Great neighbours when camping, are worth their weight in gold

Do you get excited when an invite arrives.

I do !

As then I check dates to see if we can allow a few extra days to throw in a holiday as well.

This month we have been lucky to be able to attend our nieces 30^th birthday and a few weeks later, an engagement party. A 60^th birthday is also looming up quickly

And all on the beautiful Bellarine Peninsula

Our trip to the 30^th birthday did not involve our caravan as we also had a family function in Melbourne the same weekend.  We accepted the offer of a bed for the night from our Melbourne host so dinner, drinks and lots of laughter concluded a                                                                 fun filled few days.

Two weeks later we were on the road heading back to the Bellarine Peninsula, where our caravan park of choice is the Bellarine Bayside at Portarlington.

                                                 www.bellarinebayside.com.au

Site fees for three nights are equal to one night in a motel so we can see the benefit of having our caravan.

Many retirees will purchase a van with the intent of doing “The Big Lap “; or families will purchase a van so they can enjoy holidays that fit into their budget.

But we all have that one thing in common; we are all members of the “ Caravan owners enjoyment Club " That great  Aussie country style caravan wave as we travel along that stretch of dark coloured road shows that we all have that common interest of acknowledging other caravan drivers. 

Whatever the reason for our initial caravan or camper purchase, we all have the same agenda: to enjoy our life, to respect everyone and to offer advice, help and friendship when it is required.

Our ensuite site at Portarlington looked straight out across the bay. So relaxing; enjoying the changing colours of the water and the dancing antics of the sea birds.

We have always found that the weather can change quite dramatically so we awoke to quite a bit of rain on the Saturday morning. The engaged couple were a bit stressed, but the party had to proceed anyway. The wet weather was just a minor distraction, but it did not dampen the enjoyment of celebrating  with Bethany and Will, their parents and relatives from South Australia.  Me, well I just had to reassess my outfit choice. Certainly not weather for open toed sandals. That is the thing with caravans, there is only limited storage space, but we all make do!

Off and on it rained but the wind that came in the next day was horrendous. Now I am, let’s say, a sturdy size, and I struggled to stand upright.

We managed a  wander around the Queenscliffe market , as it is in a slightly protected area, followed by a catch up lunch with a longtime friend. If you are on the Bellarine during market season check them out. There are some very clever people down that way.

Hubby enjoys watching ships come through the heads but that certainly was not an enjoyable Sunday pastime.

Fed up with being blown backwards every time you tried to walk anywhere we gave up and headed back to the van.

And we were very happy to discover the friendship, help and camaraderie of our caravan site neighbour. He had seen that the wind was causing havoc with our awning so he tightened it up which prevented any damage. Isn’t it so reassuring to know that there are people who will keep an eye on your stuff while you are out. Dave, on site B9/10 Bellarine Bayside, 25^th March, thank you.

I love seeing posts on all the caravanning and camping pages, where people are so willing to offer support and ideas. This is what caravanning and camping  life should be about , help and support to other travellers.

Life is about constantly learning and in turn this allows us to be able to share our new found knowledge.

Happy and safe travelling everyone.

                                www.visitgeelongbellarine.com.au

                                 www.visitvictoria.com

TatFest, a typical country festival

Where is the best place to find an awesome Devonshire tea ?

Well in my opinion, it is a small country town and it is so much better if there is a festival or market happening.

And we were very fortunate as we  found a very tasty plate of scones at Tatfest.

Autumn is a wonderful time in Victoria, and so many towns take full advantage of  the cloudless blue skies and warm sun , to throw out the welcome mat to those tourists exploring the countryside.

If you are travelling around the country, or just wanting to take a day trip away from your home town, then it is not hard to find a festival or market being held somewhere close by.

The annual festival held at Tatura piqued our interest so we decided to wander across to the Goulburn valley town and experience it ourselves.

TatFest is held at Mactier Park , which is graced by tall trees and a large expanse of lush green grass.
What a wonderful surrounding to sit , relax and enjoy the music , or wander around and take in all the stalls.

We arrived right on lunch time and a quick look around soon proved that the lunch choice was going to be a difficult one, as the menu options were many and varied.

Do I have a spring roll or perhaps a lamb roll , or just go straight to dessert and have pancakes. But I saw that the line for baked potatoes had shortened so I joined the queue. I am a sucker for a good baked potato, and hearing the whispers from those in close proximity, it was settled that Karen's Baked Potato stand was the right place for me. A fresh from the oven baked potato topped with all the trimmings and a bottle of icy water and my lunch was organised. Hubby chose a lamb roll and there were no complaints from him either.

A chair in the shade , enjoying a nice lunch while listening to the buskers and chatting to a friend made for a memorable lunch. 

Two friends relaxing and enjoying a chat

Kids on the grass next to us were having a ball, rolling around and pushing each other over with such vigour that you would swear that there would be broken bones. But no, they were  all safely encased in Sumo Wrestling suits. What a great activity to keep the kids entertained while families relaxed. 

At the back of the park were the Zorb balls. Kids climbed in and ran around inside them to propel themselves along the grass. It reminded me of my childhood when I ran inside an old water tank to race it down the hill near my home. I do think the plastic walls of the Zorb Balls looked a lot safer than the metal  walls of an old water tank.



















The abseiling wall was also getting a continuous use. I guess it wasn't really that high and it was being manned very safely but certainly not the type of activity for this senior person. Those that had a go seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.

The S.E.S and CFA did a great job with their displays in this area.

Next stop is  the petting zoo. This activity is much quieter and the very young toddlers have a great time patting the goats and rabbit.

The younger family members  had so many things to check out, I would think that by Sunday evening there would be many tired little bodies around.

We can hear the whoosh of a flame so wander over to check out the noise. And in the carpark is the RAAF guys with their Hot Air Balloon. Sunday was too gusty for the balloon to be used so there were no tethered flights available, but there was still information shared and you had the chance of standing in the balloon basket. 
We had a fun time chatting with these guys. Great ambassadors for the Airforce.

               https://www.airforce.gov.au/displays/air-force-balloon

While I was standing in line waiting for my baked potato, I started chatting to the lady behind me and she was informing me that she was one of the volunteers serving Devonshire tea.
So now was a suitable length of time between lunch and afternoon tea to hunt out these home made scones.
Tables and chairs were set up in the Tatura Senior Citizens club rooms, and for the price of $5 you were served a cup of tea or coffee and home made scones , with home made jam and nice thick cream. So glad that I chatted to Veronica whilst waiting in line for my lunch.

Oh , so very, very tasty. And so much better than mass produced scones.

Veronica and Kaye serving the Devonshire tea

The bright shine of the jewellery and the pleasant smell of candles enticed you along the path to check out those displays. The naturopath tent was informative and I tried some tea made with fennel , which brought back  memories of my Father as he used to grow it back in the 1980's. We left with some tea samples : I wonder if they will help my insomnia. 



All in all TatFest was a very enjoyable day. It was not expensive and there was plenty of entertainment for all ages.



Congratulations to all those involved and thank you to all the sponsors , as without sponsorship, these events would not happen. 
And as a tourist , it gives us a reason to visit other towns.



With all our grey nomads and retirees  travelling around , I think a country fair , market or festival is a great place to sit back and relax while learning about the area . 

Santa is coming, so let's see if we can fit in a short break beforehand

As the Christmas break is chasing us down we decided to head to the Bellarine Peninsula for a quick three night stay. We have always made a choice to remain at home over the Christmas season and most school holidays , as we are not governed by school terms like families are, so it was fabulous to make a last minute decision to hitch up our little Roma caravan.

Normally I would have  filled up the fridge and cupboards so I can just relax on arrival and not worry about shopping, but this time, for some reason , I just could not get the brain to work properly. Oh well looks like I will be shopping after we have set up.

This trip we decided to travel through Castlemaine, Daylesford and Ballan, rather than Gisborne and Bacchus Marsh.

Castlemaine has quite a selection of wonderful old buildings and public parks with tall and proud trees. The streets around the shopping strip are quite busy so if you are driving through you would struggle to pull up with your caravan attached , but there are a few cafes situated away from the main shopping area if you are looking for a drink. There is a designated long parking bay just off the main street in Forest street  near the public toilets. Now I must admit that I do not know what the time limit is. But if you remain on the main street and continue a little further on under the old brick railway bridge there is plenty of room to pull up in Campbells Creek ,across the road from  the public toilets. You could really make this quite a relaxed trip with many stops along the way. Guildford is now home to a very popular café , no parking stress in this town. I love these small towns who have a booming café culture. So great for us travellers who just want a break from driving and a hot cuppa .

The scenery is typical of this region  of Victoria during the hot summer months;  farms , livestock and dry grass.


Continuing on down the hill through the main street of Daylesford there is a B.P service station if you are after fuel . Also toilets inside for the customers.

But if you are after a relaxing place to pull up for a break and stretch the legs , then Upper Stony Creek Reservoir No. 2 will fill the bill. It is nicely placed in the Brisbane ranges with a large area for parking , and we have always found the long drop toilets are clean and well maintained.  Not a bad place to relax before you hit the traffic of Geelong or head down the Great Ocean Road.

Upper Stony Creek Reservoir in the Brisbane Ranges is a great place to have a quick stop

                                                 www.geelongbellarine.com.au

Our trip through Geelong and out to the Bellarine Peninsula is uneventful and it is always a sense of excitement to arrive at Bellarine Bayside Caravan Park at Portarlington. All the staff are so friendly and welcoming. Quite often the ground staff will pop around for a chat while they are going about their daily routine.
                                                www.bellarinebayside.com.au

                           The beach is a welcome sight as the weather is warm and sticky.

It does not take long to set up all our bits and pieces. This time we have added some new equipment. We have new chairs from Anaconda and a new table to use outside, which we purchased from the Caravan and Camping show. Comfy chairs has been something that I have really struggled with finding, so I hope these suit our purpose. One of our biggest and most useful additions has been a fibreglass canopy on the ute. It has been a necessity for our work , so this trip all the work tools remained , secured in place.

The Bellarine Peninsula has been a place that we have visited often, over many years. But in the early years it was only ever a day trip, occasionally we booked a holiday house ,shared with other family. These days, with little Roma, we now have time to explore the shops and markets ,or just sit and watch the waves rolling in.
Portarlington Woolworths was a must for our grocery shopping  or our meals would be non existent. Meat and salad items were purchased as a barbecue with my sister and niece were organised for that night. It was so peaceful sitting and chatting whilst enjoying a wine and looking out at the bay. The sounds of Christmas carols resonating along the beach enticed us to go for a walk and find the source of this joyful Christmas music. The park was full of happy kids and relaxed families all just enjoying the Christmas atmosphere. It was so special to be part of this community occasion, happy smiling people all ready to have a chat and spread Christmas wishes.

The Bellarine Peninsula has a plethora of picnic spots, some busy and others quiet and secluded. My sister chose a lovely park  along Lower Bluff Road near St Leonards ; a place where we could enjoy a picnic lunch while watching sail boats contend with the waves.

A stroll around the Drysdale market was a lovely way to begin a Sunday. There is such a wide variety of handmade products to purchase . So the last minute Christmas presents were easily found.  Or maybe grab a coffee and sit and listen to some peaceful music.  Pan pipes were resonating through the park while we wandered around.

Queenscliff was the town of choice for lunch , which included a meet up with our fellow caravanning family. It is always worthwhile to hear hints and ideas from long time travellers as everyone benefits from shared information.

The General store supplied great food and friendly staff, and we were lucky enough to grab a table in a separate section of the café. We were trying to organise a group caravanning trip but unfortunately the timing of said trip did not suit us, as we had already pencilled in a trip with other friends.

There are plenty of pelicans at the boat ramp, all waiting for the returning fishermen

Three nights away is never enough as you just begin to de-stress and then it is time to hitch up and head home again. Usually we start to pack up the night before we leave but this time we were slightly different.We decided to head in to Geelong and check out their "Floating Christmas tree ". How wonderful it was, and how surprising to see all the families sitting around and enjoying the Sunday evening weather, while singing along to the carols.

 

The Geelong waterfront is so pretty

Well Monday morning saw us packing up our little Roma to head back north and finish off the last minute work, before sitting down and enjoying all the Christmas festivities.

My Christmas wish to you all is that health, happiness, love and laughter follows you into 2018.

And for those with young families who are camping away from home, May Santa find all those precious young children and make their Christmas morning memorable.

                                      Merry Christmas my fellow caravanners and campers

                                            🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄

Time out in Ballarat

How lucky are we 
We have found time to hitch Roma up and head off for another couple of days.
Not far away and to a town that we normally just head over to for the day.

So where are we heading - Ballarat.
That other large town built on a history of gold.

Packed up and  all organised, we pull out of the driveway. And no dramas this time.
Except me trying to manage the sat nav ; and the road trip music. Our new sound system can use a USB so I was able to put our "road trip " music onto that. But damned if I know how to find a specific song to play as we start our journey. I know some caravanners have a favourite song playing as they head off. We will just have to accept the song that commences once I remember how to start it up again.
Righto, the brain has kicked in so the music is on.

Now to tackle the sat nav. Why does technology have to be so complicated ? To try and locate the caravan park I  tried a variety of different road names in neighbouring suburbs and it would not recognise any , so we will just have to wing it with my notes that I jotted down.

From Bendigo we can choose a couple of different roads to take.

But today we head down the Calder. The reconfiguration  at Ravenswood is taking shape, and  the intersection will be so much safer when it is  complete.

Our first stop is not far down the road as we have to stop in Campbells Creek to drop in a quote to a returning customer.
A quick chat and we are back in the BT 50 ,with our down time beckoning.

As we zoom through Gulidford you look  across the paddocks , and just see the dryness. Not much rain has fallen around these parts. But the farmers are busy as many paddocks are dotted with large round bales of hay, ready to be sold or stored for livestock food.

As we gat closer to Daylesford the paddocks are a lush green. Everywhere you look is just a patchwork of colour. There are still crops of canola with their bright yellow flowers contrasting against the rich brown soil and the healthy bright green of the pasture. This area is renowned for it's potatoes so if you see a roadside stall, my advice is stop and grab a bag.

Another safe road addition is a new roundabout at the intersection of  Midland highway and Daylesford / Trentham road. Anyone who has ever travelled this road will know how long you could sit at this stop sign waiting for a break in the traffic. So another patience sapping intersection has been improved.
The road through this small town can be slow as it is very popular with tourists. It is definitely worth pulling up for a stop though and a roam through the shops or enjoy a meal or coffee at one of the many cafes.

From Daylesford it does not take long to reach Ballarat. You wend your way past tall native gum trees or pine forests before you head down the hill to enter the outskirts of the town.

So glad I had jotted down some notes as it made navigating around the town so much easier.
The caravan park - Big 4 Windmill Park - is on a major highway which will eventually take you on  another adventure. But we only travel a fraction of that highway. Head out under the Memorial Arch , along the Avenue of Honour and we find our destination on the right , nearly opposite a very useful Woolworths supermarket.
We were welcomed by such friendly staff and they walked us down to our ensuite site which was situated  right down the back. Lovely big trees and the sound of birds singing filled the air. Oh but it is close to the airport so you will also hear small planes buzzing around.

                                       www.ballaratwindmill.com.au

Set up does not take long and a cold glass of wine was our reward for an uneventful day.
This park is not overly big but it covers most entertainment bases for families, even down to chicken feeding. It has a heated pool , tennis court and games room and a few herbs available for those who are tempted to whip up a tasty meal.
One thing I did find very useful was the hot water tap on the outside wall of the ensuite. So I could fill my kettle up with hot water rather than wait for it to boil , to wash the dishes. Yes our van is not a nice big luxurious one fitted with a hot water system, just very basic.

Our first full day was November 11th, Remembrance Day. So where would we head; the service at the Cenotaph.

Mobile phones are useful to tell you where things are and then if you do not know the area,Google maps to get you there.


Not many people around when we arrived so we were lucky to grab a close car park.
A Remembrance day service, like Anzac Day, is very moving. Speeches, wreath laying and the Last Post and Bell Toll followed by the minutes silence. And we were so blessed to be able to have a chat later on with retired chaplain, Keith Lanyon, the guest speaker. His speech was very moving as his words cut through us , as they were so close to home. He gladly gave over a copy of his speech without hesitation. This is what life is all about. Be yourself and treat people the way you wish to be treated.
This service was so rewarding in so many ways and "I tips my hat " to Ballarat RSL and the City of Ballarat. Thank you.

www.ballarat.vic.gov.au
www.ballaratrsl.com.au

Now you remember that great car park that we snaffled, well we were hemmed in. Due to the roads being blocked , and the amount of traffic coming down the hill, we did not have a hope in hell of reversing out for some time so we did the next best thing, and went and had a coffee.

Our next stop for the day was MADE - Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka.
The museum dedicated to democracy.
                                                          www.made.org

Again very friendly staff and so lovely to share information about the exhibit or other tourist places around the area.
In my opinion this is a must see place if you come to Ballarat. It cost us under $10 each and it is great value for the money. It explains all about the Eureka Stockade and it has in pride of place, The Eureka Flag.

The flag has been restored as best as possible and whoever took on this job is a great seamstress. I hate mending at the best of times and this job would have been so stressful, considering the history involved and the quality of the old material.

Our next visit was to the Botanic Gardens. A nice free wander around perusing some lovely plants.
Massive redwoods line gravel pathways. Families were lolling about the soft green grass. And we meandered  right up to the end of the gardens to have a look at the Ex POW memorial. Another moving monument to those involved in conflict. And we were lucky enough to have a chat to the son of a Ex-POW who's name , sadly, was displayed on that wall.

Another ' must see ' place if you visit Ballarat

To head back to the ute we wandered along the Prime Ministers walk, a path lined by statues of all previous heads of our country. We checked out the plants in the large glass conservatory before ending our Botanic Gardens visit.

Now a great time to visit Ballarat, if you love plants, is when the Begonia festival takes place, in March. Very colourful and stunning Begonias.
So there you are that is day one. We try and fill in at least one day of interesting events where we can reflect on the beauty of our landscape or the enjoyment of our towns.



A cup of tea, home made pies and vegies for tea and a quiet evening chatting was all that was needed to end a lovely day.

Well I will come clean. Our trip was not purely just for a relaxing weekend away. Actually it was to watch our granddaughter compete in her sporting pursuits. But we needed to be a little cagey about our destination.
So most of our Sunday was spent sitting on hard chairs  in a hot sporting hall, watching karate.
But cue  proud Grandparents music ; miss  won a bronze and a gold  and also became regional champion in her age group. So  glad that we juggled things around to be able to get here. Yes it meant hubby worked weekends but we would not miss seeing her compete for the world.
So afterwards we just went for a drive around outlying areas of Ballarat.

Sometimes a spontaneous drive will deliver you a real treasure. And today we came across a small park with tree stumps carved in to sculptures : four sculptures dedicated to different aspects of the war. All in a roadside park at Corindhap. A great place to stop for a wander, but there were no toilets at this park. There was a sign a little way further on directing you down a side road.

Ballarat is a city with beautiful wide tree lined streets. The avenue of honour deserves a walk along a section, just to read the brass plaques and honour the sacrifice they gave.
The amount of memorials dedicated to those who fought or died in world conflicts can be found in various areas of Ballarat. Standing and reading them  really makes one feel humbled.

Ballarat has some fabulous historical buildings adorned with intricate carvings and stained glass.
The gardens are worthy of a quiet stroll or maybe a picnic.
And if you are interested in shopping well there is plenty of choices to help you part with your money
All in all Ballarat is a place worthy of setting up for a few days.
So after three nights we ventured back home. We really needed more time there as there is so much more to see and do. But it is on the list for next time.

And no, I have no association with Ballarat at all I just like the city and enjoyed our time there. Actually I am Bendigo born and bred ! And there is always friendly banter by way of Bendigo versus Ballarat.

www.visitballarat.com.au
https://ballaratbotanicalgardens.com.au/

Slow down, relax and enjoy our country

Caravanning or camping, it does not matter. All that matters is getting out and about.

So you have a caravan, tent or a motorhome. Something that you can stay in while moving around the country.
So what was the prime reason  you decided to buy  it. ?
Was the sole purpose to race off and  do " the big lap"

Perhaps you bought it to live in. Maybe you owned a bush block and wanted something comfortable and up off the ground.

You know, 'cause we do have a few nasty spiders and snakes hanging around.!
Yeah, okay, I sound a bit "precious"  I know.
Snakes ,  especially frighten the hell out of me.!
When we were first married, way back in the early 1970's, we rented a farm house and we had a shovel at the back door and one at the outdoor toilet.
We had snakes in the chook yard.!
I did not collect the eggs after I saw that one !
And one day one of hubby's workmates thought it would be funny to send a little baby one home in his lunch box. The cat was very quick and grabbed  that one.

Hang on, where the hell am I. I have wandered off again.

Come on  "Lynnie "    keep up with the train of thought.!!

Now get back to the subject. !

What I am getting at, is that we all sat down with perhaps our other half or our family and had a discussion about, would we or wouldn't we buy a caravan.

But I am guessing that not every one buys one to do the big lap.
Me:  ( and hubby will follow on, well I'll follow hubby as he drives but he generally is happy with my choices;)    I want to see areas closer to home before venturing too far north or west.

New South Wales and South Australia are on my / our priority list.

But look how lucky are we  here in Victoria.

We have some fabulous countryside.

So many places steeped in history from gold rush days.
Have you been to the monument at Moliagul, standing near where the Welcome Stranger nugget was found ? I recently read the book and it was very interesting. I learnt so many things. Maybe I did not pay enough attention in history class at school !


But we all have interesting places and stories in our own backyard. I admit we quite often get fed up with our home town but sometimes we need to step back and put our tourist glasses on to see these areas another way.

Who lives in a tourist town.?

I would understand that these towns would get incredibly busy and very frustrating in tourist time. We often drive to Echuca and find the traffic snarls during summer amazing . Constant peak hour through the summer months. I guess beach side suburbs would be similar.

But we do have adventures to make in our own home states. Whichever state you live in.
You may hitch the van up, or throw the tent in and only travel an hour or so away. But quite often that hour can bring out such little gems.

Around every corner you can find a treasure.

You may be lucky enough to find a five star restaurant or a winery that has bottled a very nice tasting vino.
Even just sitting and talking to the locals can reward you with local information that has not made the tourist brochures.

Modern day life is busy, with families and work events taking away any spare time you had to just sit and relax. We no longer have time to "stop and smell the roses"

And this is where travelling comes in.

But we need to be careful that we are not just pulling up somewhere , having a quick nightly kip and then moving on early the next day. We all need to slow down and enjoy our country.

Life is not a race. And caravanning is not a race.

We do not need to be the first or quickest to get around our continent. Or the first to the next town.
But we need to see beyond the brochures.

We need to travel for ourselves in our own time frame. On our own terms.

It is important to have a great knowledge of our own areas as that knowledge may be useful for all those tourists who are heading your way.

So when you are not exploring new places,  just put those "tourist glasses" on and check out your own area

Happy and safe travelling everyone

www.bendigotourism.com
www.travelvictoria.com.au/bendigo/
www.facebook.com/ExploreBendigo/