• Andrea McClure
  • Andrea McClure

Year off around Australia

Roger and I setting off in the Dmax Ute with our Goldstream caravan in tow to explore our country Læs mere
  • Tumbarumba NSW

    18. april, Australien ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Back here again, after our visit yesterday. Just to show how forgetful we are, we thought we'd do a grocery shop and go to the Bakery here for lunch. Lol - almost a 'ghost town' - of course, public holiday with Good Friday - everything shut! Oh well, another nice stretch of the legs (and chance to use public toilets).
    Onwards we go!
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  • Batlow Caravan Park NSW

    18.–22. apr., Australien ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Arrive to find the office 'unmanned'. Roger apparently has the information required for us to gain access (boom gate etc) in an email. He finds the email and we can access the park - but he can't find anything that tells us which site we can settle on. Dodgy mobile reception, so not having much luck finding out. We decide to go and find the park's laundry facilities in the meantime - which we do - as we are ready and overdue to do our washing. 2 large loads get put on in the brand new laundry. Roger has been able to call and find out we're on powered site No. 21. Roger gets our van parked - and our settling process begins! Not long until we're set up, mat and awning out. Roger now gets to cleaning out the toilet cassette area in our caravan - we discovered this morning that unfortunately our cassette has been left too long and we've had a 'overflow' problem - very stinky! I happily 'disappear' to hang out our washing. When I return, Roger has rectified the problem and odour, he's heading off for a shower to feel fresh. I get to making open toasties with mustard, ham, tomato and cheese for our late lunch. We have some fruit and biscuits to follow. Next we decide to go for a drive to look about Batlow - even though not much going on today. We get back around 4.30pm - now have a lovely relax, me reading a book, Roger poking about getting the fire going and enjoying watching it. Tea tonight is leftover reheated savoury mince over freshly cooked baked spuds (in campfire coals). Roger washes the dishes, I'm catching up the budget books and writing this. Roger has another shower and to bed. I won't be much longer - and I'll get to bed to read for a while.
    19/04/25 Saturday. Roger up at 7am - I have a lie in reading my book until 7.30am. We both have our breakfasts, and I tidy up doing the dishes while Roger organises food to take for our lunch today (the makings for a sandwich etc). We're going for a drive today. We leave here around 8.30am - head straight to the IGA supermarket in Batlow to find it opens today at 9am (usually 8am - but not with Easter). We wait until it opens and get our top up groceries - along with some chocolate to make if feel more like Easter. Then get some fuel so we can head off. We return to camp around 4.30pm. I immediately go and get our washing off the line before the chill night air arrives! Roger gets our firepit going - once washing folded and put away, we relax around our fire. While looking at my mobile, I discover a message left on 101 service - listen to it to find I've won a raffle prize! Ring the number provided to speak with Alison Glenn, a lovely lady in Moulamein, where I've got a prize of a pull along cart waiting for me - Rog and I will get onto working out how we collect it. Tea tonight - I cook up in the Thermomix, the creamy tomato and salami pasta. Roger has his shower, we do the dishes, now relax until bedtime.
    20/04/25 Sunday Happy Easter. We get up around 7.30am. Have our breakfast. I go have a shower, when I return to our van, I'm in time for a call from Tegan. Enjoy a lovely catch up - while Tegan's cooking crumpets (yum). After we finish our chat with Tegan I go and get a load of washing going. This morning I told Roger I wouldn't mind having a go at Mt Kosciuszko Summit Walk and would be wonderful if he'd do it with me. In true Roger style, once he agrees, he's onto trying to book our 2 night stay in Jindabyne to be able to do the walk this Thursday. I had looked into the caravan parks - but wasn't having much luck (booked out with the holidays re school and Anzac Day). Once I've got the washing hung out and we're organised - we leave (10.30am) to go driving around Tumut and surrounds. Early into this drive - Roger pulls over on the side of the road when he has mobile coverage - and makes contact with an accommodation provider - and books us into Kookaburra Ski Lodge for 2 nights once he establishes we can leave our caravan safely out the front. Woo hoo - our Mt Kosciuszko hike is a goer. Now back to enjoying our day trip. We return around 4.30pm. We are shocked to see our wood pile near our firepit is missing! We look at our neighbouring campers - who have a wonderful fire going with wood that looks like ours! Thank goodness we take stock of the situation before saying anything - as these neighbours have stacked our wood under our caravan to stay dry while we're away and it was raining. Strike up a conversation - nice to meet lovely John and Julia (from Sydney) - offer them chocolates and yoyo biscuits as thank you - they're not 'buying' as happy just with their drinks. Roger and I relax at our campfire - I've left our washing to stay out as it's got damp. We have leftover reheated pasta for our tea, and I finish off my Easter chocolates for my dessert. Roger also has yoghurt and banana. It's raining lightly as I'm writing this up. Roger has his shower and heads to bed. I'll finish this, then wash dishes before going to bed as well.
    21/04/25 Monday. Roger gets up before 7.30am, I lie in reading my book until 8am. No plans today so once I'm up - just leisurely all the way. Our main aim today is to get our washing dry - it rained overnight so it's quite damp. Not meant to rain until later today so we'll try to get it done before then - and we do! Have a relaxing day about camp - I have fun catching up sorting my phone photos into date order albums. Lunch is sandwiches for Roger and 2 open toasties - relish, ham, tomato and cheese for me. After lunch we walk to the IGA supermarket to get some cream for Roger's bread & butter pudding he's making for tonight's dessert. Once back at camp - Roger gets the fire going, we have afternoon smoko - cuppas and yoyo biscuits. Later we have drinks (beers) with dip and biccies and beef jerky. Has rained again (phew washing sorted!) so quite cold now - glad of the fire. Tea tonight - Roger uses the airfryer for crumbed fish and homemade chips - served with some boiled vegetables. Roger's camp oven pudding is yummy - though burnt on the bottom - we just leave that behind! Roger has his shower, we're relaxing before bed - I best do the dishes first!
    22/04/25 Tuesday. Up at around 7.30am, leaving day, so have breakfast, then go have a shower. Now get organised to have the caravan and myself ready to go. Cooler day - so get into long pants, ls shirt and my boots. Roger has us on the move by 9.30am.
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  • Yarrangobilly Caves Kosciuszko NP

    19. april, Australien ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Our destination reached. Roger has us coming here to go for a swim in the thermal pool that is in this area. We park and go to the Visitor Centre - it is very busy with Easter holidays. We pay our NP fee $4 per car, and $22 each to check out the South Glory Cave - the only one we can today as all the others are booked out. The use of the thermal pool is covered by the National Park fee. We now have a map from the Visitor Centre that shows where we can go today. We drive to the very crowded carpark for the Thermal Pool. Do the required walk to get to the pool - and enjoy a swim with plenty of others! The crowd is constantly coming and going. Next, once we've changed into our dry gear we go for the river walk to the cave.Læs mere

  • Landers Creek Falls Lookout

    19. april, Australien ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Drive here on our return trip from Yarrangobilly - we're looking for a late lunch stop. Once we've driven in on the track to the parking spot - we make up our ham and salad sandwiches for our lunch at the ute tailgate. Share a large apple as well. Once we've eaten, we follow the sign to walk (return) 1.6km to the lookouts. With this, we discover there is 2 lookout points here, 1st one, the Talbingo Reservoir Lookout, then 300m further up is the Landers Creek Falls one. Both got terrific views - no water flowing at present to create the Falls. Now return to our ute. I happily get to drive us back to Batlow - going the same way along the 4wd tracks - good fun.Læs mere

  • Tumut NSW

    20. april, Australien ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Nice neat place - we are happy to see the Visitor Information is open - and across the road, the local brewery is as well. We park and go to the Visitor Centre first. I happily purchase some local made zucchini relish and worcestershire sauce, along with a hatpin. Now ready to walk across the road to have some lunch.
    After our lunch we go driving about town - check out the town lookout, before going to check out a garden area.
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  • Tumut River Brewing Co

    20. april, Australien ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Come here for our lunch. With it being Easter Sunday it's a busy place alright! Find ourselves a table - it's booked for in half an hours time, so we'll move when we can (we do before our food arrives). We order to eat - a shared Grilled chicken nachos - Roger just wants a coffee, I'm happy to try the brewery's ginger beer. I like this gingerbeer so much, 'Ginja Ninja', I buy a box of cans of it before we leave.
    We have finished our drinks, along with a bottle of supplied water, long before our nachos show up (just busy). They're very tasty - so no complaints from us.
    When we've finished here - Roger carries my box of beer over to the ute for me. Now time to go driving about town.
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  • Adelong Falls Gold Mine Ruins

    20. april, Australien ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    On our return trip to Batlow from Tumut, we detour to come here. Wasn't sure what to expect - as soon as we park and get out, we're eager to explore. The Ruins are still quite noticeable along the water. This is a lovely place to enjoy looking about. There is a shower of rain as we arrive - but didn't last long. We're right to walk around - which we do. We don't walk to the falls (back towards Adelong) - happy with what we looked at anyway.
    Drive back to Batlow.
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  • Rocky Plains Campground

    22.–23. apr., Australien ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    Come off the Snowy Mountains highway to this campground. We park the vehicle, and get into our van to grab our coats and beanies - it's cold! Walk around and select where we want to camp (1st in best dressed situation) - we already have some camping neighbours - people here with their horses.
    Roger drives to our selected camp area, gets our van fairly level without need of chocks etc. All good - not much set up required as leaving ute hitched and not worrying about mat or awning.
    Time for lunch - heating pumpkin soup on caravan stove, and toasting crumpets under the griller. Will just 'bunker down' and relax - Rog is talking about lighting the campfire - we'll see! Turns out too damp and miserable to worry about a fire. Roger does go for a walk to check out a nearby hut - I'm happy to stay snug in our caravan reading my book. Rog returns soaked! Changes to get warm. Tea tonight - Roger makes up a beef 'stew' - lovely full of vegetables as well. Time for Roger's shower - I'm too into the book I'm reading to worry about our few dishes tonight. Eventually finish the book and get to bed.
    23/04/25 Wednesday Drizzly rain throughout the night - still going this morning! Roger gets up before 7am - I stay in bed until 7.30am. Nothing much we can do with this wet weather, so we have our breakfasts and get ready to leave. On the move just after 8.30am.
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  • Adaminaby NSW

    23. april, Australien ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    Stop here to have a look at the 'Big Trout' and stretch our legs. Decide the Bakery looks good for morning smoko. Cappuccino and chocolate eclair for Roger, fruit juice and sausage roll for me.
    Back on the road again - ute is earning its keep today - working well again, getting us about towing the caravan up and down these winding, steep roads.Læs mere

  • Kookaburra Lodge Jindabyne

    23.–25. apr., Australien ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We couldn't book into any of the caravan parks in Jindabyne - all booked out for our size caravan (apparently!!). Roger has kindly 'spoiled us' and booked us in here for 2 nights so we can hike Mount Kosciuszko tomorrow (Thursday). We are in a motel style unit - with our caravan parked out the front. We arrive and find out where we can unhitch our caravan. Have a quick look in our booked room No. 21 before driving back down the street.
    We return to unpack from our van - what we require to the room - then go and make our lunch in the guest kitchen/lounge sitting room. I have toasted crumpets with cheese on top, Roger makes a cheese and vegemite sandwich. We relax for a while in the beaut 'communal room' before going for a walk to look around.
    We return, to have a relax in our room, before going back to the guest area to have our pre dinner drinks (a bottle of red) and have for tea - leftovers, reheated beef stew followed by the remainder of the bread and butter pudding. Enjoy chatting with other guests staying - a couple of ladies going to the top of Mount Kosciuszko too (using the chair lift though), and 3 men motorbike riding around on scenic trails. After we've tidied up from tea, we return to our room. Roger has a shower and gets to bed. I'm just writing this up, then I'll head to bed too. Big walk tomorrow!
    24/04/25 Thursday. Awake before my 6am alarm - at 5.45am - so I get up and have a shower and have plenty of time to be ready to have accommodation provided breakfast at 7am and be sorted to leave to go on a hike. Rog and I enjoy our provided cooked breakfast (bacon, poached eggs, baked beans, potato gems) and buffet of continental breakfast (cereals, toast, juices, cuppas etc). Then we go and drive to Charlotte Pass to do the Mt Kosciuszko Summit Walk.
    Return here at 1.30pm - relax reading, while Roger has a shower. After a rest, we go for a walk to Woolworths to get something for tea. Roger chooses a single serve lasagne, and I select a carbonara fetticini - we also get a tossed salad to share. Come back and have drinks and relax in the communal area. I get a call from Raels - enjoy an overdue catchup. Then Rog and I have our packaged meals, before returning to our room - to relax before bed.
    25/04/25 Friday Anzac Day. Roger's alarm has us getting up at 5am to go to the Jindabyne Dawn Service. We rug up and get there in plenty of time as we drive to where it's being held. We return here just before 7am. I have a shower while Roger moves our gear from our accommodation back into our caravan and gets the ute hitched ready to go. We both go and have the lovely cooked breakfast again that is provided by Kookaburra Lodge. This has been a great spot to stay (2 nights out of our van). We leave just after 8am.
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  • Jindabyne NSW

    23. april, Australien ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Phew! Glad to arrive here in one piece! We got a fright on our drive here, with the wet, slippery conditions. While we were driving up a winding section - the back wheels slid out on the ute - causing the caravan to 'snake'. Only lasted for a brief moment, before Roger was able to drive the caravan back into order! Did give us a fright though - looking at big road barriers wondering if we were going to run into them!
    We arrive in town and try to find parking with the caravan - realise it's not really an option in the shop area - so decide we'd better go to our booked accommodation and park the van there first.
    Once we've done this, we drive back down the street and go to the Visitor Centre and check out some of the shops. Then I suggest we could go and get our voting done early for the Federal election happening May 3. So we are happy to do that, before returning to Kookaburra Lodge.
    Later in the day we go for a walk and end up at the Sports Club for a drink. Lovely walk beside Lake Jindabyne to get there, and a beaut walk in the shopping area on the way back.
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  • Charlotte Pass Kosciuszko NP

    24. april, Australien ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Drive here, and have to park along the side of the road with plenty of other vehicles. Then we get our backpacks (prepared with our food, water and requirements) and walk the 400m to the start of our summit walk. We both use the public toilets here, before we set off on our walk, smelliest loos I've been to in a long time (not pleasant)!.
    Sign tells us Mt Kosciuszko Summit Walk is 9.3 km one way (18.6km to return here) and to allow 3hrs 15mins to get to the summit (allow 6- 8 hours return).
    We are in luck with the weather - perfect to me -cool, calm and clear visibility! We start our walk at 8.15am and get back here at 12.15pm - wonderful walk!
    Once we get back - Roger braves the toilets here again - while I go for a look around at the nearby lookouts ,- so good. We have our cheese and vegemite sandwiches next.
    We walk back to our ute - so many more vehicles parked now. Drive back to Jindabyne to our accommodation - we do stop and look at the Jindabyne water tower on the way back.
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  • Mt Kosciuszko Summit

    24. april, Australien ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Wow - we have made it to the summit in good time without feeling rushed. We have got the best weather for this today - the sun has even been coming out every now and again. Up at the summit it is cold - but not unbearable with the right clothing and the fact we're keeping warm from the walk. We stop for a rest and to enjoy some snacks (we're not ready to have our sandwiches yet). Mandarin and muesli bar for me, biscuits and muesli bar for Rog - so great to be able to enjoy the spectacular views (yesterday's weather I thought our visibility would be zilch!). After a 20 minute relax, time to do the return walk - mainly downhill for sure!Læs mere

  • Jindabyne Anzac Day Dawn Service

    25. april, Australien ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Wonderful Anzac Dawn Service. As, Roger and I, arrived so early (well before its 6am start) we were up the front and didn't realise how big a crowd was in attendance! When it finished, we turned about and got quite a surprise! Have to be 1000+...... We take up the invite to go across the road and attend the 'Gunfire Breakfast'. We have cuppas and Anzac biscuits - and I couldn't resist having a sausage, bacon and egg in toast (Roger was strong - he's waiting on Kookaburra Lodge breakfast). We go back to where the ute is parked and drive back to our accommodation.Læs mere

  • Corrective Services NSW Museum Cooma NSW

    25. april, Australien ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Enjoying the beautiful scenery as we drive to here. We arrive in Cooma and pull up (caravan parking area) right beside this Museum. It was on Roger's 'hit list' to check out if possible, and we can - it is open. We pay our $2 each entry fee and spend a very interesting hour looking at the exhibits here.
    Once we've finished, we decide to leave the ute and caravan parked, and go for a walk in town.
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  • Cooma NSW

    25. april, Australien ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    We walk around the main street areas - passed where they held their morning Anzac Day Service. We're heading for the Visitor Centre, when we arrive we find it is closed for Anzac Day. We stop and google on our phones, to find the other thing Roger was keen to check out, the Snowy Hydro Museum, is also closed today. Oh well, can't be helped....this changes Roger's plans, he's now decided we'll head into Canberra today (had thought it would be tomorrow). We walk back to our set up and get back on the move.
    Must say again - the scenery driving about this area - just gorgeous. We travel through a town called Bredbo - the 'Village of Poplars' so stunning showing their autumn colourings.
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