the other side of the south tip of the Eyre Peninsula. Our first stop was the main CBD and foreshore area to make some lunch and eat it in the park.
Almonta Beach

2.3 km

As we walked down the massive sand dunes to this main part of Almonta Beach, Nicole spotted something in thew water. It was a sea lion that had swum from the nearby island and was just happily swimming and surfing through the waves. Amazing ...

+3
Almonta Beach (West End)

0.2 km

Almonta Beach is another stunning beach in this part of the world. really beautiful.

+2
Golden Island Lookout

0.9 km

And an even better view.

+2
Point Avoid

4 km

Another great view.

+2
Claytons Lookout

4 km

As you can see, there were some great lookout views again along this stretch of coast.
Templetonia Lookout

13.3 km

We set off early in the morning to explore part of the Coffin Bay National Park. As we headed in, the wildlife theme continued, with multiple kangaroos, emus and lizards coming out on to the road at regular intervals.
Coffin Bay Caravan Park ‐ Oct 22, 2024

1.1 km
Coffin Bay Yacht Club

9.7 km
Sea Lion Visit

4.6 km

On the way back we stopped at a small island where there were quite a few sea lions just swimming around and sun baking. They looked very relaxed. On the way back we also saw a pod of dolphins happily swimming near the boat. Coffin Bay really is a very untouched and natural place, and amazing to visit.

+2
Shoreline Waders Stop

2.3 km

The plan had been for us to don waders and walk around the oyster farm racks. Unfortunately, the tide was a bit too high, and they didn't want to risk us getting water over the tops of our waders. So, to still get the "waders experience" we headed into shore for a little talk and a chance to hold a sponsored oyster bag up in the air.

+7
Oyster Farm Beds

13.5 km

Our first stop were the oyster farm beds. The bay is very shallow, making it perfect for oyster farmers i.e. they can (mostly) work by walking on the sea floor, rather than having to dive down and up all the time. They make sure that the oysters regularly spend time above the water (rotating constantly) as this helps them build up the ability to hold their shells tightly closed for longer — like being in a gym. this way, the oysters can last up to 10 days out of the water, rather than the 2 da [...]
ys other oysters can. Very clever.

+4
Coffin Bay Yacht Club

0.6 km

This was our departure for our Experience Coffin Bay Tour. We couldn't get on the tour for the previous day, so we were very surprised that there were only 4 (including us) on the tour. Bonus! We had also expected not much shade, salt spray etc on the boat, however as it turns out the boat was fully enclosed and extremely well appointed and comfortable.
Oyster Walk (Coffin Bay) ‐ Oct 21, 2024

2.5 km

The next day we did part of the Oyster Walk along the foreshore. Very nice and actually goes in between and around some of the houses. Some are the old beach shack type, but some are VERY fancy indeed. And a local told us that holiday rental occupancies in Coffin Bay run regularly at around 92%!.
Coffin Bay Caravan Park ‐ Oct 20, 2024

2.4 km

Upon arriving at the Coffin Bay Caravan Park we immediately noticed how much wildlife there was in the park. Emus were roaming freely everywhere, many with cute little Emu chicks. And not worried about human company at all. We also noticed quite a few kangaroos, all equally comfortable with human company.

+2
Coffin Bay Lookout

40.2 km

As we arrived in Coffin Bay, we stopped at the lookout to have some lunch before checking into the caravan park and setting up.
Coles Point Lookout, Australia

3.6 km

A quick stop at this lookout on the way out.
Greenlee Beach

74.3 km

This was our other main stop on our way to Coffin Bay, and well worth the (very good) dirt road drive in. It was a Sunday and so there were a lot of locals there including some surfers. Nicole got out her super zoom camera and got some awesome shots! Beautiful spot.
Sheringa Roadhouse

27.4 km

On our walk back from our sunset photography in Elliston the previous evening, a local said we had to stop at the Sheringa Roadhouse on our way to Coffin Bay. So, we did, and we're both still not sure why. The place was for sale and a bit of a crazy cat lady (the owner) didn't seem to be too interested in us being there. We tried to chat, but didn't get much out of her. We started looking around the shelves and so she decided to turn the lights on for us! Glad we stopped (not).
Locks Well Beach

23.4 km

And, as if we hadn't had enough stunning cliff and beach views, we came across this one. Words can't really describe it, so I won't try. It was worth the steps down to the viewing platform.
Elliston Mara Sculpture on the Cliffs

1.8 km

Not sure about this statue, but the view was magnificent.
Headland Sculpture on the Cliffs

2.1 km

These sculptures seemed to be based of those from Easter Island. And Nicole tried to push me off the cliff!

+2
The Thongz Sculptures of the Cliffs

5.2 km

Then we started on the Elliston Clifftop Drive with (more) stunning views and some very interesting sculptures along the way. These thongs were both our favourites.
Elliston Historical Jetty

1.6 km

After packing up we stopped briefly at the Elliston Historical Jetty. It is still in use, however some of the boards felt a bit old.
Waterloo Bay Tourist Park (Elliston) ‐ Oct 19, 2024

1.6 km
Cape Finness (Elliston)

1.3 km

That evening Nicole and I had dinner then went for the same walk we did that morning, out to Cape Finness, to photograph the sunset. What a stunningly beautiful place. I'd put the camera away to walk back, and had to keep getting it out multiple times as the sky just kept looking more and more beautiful.

+3
Elliston Foreshore Walk

3.5 km

The following morning, after a bit of a sleep in, we walked along the foreshore and out on to the point. The weather was absolutely glorious, and the views matched the weather. A great way to start the day.

+4
Waterloo Bay Tourist Park (Elliston), Australia ‐ Oct 18, 2024

51.8 km

Mid-afternoon we arrived at a very pleasant little coastal hamlet that Dad had told me that he and Mum had particularly liked when they were on the Eyre Peninsula. We could quickly see why.
The Tub

0.9 km

Then we looked at The Tub, which is a cave formed in the limestone cliffs where the roof has completely caved in. There are warnings everywhere around here about undercut cliff edges, and this showed us just how dangerous they can become.
Talia Lone Grave

2 km

Just up the road was this lone grave to a woman who drowned off that coast in 1928.
Woolshed Cave

25.1 km

A 7km drive in on some of the most corrugated dirt roads we'd experienced since the Kimberley region brought us to Talia Caves and Rockpools. First stop was Woolshed Cave. While the cave wasn't that deep, the rock formations at the entrance were very interesting and photogenic.

+2
Venus Bay Lookout ‐ Oct 19, 2024

0.6 km

At the top of the street, we found this lookout with amazing views — aided by the fact the weather had cleared.
Venus Bay ‐ Oct 18, 2024

39.8 km

I wasn't convinced that Venus Bay was worth visiting, but I'm glad we followed Nicole's instincts as it was a really lovely little place with a great lookout from the General Store we stopped at for hot chips for lunch. Nicole also said hello to a local.
Murphy's Haystacks

62.9 km

Our next stop was Murphy's Haystacks. On private property where the property owner (Murphy, surprisingly) allows people to access with a small donation, these rock formations are 'inselbergs'. While unusual, they were very interesting and worth the stop.

+2

Murphys Haystacks
Cape Bauer

2.5 km

Cape Bauer Loop Coastal Scenic Drive.
Whistling Rocks & Blowholes

2.8 km

Cape Bauer Loop Coastal Scenic Drive.

+3
Hallys Beach

20.9 km

On leaving Streaky Bay we did the second of their loop drives, the Cape Bauer Loop Coastal Scenic Drive. Once again there were some magnificent views.
Streaky Bay Islands Caravan Park ‐ Oct 16, 2024

30.8 km

After a long day sightseeing it was time to check in to our caravan park. It was out of town but quite new with great facilities. I decided to eat the Smoky Bay Oysters we'd bought back in Ceduna (this area is famous for its oysters). As they say, when in Rome ... The second day there we had some bad weather with strong winds, so stayed in the motorhome. Once the weather had passed, we went for a nice walk along the waterfront in front of the caravan park.

+3
Smooth Pool

5.6 km

Westall Way Loop Coastal Scenic Drive.
Granites

1.1 km

Westall Way Loop Coastal Scenic Drive.
High Cliff

2.2 km

Westall Way Loop Coastal Scenic Drive.
Tractor Beach

44.6 km

We then started the Westall Way Loop Coastal Scenic Drive, with some really great views of cliffs, rock formations and waves.
Point Labatt Sealion Colony

22.5 km

This was a pretty long drive along dirt road but ended up being well worth it. Even though the weather was quite gloomy, we had a great view of the Sealion colony. Most were lying around doing nothing (and in fact looked dead), however three were playing around in the pools. With no land-based predators here, they have a pretty good life. Nicole took some amazing photos on her super zoom camera, even seeing a shark bite on one.

+4
Sceale Bay

28.7 km

We stopped to make our lunch at this lovely spot. I'll remember some people sitting on their deck waving in a very friendly way as we drove past.
Streaky Bay

21.7 km

We stopped briefly in Streaky Bay to fuel up, buy a new sink plug and gloves at the hardware, then coffees plus a shared sausage roll from the bakery as a snack.
Perlubie Beach

52.5 km

Not much to see here.
Smoky Bay

48.6 km

Smoky Nay was a very sleepy town. Not much to see, but we'd forgotten to fuel up before leaving Ceduna. We did a "splash and dash" ($2.40/litre for diesel vs $1.80/litre in Streaky Bay) and Nicole grabbed a good old fashioned "mixed lollies bag" while she was paying. Yum!
Pinky Point Lookout

4.3 km

We headed off early the next morning for Streaky Bay. Our first stop was Pinky Point as we were leaving Ceduna. The silos are a gypsum plant.
Ceduna Foreshore Caravan Park ‐ Oct 14, 2024

72.4 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 3 (The Finale)' blog post. The day after arriving in Ceduna we took a well-earned rest day. This included a trip to the bakery, buying a few items from the local camping store and getting our washing done. After dinner I strolled down to the pier and enjoyed photographing the stunning sunset.

+4
Penong

220 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 3 (The Finale)' blog post.
Head Of Bight Visitor Centre

25.5 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 3 (The Finale)' blog post.

+3

Head of Bight Visitor Centre
Nullarbor Roadhouse

1.8 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 3 (The Finale)' blog post.

+3
Western End of Nullarbor Plain

84.6 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 3 (The Finale)' blog post.
Burnt-out Truck

23.3 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 3 (The Finale)' blog post.
Bunda Cliffs Lookout 2

23.9 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 3 (The Finale)' blog post.
52k Peg Scenic Lookout

35.1 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 3 (The Finale)' blog post.
Bunda Cliffs Lookout 3

16.5 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 3 (The Finale)' blog post.
WA-SA Border

12.6 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 3 (The Finale)' blog post.
Eucla Roadhouse

0.2 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 3 (The Finale)' blog post.
Eucla Lookout

4.6 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 3 (The Finale)' blog post.
Eucla Telegraph Station

68.6 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 3 (The Finale)' blog post.

+4
Mundrabilla Roadhouse ‐ Oct 13, 2024

115.9 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 2' blog post.

+2
Madura Roadhouse

2 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 2' blog post.
Madura Pass Lookout

88 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 2' blog post.
Cocklebiddy Free Camp ‐ Oct 12, 2024

1.4 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 1' blog post.

+2
Cocklebiddy Roadhouse

65.8 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 1' blog post.
Caiguna Roadhouse

146.5 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 1' blog post.
90 Kile Straight (West End)

34.6 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 1' blog post.
Balladonia Roadhouse

190.3 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 1' blog post.
Norseman

202.5 km

See 'The Nullarbor — Part 1' blog post.
Esperance ‐ Oct 11, 2024

187.5 km

Back to Esperance where we stayed for a bit just over a month ago. Took on fuel and supplies for our Nullarbor crossing.
Ravensthorpe

70.5 km

A stop for lunch and a short wander around town.
Lake King

63.2 km

Another quick stop at a very small town.
Newdegate

83.6 km

A quick rest stop here for a morning coffee.
Wave Rock Walk Circuit ‐ Oct 10, 2024

3.8 km

A lovely 3.6km walk around some natural salt lakes (and a man-made salt pool), made even nicer by the fact that being up nice and early we beat the flies!

+3
Hippo's Yawn Walk ‐ Oct 9, 2024

1.8 km

This was a fairly short but pleasant walk, revealing this interestingly shaped rock formation.
Wave Rock + Hyden Rock Walk

1.6 km

Wave Rock was only a few hundred metres walk from our site, but was a lot shorter than I had thought it would be. The walk up over Hyden Rock gave us some much-needed exercise, and some nice views.

+6
Wave Rock ‐ Oct 8, 2024

195.8 km

We spent three nights at the Wave Rock Resort and Caravan Park. While it was nice and relaxing, in hindsight two nights would have been enough. While it got to 37 degrees the afternoon we arrived, it cooled down after that — to the point where it dropped to 6 degrees one morning. The main issue was the flies though, which were just terrible. And when they went to bed for the night, the mozzies took over. It was the first time we'd got out the fly nets, however I chickened on wearing them (nest [...]
time for sure).

+6
Narrogin

31.1 km

A nice place for lunch in the park, plus a coffee to keep us going to Hyden.
Williams

139.4 km

A quick stop at a very nice rest area, plus I got random breath tested (first time this trip).
Bunbury Forum Shopping Centre

6.9 km

A quick stop at the Post Office to the Drunken Duck wine bottle holder home.
Eaton Fair Shopping Centre

30.9 km

Stopped for breakfast at Coffee Club (last chance in WA) plus got some groceries.
Myalup ‐ Oct 5, 2024

24 km
Harvey

5 km

Stopped at the hardware to get a few bits to improve the bath filling solution at the Beach House, which ended up working very well.
Brugan Brewery (Wokalup)

47 km

On the recommendation of Bruce and Michael, we did a day trip for lunch at the Brugan Brewery, just outside Harvey. The old pub out the front is great, but they've added a really modern brewery out the back which is fantastic. As it turned out, we arrived for their Oktoberfest celebrations, which made it even more enjoyable. Note the beer paddle did include one of their German beers (Dunkel). The steak sandwich we shared was amazing!
Myalup, Australia ‐ Oct 1, 2024

99.8 km

We had a great time at Bruce and Michael's Beach House (thanks again!). We did a lot of relaxing, some walks, a fire, and Nicole even had an outside bath — which she REALLY enjoyed. The extreme winds and rain we got for the first two days there really forced us to slow down.

+8
RAC Busselton Holiday Park ‐ Sep 30, 2024

10.4 km
Busselton Foreshore + Busselton Jetty

37.8 km

See 'Busselton' blog post.

+7
Cape Naturaliste

28.2 km

See 'Busselton' blog post.
RAC Busselton Holiday Park

10.3 km
Busselton Jetty + Underwater Observatory

2 km

See 'Busselton' blog post.

+14
Busselton Foreshore

10.2 km

See 'Busselton' blog post.
RAC Busselton Holiday Park ‐ Sep 28, 2024

14.9 km

See 'Busselton' blog post.
Dunsborough

13.3 km

See 'Busselton' blog post.
Sugar Loaf Rock Lookout

27.9 km

See 'Busselton' blog post.

+2

Sugar Loaf Rock Lookout — Sunrise
RAC Busselton Holiday Park ‐ Sep 26, 2024

23.6 km

See 'Busselton' blog post.

+2
Eagle Bay

10 km

See 'Busselton' blog post.
Bunker Bay Beach

1.1 km

See 'Busselton' blog post.
Bunker Bay Lookout

5.3 km

We stopped briefly here to have a look over Bunker Bay, however there wasn't much to see from this vantage point. We had a quick chat to a local about top go fishing with his boys before heading down to the beach itself.
Sugar Loaf Rock Lookout

5.7 km

See 'Busselton' blog post.

+2
Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse Loop Walk

See 'Busselton' blog post.

+3
Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse

37.8 km

See 'Busselton' blog post.
Busselton Visitor Centre

57.3 km

See 'Busselton' blog post.
Bunbury ‐ Sep 24, 2024

42.2 km
Harvey Cheese Factory

Before returning to Bunbury, we stopped at the Harvey Cheese Factory. They had a great range of cheeses, including their Blue OMG (Only a hint of Blue) cheese. This cheese is a triple cream camembert with blue mould added. Nicole would never get near (let alone eat) a blue cheese, however she was a big fan of this one — as was I!
Wellington Dam Lookout

29.3 km

Nicole and I both love looking at nice murals which we've seen in many towns, on grain silos and on water towers. But we've never seen one on a dam wall, in this case as a Mega Mural. It was certainly very impressive, as was the dam wall itself. Lots of mountain bike trails around here too. Well worth a visit.
Collie

45.9 km

Next stop was Collie. While we have been told the town used to be quite run down as an old coal mining town, it is now a really lovely place to visit. It has a great CBD area and is extremely well presented. Definitely worth a visit, plus they had a bakery (details to come in a future SRS post).
Gnomesville

35 km

Gnomesville was the first stop on our day-trip drive through the Ferguson Valley. I didn't know anything about it beforehand and expected to find a town where a lot of people had gnomes in their front yard. I didn't expect to find a place in the middle of nowhere that was comprised ONLY of garden gnomes. There were thousands of them in all sorts of little groups and communities. People are encouraged to leave their own garden gnomes, but we weren't prepared this time. Maybe we'll stop back in th [...]
ere another time to add a few new gnome residents.

+2
Bunbury ‐ Sep 22, 2024

175.9 km

See 'Beautiful weather and a birthday in Bunbury' blog post.

+5
Perth Unit ‐ Sep 21, 2024

14.3 km
City Beach

13.2 km

+7

Final Perth outings

Before Katelyn headed home from Perth, the three of us met Bruce (Nicole's friend from an earlier post), Michael (Bruce's partner) and Genius (their lovely Greyhound) for breakfast at City Beach. It's...
Perth Unit ‐ Sep 19, 2024

2.8 km
The Royal East Perth

2 km

See 'Perth Part 4 — Katelyn's visit' blog post.
Perth Unit ‐ Sep 18, 2024

10.3 km
Perth Zoo

2 km

See 'Perth Part 4 — Katelyn's visit' blog post.

+2
Perth Zoo

8 km
Perth Unit

5.6 km
Kings Park

4.9 km

See 'Perth Part 4 — Katelyn's visit' blog post.

+5
Kings Park

5.2 km

See 'Perth Part 4 — Katelyn's visit' blog post.
Perth Unit ‐ Sep 16, 2024

132.2 km

See 'Perth Part 4 — Katelyn's visit' blog post.
Meckering

126.5 km
Merredin

51.3 km

Just outside Merredin we stopped at a section of the original Rabbit Proof fence, which is now more about controlling dingoes than rabbits.
Westonia ‐ Sep 15, 2024

100.8 km
Eaglestone Rock + Lake Brown

27.7 km

On the way back to Westonia we stopped to look at Lake Brown. We'd driven past several of these shallow salt lakes in the area, so it was good to stop and have a closer look at one.

+2
Mukinbudin

88.8 km

We stopped for a (pretty bad) coffee in Mukinbudin and had a look at their short wildflower walk.
Sandford Rocks Nature Reserve Walk

2 km

On the recommendation of our caravan park neighbours — who we found out we had a lot in common with from an IT background — we drove to the Sandford Rocks Nature Reserve to look at some wildflowers. The walk was great and there were quite a few wildflowers which kept Nicole very busy photographing.

+5
Sandford Rocks Nature Reserve

10.6 km
Westonia ‐ Sep 14, 2024

75.4 km

We spent two nights in the very small but very quaint town of Westonia. The Council's caravan park was fantastic, and cheap too.
Southern Cross

187.9 km

Souther Cross was a really lovely little town we stopped at for lunch. The toilet and picnic facilities at the park there were some of the best we've seen.

+2
Coolgardie (Lions Lookout)

39.9 km

We made a very brief stop in Coolgardie, with not a lot to see.
Kalgoorlie ‐ Sep 11, 2024

188.4 km

During the rest of the trip the most notable thing was stopping occasionally for Nicole to photograph wildflowers along the side of the road. We are starting to see more of them and hope to see a lot more on our drive from Kalgoorlie back to Perth. For details of our activities in Kalgoorlie see the Kalgoorlie blog post.

+12
Norseman

204.2 km

There isn't very much at all between Esperance and Kalgoorlie. The biggest town is Norseman, where we stopped to empty the toilet cassette and have a break. Norseman is most notable for being a departure (and arrival) point for people traversing the Nullarbor. Seeing as we will be traversing it ourselves in a few weeks' time, we used the opportunity to scope out the caravan park and free camp site. Both looked pretty basic, so we might look at other options.
Esperance

62.5 km

To cheer ourselves up after having to leave Lucky Bay behind, we diverted through Esperance to grab McDonald's (including coffee) for breakfast. Then we headed north to Kalgoorlie.
Lucky Bay Campground ‐ Sep 9, 2024

65.8 km

See 'Lucky Bay Beach and Cape Le Grand National Park' blog post.
Condingup Tavern

25.5 km

See 'Lucky Bay Beach and Cape Le Grand National Park' blog post.
Wharton Beach Lookout

0.6 km

+2
Little Wharton Beach

1.5 km

See 'Lucky Bay Beach and Cape Le Grand National Park' blog post.
Wharton Beach

75.7 km

See 'Lucky Bay Beach and Cape Le Grand National Park' blog post.

+3
Lucky Bay Campground ‐ Sep 8, 2024

1.2 km

See 'Lucky Bay Beach and Cape Le Grand National Park' blog post.
Lucky Bay Beach

1.2 km

See 'Lucky Bay Beach and Cape Le Grand National Park' blog post.
Lucky Bay Campground

2.1 km

See 'Lucky Bay Beach and Cape Le Grand National Park' blog post.

+3
Thistle Cove + Whistling Rock

6.5 km

See 'Lucky Bay Beach and Cape Le Grand National Park' blog post.

+3
Frenchman Peak Lookout

4.2 km

See 'Lucky Bay Beach and Cape Le Grand National Park' blog post.
Hellfire Bay

10.3 km

See 'Lucky Bay Beach and Cape Le Grand National Park' blog post.
Le Grand Beach

55.8 km

See 'Lucky Bay Beach and Cape Le Grand National Park' blog post.
RAC Esperance Holiday Park ‐ Sep 7, 2024

6.2 km

On our last night in Esperance, the Brisbane Lions played Carlton in the first week of the 2024 AFL finals. I'd been looking forward to it for 2 weeks, and Nicole and I were well prepared! And ... the Lions won!!
Lucky Bay Brewing

13.5 km

Our last stop before heading home after completing Esperance's Great Ocean Drive (a 40-kilometre circular loop) was a stop at Lucky Bay Brewing. We'd seen so many breweries along the way that I wanted to try, but the timing wasn't right. Nicole very graciously agreed to be designated driver so that I could sample a tasting paddle (thanks very much Nicole!). The winner was their 'Figure of 8' Session Ale — agreed by both of us — so we bought a 10 pack on the way out. And lunch was great too. [...]
Great spot!

+3
Pink Lake Lookout

10.8 km

See 'Esperance — Beaches, a Bakery and a Brewery' blog post.
11 Mile Beach

1.7 km

See 'Esperance — Beaches, a Bakery and a Brewery' blog post.
Ten Mile Lagoon

1 km

See 'Esperance — Beaches, a Bakery and a Brewery' blog post.
Nine Mile Beach

3.4 km

See 'Esperance — Beaches, a Bakery and a Brewery' blog post.
Observatory Beach

1.8 km

See 'Esperance — Beaches, a Bakery and a Brewery' blog post.
Observatory Point

3.5 km

See 'Esperance — Beaches, a Bakery and a Brewery' blog post.

+3
Picnic Cove

0.1 km

See 'Esperance — Beaches, a Bakery and a Brewery' blog post.
Twilight Beach Lookout

1.4 km

See 'Esperance — Beaches, a Bakery and a Brewery' blog post.
Twilight Beach

0.7 km

See 'Esperance — Beaches, a Bakery and a Brewery' blog post.
Fourth Beach

1.9 km

See 'Esperance — Beaches, a Bakery and a Brewery' blog post.
Salmon Beach

1.3 km

See 'Esperance — Beaches, a Bakery and a Brewery' blog post.
Blue Haven South ‐ Sep 11, 2024

1.7 km

See 'Esperance — Beaches, a Bakery and a Brewery' blog post.

Blue Haven Lookout
Blue Haven North ‐ Sep 7, 2024

0.8 km

See 'Esperance — Beaches, a Bakery and a Brewery' blog post.
Chapman's Point

0.8 km

See 'Esperance — Beaches, a Bakery and a Brewery' blog post.
West Beach

1.5 km

See 'Esperance — Beaches, a Bakery and a Brewery' blog post.

+2
Rotary Lookout

4.2 km

See 'Esperance — Beaches, a Bakery and a Brewery' blog post.
RAC Esperance Holiday Park ‐ Sep 6, 2024

2.2 km
Esperance waterfront and CBD

2.6 km

We went for a walk towards the jetty, along the waterfront and then back through the CBD. Esperance is a very pleasant town and well worth visiting. And yes, there was a bakery (see separate blog post for details).

+5
RAC Esperance Holiday Park ‐ Sep 5, 2024

187.4 km

We arrived mid-afternoon in Esperance to a very nice caravan park right on the beach. As usual, the RAC holiday parks have very nice amenities and these were no exception.
Ravensthorpe

Not much here, although we did stop for a toilet stop and a warm coffee. However, a highlight along the way were the absolutely beautiful bright yellow canola fields set amongst the green and red landscape. Stunning!
Bluff Knoll, Australia

Bluff Knoll was well worth the short but steep drive in. A number of people were getting ready to hike into it, even though it was very, very cold and windy. As it turns out, that night they received a light snow flurry as a cold front came through.

+3
Stirling Range Drive

7.8 km

We shot up another dirt road to try to get some more photos of these magnificent ranges.
Mount Toolbrunup

85.4 km

We headed off early from Albany towards Esperance. We were keen to see the Stirling Ranges on the way and were hoping for reasonable weather to do so. Fortunately, we were in luck, even getting to see a 'cloud waterfall' over the edge of Bluff Knoll.
Middleton Beach Holiday Park ‐ Sep 4, 2024

2.3 km
Ellen Cove Boardwalk

2.3 km

We had planned to only just walk around the block, then saw the boardwalk. We kept following it (even though I should have been resting to get over my cold) and ended up discovering this wonderful walk around and up Mount Clarence. We had a nice chat to a lady with a gorgeous Kelpie (Kelsie) who has moved to Albany from the Sunshine Coast after falling in love with Albany whilst travelling around Australia. I can definitely understand why.

+2
Middleton Beach Holiday Park ‐ Sep 3, 2024

9.9 km
Padre White Lookout

10.7 km

While the weather was closing in on us, we decided to have a look at this – and we're glad we did. A great view and some very interesting and well-done statues and remembrance sections for the ANZACs. Then the rain came (again), and so we had to rush to the car. As such, we decided not to do the National ANZAC centre — maybe next time.

+3
Chainsaw Sculpture Drive

47.5 km

This fellow lets people drive into a section of his property to look at his amazing collection of sculptures he has made using a chainsaw. Very, very talented.
Bettys Beach

21.9 km

Bettys Beach to the west of the inlet and Normans Beach to the east. Apparently, Betty and Norman were a couple, but I didn't spend the time to read the sign in any detail. And, on the walking path to the beach, we saw a lady walking 8 dogs — seven of which were King Charles Cavalier Spaniels and owned by her!

+2
Little Beach

35.2 km

An absolutely stunning beach, in fact probably the nicest we have seen so far (and that is saying something). Amazing!

+3
Middleton Beach Holiday Park ‐ Sep 2, 2024

27.7 km

A really lovely caravan park (see 'Beautiful Albany' blog post).
Goode Beach

3.7 km

A very beautiful beach that the photos didn't do justice. It was the first time we'd walked on the superfine powdery sand in this area, which is so fine it squeaks under your foot like fresh powdered snow.
Salmon Holes

5 km
Blowholes

123.5 km

While we couldn't see much coming out of the blowholes the day we were there, we could definitely hear them. Quite a weird and deep sound as the waves rushed in underneath.
Valley of the Giants Treetop Walk + Ancient Empire Walk

45.7 km

We'd originally planned to do this on our way from Walpole to Denmark, however on that day it was raining (again) but the winds were gale-force; so not a great day to be doing a treetop walk! Instead, we backtracked from Denmark and it was well worth it. Nicole wasn't planning on doing it, but when the ticket seller generously said she could have a 'sneak peek', Nicole decided she could ... and was glad she did. The Ancient Empire Walk was well done too, although probably directed more at kids.

+6
Elephant Rock

0.2 km
Greens Pool Lookout

2.8 km
Madfish Bay Beach

17.9 km
Lights Beach

9 km

+2
Ocean Beach

1.8 km
McGeary's Rock

0.7 km
Sinker Bay

11.5 km

On our way to the treetop walk we stopped at a number of beautiful inlets and beaches. Such a beautiful section of coastline.
Denmark ‐ Aug 29, 2024

77.5 km

After stopping for some groceries and beer, we checked into the Rivermouth Caravan Park where we'll spend the next 3-4 days trying to fully recover. Ended up raining most of the time. Had a few quick snacks at the onsite cafe — some good some bad. Said hello to the pelicans a few times too.
Circular Pool

6.9 km

We walked down to this circular pool on the Frankland River. Lots of foam to look at, then a sprint back to the motorhome as the rain arrived again!
Giant Tingle Tree

2.1 km

This was a fairly short walk to see some (more) very big trees. As you can see, forests and trees are the main focus in this part of WA.

+2
Hilltop Lookout

33.5 km

This was a very brief stop. Nice view though.
Mount Frankland Wilderness Lookout

28.9 km

We had a 40km odd drive up to this lookout, most of it on dirt roads. It was such a windy day, and the ground so wet, that we were quite concerned about trees or branches coming down on us. We'd seen a lot of very big fallen trees along the way before and after Pemberton. Plus, a couple were killed only a month or so earlier from a tree falling on their van. Once again, the rain curtailed our time at this lookout.
Walpole

98.6 km

We had lunch and a coffee in Walpole. A very quiet town.
Northcliffe (Understory Art & Nature Trail)

34.9 km

The main attraction in Northcliffe is the Understory Art & Nature Trail. While we felt the $15 (each) admission was a little steep, it was very interesting and something very different. The faces carved into burnt trees, called 'Rising from the Ashes', were particularly interesting. They represent real people that were affected by bushfires in the area in 2015.

+6
Gloucester Tree

3.9 km

Just outside Pemberton is the Gloucester Tree with steel bars stuck into the trunk around it so people can climb up. I was feeling crook, and it was very wet, so we didn't climb up. The manager at the caravan park said that he used to climb it often as a younger bloke, and that as you passed people going up and had to move to the outside of the bars, you could feel them really bend. Crazy! Apparently now the bars are thicker, but still nothing to stop you falling off and a long way down.
Pemberton Caravan Park ‐ Aug 27, 2024

19.7 km

We ended up spending three nights at Pemberton to rest and recover a bit. We had a really lovely spot beside thew river, and miraculously were able to get two loads of washing done and dried!
Beedelup Falls

118.4 km

Our final stop for the day was at Beedelup Falls. Given how crook we were feeling we didn't walk too far, although did make it to the falls. And they were REALLY cranking after all the recent rain!
Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse

2.5 km

The lighthouse was well worth visiting. We would have liked to have spent longer here, however the weather turned nasty on us (again). This is where the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean, with all sorts of crazy currents and weather being stirred up here. And we got to see this pretty close up.

+8
Cape Leeuwin Lookout

3.5 km

On the way from Augusta to Cape Leeuwin we made a very brief stop at a lookout. We found a lady swimming in the ocean (crazy stuff!) and a guy parked in his car smoking weed. So, there you go.
Flinders Bay

23.1 km

Just on the edge of Augusta we stopped at Franklin Bay. This was a really pretty little spot that I imagine would be wonderful to stay at in better weather. Really beautiful.

+2
Hamelin Bay

20.6 km

While we stopped at Hamlin Bay, we didn't get to see too much due to the inclement weather. This is one stop along the Cape to Cape Walk that can be done, from Cape Leeuwin to Cape Naturaliste — a 130km coastal walk. Maybe one day! Hamelin Bay looked nice in this bad weather, so I'm sure it would be quite magnificent in the sunshine.

+2
Boranup Forest Viewpoint

6.7 km

There is a magnificent drive you do through the Boranup Forest, through the amazingly tall and straight Karri trees. These trees can grow to 60m tall! Really, really special. There is a place to stop and enjoy them up close, which we gladly did.

+2
Calgardup Cave

17 km

We stopped here to do a self-guided tour of the cave — one activity that the rain couldn't ruin. One of quite a number of caves in the area, it was well worth doing.

+3
Margaret River, Australia ‐ Aug 26, 2024

23.3 km
The Grove Distillery

2.8 km

The distillery had two main offerings that we tasted; rum and liqueurs. Nicole went for the Turkish delight and butterscotch liqueurs, while I went for the rum. Both good and purchased. Then we were dropped back to our accommodation to resume our recoveries.
The Margaret River Chocolate Company

3.3 km

On to the chocolate factory, which had a lot of different types of chocolate, unsurprisingly.

+2
Bettenay Wines & Margaret River Nougat Company

18.9 km

Next was our third and final winery. Once again it was 'speed tasting', however they did have some very nice nougat liqueurs that we purchased.

+2
CBCo Brewery

1.9 km

Next stop was for lunch at CBCo. This was my favourite stop, as CBCo are a brewery! I had tried some of their beers along the WA coast, however on this occasion I sampled their dark beer for the first time. Yum! And, as fate would have it, a second beer was ordered by mistake and nobody wanted to drink it. So, I took one for the team — feeling sick and all.
Jarvis Estate

23 km

Next stop was Jarvis Estate. The lady running the tasting session was very knowledgeable on wines, however had only just started with them. While she was very pleasant to listen to, it did feel more like a lecture and there was very little interaction with the group (unlike at Brown Hill). We were also pushed through tasting the six wines very quickly, which made it feel a bit like 'speed tasting'.
Brown Hill Estate

13.6 km

This was our first stop and the best winery experience by far. The owner gave us a lot of guidance on how to taste and appreciate wine, but in a very non-pretentious way. She also gave us a lot of flexibility in what we tasted based on what we liked to drink (fortified wines for me), plus was the only one of the three wineries to both giving us a tasting sheet to track our thoughts. To top things off they had the most gorgeous Border Collie, Obi, that was very affectionate. A really, really grea [...]
t experience.
Margaret River ‐ Aug 23, 2024

49.9 km

See blog post ‘Sick in Margaret River’.
Busselton, Australia

We had a wander around Busselton, which is lovely. We will be coming back to stay at some stage, so only had a quick look around. This included photographing ourselves next to street statues, plus sampling the local bakery (sausage roll scorecard update to come).

+3
Bunbury

38.7 km

Bunbury looks like a great place that we want to explore more at some point. The weather was pretty bad again, so we just did a scoping drive around for now. We also made a booking to stay at the very well-located caravan park there in late September. Can't wait!
Myalup

71.8 km

On our way from Mandurah to Margaret River we stopped in at the beach house that Bruce (Nicole's friend) and partner have there. They have very generously allowed us to stay there at some point, so we did a quick stop to see if we could successfully park the motorhome on the steep driveway. And we can! Nicole and I are looking forward to staying here in late September (thank you so much guys).
Mandurah Tourist & Caravan Park ‐ Aug 22, 2024

57.1 km
Preston Beach

30.3 km

We drove all the way into Preston Beach. While it looked like a nice, quiet little town with a very nice park at the beach, there wasn't much there except the beach. Time to head home.
Thrombolites

20.6 km

These thrombolites are very similar to the stromatolites we have seen in a few other places on the WA coast. While they are very important ecologically, they aren't that exciting to look at. At this location there was another giant, however it was a 4km round trip and the weather did not look encouraging. Maybe next time.
Giant (Seba's Song)

15.5 km

See 'Giants of Mandurah' post in Travel Map.

+2
Giant (Yaburgurt Winjan Cirkelstone), Australia

4.6 km

Giants of Mandurah

There is a very interesting sculpture trail you can do around Mandurah (plus one in Subiaco) called the Giants of Mandurah. The creator, Thomas Dambo, is the world’s leading recycle artist. He was tau...
Mandurah Caravan & Tourist Park ‐ Aug 21, 2024

6.9 km
Mandurah ‐ Aug 25, 2024

31 km
Seagulls Bakery ‐ Aug 21, 2024

6.2 km

Sausage roll time (see blog post for details).
Point Peron

4.6 km

There was a nice lookout at Point Peron with some nice views of the bay, plus a few fellows fishing from the rocks.
Rockingham

25.7 km

We stopped for a short walk around Rockingham. It seemed to be a fairly quiet area but one that could get very busy on weekends, with lots of eating places and a very nice foreshore area. For us though it was windy and cold, but not raining thankfully. I was sorely tempted to buy a Bhan Mi from a Vietnamese food place as they looked delicious, but it was a bit early to eat and I had to save myself in case sausage roll opportunities emerged further down the road.
Port Coogee

On a day trip from Mandurah, we had a quick drive through the Port of Coogee. It looks like a recently completed village with its own marina that looks very fancy and very expensive to live in. All the homes seemed to look the same though.
Karrinyup Waters Caravan Park ‐ Aug 16, 2024

10.8 km
Hillarys Boat Harbour

26.6 km

See 'Perth Part 2 — Rottnest Island' blog post.
Rottnest Island

26.6 km

See 'Perth Part 2 — Rottnest Island' blog post.

+10
Hillarys Boat Harbour

8.5 km

See 'Perth Part 2 — Rottnest Island' blog post.
Karrinyup Waters Caravan Park ‐ Aug 12, 2024

10.1 km
Hillary Boat Harbour

31 km

See 'Perth Part 1 — People' blog post.
Fremantle

19.1 km

See 'Perth Part 1 — People' blog post.
Scarborough

8 km

See 'Perth Part 1 — People' blog post.
Karrinyup Waters Caravan Park ‐ Aug 10, 2024

17.3 km
Optus Stadium

17.7 km

See 'Perth Part 1 — People' blog post.
Karrinyup Waters Caravan Park ‐ Aug 9, 2024

13.8 km
Perth CBD

13.9 km

See 'Perth Part 1 — People' blog post.
Karrinyup Waters Caravan Park ‐ Aug 6, 2024

115.8 km

We arrived at Karrinyup Waters Caravan Park (recommended by our Kalbarri friends) mid-afternoon, and were immediately impressed. However, when checking in we got a funny look and then, “Weren’t you checking in tomorrow?” Nicole and I realised we had planned to spend a night somewhere between Cervantes and Perth, but had forgotten. Oh well! They were able to bring our booking forward and we were given a fantastic site looking over the lake. Soon, some feathered friends came to welcome us.

+2
Lancelin Lookout

0.7 km

We stopped at this lookout, which gave us a nice view of the bay and the huge amount of weed washed up on the beach (we’ve been seeing lots of this weed all along the coast since around Jurien Bay). We also got a view of how close the sand dunes are to the town. Before leaving Lancelin we decided to give one of the local bakery’s sausage rolls a go (see separate blog post).

+2
Lancelin Sand Dunes

24 km

We’d been told these were worth stopping at. An advertising sign for a towing service we saw on the way in said, “Take a photo of this sign. You’ll need it!” That felt a bit ominous, so we certainly weren’t going to try to drive on to the dunes. As it turned out, there were so many (mainly Chinese) tourists swarming all over the place we decided to just enjoy them from a distance.

Lancelin Sanddunes
Nilgen Lookout

30.3 km

Another lookout, which this time had a great little track where you could see some of the local wildflowers; all very well signed and identified.
Wedge Island Nature Reserve

10.7 km

Without knowing anything about it we stopped in at Wedge Island Nature Reserve. What we found is a very well organised little ‘shanty town’ of fishing shacks. There were roads, a little ‘shop’, navigation signs etc, although we didn’t see any of the inhabitants. Nicole and I walked on to the beach, where we got a a great view of the lovely beach (very well used by 4WDs) and Wedge Island. Apparently the council would like to clean it all up, but it isn’t that easy apparently. In my o [...]
pinion, it would be a shame if they did.

+3
Wanagarren Nature Reserve

33.7 km

We made a brief stop here to look at the view of the sand dunes. Quite incredible to see sand dunes like this so close to the ocean.
Cervantes ‐ Aug 3, 2024

27.7 km

+3

On to Cervantes

It was a very short drive from Jurien Bay to Cervantes; less than 30km. Upon arriving in Cervantes, a very quiet little town, we stopped at Hansen Bay Lookout, the stromatolites at Lake Thetis, and Th...
Jurien Bay ‐ Jul 30, 2024

32.8 km
Green Head

14.8 km

See 'Sausage Roll Scorecard — Double Header Day' blog post.
Leeman

38.9 km
Eneabba, Australia

72.8 km

See 'Sausage Roll Scorecard — Double Header Day' blog post.
Carnamah

22.6 km

See 'Sausage Roll Scorecard — Double Header Day' blog post.
Three Springs, Australia

57.3 km

See 'Sausage Roll Scorecard — Double Header Day' blog post.
Perenjori ‐ Jul 28, 2024

8.4 km
Wreath Flower Area

8.4 km
Perenjori

41 km

See 'STUCK on the Wildflower Way' blog post.
Morawa

41.6 km

See 'STUCK on the Wildflower Way' blog post.
Canna

17.9 km

See 'STUCK on the Wildflower Way' blog post.
Gutha Hall

32.3 km

See 'STUCK on the Wildflower Way' blog post.
Tardun

42.2 km

See 'STUCK on the Wildflower Way' blog post.
Mullewa

51.5 km

See 'STUCK on the Wildflower Way' blog post.
Coalseam Reserve

56.3 km

See 'STUCK on the Wildflower Way' blog post.
Depot Hill Nature Reserve

11.8 km

See 'STUCK on the Wildflower Way' blog post.
Mingenew

56.7 km

See 'STUCK on the Wildflower Way' blog post.
Dongara / Port Denison ‐ Jul 25, 2024

71.5 km

See 'Sausage Roll Scorecard — Getting closer to Perth' blog post.

+2
Point Moore Lighthouse

4.6 km

See 'On to Geraldton' blog post.
HMAS Sydney II Memorial

4.7 km

See 'On to Geraldton' blog post.
Wintersun Motel ‐ Jul 24, 2024

5.1 km

See 'On to Geraldton' blog post.
Geraldton

51.2 km

See 'On to Geraldton' blog post.
Northampton

22.6 km

See 'On to Geraldton' blog post.
Horrocks

35.8 km

See 'On to Geraldton' blog post.
Port Gregory

1.3 km

See 'On to Geraldton' blog post.
Pink Lake

67.4 km

See 'On to Geraldton' blog post.
Kalbarri ‐ Jul 20, 2024

14.1 km
Shellhouse Grandstand

3.3 km

See 'Kalbarri' blog post.
Natural Bridge, Castle Cove & Island Rock

9.2 km

See 'Kalbarri' blog post.
Pot Alley

2.3 km

See 'Kalbarri' blog post.
Red Bluff Lookout

2.5 km

See 'Kalbarri' blog post.

+2
Jakes Point

2.6 km

See 'Kalbarri' blog post.
Blue Holes

8.8 km

See 'Kalbarri' blog post.
Meanarra Hill

32.5 km

See 'Kalbarri' blog post.
Z-Bend Lookout

11.8 km

See 'Kalbarri' blog post.
Kalbarri Skywalk Lookout

2.5 km

See 'Kalbarri' blog post.
Nature's Window

38 km

See 'Kalbarri' blog post.
Kalbarri, Australia ‐ Jul 18, 2024

245.4 km

See 'Kalbarri' blog post.

+7
Overlander Roadhouse

129.2 km

On our way from Denham to Kalbarri we had one main place available to stop of any interest, this being the Overlander roadhouse. Not much to see/do except buy some hot coffees (passable but not great) and, you guessed it, a mini sausage roll each.
Denham ‐ Jul 16, 2024

26.2 km
Monkey Mia

26 km

See 'Monkey Mia' blog post.

+3
Denham ‐ Jul 14, 2024

23.4 km

On our first night, Nicole and I went for a walk along the lovely waterfront of Denham — a really nice little town. Then it was a few drinks and a hearty dinner at the Shark Bay Hotel — Australia's most westerly hotel.

+4
Eagle Bluff

30.4 km

Eagle Bluff provided a really stunning view, as well as a nice stop for lunch (ham and salad wraps) before the short drive into Denham.
Shell Beach

61 km

Shell beach was a very nice spot to stop for a visit. No sand on this beach; it's purely made up of small white Shark Bay Cockle Shells that stretch for 60km and, in some parts, are up to 10 metres deep. There you go.

+2
Hamelin Pool

231 km

On the way into Denham we stopped at Hamelin Pool to see the most diverse and abundant examples of living marine stromatolites in the world, monuments to life on Earth over 3,500 million years ago. Unfortunately, the boardwalk had been closed for over more than two years (THAT's not mentioned in the brochures), and the tides were all wrong. So, a disappointment all round. I guess they'll be around for a little bit longer if we get another chance over this way.
Carnarvon ‐ Jul 13, 2024

We hadn't planned on stopping in Carnarvon, until we needed to get our windscreen replaced. We arrived early from Coral Bay, only to be told he wasn't ready for us. Oh well. We had a short walk along the Fascine — a very neat and tidy foreshore area. While we waited for the windscreen replacement, we walked to a local food place that had surprisingly good food, and a very friendly owner who came for a chat. After groceries and alcohol supplies were on board, we headed for the caravan park whic [...]
h was a very pleasant place to stay indeed.
Glass Bottom Boat + Snorkelling Tour, Australia ‐ Jul 12, 2024
Coral Bay ‐ Jul 11, 2024

141.2 km

+2

Coral Bay

We had only booked two nights here, but in a way wish it had been for longer. As we drove into town two things struck me: 1) how incredibly busy with people it was, and 2) that the town seemed to be j...
Shothole Canyon

21.3 km

See 'Exmouth' blog post.
Charles Knife Canyon + Thomas Carter Lookout

32.4 km

See 'Exmouth' blog post.
Exmouth, Australia ‐ Jul 9, 2024

20.7 km

See 'Exmouth' blog post.
SS Mildura Wreck

See 'Exmouth' blog post.
T-Bone Bay

See 'Exmouth' blog post.
Yardie Gorge Trail

28 km

See 'Exmouth' blog post.
Turquoise Bay

44.4 km

See 'Exmouth' blog post.
Vlamingh Head Lighthouse

20.1 km

See 'Exmouth' blog post.
Exmouth ‐ Jul 8, 2024

38 km

See 'Exmouth' blog post.
Tantabiddy Creek Jetty
Whale Shark Tour

See 'Exmouth' blog post.
Tantabiddy Creek Jetty ‐ Jul 7, 2024

37.9 km
Exmouth

276.7 km

We saw some (more) wonderful landscapes as we left the Pilbara on our drive to Exmouth. We had taken these stunning, red landscapes a little for granted after a while, but will definitely miss them.

+2
Nanutarra Roadhouse

126.2 km

Stopped here for a coffee and Nicole brought out a surprise sausage roll that scored very well indeed (refer 'Sausage Roll Scorecard — Pilbara Quadruple Header!' blog post).
Onslow ‐ Jul 4, 2024

316.2 km

The 300km odd drive to Onslow was interesting in parts, but pretty uneventful. Approaching Onslow, we checked out some water tank art (pity the view was so obstructed with fences etc) and another big salt stockpile. We then checked into the Ocean View Caravan Park which, surprisingly, is right on the water. It seems to have been recently renovated and was really nicely set up. The next day we went for a walk around town, had a coffee, and bought a sausage roll (refer blog post). Nicole checked o [...]
ut a local's impressive shell collection that was bought by the local council to preserve and we enjoyed the sunset. However, it was extremely windy the two days we were here.
Dampier ‐ Jul 3, 2024

11.6 km

The rest of the day was a visit to a lookout, a visit to the Red Dog statue, a trip to the North West Gas Visitor Centre, and some groceries, fuel and alcohol from Karratha. To finish the day, we caught the courtesy bus to the Mermaid Hotel for dinner and a few drinks; a very nice way to end the day. On the way in the bus, the driver told us that 52% of Australia's exports are generated out of the Pilbara alone — let alone the rest of WA. This area of Australia is really doing some heavy lifti [...]
ng for the Australian economy.

+2
Murujuga National Park, Australia

1.3 km

Then a very short drive to Murujuga National Park to see the rock art (petroglyphs). Very interesting, but hard to spot with so many rocks to choose from.
Hearsons Cove

11.4 km

We started the day with a quick visit to Hearsons Cove on the Burrup Peninsula. Nothing spectacular (and extremely windy) but may have been where Jocko tried to commit suicide by shark in the Red Dog movie (not sure).
Dampier ‐ Jul 2, 2024

20.2 km

We arrived at the (quite small) Dampier Caravan Park and were greeted by Park Host, Gavin, without even having to leave the motorhome — a really nice touch. After setting up we popped across the road for a sunset photo of the busy Dampier Harbour.
Karratha

39.2 km

We stopped in Karratha, established in 1968 to accommodate the processing and exportation workforce of the Hamersley Iron mining company and, in the 1980s, the petroleum and liquefied natural gas operations of the Woodside-operated North West Shelf Venture. We stopped to fill the water tank and noticed a KFC next door, so weakened and had a lunch snack. Then it was a quick trip to a lookout to see Karratha, which has become quite modernised since I was here 25 years ago.
Roebourne

536 km

This was a big driving day of over 600km. While we did have the option to take a shorter route to Dampier from Tom Price, this required a permit (which we hadn't organised) and was a fair stretch of dirt road (which we weren't keen on. So, it was back along the road to Port Hedland (with all the iron ore road trains) and then along the North West Coastal Highway. We stopped briefly at Roebourne — which prospered during its gold boom of the late 19th century and was once the largest settlement [...]
between Darwin and Perth — to take in the view from Mount Welcome Lookout.
Tom Price Tourist Park ‐ Jun 30, 2024

We had earned our rest day on 29/6/24, which we enjoyed. We had booked on to the Rio Tinto Mine Tour for 30/6/24 and were quite excited about it, as we have both done work for Rio Tinto in previous jobs. We got into Tom Price early to grab a bakery breakfast and coffee to prepare us. However, half an hour before the tour started, we received an email that it was cancelled due to soft ground from rain three days before. Why they couldn't make that call the afternoon before, I don't know. Needless [...]
to say, we got a second rest day in a row — plus a chance to get fuel, groceries and other supplies ready for our long drive to Dampier.
Tom Price Tourist Park ‐ Jun 28, 2024

82.8 km
Joffre Falls (Karijini NP)

17 km

This quite spectacular gorge had a few ways to view it. One was from a very easy to access viewing platform (which we both did). I made the trek around the rim of the gorge to the other side where you could access ladders to take you down. You could then take the quite long and steep ladders down to the gorge floor (I didn't), and from there you could wade waist deep to the top end of the gorge to access the bottom of the falls. Someone told me they spoke to someone who had taken their three-yea [...]
r-old right to the foot of the falls the previous day. Why you would do that I really don't understand. each to their own though.
Weano Gorge (Karijini NP)

95 km

When we visited the Visitor Centre at Tom Price upon arriving the day before, we'd been advised the Eastern end of Karijini NP was closed due to the four days of rain that had just occurred (and which we had fortunately missed). So, we weren't sure if it would be open this day. Luckily it was, as we got to do all our walking that day to a) avoid the long drive back in and out, and b) to earn a rest day the following day. Weano Gorge was extremely popular and offered a great view from the point w [...]
here five gorges met. It was a lot like a mini–Grand Canyon to me.
Fortescue Falls, Fern Pool & Dales Gorge (Karijini NP)

109.5 km

We left Tom Price very early (around 6:00am) for the roughly 1hr 20min drive to the Western end of Karijini National Park which included Fortescue Falls, Fern Pool and Dales Gorge. It was well worth the drive, especially to see it that early in the morning. While we didn't do thew walk along the gorge floor, we had a great view of it from the gorge rim.

+5

Fortescue Falls & Fern Pool (Karijini NP)
Tom Price Tourist Park

156.4 km
Auski Roadhouse

250.4 km

See 'Big rigs' blog post.
Blackrock Caravan Park ‐ Jun 27, 2024

13.2 km
Pretty Pool

8.2 km

We stopped to look at Pretty Pool, which was (only just) pretty. We saw a turtle swimming, plus spotted a fairly interesting sign. And, no, we didn't explore the opportunity further.
Marapikurrinya Park ‐ Jun 26, 2024

16.4 km

In the morning, we dropped the motorhome off for a 6-month service and explored the Marapikurrinya Park on foot after having breakfast at Dome (of all places). Looking out at the water off the port area, I counted 19 ships ready to come into load up with iron ore and salt just from where I was sitting. A truly massive export logistics setup here in the Pilbara.
Blackrock Caravan Park

13.6 km

We stopped to take a photo of a really big pile of salt ready to be loaded on to ships at Port Hedland for export. After some grocery and alcohol shopping we checked into the Blackrock Caravan Park in South Headland (a sister town just outside Port Headland). It was as boring and uninteresting as the rest of Port Hedland, but somewhere to rest for two nights. It was State of Origin II night, and we know how badly that turned out!
Cemetery Beach Park

150.7 km

We arrived in Port Hedland and found what we had expected — a pretty ugly, industrial town. We had a look for green turtles at Cemetery Beach but didn't see any (although did see some when we visited again the next day).
Pardoo Roadhouse

103 km

After an early start from Eighty Mile Beach, we stopped at Pardoo Roadhouse for a coffee each. Then we saw their breaky burgers and both buckled. NOT cheap eating breakfast at roadhouses though (or anywhere out here for that matter). On returning to the motorhome, I noticed the storage bag we had hanging off the back was gone — and I couldn't remember it being there since Broome. In it we had a plastic bin, some gumboots and other non-essential items. Oh well ...
Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park ‐ Jun 24, 2024

54.6 km

We arrived at Eighty Mile Beach for our two nights stay, and immediately regretted not staying longer. It is in the middle of nowhere, but such a beautiful beach. We saw the result of the many people catching fish off the beach, such as a 120cm long Mulloway straight off the beach. Nicole had a lot of fun finding shells too.

+2
Sandfire Roadhouse

321.1 km
Cable Beach Caravan Park ‐ Jun 23, 2024

7.8 km
Staircase to the Moon

7.7 km

Nicole and I added an extra day to our Broome stay to see the Staircase to the Moon. This is where a full moon rises over Roebuck Bay when the tide is such that the reflections coming off the water and mud flats look like a staircase. There were HEAPs of tourists there, with cars parked on footpaths all over the place. I've never sat there with a thousand or so people watching the moon rise before, but it was actually pretty cool. Definitely worth doing.
Cable Beach Caravan Park ‐ Jun 25, 2024

212.6 km
Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm

7 km

See "Horizontal Falls" blog post.
Trochus Hatchery and Aquaculture Centre

6.9 km

See "Horizontal Falls" blog post.
Ardyaloon, Australia
Horizontal Falls

See "Horizontal Falls" blog post.

+18
Broome ‐ Jun 15, 2024

7.4 km

+6

Camels, Sunsets & Sunrises on Cable Beach
Gantheaume Point, Australia
Offshore (Broome)
Offshore (Broome)

125.5 km
Gantheaume Point, Australia

7.4 km
Broome ‐ Jun 12, 2024

132.3 km
Banana Well Getaway ‐ Jun 10, 2024

98 km

Refer 'Banana Well Getaway (Cape Leveque)' blog post.

+2

Banana Wells Getaway
Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm

7 km

As it was close to lunch, we stopped at the Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm. We'll be re-visiting here in a couple of weeks' time as part of a Horizontal Falls tour, but for now decided just to eat. And we were well rewarded, with a fantastic steak sandwich and chips that Nicole and I shared. Delicious!
Ardyaloon

233.2 km

Before setting up for the night, we decided to drive to the tip of Cape Leveque. Not too long ago this was a pretty rough dirt road all the way. Now, it is a magnificent, sealed road. The Ardyaloon Indigenous Community was at the tip. We didn't stay long, however did stop to take some photos of the beautiful, clear, blue water.
Roebuck Plains Roadhouse

187.9 km

Leaving Derby, we stopped quickly to take a photo of the sign signifying the Western starting point of the Gibb River Road (of which we did the initial bitumen section driving to Windjana Gorge). To break up the drive for a rest, we stopped at the Roebuck Plains Roadhouse. It was extremely busy (not sure why as it is not very far out of Broome), however what caught my attention was the sign asking everyone to slow down.
Derby ‐ Jun 9, 2024

147.4 km
Windjana Gorge National Park

147.5 km

Leaving early, we headed off to Windjana Gorge National Park. This took us along the early sealed section of the Gibb River Road, before heading into the gorge along 20km or so of (reasonably good) dirt road. Windjana Gorge was quite beautiful, although the walk had been shortened significantly due to damage caused by this year's wet season. And, we even got to meet some fellow Explorer Motorhome owners. Nice!

+3
Derby ‐ Jun 8, 2024

356.5 km

+8

Derby

Driving to Derby we passed through Fitzroy Crossing. Once again, not much to see here apart from getting fuel and coffee. On the way into town, we stopped at the Boab Prison Tree wh
Ngumban Cliff Lookout ‐ Jun 7, 2024

550.5 km

+2

Kununurra to Derby drive

From Kununurra we headed off on the roughly 1,000km drive to Derby along Highway 1 (not the Gibb River Road). There wasn't much to stop to see along the way, as Geike Gorge was closed, and we decided...
Kununurra, Australia ‐ Jun 6, 2024

4 km
East Kimberly Regiopnal Airport
Argyle Diamond Mine

Refer 'Flight over the Bungle Bungles' blog post.
Purnululu National Park, Australia

Refer 'Flight over the Bungle Bungles' blog post.
East Kimberley Regional Airport

4 km
Kununurra, Australia ‐ Jun 5, 2024

72.2 km
Lake Argyle

72.2 km

+2

Lake Argyle Cruise

Lake Argyle Cruise

This afternoon we went on our tour of Lake Argyle. We were picked up and dropped off at our accommodation, meaning no motorhome pack up and no driving - yay! After receiving an extremely thorough (and...
Kununurra ‐ Jun 4, 2024

110 km
Pentecost River Crossing

34.6 km

Refer 'El Questro' blog post.
Zebedee Springs

22.6 km

Refer 'El Questro' blog post.
Emma Gorge

78.6 km

Refer 'El Questro' blog post.
Kununurra ‐ Jun 7, 2024

2.7 km
Mirima National Park ‐ Jun 2, 2024

107.9 km

Before returning to the caravan park we crossed back over the Lake Kununurra dam wall where massive amounts of water are still being released as part of trying to get Lake Argyle back to a regular level after such a big wet season. Then we visited Mirima National Park which is right in Kununurra and referred to by locals as the "Mini Bungle Bungles". A beautiful place and fantastic that it is so accessible.

+2
Wyndham

11.3 km

While there wasn't too much to see in Wyndham, we did have a walk out on to the very impressive (and quite new by the looks) Community Jetty where massive tide flows of where 8 metre tides are common. We then stopped at the local caravan park which claims to have "the largest Boab tree in captivity".
The Grotto + Five Rivers Lookout

106.2 km

We set out nice and early from Kununurra for the roughly one-hour drive to Wyndham - a major export port for minerals and live cattle. Our first stop was The Grotto, a very interesting gorge right next to the Great Northern Highway. Before stopping in Wyndham proper, we ascended the steep climb to the Five Rivers Lookout. This provided a spectacular view of the Ord, Forest, King, Durack and Pentecost Rivers where they combine and enter the Cambridge Gulf, surrounding mangrove swamps and mudflats [...]
. An awesome sight!

+4
Kununurra ‐ May 31, 2024

228.2 km

WA arrival

After crossing the border from the NT into WA (and having to hand over around $30-$40 worth of vegetables their website said we could take into WA but apparently we couldn't) we arrived in Kununurra....
Timber Creek ‐ May 30, 2024

566.3 km

To break up the drive from Litchfield National Park to Kununurra we stopped for the night at Timber Creek. This was the first time we hadn't had a powered site for quite a while, which meant no air conditioning. While it might seem like a luxury, it has been unseasonally hot and humid up here. For our troubles, we got to see (another) crocodile feeding session (refer "Crocodiles, crocodiles everywhere" blog post for details) as well as a Kite (bird) feeding session.
Florence Falls

34.4 km

Before leaving Litchfield National Park we made a second stop into Florence Falls and the 135-step descent/ascent. We had stopped there with Katelyn but the light for photography wasn't the best, so I wanted a second chance. Nicole met an elderly lady (at least in her seventies) who walks up and down four times per day! Impressive, especially in this heat.
Upper Cascades Circuit Walk ‐ May 29, 2024

0.6 km

Upon getting a very early start we tackled this Grade 4 (out of 5) walk. It wasn't that hard, but a lot of walking over rock rubble, up and down some steep hills, and very hot and humid. The Cascades themselves were nice to look at without being breathtaking. Worth the walk in though.
Litchfield Safari Camp ‐ May 28, 2024

15.3 km
Tolmer Falls

123.6 km

On arriving in Litchfield National Park, we stopped at Tolmer Falls. It was only a very short walk in on a concrete pathway to a quite breathtaking view. Well worth the stop.
Humpty Doo

32.1 km

We made a quick stop for a coffee and sausage roll (refer Sausage Roll Scorecard update) before heading into Litchfield National Park again.
Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise

28 km

See separate blog post "Crocodiles, crocodiles everywhere".
Corroboree Park Tavern ‐ May 27, 2024

25.8 km

Stopped here for the night where we met Brutus the 4m long saltwater crocodile, Fred the freshwater crocodile, plus a water buffalo and feral pig who seemed to be great mates. A nice spot for the night and good pub food in the tavern.
Window on the Wetlands

55.5 km

After returning the hire car we grabbed breakfast at Coffee Club (again), loaded up with groceries and then headed to Window on the Wetlands - a viewing platform to look over birds and wildlife in the wetlands. Quite disappointing really, as we got a much closer and better view of the wetlands from a roadside stop 1km up the road.
Darwin ‐ May 22, 2024

44.5 km

Darwin Wartime Museum

Nicole and I did a morning trip to the Darwin Wartime Museum while Katelyn had a well-earned sleep-in. The interactive display was very well done, superimposing computer-generated recreations over ori...

Dad & daughter photography at East Point

As a 'Dad and daughter' activity (Nicole and Katelyn did a beauty treatment morning as their bonding session), Katelyn and I went to East Point to do some late afternoon photography. We had a great ti...

Jet Ski Tour

The activity Katelyn was most looking forward to was the OOSeven Adventures Jet Ski Tour. We had booked the late morning Die Another Day Jet Ski Tour

Sunset Cruise

Nicole, Katelyn and I had a lovely sunset cruise on Darwin Harbour, aboard the Charles Darwin. Sitting on the top deck we had a great view, plus it wasn't crowded at all.

Crocosaurus Cove

Our first outing with Katelyn was to Crocosaurus Cove in the Darwin CBD. While it was a bit disappointing as a whole, there were a LOT of crocodiles to see (colour me surprised). We even go to feed so...
Berry Springs

82.4 km
Wangi Falls

29 km
Buley Rockhole

3.6 km
Florence Falls

135.6 km

Litchfield National Park Taster

While Nicole and I will be spending a few dedicated days in Litchfield National Park (around 100km southwest of Darwin) after Katelyn heads home, Katelyn wanted to see some waterfalls and waterholes f...
Darwin ‐ May 18, 2024

137.3 km

Heli Fish

See blog post for details. Lots of fun!

Motorhome wash

On our way into Darwin, we gave Knight Riders a very much needed wash. She was getting pretty 'red' from all the NT dirt. Pretty soon she was looking good as new.
Dundee Beach Holiday Park ‐ May 15, 2024

139.3 km

We spent three nights at Dundee Beach. There were a lot of families with young kids staying here (strange as not school holidays), plus a LOT of people fishing. It is somewhat of a fishing mecca. We didn't fish but did enjoy our photography along the water's edge - especially watching beautiful sunsets over the water.

+3
Stokes Hill Wharf

59.6 km

We did a quick trip into Darwin to collect Nicole's new camera (see blog post). Then we had a light lunch on Stokes Hill Wharf where Nicole had the chance to try out her new camera, and we got to spot birds plus fish in the water below.
Tumbling Waters Holiday Park ‐ May 13, 2024

11.1 km

We spent three nights at Tumbling Waters Caravan Park. Not a lot to do there (except relax, of course), but they did have their own pet freshwater crocodile (as you do) which we said hello to.
Berry Springs Nature Park

32.6 km

We made a quick stop in to visit the Berry Springs Nature Park. It looked very nice and was very popular. We didn't swim though. Interestingly, the crocodile warning here was not that the springs were closed, rather that it was very, very unlikely you'd be attacked. This on top of the fact that Nicole had read online a week or two earlier that a saltwater crocodile had been removed from berry Springs. Interesting ...

+3
Palmerston

203.8 km

We then drove into Palmerston, a satellite city of Darwin, to do some errands and grocery shopping before heading to Berry Springs (see separate blog post).
Mamukala Wetlands

33.1 km

An early departure from Jabiru got us to the Mamukala Wetlands right on sunrise (no gate to lock us out fortunately). The bird hide they have there is a great spot to view from, however there weren't many birds to see disappointingly.
Anbinik Kakadu Resort ‐ May 10, 2024

42.9 km
Ubirr Lookout ‐ May 11, 2024

3 km

We had two visits to Ubirr - one between visits to Cahill's Crossing and one for sunset. The artwork was fantastic, but unfortunately the sunset wasn't. There was so much smoke in the air from controlled burning nearby that there was basically no sunset at all, although a LOT of people went up there to look at it. So, we left a bit early but still only got back to Jabiru a fair bit after dark. Well worth the trip though.

+5
Cahill's Crossing

69.4 km

See separate blog post on what we saw (and didn't see) at this famous river crossing into East Arnhem Land.
Nawurlandja Lookout

34.3 km

We set off early for a sunrise view from Nawurlandja Lookout, which wasn't to be (refer separate blog post).
Anbinik Kakadu Resort ‐ May 10, 2024

35.8 km

Jabiru arrival

After stopping at the Bowali Visitor Centre (main ranger station for Kakadu) to get some tips on what to see, we headed into Jabiru. It is essentially a mining town set in the national park, with not...
Nourlangie Rock, Australia

22.3 km

Known for its World Heritage rock art, Nourlangie Rock is a wonderful place to visit. The artwork is fantastic and the setting spectacular — set in an outlying sandstone formation of the Arnhem Land Escarpment. An absolute must see!

+6
Mirray Lookout

23.4 km

After such a lovely time at Yellow Water we were up early to see what we could on our way to Jabiru that night. Our first stop was Mirray Lookout Walk. It was quite a hike up and, unfortunately, the view at the top was mostly obscured by pesky trees. Anyway, we got a preview look at Nourlangie Rock which we would be seeing next.
Gagudju Lodge Cooinda Caravan Park ‐ May 8, 2024

0.9 km

+5

Nicole's Birthday

Nicole's Birthday!

Nicole had a really good birthday, the highlight being catching her first Barra! See separate blog post for details.
Yellow Water Cruises ‐ May 7, 2024

1.5 km

We had a sunset cruise on the Yellow Water Billabong. Absolutely AMAZING and detailed in a blog post.

+9

Yellow River Billabong
Gagudju Lodge Cooinda Caravan Park ‐ May 6, 2024

114.1 km
Yurmikmik Lookout

25.4 km

We drove for around 30km on a dirt road to get in here, and then a 40-minute walk in very hot weather to get to the lookout. We both agreed it probably wasn't worth it, although with so many lookouts and falls closed at the moment we need to make the most of visiting what is open.

+2
Upper Ikoymarrwa Falls

66.8 km

These falls were our first experience in Kakadu Falls and they were fantastic. A lot of people taking advantage of the croc-free pools to have a refreshing swim (not us though).
Pine Creek ‐ May 4, 2024

91.3 km

+7

Pine Creek / Lazy Lizard Caravan Park

About an hour's drive north of Katherine is the tiny town of Pine Creek. It was a gold mining town in its day, which Nicole and I learned on our short walk up to a lookout of the old mine pit.

Katherine admin

After leaving Katherine Gorge early, we stopped at Coffee Club in Katherine (again). Then it was off to see Emily for my second back massage in a week, to help with a knot in my lower back I had devel...
Katherine

30.1 km
Katherine Gorge ‐ Apr 30, 2024

32 km

+13

Baruwei Lookout and Pat's Lookout

We set off very early today for two reasons - to catch the sun rising over Baruwei Lookout and to beat the heat of the day. Baruwei Lookout was only a short walk, up many stairs, but was absolutely be...

Katherine Gorge Boat Cruise (Three Gorges)

Today we enjoyed the Three Gorge Tour of Katherine Gorge. Absolutely amazing place and the local guide was wonderful. We had to change boats between each gorge, which gave us a chance to stretch our l...
Katherine Hot Springs

9.1 km

We made a quick stop to see the Katherine Hot Springs (after a Coffee Club breakfast treat). We didn't swim (still wary of crocodiles) but it was a lovely spot which they have done a very, very good job of making accessible to all.
Katherine ‐ Apr 25, 2024

67.3 km

Kicking back in Katherine

Because we got through Queensland and southern NT quite quickly, and that a lot of things aren't opening until May, we have taken a fairly long rest in Katherine at the Discovery Park. We have a great...
Edith Falls ‐ Apr 23, 2024

61.5 km

+7

Hike to Long Hole Pool

On our last morning at Edith Falls, Nicole and I hiked to Long Hole Pool which is upriver from Edith Falls. We left at 6:00am to beat the heat and were glad we did. A really pleasant walk and a nice w...

Photographing Edith Falls

I've enjoyed getting back into my landscape photography after being very inactive for a long time. I'm really happy with the smaller Fujifilm camera I got last year; it produces beautiful image colour...

(First) Edith Falls swim

While the bottom Plunge Pool was closed (see blog post), the Top Pool was open. And it was magnificent. Stunning and refreshing!
Katherine

100.8 km

We left Mataranka early (around 7:00am) and headed to Katherine. The lure of a Coffee Club breakfast in Katherine was too great, so that's exactly what we did. We also had a good chat to Katelyn (our daughter) around locking in plans for her to visit us in Darwin in late May, which is very exciting. Then it was off to Woolworths to stock up for our trip into Edith Falls.
Mataranka ‐ Apr 19, 2024

166.4 km

To break the drive from, Litchfield National Park to Kununurra, we stopped at Timber Creek for the night. It was our first non-powered site for quite a while, which meant we couldn't have the air conditioning on at night. While it might sound like a luxury, it has been unseasonally hot and humid up here for this time of year. For our troubles, we got to see (another) crocodile feeding (refer "Crocodiles, crocodiles everywhere" blog post) and kite feeding.

+8

Bitter Springs swim (finally)

After waiting nearly four days to get access to Bitter Springs (refer blog post) we finally got the chance to try Bitter Springs. Lovely! After four very pleasant and relaxing days

Formula 1 fix

Thanks to Starlink (a wonderful invention) I was able to get my full Formula 1 fix over the weekend watching the Chinese F1. Awesome sauce!

The Homestead

We visited Mataranka Homestead to try out the natural springs there. Very, very nice and refreshing in a beautiful spot. We then had a look at the old house that was built for the filming of We of the...
Daly Waters ‐ Apr 18, 2024

380.6 km

Another big driving day to get to Daly Waters (refer blog post). Had a nice, relaxing evening there at what is a fairly eccentric place and got to see a great young musical talent; Elvis Kernaghan.

+3
Threeways

187.3 km

The section of the Barkly Highway between Barkly Homestead and the Three Ways had been closed a week and a half earlier due to damage from flood waters. We were assured the road was fine so off we headed. We had one small water crossing but the rest was just some chopped up bits of road in places where you just had to drive a bit carefully. A few of the roadside rest stops were still under water (photo). Stopped at the Three Ways Roadhouse. Nicole had a frightening encounter (photo) and I, unfor [...]
tunately, couldn't go into a certain section (photo).

+2
Barkly Homestead, Australia ‐ Apr 17, 2024

246.9 km

Our resting point for today is Barkly Homestead, strategically positioned along the Barkly Highway as a rest point before heading to the Three Ways — the junction of the Barkly Highway (running east-west) and the Stuart Highway (heading north-south). It is literally an oasis in the middle of nowhere. A very, very well-presented place with nice powered sites and a very clean and modern roadhouse / restaurant / bar area. And Happy Hour from 4pm-5pm!

+2
Queensland - Northern Terriory Border

13 km

We finally reached the NT border after travelling more than 3,000km. We'd made sure food items we shouldn't be taking across the border (e.g. cucumber, spinach) had been eaten or disposed of, but weren't checked. We noticed an immediate change in the quality of the roads upon crossing the border i.e. fantastic on the QLD side and pretty ordinary on the NT side. Gained 30 minutes for our troubles though!
Camooweal

190.2 km

Stopped briefly in Camooweal (not much to see). The air conditioner remote control batteries were getting very flat, and we didn't want to stop being able to use it when we needed to, as it's very warm up here. Decided to buy some in Camooweal (forgot in Mount Isa) and, you guessed it, paid a LOT for them. 4 x Energizer AAA batteries = $23! I nearly fell over. Lesson learned.
Mount Isa ‐ Apr 14, 2024

59.4 km

+4

Mount Isa Rest Day

We took advantage of the Mount Isa Caravan Park's offer of "pay for two, stay for three nights", leaving us with a day of just relaxing. A great chance to just unwind, and say hello to the park manage...

Stocking up

Today was about topping up on fuel (around 140 litres) and groceries. Got some other bits and pieces at the last major population centre for a while. Nicole also cooked a great dinn

Mount Isa arrival

A short drive into Mount Isa from Mary Kathleen. The first thing we noticed coming over the hill was the huge stack with smoke drifting away from it. Definitely a mining, not a tourist, town. Arrived...
Mary Kathleen ‐ Apr 12, 2024

48.3 km

Headed just off the Barkly Highway into Mary Kathleen — site of the now decommissioned uranium mine and now a deserted town. Very interesting place (see separate blog posts).
Cloncurry

144.5 km

Off to Cloncurry to grab some lunch and have a look around. Drove up to the Chinaman Dam Lookout to have a look at Cloncurry. Not a big town but seemed nice enough. Then bought some groceries before heading west.

Cloncurry Shire
McKinlay

259 km

Drove to McKinlay where we visited the Walkabout Creek Hotel made famous in Crocodile Dundee. The owner was lovely and told us that, after 10 years running the pub, they’re were trying to sell up to move back to Biloela and start the grey nomad lifestyle. Great pub with plenty of character.

+2
Winton ‐ Apr 10, 2024

180.3 km

+3

Winton Rest Day

We decided to stay an extra day in Winton to relax plus catch up on some admin. To start the day we did a sunrise walk around Winton and were rewarded with (another) beautiful sunrise. Well worth gett...

Shopping in Winton

Drove to Winton today. Had a very good run on a very good road. On arrival we visited the (new) Waltzing Matilda Centre (refer separate blog post) then did some shopping at Searle’s store. A very, ver...
Longreach ‐ Apr 8, 2024

155.4 km

+3

Thomson River Cruise

After being picked up and bussed to the Thomson River, we boarded the boat for our sunset river cruise. Very relaxing with nibblies included on board and a camp oven dinner and show on shore when we r...

Longreach

We arrived in Longreach and decided to stock up on the following: Multiple options to repel flies Fly swatter (long and extendable handle versions) Bite soothing cream Groceries Beer Fuel A little gif...
Stonehenge

Just outside Stonehenge we stopped to add our family name to the Stonehenge Address Book. Very cool and some good exercise collecting rocks. We have now literally made our mark on Outback Queensland!

Stonehenge Address Book
Jundah

111 km

Stopped in Jundah for coffee.
Sandos Sandhill

13.2 km

+2

Sandos Sandhill

After leaving Windorah and before heading to Jundah, we stopped at Sandos Sandhill. We got packed and on the road just in time to catch the sun rising over the beautiful, deep red sandhills. What a tr...
Windorah ‐ Apr 6, 2024

214.4 km

On to Windorah

Beautiful scenery on the way to Windorah, passing through different types of landscapes. Plenty of wild emus spotted, but unfortunately very few (no) rest stops. So, we stopped in the middle of nowher...
Eromanga

112.2 km

Just outside Quilpie we stopped first at Baldy Top Lookout, which gave us a wonderful view of the surrounding landscape (see Photos section). Well worth the stop and short walk up. We then decided to take the longer route to Windorah via Eromanga - the Australian town furthest from the ocean (believe it or not). After a cold drink at the local pub at Eromanga established in 1880, we headed for Windorah.
The Lake ‐ Apr 5, 2024

Another relaxing day at The Lake today. Did some organising of where to next (stay tuned), getting photography stuff organised and a short walk to the lake. Unfortunately, we couldn't get far around the lake as it has been so wet, but a nice walk anyway. And we are very lucky we left Charleville when we did, as the town is now flooding. I hope all are OK.
The Lake ‐ Apr 4, 2024

Rest day at The Lake.

Rest day at The Lake

Our first rest day, which was exactly what we needed. Caught up on some admin and, more importantly, sleep (for me at least). Topped the day off with an outdoor bath overlooking the lake. Magic!
The Lake, Australia
The Lake ‐ Apr 3, 2024

208.5 km

Charleville sights then on to The Lake

We walked into town early in the morning to have a look around, did part of the River Walk, then back to the motorhome to pack up.
Charleville ‐ Apr 2, 2024

184.8 km

Dinner with the Scotts at The Rocks

Set up at the Cobb & Co Caravan Park in Charleville, then got cleaned up to have dinner with Bruce and Maureen Scott. I did some work with Bruce when he was Mayor of Barcoo Shire Council. Bruce has gi...
Mitchell

91.4 km

Mitchell Great Artesian Spa

Stopped in Mitchell to try out the Mitchell Great Artesian Spa. Very refreshing and very worthwhile.
Roma

41 km

Stopped in Roma for fuel, supplies and a very nice lunch at Bakeoroma (see blog post for details).
Wallumbilla

155.5 km

Calico Cottage

Drove to Wallumbilla where we stopped at the Calico Cottage and had a nice chat to the ladies working there. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get Apple Pay working on the Apple Watch of one of the ladi...
Chinchilla Weir ‐ Apr 1, 2024

172.6 km

First night with just the two of us. Decided to free camp and we were rewarded with a lovely spot at Chinchilla Weir. Very relaxing!
Toowoomba

83.2 km

Stocked up with groceries in Toowoomba.
Warwick

59.1 km

A short “convoy” trip with Chris and Nicola back to Warwick, where we enjoyed breakfast with them before saying goodbye.
Top Of The Town Tourist Park ‐ Mar 29, 2024

266.5 km

Day 1

The journey begins!

Day 1 started with breakfast with our beautiful daughter, Katelyn. Then it was sadly time to say goodbye to both Katelyn and our beloved Golden Retriever, Daisy, then finally hit the road after all th...
Home, Australia ‐ Mar 29, 2024