Rest, relaxation, achievment and sadness, All on our short break.

Sometimes it is important to say "enough" and take a few days rest and relaxation.
The caravan park that we tend to head to for a short stay is the Bellarine Bayside at Portarlington, which is only a three hour drive away.

                                 www.bellarinebayside.com.au

                              

This time we did not arrive until late afternoon as hubby had to spend the morning finishing off a couple of jobs. But set up does not take long as we both pitch in and work together so relaxation time can begin quickly.

We have been travelling down to the Geelong and  Bellarine area for many years and always commented on the You Yangs, as we scoot past.

                                 www.visitgeelongbellarine.com.au

                    

But this time we decided that we must visit these imposing hills.
So on Wednesday it was the bush , rather than the beach.
The You Yangs is about an hour away , through Geelong and along the Melbourne bound freeway  to the Lara turn off . From Lara it is well signposted .
We drove up to the top carpark to begin our walk up Flinders Peak.
There are clean "drop toilets" in this carpark and the only ones at this level and above.
You will need strong footwear, plenty of water and I carry a hiking stick in the van, and I really needed it on the walk to the top. The path consists of many granite steps and often ,slippery gravel. In summer I would think there would be plenty of snakes around.
But once you reach the top, the view is amazing.
I was so pleased that I persevered as I had a real sense of achievement . 

                    

Sadly later that day we received news that a long time friend had been taken by cancer. Maybe it was her encouraging me ( yep I am not overly fit )  to keep walking up that hill.
So our evening was spent in sadness and reflection.

No we did not cut our time short, as we were only three hours from home , and we also knew that we would be back home anyway before any arrangements took place.
Our few days away became a bit quieter and a little bit slower. Certainly not as much enthusiasm to explore places around the peninsula.
But we will get away again, hopefully before Christmas , but more than likely only for a  few nights.

Point Lonsdale watching the cargo ships enter Port Phillip bay

But when their is some form of illness or sadly a death at your home base , what do other travellers do.
Do you have a contingency plan if something happens to a family member or close friend.
Do we all need to have an emergency bank account for funds to return home.
I knew  of one couple who were in northern Australia when they received news that they were needed back in Victoria. They placed their caravan in storage and flew back home for a few weeks.

It probably is a conversation that people do not want to have but perhaps we should.

Caravanning, or in fact  any holidaying away from home , can bring about a range of problems or dilemmas to deal with. And as long as we are comfortable with the way we deal with them, then that is all that matters. And we need to realise that we  all manage  personal problems in a different way to the next person.
                                       Travel safely everyone and enjoy life.

Point Lonsdale pier

Clifton Springs

Leave the main highways and explore the small towns

We jump in our car and head off ,sometimes we are lucky enough to be towing our van , but  often it is just for a Sunday drive.

And around our home state of Victoria there are many interesting small towns that are away from the main highways. So it is always worthwhile to travel the small country roads as you may be surprised by the towns that you come across.

Today we meandered across to Rushworth. The stunning yellow of the flowering canola crops throwing a bright contrast to the dark green of the gum trees.

There are many interesting regional locales very close to Rushworth which are worth a visit. Moora, an area on the Bendigo side of Rushworth is one , particularly at Easter. If you are interested in seeing displays from all those years ago  mainly with large working horses then put Moora / Rushworth on your Easter calendar. Rushworth has a wonderful Heritage festival so it is worth spending some time in this lovely historical town.
                                  https://www.facebook.com/REHFInc/

The streets of Rushworth still have some lovely old red brick buildings abutting the footpath and history is around every corner. Rushworth is a quiet relaxed town and is full of friendly and welcoming people. The lawn in the median strip is well maintained and entices you to have a sit and relax in the spring sunshine. The public toilets are easy to find and have been clean every time we have stopped to make use of them.

We had lunch at the Moto Finish café. Amazing home cooked meals. Place this eatery on your list of cafés to visit where you can  fill your empty stomach or enjoy a  nice coffee. They offer take away and sit down meals, all served with a smile. The local bakery  is also full of many tempting treats or some nice fresh bread to take home.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rushworth-Moto-finish-cafe/211404955548511
https://www.campaspe.vic.gov.au/discover/campaspe-communities/rushworth/
http://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/rushworth

After lunch we headed across to Tatura. Along the tarred country road with the cemetery and golf course on the edge of the town and travelling  past  the tall black barked iron bark trees. The road is not very wide and you do have to cross the Waranga Mallee channel which  has a reduced speed limit of 30 k's as it is only a single lane bridge. You have glimpses of the Waranga basin , a great place to stop off with the boat for a spot of fishing or a day water skiing. There is also  a caravan park if you want to stay  longer and enjoy the water.

Tatura is a bustling small town with plenty around the town  precinct to keep tourists entertained.
It is situated just off the Midland Highway if you are heading east to Shepparton.

This town also boasts a very busy bakery with a delectable range of cakes and breads, which you can either take away or sit in and devour. 

The Victoria Hotel, or The Vic, as I believe the locals call it, is a good place to go to if you are after a bigger meal. The Tony's tower burger is very popular. As yet I have not managed to completely empty my plate , and I have attempted to quite a few times.

There seems to be quite a variety of events held around the town. We have been lucky enough to be there to watch some horse events held at the large Event centre. They have a large indoor arena so you can sit and enjoy the action whilst protected from  the weather.

Tatura also has a popular Art show on the Queens Birthday weekend , held at  Victory Hall.

A must see is  the German War cemetery , just on the outskirts of town  To see all these resting places so impeccably maintained is a credit to the groundskeeper . Just walking around and wondering what their story was, is such a sobering time . Such a variation of ages ! Such sadness!
But if you visit Tatura, it is a worthwhile stop.

There seems to be some nice walking paths around and a few parks to wander around in. You may be lucky enough to see the odd pelican fishing  for his lunch
Tatura is a nice town to use as a regional base to allow you to explore other closeby areas.
I believe there are two caravan parks in town for those travellers who are lucky enough to be travelling around our country. 

Mooroopna and Shepparton are only a few kilometres away if you want to check out the larger towns. Or perhaps go shopping at SPC in Shepparton.
So often we bypass the turnoffs to small towns yet they are full of untouched treasures and give you umpteen stories to pass on to others.
Word of mouth is a great way to spread information about places to visit and tourist spots to stop at and enjoy. And many little  shops in these small towns are often  overflowing  with specially made treasures crafted  by long gone techniques.


http://greatershepparton.com.au/region/towns/tatura

A holiday, a wedding and what we learnt

WE were so pleased to arrive at Renmark Big 4

A very friendly welcome on arrival was just what we needed after quite a few hours driving.
We were guided to our nicely grassed ensuite site, and we were pleased to be able to look across the park to the mighty Murray River.
Setting up does not take long and we  are both happy with what each other does, whether it be inside or outside. As the sooner it is done, the sooner the relaxation begins.

All set up and ready to relax

After we were organised we really needed to go for a walk , the legs needed to be exercised and the back needed to be stretched out. Yes, it is a sign of age ! 
The gardens in this caravan park are so well maintained and who can ever resist a walk along the banks of a river, any river. Picnic tables and seats are dotted along the bank, or if you like there is plenty of green grass to loll around on.

The sunset along the Murray River was just stunning and a wonderful place to sit and enjoy a drink and talk about the days travels.

Renmark is such a lovely town. There were long parking bays at the shopping centre  so  shopping for groceries whilst on the road can be done with ease. We also found a great green grocers to stock up on our fruit and vegetables.   And if you are lucky you may  find a roadside stall selling their produce. We found one selling fresh watermelons.
Angove's winery was most certainly worth the visit. The only problem we have is finding storage space in the ute , for our purchases that we cannot resist . We do not have a canopy on the ute and have found that it does create a bit of a restriction when out shopping.  Oh well, just something to aim for in the future.
A walk around the town reveals some lovely old buildings and some great places for a snack. The Renmark Club was our eatery of choice to sit outside at the tables beside the river and have a drink . I wish we could have stayed for longer but more tourist sites were calling.
There were interesting walking paths around the town, but they will have to wait until next time.
The view of the Murray is really breathtaking and you can see it from water level or from standing high above on the cliffs. Paddle steamers and houseboats quietly and peacefully move slowly along .
There are so many interesting places to explore around the Renmark area. It is a place that I really want to return to as our few days there did not seem to be long enough.
The Renmark Big 4 is quite a large caravan park with plenty of  facilities for families.   The barbecues and  swimming pool were all very popular. The caravan park  sits just below the main road and near the opening bridge  so you do get some traffic noise but it did not impact on my sleeping .

After our few days in Renmark it was time to head off to Blanchetown and it was closer to catching up with family and celebrating the much looked forward to wedding.
We decided to travel the long way to Blanchetown. Was it a good idea? Yes and no !
So we visited Berri, Loxton, Moorook, Overland Corner, Waikerie , Morgon  and on to Blanchetown. It was a very long day. And there were towns that I would love to go back too.

The pub at Overland Corner

Lunch at Lake Bonney

We used a few ferry crossings

The Murray River, so may great vistas along the way

It was so wonderful to have such awesome  views of the Murray along the way.
But finally we saw the bridge that crosses the river at Blanchetown.
So now just to find our caravan park.
Driving down the hill  to  river level was where the Blanchetown caravan park was situated.




What a contrast to Renmark Big 4
This was a much smaller caravan park.
Gravel sites.
No boom gate.
Ensuite was quite suitable.
No modern facilities for kids.
But wow !! Look at all those pelicans on the river. I love looking at pelicans. And photographing them as well. I may add I did take an awful lot of photos of pelicans in various flight patterns.

So we set up the van and had a look around the park.

A barbecue area near the river, some seats along the bank where you can  just sit and  enjoy the view and a pontoon if you want to go and have a spot of fishing. So the park may not be set up with all the whizz bang stuff that kids love to use but for adults who want to relax , it is quite suitable.

The next day we emptied our pockets and found enough coins to use the washing machine. This was something that we had not planned to do, but thought we would take the opportunity while we had time.  A makeshift clothes line strung around the awning worked wonders. And yes, I had the foresight to throw some pegs in before we left home. Just in case.
So our clothes were nicely dry when we returned from a drive down to Swan Reach. So many ferry crossings along the river and this town  had another great one with a very chatty ferry operator.

Friday has arrived and we need  to be up  early so we could  organise ourselves for the wedding which was to be held in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens on the Saturday afternoon.
We would lock our van up and leave it all alone in the caravan park. We had notified the park manager that we would be away for two nights ( yes moteling it in North Adelaide ) and we have insurance.  So I was telling myself, Do not stress Lyn, just enjoy the family gathering.

We carry a large toolbox on the back of the ute so hubby had screwed in a hook so his suit could hang. And we had soft sided carry bags so everything fitted easily.
We met the mother of the groom in Nuriootpa, about one and a half hours from Blanchetown. So after lunch we headed in to find our motel in North Adelaide. We opted for this option as the grooms family live not far from the Barossa and the Wedding was in Adelaide so we had to cover both bases.  Two nights away from the van was needed as after a reception at the Adelaide Wine centre we most certainly needed to make use of taxis.
Sunday was a family lunch before we headed back to the quiet caravan park and the pelicans at Blanchetown and our little Roma van , just sitting there the same as we had left it.
Monday meant another lunch catch up back in Nuriootpa and a chauffeured tour around the Barossa , courtesy of our cousin. It really was a fitting end to our lovely holiday.

Wolf Blass winery

And yes we are planning to return .
So we packed up and headed home on the Tuesday morning.
We had no real plans on the direction that we would head. We did travel across some quiet country roads and saw some parts of the state that we had never seen before.
The amazing Coonalpyn silos were a worthwhile stop. There were many people just like us, with cameras or mobile phones in hand trying to get a great photo.

Coonalpyn Silos

We have travelled this highway quite a few times so it did not feel too far from home.
Every small town was getting us closer to our final destination. We did call in to Moliagul to catch up with a friend and stretch the legs the final stop before home.

In hindsight we should have stayed overnight  somewhere just to break up the final trip.

If any of you are doing the tourist thing around the Adelaide area then all these places I have mentioned are a must see.

It was so wonderful to be able to manage to include a family wedding with a caravan holiday.

And what did we learn :
a canopy or cage and tarp is a much needed addition to the ute.
We need to try and alter the table , maybe try and round the corners or make a drop down section.
You can manage to carry a man's suit in a caravan.
Looks don't matter. The Blanchetown Big 4 was a great place to stay. And we will return one day.
Set up your caravan  to suit yourselves and no one else.
Plan your meals. We did , but we ate out too much so brought quite a bit back home.
Don't sweat the small stuff.
You don't need fancy equipment , just comfortable equipment that suits you.
Relax and unwind
Don't travel for too many hours at a time.

                    www.cilinsurance.com.au
                    www.big4.com.au
                    www.southaustralia.com.au
                    www.tourism.sa.gov.au
                    www.barossa.com
                    www.murrayriver.com.au

Formal clothes , a wedding and a holiday. It can be done. Part one.

It was so exciting to receive a wedding invitation. And better still , the wedding was in South Australia.
No question, we were going.
Now just how to organize our few days away.
A caravanning holiday would be so wonderful.
But what about work. It always seems to get in the way.
So we looked at flying, hiring a car, and motel accommodation. That would give us a couple of days to attend the wedding and catch up with family.
But that option was quite expensive.

So no ! We have the caravan ! Let's use it and enjoy a longer holiday.

Our next step was to try and coordinate travel times and places to stay.

When travelling with a caravan,  you need to factor in a few stops along the way, so you can be calm and relaxed when you arrive at your chosen destination. Mind you that does not always happen as sometimes tempers can become very short. Oh yes, we have had our moments !

Our South Australian family recommended a caravan park at Nuriootpa in the wonderful Barrosa Valley, but because of all our very slow decision making it was booked , out so we had to think again.

After looking at maps and working out time frames we chose stays at Renmark and Blanchetown, both towns in South Australia.

Our little Roma van  does not have a big fridge or a large amount of storage space so we needed to think long and hard about what we would take.
We knew that we would be away for about nine days . And we also knew that supermarkets would be close and handy so food was easily accessible. But on the other hand it would work out cheaper if we took as much food from our own cupboards.
Fresh fruit and vegetables were a definite  no, as they would be confiscated at the border. But a few frozen meals , pasta and soups and our meals were all sorted. It is not difficult to create a few easy meal ideas to have whilst travelling. 

We have an oven in our van, which has proved to be very useful. The other cooking appliance is a 3 burner portable gas stove which we set up outside under the awning. So we do our stove top cooking outside. When grilling is required  we use our cast iron grill plate , ( an Aldi purchase )  over one of the burners. As yet we have not bothered to add one of those nice fancy barbeques to our cooking collection, but that may be a purchase down the track.

I have found that choosing the clothes that you need to take away has caused the most problems. And this was going to be our longest holiday. So choice of clothes and shoes would be a challenge
Also we needed clothes to wear to a wedding. And the invitation said "formal "
Right ! I knew I could work this out.
In our wardrobes on either side of our bed, we installed shelves, a great Bunnings find, rather than use the hanging space. So I tend to fold all my clothes, and hubby also does not wear clothes that need to be hung on hangers.  
Our shoe storage has been a bit of a difficult one to work out. The gap between the bed and window is not very wide and I am not very flexible , so getting down on my knees to access this annoying little space is not the easiest of activities. The shoes were constantly sliding to the back of the cupboard and I was using a long handled grabber to try and drag them out.
But I needed another way.
After some contemplating how to fix this issue we went hunting for plastic bins. Eventually we found the right size to fit in these bottom cupboards. So we purchased three, one for each cupboard. The third one was cut in half and added to the end of the other one. The centre wall was removed and now we had a very long bin with our shoes held securely and so much easier to retrieve from the cupboard.

I leave some clothes permanently in

the van.  And my hiking boots always stay in as well

My choice for wedding outfit was a black double layered chiffon skirt and a red lace top, neither of  which would have any problems folded up on a shelf. And footwear was just simple sandals.
But a suit for hubby. This took a bit of thinking.
But all we needed was a  good quality suit bag with suit , shirt, tie and belt all safely zipped inside , and into the storage area under the bed they went.
So there are ways that special clothes can be carried in the caravan , without it causing too much stress. It just needs some planning and thinking.
From our home in central Victoria we  headed towards Mildura to cross over the border into South Australia.
Our biggest problem was coordinating toilet and food stops with fuel stops. This will be something that we will give more thought to next trip. Our sat nav does show petrol stations but  in some towns the information was incorrect ,  and also we were travelling on a Sunday so some businesses were not open. We spent a bit of time driving around Sea Lake looking for the petrol station , as there was one listed , but it wasn't until we drove to the outskirts that we found a very busy and very friendly servo where we could replenish our diesel tank.

After what seemed a very long days travel we were very glad to pull in to our first stop.

The Renmark Big 4 was a welcome sight.

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