South Coast to Sydney

At Orbost Caravan Park.

We have now well and truly turned the corner and headed for "home". Our final stay in Victoria for this trip will be Orbost, where the mighty & famous Snowy River meets the plains, and wanders its way down to the sea. Along the way we go through Bairnsdale and Lakes Entrance, old stomping grounds from the first year of our travels. We stopped at Lakes Entrance for good old fish 'n chips for lunch. Just can't go through Lakes Entrance without fish 'n chips! From there it is only a short drive to the little town of Orbost. Why stay in Orbost I hear you say? Well, we have two reasons. First, we saw the beautiful little caravan park on our earlier travels, and secondly, we met Laurel & Adrian while in the Pilbara of WA, and even though they now live in Far North Queensland, they originally came from Orbost, and are currently on an extended stay, visiting family, who still live in the area, for Christmas. 

Old restored cottage in Orbost.

Driving along beside the Snowy R.

We booked in at the caravan park, and were told we could pick any site we liked. This park is without doubt, the greenest, grassiest one we have ever stayed at, and the beautiful deciduous trees are showing their brand new leaves. With the Snowy River meandering by on the other side of the road, the place is a picture! We picked a huge site and settled in. Heaven! Orbost itself is a nice little town, with a couple of pubs, a supermarket, two bakeries plus a couple of other cafes, as well as most services and shops to keep the locals happy. For anything else, Bairnsdale is a short drive away. We met up with Laurel & Adrian, and caught up on all our various travels

The four of us.

Morning Tea under the trees.

since we last met at Esperance in WA, over afternoon tea in the garden behind our van! The next day, they took us on a lovely drive to show us the sights of the district. We followed the Snowy River out to Marlo, where it meets the sea. We passed through more lush dairy and cattle country along the way. Marlo is a lovely spot with a huge inlet, and is a holiday haven. There is an enormous pub on the hill overlooking the inlet, and lots of caravan park and holiday home options. We stopped at a hilltop lookout, where we reflected over a monument at a stairway leading down to the inlet. It was a monument to two young men who drowned whilst fishing more than 40 years ago. One of them was Adrian's younger

Quirky signs at Bemm River.

At the commemorative plaque

brother, just 14 at the time. A poignant and sad moment. We continued on, checking out the various campgrounds and view points of the Cape Conron NP, then headed up to Bemm River, where we had a lovely lunch at the very nice, and quite new pub. Apparently the old one burned down a few years before. Adrian & Laurel knew the owners. Adrian had worked for many years for the Forestry Commission, driving heavy machinery, when hardwood timber was the major industry around Orbost. Almost all the mills have closed, but it was nice having Adrian reflect on his working past. Some of the roads we travelled, Adrian had cut through the bush, 40 years ago. We called in at Laurel's sister's farm for an afternoon cuppa, and finished off the day driving past the property where Adrian and his family had started life, when he had arrived in Australia from Holland as a three year old. Back at the caravan park, we enjoyed happy hour out under the trees, trying to work out when and where we could next catch up. We know we have a caravan spot near Ingham FNQ, whenever we want!

Almost "home".

The quaint church at Cann River.

The next morning we were on the road again. We stopped for morning tea at Cann River, before crossing the border into NSW, the first time with the caravan since June 2013! It was a cold and drizzly day, hard to believe there was a heatwave just up the coast! We have not coped well with all the cold and drizzly weather we have encountered over the past three months. We are definitely warm weather people! We stopped at Eden for supplies, and a pie for lunch and were back on the road headed for Tathra. We missed this area on our trip down the coast in 2011, as the place was in flood. The way the weather was looking, we thought it was Groundhog Day! We arrived at

The Bikers were in Fancy Dress.

Hamburgers with Karen & Darren.

the Tathra Beach Family Holiday Park, which is right on the beach. It is a lovely park, and part owned by old Rock 'n Roll star Frankie J.Holden and his wife Michelle. We have seen it featured on TV Lifestyle shows, as they really try to make your stay fun, with themed nights and activities. As we tried to beat the rain and get set up, a friendly male voice says, "Hi John & Carol!" We both looked hard trying to remember, and were searching the memory banks, trying to remember when and where we met, when his wife says "don't worry, he only remembers your names because he follows your blog!" It was Graham & Alyssa, who we had stayed next to at Bairnsdale, back in 2011! Sadly the rains

The Bega River in flood.

Tathra Beach.

came, they missed "Hamburger Night", and they were gone bright and early the next day, so we didn't get to have a good catch up. All I know is that their camper trailer has been replace by a Jayco caravan! As I resumed my setting up, I heard another voice. This time it was Karen & Darren, who manage both the Shellharbour & Camden Caravan Parks, where we are regulars. They were having a few day's break. We did get to catch up with them, as dinner that night was going to be "Hamburger Night", put on by the park. Frankie was working, but Michelle was on the salad bar, and came by for a chat. It is so funny when you meet someone from TV. You feel like you already know them!!! The hamburgers were

Old Timer at the markets.

Great Lunch Roll!

huge, and really good, and we sat up quite late having a few wines, talking to Karen & Darren. A large group of Bikers was also staying at the park, and they were all dressed in Horror Fancy Dress. It all added to a fun night. That night it teemed with rain and it continued all the next day and into the night. The rain gauge was saying 120+ millimetres, or almost 5 inches in 24 hours. The highlight for the day was breakfast at the cafe next to the Surf Club, where we bumped in to Karen & Darren again. The breakfast special, scrambled egg with chorizo, rocket and peppers, was excellent, as was the coffee. We squelched back home, and had a lazy day in front of the computer and telly. Carolyn watched Gone With The Wind for the

Hamburger Night at Tathra.

More Fancy Dress.

umpteenth time. What brother Neil is to Zulu, Carolyn is to Gone With The Wind! Quite frankly, I don't give a damn!! Amazingly, Sunday morning dawned bright & sunny. I was feeling for Carolyn, as she had really wanted to visit Candelo Markets, one of the best we have seen on our travels, and supposedly on today. We decided to head out and see what was happening, and to our surprise, some hardy stall holders were set up beside the raging river on the soaked ground. We managed to score some fresh food goodies, plus a little

Debris on Tathra Beach.

extra, and enjoyed a nice lunch roll from Hardcore Carnivore, where some funky young folks were dishing out some flavourful goodies. We drove home the long way, via Pambula & Merimbula, but it seemed that the rain had dampened most things, as not much was open. That night the rains came again, but thankfully only briefly. On the Monday morning we headed into Bega to do some banking, but were shocked to see that the Tathra/Bega road was closed due to flooding. We had to go the long way via Merimbula. Apparently the Tathra/Bermagui road was also cut! It was 2011 all over again. Thankfully, on Tuesday morning the Tathra/Bermagui Road had re opened "with caution".

Arriving at Bob & Shirley's

Beautiful country.

The drive up The Tathra/Bermagui Road is a very lovely drive. We could see the evidence of floodwater across the road at several points, and made it into Bermagui in time for coffee. We found a little place run by some alternative young guys & gals, who used one of those Free Trade, Organic Coffees, Hand picked by virgins under a full moon. But what the heck, it was good! We were on our way to Moruya, for a farm stay. We are having a really nostalgic trip up the coast. This time we are staying at Bob & Shirley McLeay's farm just outside Moruya. We

Shirley on the trail.

We just sat around and talked.

met Bob & Shirley at Mataranka, in the Northern Territory, where we had kept them amused for ages, as we drove around and around trying to get our caravan positioned for our satellite to aim at a small gap between the trees! We just hit it off with them, and Carolyn & Shirley were off bush walking and swimming in the thermal pools, whilst Bob & I solved the caravanning problems of the world. It was a lovely few days, and we have kept in touch ever since, now taking them up on their offer of

Lunch at Bob's camp by the dam.

Off for a morning walk.

a place to rest the caravan. We had been in regular touch whilst in Tathra, as they get cut off by flood waters, and the road to their farm only reopened the night before we arrived. It is a beautiful little valley where they live. It is 30 acres, and they raise a few cattle, and it is their little piece of paradise. They were wonderful hosts. We set up on the side of the hill behind the house. Bob had made some ramps to help get the caravan level, and we had power from the house. A damn fine caravan park indeed! From the time we arrived, we simply whiled away the hours on the verandah.The time just flew by, talking about everything from travels and caravans, to

Pretty good sausage sanga!

A very nice site indeed!

families and friends. We drove out around nearby Mossy Point, Tomakin, and Moruya Heads. We met their son Mark, and all enjoyed Thursday night Fish 'n Chips, from a very good take away in town, sitting down by the river at the picnic tables. In between showers, the girls managed some long morning walks through the nearby forests, and we had a great lunch at the camp site Bob has constructed down near the dam. We lit a fire, and sizzled some snags & onions, made a cuppa to wash down Shirley's delicious home made cookies, and it was just wonderful.  We have truly met some wonderful people on this trip to date. We can now, never again drive through Moruya without staying a few days. The night before we left, the rains came again, and the thought crossed our mind we might get flooded in, but we didn't really care if we did! We were a bit sad as we left, but we will keep in touch and meet up again along the road.

Set up at Ulladulla Headland Caravan Pk.

Ulladulla Harbour.

It isn't far up the road to Ulladulla, our last stop before reaching our Christmas destination of Shellharbour. We picked out the Ulladulla Headland Caravan Park, which isn't very busy yet. Coral was the young lady in the office, and she was extremely helpful, putting us on a large double concrete slab site, overlooking the Ulladulla Harbour. We can walk into town, which we always like when choosing a caravan park. For those that don't know, Ulladulla is very hilly, so no matter where you walk you get a workout! Ulladulla has undergone quite a transformation. It now has new Coles, Woolworths & Aldi Supermarkets, plus IGA! Amazing for such a small town! We haven't done much, but be lazy, reading our books and writing this blog post. We have done the markets, which just happened to be on this weekend, and took the essential drive out to Mollymook and Milton. The countryside around here is just lovely, and after all the rain, is lush and green. At least it hasn't been too wet. We did get showers the day we arrived, but the sun has shone ever since. Not warm, mind you, but hopefully a sign of things to come. If not, it's back to Broome!!!

We will be taking a bit of a break over the next several weeks, while we celebrate Christmas & New Year with family & friends, in and around Sydney. Will be back in 2015, when our travels resume! Stay tuned, and have a wonderful Christmas with whoever is special in your life, plus a fantastic New Year.

Gippsland & Wilson's Promontory.

Alone again! Here we are in Melbourne, one of our favourite cities, with a few days to kick back and relax. Anything in particular you'd like to do darling? The reply was instantaneous, DRINK COFFEE, EAT FOOD and SHOP!!!!!!! Obvious really!!

Now that's a Margarita!

Dinner with Leah at Touche Hombre.

Carolyn had the latest shopping guides to all the new and revamped centres, so it was into the car and into town. Our Landcruiser with the roof rack and capsule on top, make city parking impossible, so we headed down to Docklands where we knew outside parking was plentiful and cheap, then onto the City Circle Free Tram and into town. The Free Tram is a great service for tourists, and totally abused by the locals, who account for most of the passengers!! We got off at Flinders Street Station and worked our way through the wonderful lane ways, and arcades, headed

Do I really need a new handbag?

Coffee with Angela at Seven Seeds.

for Bourke Street Mall. We stopped for a coffee along the way, and then emerged right opposite Myer and their amazing Christmas Window displays. We joined the well organised throng, and walked past all the displays, which this year feature the theme of Santa Claus & the Three Bears. Just a touch of poetic license there!! At the rear of Myer is the new and exciting retail development that houses all the leading overseas retailers, causing quite a stir on the Australian retail market. H & M, UniQlo, Top Shop, Gap etc.etc. are all there. We lost hours doing the shops, then returned that night to have dinner with Leah, daughter of our great

Cape Liptrap Lighthouse.

At Victoria Market.

friends Bev & Fred. Leah has relocated to Melbourne for work, and is loving it. Carolyn wanted to revisit Touche Hombre, which was good, but like all second times, it didn't have the wow factor of visit number one. Still, the Margaritas were great, and the Tacos delicious. We had a lovely night catching up on all Leah's news, and learning how well she has adapted to life in this vibrant city. Next day, we had another catch up, this time with our dear friend Angela, who used to be at Menai Blinds, the major supplier to our business Gaymoir Products. We have stayed in touch since she moved here 10? years ago, and she found us an awesome place to have coffee and a chat, in the back streets of Carlton. Called Seven Seeds, they are coffee roasters and the coffee and food was first class. Thank God for Navman, as we never would have found the place by ourselves!! The last thing on our agenda was Victoria Market. We just have to call in when in Melbourne. It is a given! Some lovely fresh fruit and veggies, plus a treat or two!!

Lush and green. 

Lunch stop at Middle Tarwin.

Leaving Melbourne in the rear view mirror, we headed South East, bound for South Gippsland and The Prom. Now that isn't your all singing, all dancing, end of term, high school kind of Prom. That would be Wilson's Promontory, or as the locals like to say, The Prom. It is an area we have not visited before! It is an area we will come back to again!! The countryside is magnificent. So lush and green. Your would swear that you were travelling the English counties, full of rolling hills and all so green. This must be the richest dairy country in Australia. I am certain that the word DROUGHT isn't in the local dictionary! The dairy herds are huge, and there is

Just beautiful green country.

Not missing Wonthaggi!

so much silage, all rolled up and ready. We took the long road, so I could go through Wonthaggi. Not because it is exceptional, but because ever since Kramer (Seinfeld) used to do the Vodafone ads on the telly, and he was calling home from Wonthaggi! It is a ghastly name. Carolyn told me in no uncertain terms, that we will never be relocating to Wonthaggi!! It was actually quite nice, much bigger that I'd expected, in fact it is the regional centre for the South Gippsland area. Seeing I wasn't allowed to stay at Wonthaggi, I chose to stay at Toora. Along the way, we

Chinese Dairy humour?

Nursery, coffee & music in Foster.

stopped outside the Community Hall at Middle Tarwin, not far from Tarwin Lower. See, I told you it was like England!  In Toora, we found a lovely caravan park in a tiny little town, only 70 kms from The Prom. Home to Victoria's first wind farm, they used to have a milk processing plant, but that closed down a few years back. However, the locals are excited because the Chinese have recently bought the plant and plan to reopen it and ship everything to China! Is that growing our manufacturing Industry? If you thought things couldn't get any worse after Wonthaggi, every time we drove in or out of

At Millie & Romeos.

Breakfast at Millie & Romeos
in Koonwarra.

Toora, which was a lot, Carolyn burst into song, singing Toora Loora Loora Loora Loora Ly!! Not even a decent coffee spot in Toora. We had to drive a few kms down the road to Foster, to get a fix, but they had plenty of good spots, including Ando's Bakery!! On Saturday morning, we found a lovely little place inside a nursery, where they had live acoustic music. It was gorgeous. The entire area is blessed with choice when it comes to food and coffee. Being only 1 to 2 hours from Melbourne, there are lots of weekenders. At nearby Koonwarra, and Meeniyan were some fabulous eateries. We tried all we could! We

Coastal scenery near Inverloch.

Koonwarra Store was also excellent.

just enjoyed driving around looking at the scenery of the region. The gardens were incredible with all the cold climate trees, and so much colour. No shortage of manure around here, and don't the roses show it!! Back at the caravan park, on Saturday, we got some neighbours. Ewan and Kerrie arrived in their ute with a brand new tent to try out. They were a lovely couple of a similar age to us, and were trying out the tent for when their grand kids come for Christmas! We had some great conversation, and finished up at Toora Pub for dinner, which

Fancy holiday homes.

Fish Creek Hotel.

was very busy and quite good, though they did struggle getting meals out of the kitchen. Next morning, Ewan & Kerrie packed up and headed home to Korumburra, just 70kms away! A Sunday drive to Inverloch was another big surprise. This is one trendy little beach side spot. There is a big RACV Resort, plus some very flash "holiday" houses. Situated on a lovely sandy inlet, the place explodes in school holidays and at weekends. On the way home, we detoured through Fish Creek, where the funky Art Deco pub, has a huge dead fish straddled across the roof!

Walking along Tidal River.

At Wilson's Promontory.

For us, the two big highlights of the region were visits to Wilson's Promontory, and the Tarra Bulga National Park. The Prom is a destination that requires lots of time to do the many and varied walks. You can camp within the National Park, but boy is it expensive! I thought these parks were for the people! Unpowered sites for $56.00 per night! You can stay just outside the National Park at Yanakie, which a lot of people do, or further afield like us. The road stops at Tidal River, which is where all the campsites and accommodation are. It is right on the river and the beach, and is a lovely

Squeaky Beach.

Twisted trees all over the Prom.

spot. There are large sections of park devoted to school camps and there were lots of school kids around. The visitor centre is excellent, and there is a cafe and store for essentials, but no fuel. We walked the Loo-Errn Track which follows the river around to the beach, which was just lovely. We also stopped in and walked out to Squeaky Beach, with its "squeaky" silicone sand, as well as Whiskey Bay and Picnic Bay. It is worth noting, that Wilson's Promontory is the southern most point on the Australian Mainland. From Tidal River, it is hell of a walk,

Pacific Gull.

Aussie Commando Memorial
at Wilson's Prom.

and way past our level of competence! We will come back to this region, as it is lovely. The scenery is very reminiscent of parts of Tasmania around Cole's Bay, and also along the southern coast of WA, though the sand is not as pure and white. Still a lovely part of Australia, but being so accessible, boy is it well used!! Another unknown fact for me, was that the Australian Army Commando units first formed and trained here at Wilson's Prom during WW11. There is a wonderful memorial to all commando units, but especially those that trained here during that war.

Along Tarra Valley Road.

Hiking through Tarra Bulga NP.

When it comes to WOW factor, Tarra Bulga National Park hits the mark. For cold climate rain forest, we have seen no better. We came here from the northern side very early on in our travels, and did the famous Grand Ridge Drive. This time we decided to do some walks through the rain forest. From Toora, we headed east, towards Yarram, stopping in at Port Welshpool. This place used to be a thriving port, back when Esso BHP was getting going, with all its Bass Strait oil wells. Most were built or assembled here and floated out into Bass Strait. It was also the mainland

The suspension Bridge.

Crossing the suspension bridge.

destination for the ill fated Fast Cat Ferry Service from Tasmania to the Aussie Mainland. Today, it has a fishing fleet, and almost every house is for sale, as is the Pub! We stopped in Yarram for coffee, at the grandly named Coffee Palace, and enjoyed a respectable cup. Then it was up the Tarra Valley Road to the National Park. The drive is breathtakingly beautiful, with the road just one car wide in most sections. The tree ferns were stunning, as we wound our way along beside the Tarra River. There are homes nestled in a among the lush forests,

Tree ferns by the thousand.

Viewing platform above the bridge.

and there are two small caravan parks along the way. We wouldn't get our caravan in here, as the signs prohibit vehicles over 8 metres. I have to say, I would hate to be towing any caravan along this road! We made it to the Visitor Centre Car Park where we planned our walk. We decided on a loop that took us to Corrigan's Suspension Bridge as well as the Lyre Bird Track and the Fern Forest. It was just amazing. The very fine drizzle didn't even worry us. We stopped and sat quietly whilst on the Lyre Bird Track, and were rewarded with seeing three of these beautiful birds, famous for their ability to mimic every other bird in

Mountain Lowry parrot.

the 

Lyre Bird.

forest, as well as their Lyre shaped tail. They just scratched around in the mulch, seemingly oblivious to our presence. We also saw lots of the brilliantly coloured Mountain Lowry Parrots, feeding on small daisies. They would break off the flower and pick the seed out of the centre! The suspension bridge is a fantastic structure, and one of the longest we have traversed. All the while, we were surrounded by the beautiful ferns and mosses and tree orchids. A truly lovely walk through a rain forest paradise. On the way back to Toora, we took the back road, which

At Agnes Falls.

Along the logging road.

was a dirt forestry road through to Macks Creek. What an incredibly different scene, with forests of Mountain Ash and plantation forests of pine. This too, was a great drive, and thankfully no Log Trucks! In need of a late lunch, we headed out to Port Albert for some of the famous fish 'n chips. They reckon people drive all the way from Melbourne to sample the fare! Well it was good tucker, but cold and windy, so we dined, sitting in the car looking out

Toora from the Lookout.

Agnes Falls.

over the marina! Nearer to Toora, we called in at the lovely Agnes Falls, Victoria longest drop falls. After a little recent rain, the falls were working well, and a spectacular sight. A stop at the wind farm viewing area, and we were soon back at base after a fantastic day out. There is no doubting the beauty of the South Gippsland region of Victoria. We will be back again, to tour the many and varied sights that are on offer. But it won't be in winter!!!