Nathalia, with our new caravan

To change from something that you have felt happy with can be a daunting decision. 
Your current caravan feels comfortable and homely, you know all the little quirks and characteristics
But after much discussion we bit the bullet. 
Yep, we began our hunt for another van.
We travelled to quite a few caravan shows and dealers yards, and spoke to many sales people. We constantly shortened our list of new vans. It was always pleasing when you threw lots of questions at them and the return remark was " you really have done your homework haven't you."  And that is the key - Do your homework. Know what you want and need, and don't be swayed by sales talk..
And have a budget in mind.
We knew what we wanted, and we knew our budget.
And surprisingly, while we were looking at new vans,  an excellent caravan popped up in the second hand market so we became it's next owners.
So our caravanning changed from our lovely little Roma pop top to a full van, complete with ensuite.

It was quite a few weeks of ownership before we  were free enough to head off for our first trip.
And our first trip was to  the little town of Nathalia in northern Victoria.
It is an area that we have driven through but never stopped. You know, one of those towns that are on a main road but you are always heading somewhere else, so you have no time to stop and explore.
It is not really that far from our home base in central Victoria, so many of the towns that we drove through on our trip have always been quite familiar to us.
But for those caravanners out there, Stanhope has a good area to park the van right near the public toilets, which we have always found clean and tidy.  Turn left just as you enter the town, if you are travelling east.
Travelling along the Murray Valley highway from the Echuca direction the entrance to Nathalia is so  beautifully set out and welcoming. The median strip is very  lush and  wide.
We had booked into the Riverbank caravan park which is walking distance to the main street and situated  along the banks of the Broken Creek.
It is a small and well maintained caravan park with shady trees and large grassed sites, clean amenities and friendly staff.

                           https://riverbankcaravanpark.com.au/

Shops and  a couple of pubs line both sides of Nathalia's main street
And yes, during our stay, we visited the bakery, and there were no complaints with the food. A brisk walk was definitely needed after lunch.
Opposite the bakery is the local I.G.A. supermarket which has quite a useful selection of much needed groceries.
And at the local butchers we purchased a very tasty amount of beef stir fry for tea. They had quite a range of products so if any one is in the area it is a good place to grab some meat supplies.
During our stay we found plenty of tourist attractions to keep us entertained.  
One thing that hubby neglected to throw in the back of the ute was a fishing rod so it was off to the hardware shop to purchase another one. He was happy being so close to a body of water, but all he was able to remove from the Broken Creek was a pesky European carp. Oh well, he was satisfied with his minor fishing exercise.
If you are caravanners who carry bikes with you, then the shared paths along the river may be something that you could tackle. We walked, but not terribly far.

A most interesting drive is the Silo trail. We decided to make  a day trip further east  to check them out. It was roughly 80ks to our fist stop, St James, but so pleased that we did. For all those heading to the north/ north eastern area of Victoria, mark these small towns in as a must see.
A row of four silos is painted at St James, with plenty of people stopping to admire the artistic talent of these artists. And the great thing is, there is plenty of room near them to park your caravan.

St James Silos

Devinish is a short drive further on and the three silos are painted to honour our war veterans. 
You have to admire the artists and the subjects. You stand and are dwarfed by these tall structures and wonder how the artist achieved the correct  proportions. It must be such a challenge to be working at such a height and painting giant sized people.

Devinish

From there we headed to Goorambat. And looking straight down the main street were Clydesdales. Just wonderful, and yet again, so clever. The colours used were magnificent and the detail astonishing. And make sure you take a walk to the other end as there are another two silos painted which face the other direction.
Now I will let you in to a little secret. If you are checking out these silos  around meal time take a wander in to the pub and treat yourself to a nice tasty morsel. Lamb roast for me, followed by  lemon tart. This made it well worth the drive. And the young guy behind the bar was extremely friendly. Funny thing while we were there, a helicopter landed opposite the pub and the four occupants hopped out and wandered in for lunch. And strangely enough the male occupant was someone that hubby knew from his early pre married days when he lived in  Elmore Victoria. How small is our world ! And travel makes it so much smaller.

On our way back to Nathalia we made our way to Tungamah to check out their silos which sit on a small rise overlooking the town. Also worth a look, but no one else was there when we were there.

Tungamah

A must do when you are in the Nathalia area is a cruise on the Murray with Kingfisher cruises.
                                    http://www.kingfishercruises.com.au/

Head up to Barmah township and follow the signs near the pub. The cruise leaves from the Barmah forest day area. The little boat can take quite a few  passengers but there were only six of us on this quiet Saturday morning. The river was quite low, with many logs stretching across the water.  None of which caused any problem to our small craft. Our very capable Captain was even  able to maneuverer completely over the top of one stubborn log. 

I thought we would just have a recording playing with all the information, but no, it was our captain commentating for the whole cruise. She is such an encyclopedia of information, all ready for any questions. And she was able to answer any questions that were thrown at her.  
She must have really excellent eyesight as she could spot the very small birds before any of us passengers did. It was wonderful to see the Kingfishers hiding in the reeds. I never realised they were so small and have such bright colouring.  

We were informed of some very interesting facts about the Murray River, the Barmah forest and the region in general. What a learning experience while floating sedately along.

The Barmah forest is certainly a place to drive through but take care with the road and weather conditions. And do not speed as there are plenty of animals which call the forest home. You will see the stately Barmah Brumbies running freely through the bush. Kangaroos are very common  and emus run along the roads. We did not see any wild pigs or deer but if information is correct, they roam Barmah forest as well. And if you can find a spot to sit quietly you will hear different bird calls.

Barmah Brumbies

                                  All in all our few days at Nathalia was a relaxing time, but also a learning time. We managed to do a few different things and learnt  quite a bit of information about the region.  We found the  people in the area very  friendly  and always ready to share useful information. We also had time to get to know our new caravan as it is quite a bit different to our Roma. Our bed was comfy , the stove and fridge worked well. And it towed well. You may say we are extremely happy with our Kingdom caravan.

                       Keep enjoying your caravanning and travel safe

An afternoon out with the Barmah Brumbies

THE BARMAH BRUMBIES

A drive through the Australian bush can open your eyes. You see the beauty of our gum trees, sometimes with their magnificent flowers attracting hordes of bees to make tasty honey, or native birds nesting in hollows. You may even be lucky enough to be driving along beside one of our unique waterways, and if you are quiet you may see an animal having a drink.

Paints a lovely picture doesn't it !!

But what about the modern reality!

You will need to step over the cold camp fire with rubbish strewn around the abandoned site. Yes broken bottles, crushed alcohol cans and more than likely toilet paper will be blowing around as well.

What pests some of these campers are. We have lovely bush but many aussies feel free to use the bush as a personal rubbish tip.

Yes man is a pest ! An environmental pest.

But if the news is correct, so are animals.

And in this area of Victoria, where we are currently staying, so is the Barmah brumby!!

This is something that I really struggle with.

Yes, Australia was made on the sheep's back. 

But what was the drover riding. It certainly wasn't a motor bike back then. It was a very sound and stocky horse. A faithful animal who knew which way to spin around to chase that rogue sheep.

Many of us have had some sort  of relationship with horses.

Me, well I grew up with a very cantankerous Shetland pony. She definitely had an independent mind and you could not make her do anything that she did not want to do. 

But she was sturdy.

And I have recently had the pleasure to be introduced to  some more very sturdy horses.

The Barmah Brumby!

Yes, that supposed pest.

Well sorry. In my eyes, and in the eyes of many others, they are far from a pest.

They roam so freely across roughly 26,000 hectares of the Barmah forest.

In a very quiet area of the Australian bush we stood still and waited. And yes these tall, proud animals made an appearance.

The feeling to have wild animals so close to you and know that they were not going to hurt you was just magical.

How special to see a tall and stately stallion with his mob of mares.

Many people will never get to experience this.

And if these Barmah Brumbies are treated as pests and the majority are culled as is currently planned, then many tourists will not even know they exist.

The Save Our Barmah Brumby group are doing  a heck of a lot of scientific research into these animals. They are doing head counts and sending information to America to collate evidence to prove their case for saving these animals. They are looking at any means to save them rather than have them disappear completely. There must be other ways to reduce their numbers rather than shoot the majority of them. There have been and will continue to be discussions to find an acceptable solution to the plight of the Barmah Brumbies.
All this is costing some very big cash amounts. But they are a very passionate group of people. Passionate about the Barmah Brumbies and the Barmah region, and passionate about horses.

The Barmah Brumbies are lucky to have this group supporting them and these people will stand by them right to the end. 
Yes Aussies can be strong willed and country people have a defiance like no other. They will go down fighting. Fighting and standing tall for their beliefs. Belief that these horses need to remain. And remain in the quantity that is currently roaming the Barmah National Forest.

Come on tourists. Come and see what this fight is all about. Come and support these local people.

https://www.facebook.com/saveourbarmahbrumby/?ref=br_rs

To upgrade the caravan or not. Oh my goodness. What a decision!!

      How Difficult is this decision??

Full vans, pop-top caravans, motor homes, roof top tents and many other varieties of portable accommodation choices are currently traversing  our wonderful land.

So what are you travelling in?

We purchased our Roma pop top three and a half years ago. And we have loved her and enjoyed our travels in our little home away from home. It was interesting back then as some family members tried to turn me off caravan travel. I must admit I had only ever camped out once, so I really had nothing to base caravan  holidays on. Our times away  in  little Roma have only consisted of  staying in caravan parks, so consequently we have not stepped up into the exciting and challenging world of free camping.

Occasionally, throughout life, our contentment can start to sway slightly. And this is when our discussions started !

We have enjoyed our travels, so now may be the right time to upgrade slightly.

One sunny bright winters day we ventured into a caravan sales yard to look at newer model caravans.

Well how complex are the choices. And taking the time out to visit caravan shows only opened our eyes to more choices.

Firstly: do you buy a new van or a second-hand van.  Now that really depends on your bank balance.

I must admit , there are some very nice second-hand caravans around.
We were lucky when we purchased  Roma. It was like she was sitting in the yard just waiting for us to arrive.

The day we collected our first caravan

How many members of the caravanning world are also trying to get their head around all the choices out there!
Some things are easy.

What length caravan depends on how many people will need to be accommodated. We are lucky. There is only the two of us. But then do we go from a double bed to two singles.

And don't get me started on water tanks. How many tanks and how many litres do they hold.
And then there has been the discussion on grey water tanks. Is that a yes or no !

This is doing my head in ! It wasn't this hard the first time !!

And for free camping you are going to need a good solar set up, and don't forget the ensuite. And then is that all necessary ensuite big enough to accommodate a larger framed person or one who is not as flexible as they were when younger.

Single axle or dual axle! 

Aluminium frame or meranti frame!

Oven or just the stove top and grill.

Café style dining or L shape.

And the decisions continue !

And this is all before you find the brand that you like; then you start with all the questions again.

We eventually settled on a couple of brands!

But then the decision becomes more complex as they are full vans which means there is a problem with height access into the yard. Previously we removed our roller door so Roma could be reversed into the driveway, so the problem with a full van is a bit greater! Could just sell up and head off I suppose!!

Over the years caravans have evolved into modern travelling homes. And many people need this as they no longer have a permanent home base. So a home on wheels with some useful mod cons makes life a bit easier.

But some caravanners are content with just the basics.

And there is nothing wrong with anyone's choices.

We are all free to have what suits us, our bank balance and our life style.

But I think I may pour a wine! All this thinking is giving me  headache!

National Celtic Festival was a great weekend

Roving entertainers

Hubby and I attended our very first music festival on the Queen’s Birthday weekend.

Why oh why did we wait so long????

Thank you, National Celtic Festival at Portarlington

We had an absolutely fabulous time!

And thank you Bellarine Bayside caravan park.

It took us a while to decide whether to go or not. In fact, I did not buy the tickets until we had hitched up our van and was ready to drive out of our driveway.

We had already booked our site in the caravan park so even if we decided not to attend the festival we knew that there was plenty to do around the Bellarine region.

The staff are always so welcoming at the Bellarine Bayside and even though this was a busy weekend for the town, the friendly smiles were still plentiful.

The caravan park was quite full, but I have no idea if that was because people were going to the festival, or just looking forward to a relaxing long weekend.

But we were very fortunate as we could still look out over the bay from our caravan. Yes, our little Roma pop top was positioned nicely on an ensuite site. And we were lucky, as it appeared that all ensuite sites were fully booked.

And how lucky were we to have such great neighbours in Ensuite 9.  Darryl and Bron were so willing to share their knowledge about music festivals to us first timers. They had really spent some time going through the program as there were many events that they had highlighted. As novices, we were fairly limited, as we had little knowledge of many of the performers, but Bron and Darryl were there to offer advice.

So off we headed to the Portarlington park, armed with knowledge and excitement all ready to hopefully have a great time. Marquees and tents, of all sizes, were spread around this beautifully treed park, which is situated nicely on the hill overlooking the bay.

Performers were scattered throughout the park halls, marquees and neighbouring church halls. Once you had received your wrist band you had access to all venues. But the choice as to who to see was difficult as so many exceptional artists were on at the same time.

Our Saturday was spent enjoying the very deft finger work and foot tapping music of the Adelaide Scottish Fiddle Club, and listening to the wonderful entertaining stories and songs from Colin Lillie. 

The Parks Hall was very popular on the Saturday evening and we were very pleased that we arrived early enough to find seats towards the front. Damien Leith knew how to involve the crowd and keep everyone spellbound with great music and snippets. Trouble in the Kitchen and the Paul McKenna Band kept the tempo upbeat, which was needed on such a cold night, but I must remember a knee rug next time.

Such a diverse group of entertainers, from well known to those who are just finding their feet in the entertainment industry. One thing was for sure though, all the music had you tapping your toes or clapping your hands. And many of the audience were singing along, not necessarily in tune, but that did not matter.

It was so wonderful to see adults and children swirling and twirling around in the vacant space below the stage. The smiles and laughter from people enjoying the music and atmosphere flowed through all venues and left audience members uplifted and in high spirits.

The weekend was all about fun and inclusion. And you did not need to spend money on a ticket to be part of the fun, as there was plenty of free entertainment to keep you captivated. Market stalls selling a variety of foodstuffs to fulfil the appetite, from the typical baked potato, hot soup or Scottish shortbread, or for those who were tempted, haggis. We thoroughly enjoyed a large plate of freshly made Dutch pancakes, mine sprinkled with sugar and drizzled with lemon.

Hubby was so pleased to grab sausage in bread for a second breakfast

 Sunday was a repeat of Saturday: fabulous entertainment, clapping, singing and toe tapping. And not enough time to see everyone whom we had marked in the program. But I will keep this year’s program with my written notations so I will know who to attempt to see if we are lucky enough to be able to return next year.

In conclusion, it took me quite a few years to finally attend a music festival, now perhaps the seed has been sown and I will hunt out a few more.

                                      Happy and safe travels everyone.

Even us seniors are never too old to learn.

Caravanning and camping teach us many things.
Every time we go away we have the potential to learn something. It does not matter how old we are, there is always something to learn; and it is  a blessing to be around to be able to learn.

We are all very lucky to be able to travel around our country, whether it be long distances or just short trips
As many of you may already know, hubby and I spend quite a bit of "chill out " time at Bellarine Bayside caravan park on the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria.
                                         https://www.bellarinebayside.com.au/

Our early June four day break was to celebrate my sister's 60th birthday. And reaching a number with a zero on the end is always a reason for a good celebration.

                                                  So again, Deb, happy 60th birthday.

And I believe she is still out there celebrating while we had to come home to work!

So I will share what I have recently learnt. Nothing spectacular, mind you, but learning does not need to be an explosion of lights , it just needs to be something that makes life a little bit easier.

A couple of recent trips that we have had, has taught me how expensive internet can be while travelling away from home. 

Whenever we go away I usually make sure that I have the laptop with me. Yes sometimes a work email needs attention.
Oh, roll on retirement !
I admit that I am not clever with technology but this trip I learnt something. Yes, many of you know heaps about computers and internet, but my knowledge is limited. 
And I am not afraid to admit that.
Anyway the last couple of times that we went away I went through 5gbs of internet in two days, with not much time spent using the computer.
After finally getting  my grey matter to work, I figured out what I was doing wrong. So from now on I will be turning off my Telstra wi fi dongle when I am not using it, and also turning off updates on my computer. The windows updates that come through are so frustrating so they can wait until we return home, where I have unlimited internet.

There is a saying that when you learn something as a child, you will not forget.

Well I learnt that I can still ride a bike.

You see we bought two second hand fold up bikes.
My brother in law bought them off ebay and we decided to buy them from him, as he was unable to use them.
And they fold up nicely in the back of the BT 50.
Now I have not been on a bike for close on 50 years; yes that will give you an idea of my age.
When walking around my neighbourhood at home, I often see "seniors"  tackling the bike paths and their level of fitness is a credit to them. 
The shared paths around the Bellarine Bayside are well maintained. Many walkers, joggers and bike riders constantly traversing them throughout the day.

So while we were away for our recent stay, I decided to get on my bike.
Well the balance was not good and by gee it takes some effort to pedal.
I am glad no one came near me as my steering was not great so I was relieved  for the safety of others.
Bike riding really takes some effort. Whoever thought that this was going to be fun
My poor aging legs did not like the action required to push pedals so the following day was pay back time.
Why did we buy the bikes ? I really have no idea. Will we use them when we go away?
Well that answer is anyone's guess.
All I know is that I need a hell of a lot more practice! And even if I do get more practice I really think that I will only ride on flat ground, yep I will most definitely stay away from roads and hills !
                                 Happy and safe travelling everyone.

A banjo shark