SOTR- Flinders Ranges Take 2

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SOTR- Flinders Ranges Take 2 Traveler
Station Hill Sunset
April 20, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Sunset at Station Hill Lookout followed by clear skies full of stars with the Milky Way visible- loving the unpolluted outback nights 💗
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SOTR- Flinders Ranges Take 2 Traveler
Day 15: Back in Saddleworth
April 21, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Hitched up and back on the road again. Through Hawker (we’re beginning to feel like locals here 😜) and on to the Clare Valley.

Our return trip passed the Cradock Hotel and saw us clock 29000kms (28000 in the same place on the way out).

Through Jamestown, birth place of RM Williams, so stopped to learn a little of his history.

Final destination Saddleworth, for our overnight stop.

We selected this for a very specific reason, it’s named after Saddlewoth in the UK which is where Justine grew up and where we emigrated from, so we were keen to learn the history of the town.

After setting up at the recreational reserve we headed into town to do the Historical Walk. Ending at the pub for dinner, which was ENORMOUS and so we ended up only eating one dish and saving the 2nd for lunch tomorrow.Read more
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SOTR- Flinders Ranges Take 2 Traveler
Day 16: Changing scenery
April 22, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Chilly but beautiful morning, sat watching the sun rise over the reserve whilst warming up with porridge and coffee.

Hitched up and on the road again after our brief stop in Saddleworth.

The scenery has changed , the high peaks replaced with the rolling hills of the Barossa Valley wine country and the vibrant autumnal colours as we passed through Eden Valley & Mt Pleasant - which very pleasant indeed.

Think we need a return trip to explore this area and appreciate the produce 😜

Back into civilisation with traffic lights and traffic, lots more we’re guessing with this being the start of a Public Holiday Long Weekend 😳

Crossed the Murray River at Murray Bridge and stopped at Tailem Bend for lunch, and still only managed 1/2 of last nights Parma 😳

Passed the beautiful Coonalpyn silo and back into fields of vines as far as the eye can see as we enter the Padthaway wine region, our base for the next 2 nights.Read more
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Padthaway CP
April 22, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 11 °C
We are staying at the Padthaway Caravan Park, such a beautiful bush setting with grassed sites which makes for a delightful change to the last 2 weeks, a small animal sanctuary on site with a goat, sheep, roo, chooks, ducks and Emu and Padthaway Estate at the end of the driveway.Read more
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Day 17 A day of indulgence
April 23, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Last day adventuring with our friends before they head home and we continue our travels through SA and back into Vic.

We spent the morning at Naracoorte Caves National Park and took a guided tour of the Alexandra Cave.

From then on it was a day of indulgences.

Light lunch at Farmers Leap Cellar, with shared platters paired with a glass of their wine.

Then an afternoon of wine tasting accompanied with a charcuterie board at Padthaway Estate, just a short walk from the caravan park.

Such a beautiful way to end our shared travelsRead more
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SOTR- Flinders Ranges Take 2 Traveler
Adventuring with friends
April 23, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
We met up with friends on their travels and explored the Gammon Ranges, Flinders Ranges, Claire Valley and the Padthaway wine country with them before they headed home and we continued our adventuring.

What’s better than traveling…….sharing those experiences with good friends 💗Read more
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SOTR- Flinders Ranges Take 2 Traveler
Day 18 Back into Victoria
April 24, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
We were up early to see off our friends as they headed home today and at the same time rewarded with a clear sky and opportunity to see the alignment of Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn with the moon, a reported rare occurrence in the Southern Hemisphere and not seen for more than 1000 years (since 947 AD) followed by a beautiful sunrise.
Then jumped back into bed for a much needed coffee 😜

Our journey today took us passed more vineyards and wineries as we drove through Coonawarra, then a change of scenery to timber and livestock as we headed towards the coast the the Victorian border.

Quick stop at Father Woods Park -a memorial in recognition of work done by Father Woods, a local parish priest and eminent scientist. A place for intended for pilgrimage, prayer and contemplation- as you hear the trucks thundering passed 😳

Next Penola ‘perfect place to pause’ for lunch and the heritage tour which included the Cob and Co booking office, Petticoat Lane-a state heritage area incorporating 4 cottages and the Mary McKillop Centre- dedicated to Australia’s 1st saint St Mary of the Cross (2010).

Over the Victorian border and the Glenelg River for a final stop at Nelson and the River Vu Caravan Park on the banks of the river, our home for the next few nights- beautiful views and we would have had a ‘loo with a view’ if the windows weren’t so dusty from the outback roads 😜

Being next to the water it’s very breezy and just a little chilly, ok ALOT chilly, and so we enjoyed the view of the sun setting over the river tucked up cosily warm in the van 😜

Spent the evening playing UNO for Easter eggs- johnnys’s cheating 😜Read more
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Day 19 Sinkholes and steps
April 25, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Anzac Day

Woke to a cold but beautiful morning, an eerily stillness with mist hanging over the water

Back over the VIC/SA border to explore the Mt Gambier area, a day of sinkholes and steps- lots of them up and down 😳

First stop Mount Schank- a Volcanic cone with a plank trail of 1038 steps, 1 km continuous rise to the crater rim proving spectacular 360 views.

Next Little Blue Lake-a swimming hole providing a constant water temp of 12 degrees and depth of 40 meters, then Blue Lake- with an average depth of 80m, 204m at its deepest, 5km circumference and holding
36000 megitres of water., and Valley Lake for lunch

Onto Umpherston Sink Hole then Cave Gardens in the town centre, stopping at the Woolstore Brewery before returning back to Vic via Hells Hole.Read more
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Day 20 Exploring the National Park
April 26, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Much milder start to the day, might even go so far as to say pleasant 😜

Headed out to explore the Lower Glenelg National Park, and saw lots of wallaby’s and a couple of emu’s on the dirt tracks. Completed a 10km gorge walk on the cliffs above the Glenelg River crossing the SA border on foot and spotting the kayakers below, and a drive to check out Ink Pot, a black water hole.

Did the ‘tourists on holiday by the sea’ thing and treated ourselves to an ice cream 😍

Johnny even tried his hand at a spot of fishing, he ‘says’ he caught a couple and threw them back, but no photos so no evidence but the fish have been fed for at least a week now 😜

And in true Horrox style we headed out to see the river in a different lightRead more
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Day 21 Portland
April 27, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Today was our shortest drive of the trip so far, Nelson to Portland at 68km. Staying at Henry Park RV park - a free RV stop in the town for 48 hrs but must be fully self contained.

First stop the Marine Discovery Centre, which is currently free, then the Portland Cable Tram for the Historic Tram tour along the foreshore and landmarks of the area.
At the port we were amazed to see how the B - double trucks tipped their wood chips- they were almost vertical on the ramps 😳
Drive out to Cape Nelson lighthouse and the 3km Seacliff nature walk with the most spectacular viewsRead more
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Day 22 Cape Bridgewater
April 28, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
This morning we headed out to Cape Bridgwater and the Discovery Bay Marine National Park to hike the cliff trail from the blow holes to the seal colony lookout taking in the petrified forest, 12 km return with the most spectacular rugged coastal views. The day started dull and overcast but the skies brightened over the morning with the most amazing cloud formations.

Along the way we saw lots of wallabies and kangaroos along the trail, and dolphins and fur seals playing off the coast. Fun fact- this area is the only mainland breading site for Australian and New Zealand fur seal colonies.

Awesome fish lunch at Cape Bridgewater cafe looking out over the beach and watching the surfers do their thing.

Walked up to the Tarragal Limestone Cave to look out over the Bridgewater Lakes and giant sand dunes before heading back.

Ended the day with a walk through time at the Old Portland Cemetery, one of Victoria’s earliest and most significant burial places where 2000 burials took place between 1844 and 1959.Read more
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Day 23 Queenscliff
April 29, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Todays drive took us through Port Fairy -the ‘worlds most liveable community’ now that’s a big claim 😜. With a stop at Camperdown for lunch-what a lovely little town, and on to Queenscliff for a chilled weekend, a little rest and relaxation before returning home and back to routine and work …..

But what a change in the weather, cold and big fat rain, think this weekend is going to be chilled in more ways than one and we will have to find our hats and scarves 😳

What to do when it’s pissing it down in Queenscliff?
Stay inside
And where better to do that than Queenscliff Brewhouse and try their gin tasting experience, and sample their craft beers, and try their wine, carry in until it stops 😳Read more
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Day 24 A day of indulgence
April 30, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 17 °C
Started the day with a pampering sesh- a home based facial, body and foot scrub, all that was missing was the massage- Johnny??😜

Treated ourselves to an awesome breakfast at Yard 58, then off to Flying Brick to taste some of their wares whilst meeting some weird and wackily scarecrows - entries from the Great Australian Scarecrow competition

Caught up with old friends totally unexpectedly at the Queenscliff Brewhouse, Kelly and Rob, and reminisced about the days when our kids played soccer together.

Dinner tonight is local cheeses, meats, pate with a bottle of bubbles to mark the end of a successful trip, and what a wonderful adventure it has been 💗Read more
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Day 25 Our final journey
May 1, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Our final journey of this trip, to return home via the ferry to Sorrento.

Back to routine and the task of cleaning the lingering dust from the car and van ready for our next adventure.

As we sat on the ferry we reflected on the last few weeks.

A year ago we set off on a 4 week shake down trip to test the van and how we ‘live’ in it together ready for our extended travels. That trip did not go quite to plan 😳 and so we restarted it a year on with a replacement van and overall we are very happy with how both the car and van have performedRead more
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Trip end
May 1, 2022