Year off around Australia

Well we may be in a suburb of Perth, and we realise we're into city living with shopping centres near by...but this is a lovely area, full of wineries and restaurants etc. We'll have a good time using this nice caravan park as our base for day trips that's for sure.
We're allocated site 508 - and we chuckle at how 'snuggly' the site sizes are! We just fit and that's it - no room for extras. Very close with neighbours!
Once settled on our site - we've decided to stay here three nights (originally just booked 2) - so we put out our mat and awning. Later in the day Rog puts up the side wall on the awning as well. Well established and comfy!
We have our lunch, the day's warming up now so our air-conditioning is on, reheat last night's Chicken Pesto pasta. Once we've had lunch we go for a drive to Swan Valley Visitor Centre, and plan to look about abit this afternoon.
We return after 3.30pm. Roger goes for a swim, I relax in the van, updating my budget books. Next we decide to go to the nearby shopping Altone Centre to go to Woolworths and Aldi. We stock up on some groceries - especially meat - then return to our campsite. Roger packs meat away in meal portions, then gets onto cooking tea - pork in the BBQ. While this cooking we enjoy sitting outside watching the sunset behind nearby trees - very relaxing. We make up a chopped salad to have with the pork - beaut tea. Followed by fresh fruit and yoghurt. Roger goes for his shower, and I start the dishes. On his return we finish tidy up and relax until bedtime.
11/12/24 Wednesday. Get up around 7.30am, we have our breakfast then tidy up. Now relax for a while before getting ready to drive around the food & wine loop in Swan Valley. Head out around 9am.
Get back in the heat of the day and put away our 'goodies' purchased, then make our own lunch. Roger has sandwiches and I have open toasties.
Now we're right to go visit Marilyn and Ray, as Marilyn will be home from work at 2.30pm. It's a 45 minute drive to their place.
Arrive to Marilyn and Ray's welcome hospitality - enjoy cold drinks (water on this hot day) around their kitchen table in air-conditioned comfort. Lovely to see their dogs Bea and Jackie too. Enjoy our catch up chat and planning for Christmas get togethers ❤️
Leave to get back to our caravan for tea. Roger prepares cold meat and salad. Perfect after all the food and drink we have enjoyed today. Roger has his shower, tidy up and now relaxing before bed. I'll try my luck at watching some more Reacher episodes before sleep.
12/12/24 Thursday. Roger up 1st around 7am I stay in bed and read for a while, then get up and have breakfast. We decide to go for a swim in the pool - it opens at 8.30am. I swim around for 45 minutes - Roger about 20 minutes. We have showers, then relax about camp. Roger wants to get one of our gas bottles refilled - so we head off to the nearest BCF we can find (9km away). They can't help as the gas bottle date has expired - they suggest we go to Bunnings to exchange it. We have a shop in BCF before we head off - torches! Bunnings nearby so go there and get the gas bottle sorted. We decide it's so warm we'll go to a close shopping centre and wander about in air conditioning. We choose Caversham Village - this turns out to be Coles and a couple of other shops. Whoops - not quite what we were thinking of! Anyway time for lunch - I'm keen to try one of the wineries we didn't go to yesterday - they offer share platters with their tastings and wine by the glass (purchase). We go to it, Lancaster Wines, beautiful spot - but the 'cellar' tastings and eating area is outside so no air-conditioning. OK we know we're beside Yahava KoffeeWorks and they have a lovely 'Kafe', so that's where we go. We have a very nice lunch, avocado smash for Roger, and pumpkin and corn fritters for me $16 each plus our drinks, cappuccino and iced tea.
Next we head off to Woolworths to get some meat for tea tonight - end up getting it from Aldi (in the same shopping centre). Back to our campsite to unpack and put away our purchases. Then we have a relaxing afternoon at the caravan - I watch more of Reacher Season2 (finish it) and Roger reads his book - with breaks to get wet with the hose.
My turn to cook tea tonight - using the Thermomix, Chicken with cashews, rice and vegetables. Followed by yoghurt and fresh fruit. Roger washes the dishes, I dry. Roger has a shower (park facilities) now relax before bed. Roger reading, I'm doing this, then updating the budget books. Just remembered I want to paint my toenails tonight. With our housesitting job starting tomorrow - neat and tidy appearance would be good.
13/12/24 Friday We get up around 7am and have our breakfast - no rush this morning, Rog has already told me we don't need to leave this park before 10am. That means I'll have another swim in the pool when it opens at 8.30am. I do, and Roger as well - Roger doesn't stay in as long as he has things he wants to do to make sure the caravan is ready to roll on out. I stay in the pool until 9.30am, then go have a shower, then get organized to set off - we drive out of here 10.10am.Läs mer