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Year off around Australia
  • 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 Leia mais
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  • Andrea McClureYear off around AustraliaViajante

    North Head World War II Military Site

    30 de novembro de 2024, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Wiki Camps shows that there's some points of interest at North Head along the coast - 4WD tracks to get there. Good day for it - so off we go exploring. We start off with normal road pressure in our tyres but soon decide along these sandy, rocky tracks we'll lower them - go to 25psi. Have a lovely few hours getting a little lost and having fun checking out bush amongst the sand dunes. The points of interest were military bunkers and a memorial to a local lad who drowned at North Head. On our way out - we ended up on a different track to how we came in - then became bogged in very soft sand and had to lower our tyre pressure to 18psi to get ourselves moving again. This soft sand area proved too much of a challenge for us on our own (would be great fun with a buddy vehicle - peace of mind) so we turned around until we found the track we came in on - and even then we ended up going off on another way but got back to the bitumen road we wanted eventually.Leia mais

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  • Andrea McClureYear off around AustraliaViajante

    Green Head Gallery Cafe

    1 de dezembro de 2024, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Back here again - to have lunch this time. Roger orders a sausage roll, custard pastry and a cappuccino. I order a couscous salad, apple cake and a Noah fruit juice. We accidentally order a savoury pastry - which we share between us before we have our desserts. All very delicious. We eat outside in the garden today. Have a great view of the Osprey nest with 3 young in it - that is out front of the cafe.Leia mais

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  • Andrea McClureYear off around AustraliaViajante

    Green Head Bowls Club

    1 de dezembro de 2024, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    We come here to play social bowls - I decide I'm quite happy to just watch once I realise there is a visiting team from Jurien Bay coming along to play today. I happily help a couple of lovely ladies, Gwenda and Denise, in the kitchen to get food for the afternoon organised - great 'spread' party pies, sausage rolls, sandwiches, cakes, biscuits and slices etc. Once I'm told I'm no longer required I go and watch Roger bowling. He's going well with his lovely team - though they don't win their ends.
    We have a beaut afternoon here with a lovely group of welcoming, friendly people.    Leia mais

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  • Andrea McClureYear off around AustraliaViajante

    Cervantes WA

    3 de dezembro de 2024, Austrália ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Arrive here and drive about this small coastal town - we discover their Information Centre no longer operates, the General Store covers for that as well. We get some fresh baked bread rolls from the store to use for lunch later. We drive down to the foreshore area near the caravan park (which is shut until 5th December - as they are cleaning up after the bushfire - we assume ash and floating debris as the fire didn't come through) and park so we can have a walk along the foreshore area. After enjoying our look around we head off to checkout nearby Lake Thetis.Leia mais

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  • Andrea McClureYear off around AustraliaViajante

    Dandaragan Transit Caravan Park

    3–4 de dez. 2024, Austrália ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We've chosen this spot from Wiki Camps as it sounds great at $20 per night with power. Yes good decision - lovely spot and good facilities nicely maintained. This is the 2nd spot we've come across that offers free use of their laundry. We don't need to use this as we washed yesterday. We are greeted by a camp caretaker Sam, she helps guide us as to how to book in online. Just as well she does as it's not that straightforward - get it done though.
    We chose site 2 with power and water. Settle in - put out our awning (don't need our mat as concrete slab for site). Then we go for a walk along Dandaragan main street. Call in at the Information centre/library/ gift store. I have fun purchasing some gorgeous cards - prints from a local artist- and a Christmas hand towel I can use in the caravan. Roger looks over Tourist information. Then we go to the General Store, we buy an icecream each and a jar of strawberry jam. Walk back to our caravan and set up our camp chairs and enjoy a bottle of bubble - on a nice grassy area nearby. Our neighbouring campers come and join us - bring their chairs and drinks, we all enjoy a lovely chat. Geoff with his dog, female black greyhound, Clyde and then our two camp hosts Sam and Tess.
    We all head back to our own camps to have our tea. Roger and I have tacos tonight. Do the dishes - then before 7pm we wander to the hall nearby to watch the local Primary School's Awards and Performance evening. Get back from this shortly after 8.15pm. Roger goes and has his shower. Now relaxing before bedtime.
    4/11/24 Wednesday. We get up around 6.30am and have our breakfast. I go and have a shower then come back and help get ready to leave. Before we head off I update our budget books while I've got mobile service - listening to ABC radio this morning - apparently getting service is very sketchy around this area. We leave here before 9am.    Leia mais

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  • Andrea McClureYear off around AustraliaViajante

    Dandaragan Primary School Awards 2024

    3 de dezembro de 2024, Austrália ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Come along to this School performance evening, as we found out about it happening when we went down the street earlier in the day. The ladies at the Information centre assured me that everyone welcome - so I thought "why not". Roger obligingly came along too. It was a fun and different way for us to spend our evening. Oh I do so enjoy watching children performing and dancing - so feel good with their effort and concentration. Boy were the littlies cute!!Leia mais

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  • Andrea McClureYear off around AustraliaViajante

    New Norcia WA

    4 de dezembro de 2024, Austrália ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    This is Australia's only monastic town. Definitely a unique place to come and experience. We arrive and park so we can go to the Visitor Centre to book for the morning town tour at 11am. We pay to enter the Museum and Art Gallery as well - this is attached to the Visitor Centre so we start exploring here until our tour.Leia mais

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  • Andrea McClureYear off around AustraliaViajante

    New Norcia Caravan Park

    4–5 de dez. 2024, Austrália ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    After our Town Tour (which was excellent - only 5 of us on the tour with our guide, so we were driven about the town, to our destinations of interest, by a buggy. Very nice on a warm day) we head to the Roadhouse to have a drink - cappuccino for Roger and Orange juice for me - and we book in to use their campground out the back. $20 per night powered, toilets and shower. We're the only ones at this stage so we have 1st choice of the sites. We must be a bit hot and bothered - not our best park up - couldn't agree so Rog just did his own thing, even he had to concede it was an 'untidy' park. Not to worry - only one other camper arrives for the night, so we're not in the way. Once settled we have lunch - a toasted open focaccia, the bread from the Monastry's Bakery. Make it with relish, avocado, ham, semi dried tomatoes, sliced olives and grated cheese. Very yummy. Now just relax for the rest of the afternoon - I'm enjoying a book and Roger does too, in amongst some wandering about. Tea tonight, Roger cooks up steak and vegetables we have with pkt gravy. Roger has some fruit and yoghurt for dessert. I don't as I've been eating Bakery zucchini bread throughout the afternoon. Roger has his shower in our caravan - turns out the camp shower is not a goer. Back now to reading and relaxing before bed.
    5/11/24 Thursday. Wake up around 6am. Roger mentions that he wouldn't mind a walk around the New Norcia buildings before breakfast - sounds like a good idea to me. The walk ends up only being 2.5km - great having another look about. Get back and have our breakfast - both have porridge and cuppas - Roger has some toast as well. I feel like abit more of a walk (I've got plenty of time, the Visitor Centre won't be open until 9.30am) so I do the 'river walk' - similar length to our earlier walk, and I enjoy getting to see the front of the Monestery. When I get back I find Rog has enjoyed a cappuccino from the Roadhouse and reading. We get organised to move on - so drive over closer (only 100m!) to park and go finish our look through the Museum and Gallery. It's around 10.30am when we leave.    Leia mais

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  • Andrea McClureYear off around AustraliaViajante

    New Norcia Museum and Gallery Pt2

    5 de dezembro de 2024, Austrália ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Roger and I wanted to get back here again this morning, as we didn't get to see all we wanted to yesterday - we ran out of time...
    This morning is quiet, so we have a beaut time checking things out in here at our leisure. Lots to read and think about. We have a good buy up of produce before we leave - some cake, slice, tarts and bread - all made from the Monestery Bakery.Leia mais

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  • Andrea McClureYear off around AustraliaViajante

    Big4 Tasman Holiday Park Ledge Point

    5–9 de dez. 2024, Austrália ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We call in at reception office to check in. Lovely friendly staff chatting happily to let us know what's what in the park and about town. We've taken up the pay 3 nights stay for 4 deal, so when we get settling on our allocated site 65, it's lovely to make camp knowing we're here for a little while. Next we have lunch, I use the grill to make us open focaccia toasties - finishing off yesterday's focaccia bread. Similar topping to yesterday, just use leftover taco mince instead of ham, sliced tomato, capsicum, and mushroom with the other usual toppings. After this we decide to jump in the ute and go for a drive about Ledge Point. This didn't take too long. We get back, relax for the afternoon, both of us doing little 'odds and sods' - Rog outside, me inside. Tea tonight, Roger makes his sausage surprise casserole (becoming my favourite) and I make up a bread and butter pudding (with Thermomix and using the Monastery Bread). We both tidy up, Roger goes has his shower. Now relax time until bedtime.
    6/11/24 Friday. We get up after a lie in at 7.30am. Have our breakfast, and leisurely get ready to go out for a day trip to nearby Lancelin. Roger makes up some sandwiches for a packed lunch - ham and salad. We head off around 9am.
    We return around 2.30pm. Relax about camp. Roger reading, I'm looking into options for term deposits we've got maturing soon. Around 4.30pm we go for a walk to the Country Club (combined golf and bowling) to have a drink and I suss out about a fundraising walk that is being held tomorrow. It's for the Cancer Council - participants pay $25 and then walk laps around the oval - with novelty events happening for a fun day. I'm in - I love a good walk for a cause! We enjoy a nice chat with a fellow who has a holiday house here in Ledge Point, before heading back to our caravan for tea. Tea tonight is the leftovers from last night's tea - so reheated sausage surprise, followed by bread and butter pudding. Roger has his shower and I try and do some Christmas 'window shopping' on the laptop to get ideas - but no go, after lots of wasted time trying, I can't get on the internet for some reason (reception trouble I guess). Tidy up and relax before bed.
    7/11/24 Saturday. I get up 6am to give myself time to be ready for the fundraising walk that is happening this morning. This walk is being organised by the Ledge Point Country Club - as part of their fundraising for Cancer Council. Roger is happy to do his own thing about our campsite this morning. So we both have our breakfast, porridge and cuppas, then tidy up, before I get ready and leave, to walk to the event area.
    Roger does come and check on me a couple of times, to see how I'm going, throughout the morning. He drives.
    I walk back to our camp around 2pm. Join Roger in relaxing about camp reading our books. We have a cuppa and I snack on some fruit (a couple of mandarins) and a nut bar. I have a shower and get ready for us to head to the Country Club for the evening. We walk - leaving around 5.30pm.
    We get back before 9pm. Roger goes and has his shower. I write up this, as we relax before bed.
    8/11/24 Sunday. No rush today, we get up around 7.30am and have our breakfast. Then get organised to go out 'day tripping' to a couple of nearby coastal towns. We leave around 9am.
    We return around 2pm. Roger goes for a quick swim in the pool. I have fun getting our maps up to date with where we've been - 3 maps, our Australia map, Western Australia map and our caravan Australia travel map. We then just relax around camp. I end up making a batch of scones using the Thermomix and the Airfryer - they were OK but not a recipe I'll use again (too much sugar and butter - these scones were halfway to being a biscuit!). Roger says we can use the remaining ones as a dessert with stewed apple and custard - that should work. Tea tonight, Roger BBQs some chops and I do a simple tossed salad - just right after all we've eaten today. Tidy up, Roger goes has his shower. Normal evening now, relaxing before bed - Rog reading and I'm writing this then updating our budget books. Might see if I can find a movie to watch....? Watched a documentary about Dolly Parton - enjoyed. Then watched Episode 1 of Season 2 Reacher.
    9/11/24 Monday. Up earlier this morning by 6.30am - Roger on a mission to get us to Guilderton to have a cooked breakfast and go for a paddleboard. I go have a quick shower straight away - then come back and strip and remake our bed with the clean set of sheets - hoping we'll get somewhere today where we can do our laundry. We leave here before 8am.    Leia mais

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  • Andrea McClureYear off around AustraliaViajante

    Ledge Point

    5 de dezembro de 2024, Austrália ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    Arrive in Ledge Point and come across the Caravan Park we're booked into ((Roger rang yesterday - he rang around comparing prices at different locations) as we drive in. We go get ourselves settled in there 1st.
    Later we go for a drive about - nice seaside town, but doesn't appear as convenient for tourists as some. It says it's a crayfisherman's town - that it is!    Leia mais

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  • Andrea McClureYear off around AustraliaViajante

    Lancelin WA

    6 de dezembro de 2024, Austrália ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    Arrive in the town and head to the main shopping area in this small town. I go to the Post Office to post a card to Stacy for her birthday that's the 21st of this month - she'll be 24. Roger goes to the Tourist Information, where I catch up with him. I purchase a WA map and Roger gets a few brochures. We go to the IGA and get a few grocery items, then head back to the ute to drive around the place. We check out the beaches and the Jetty. Walk to a lookout that shows the continuous sand dunes that surround Lancelin. Makes this place popular for sand surfing and buggy tours etc. We go check out the 'base' for the meet up point to do these activities. Looks fun, but neither of us inclined to have a go! Back to driving about - go park at some of the beach areas to get out and walk along the sand. We get to see some kite surfers and wind surfers in action - great bays for these sports. We have our packed lunch in the ute - out of the wind - Roger buys himself a cuppa. Then we decide to head back to Ledge Point as we both agree it's not warm enough for us to go for a swim. We packed bathers in case - but if I'm truthful, even if it was warm enough I think I would've been put off with all the seaweed about at these beaches. Apparently it's not always here - depends on the currents.Leia mais

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  • Andrea McClureYear off around AustraliaViajante

    Ledge Point Country Club fundraising

    7 de dezembro de 2024, Austrália ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    I walk to the oval where today's walk will be happening. I arrive 15 minutes before the 8am start - no one here! Thankfully there are signs about to reassure me that I'm at the right spot. 5 minutes later a lady arrives in her vehicle - has a clipboard and apologies to me for keeping me waiting. Sally introduces herself and hands me the clipboard to add my name to the 'walkers' list. I notice I'm the 10th person to 'register' and I pay my $25. Sally explains that 'walkers' can do as much walking as they feel like, at anytime throughout the morning. Well I'm here prepared to walk some hours - so off I go - first walker for the day! At this stage, I'm feeling disappointed for this events organisers - 10 people aren't going to cover much fundraising....I learn throughout the morning that this walk 'component' is only the side gig - the main fundraising is happening with today's golf tournament. This walk was added on to offer something for the non golfing partners! What a relief! I've been walking for 15 minutes or so before the next walkers arrive - from now on they ebb and flow - but there's usually at least 3 of us going around the oval at once. A nice group of 3 ladies walking together welcomed me to walk with them, but I politely declined, I could tell they weren't doing the same pace as me. I was happy to chat to all as we passed each other. I started a 'trend' of changing lap direction regularly (for me every 5 laps). I got to chat with Sally, Wally (and their dog Molly), Darryl (head organiser), Shelley and Peter. I didn't find out the 3 ladies names who walked together and a few others who didn't stay on the oval long. The rest of us just went our own pace (even though some were couples). With Strava app - I work out a lap of the oval (as I'm walking it) is 1/2 a km (500m) - so I set my target at 40 laps. I achieve this around 12 noon while chatting on Whatsapp as Tegan called, a beaut family chat. Sally sends me off to the Club Rooms to have some sandwiches and a drink, these are being provided to walkers and golfers. Golfers nice and friendly to me as well. It is explained to me that they'd like me back at the Club Rooms tonight by 6pm for presentations, raffles drawn and to have provided tea of roast meat rolls. I explain I would be coming back with Roger - no worries, he can just pay for his tea. After having my lunch, I decide to go back to the oval and do another 10 laps - gets my total kms around the oval to 25km. By the time I finish these laps I'm the only walker left. I walk back to the caravan park (1.5km lol).
    Roger and I go back to the Ledge Point Country Club for tea (walk) - get there just before 6pm. We purchase some raffle tickets $10, Roger pays to have the organised tea $10 and we buy our drinks. Shelley and her husband Peter invite us to sit with them at their table - we enjoy chatting with them. The evening goes well, with Darryl doing most of the talking for the formalities - except the auction segment. In the presentations, I was given a couple of bottles of wine for 'walking the longest'. The Ledge Point Country Club's fundraising efforts for the event "Cancer Council The Longest Day" is fantastic - well over $17000.....and rising. After all the evening activities finish, around 8.30pm, Rog and I walk 'home' to our caravan.    Leia mais

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