• Perlubie

    5 сентября 2022 г., Австралия ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    So, 5th of Sep marked my ‘half birthday’ which the girls are always excited about (me less so). I didn’t want any fuss, just a lovely day together. And this was exactly what awaited.

    We parked up in the sand right on the beach, with only two neighbours far away from us, overlooking the glassy water. Andy got my SUP and his kayak ready, while the girls dug in the sand, getting our giant fire pit ready for the evening. I wouldn’t have imagined that we again can have a warm enough day, wear a tee shirt and go in the water. It was a bliss.

    We wondered around the coastal cliffs and caves and watched the sunset, enjoyed drinks and cheese platter with fresh goodies from Margaret River, built an awesome fire pit, cooked spuds in the coals and sat at the fire, while listening to the sound of the waves. Andy could fish again, went metal detecting (found us huge supply of tent pegs) and we all recovered from the recent long drives.

    What a stop, all boxes ticked off and probably even better in the shoulder season without the hundreds of people around. And did I mention the beautiful spring wildflowers?
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  • Barossa Valley

    7 сентября 2022 г., Австралия ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    The wind picked up in Perlubie and it was time to get moving to our next stop, the Barossa Valley, our very favourite Shiraz region.

    We took an overnight break in a free camp behind a pub near Port Pirie and arrived to Tanunda in the afternoon. This time, we have decided to treat ourselves and spend 2 nights in a premium 2 bedroom cabin. Why not?

    The next day was Ella’s half birthday. 11 and a half!! We celebrated with croissants and lemon cake, a few little gifts and plans for a visit to the 50s Diner for lunch and a Harry Potter movie night in the evening.

    It was cold and wet but we were lucky enough to manage a walk around the rolling hills of Keiserstuhl without getting too much rain. We spotted kangaroos, saw the horse head rock and passed hundreds of sheep grazing on the bright green pastures. We then popped into Seppeltfield wines and learned a lot of interesting winemaking history. Particularly unique was the fact that they have kept their ports in barrels for over a century, keep adding a new vintage every year and open a centennial each year for a very limited sale.

    We finished the outing with a late lunch at the American 50s diner, unfortunately the food wasn’t what we expected and Millie didn’t feel the best. We made up for it back in the cabin with a tasty dinner and movie night.

    It was wonderful to have the spacious cabin to stretch out and feel what it’ll be like being in our house again 😁🥺. Not long now…
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  • The Grampians

    10 сентября 2022 г., Австралия ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Where should we stop between here and home?? Is this even a real question? Are we really that close to home? It took some time to sink in.. our travels are coming to an end. We have so much to look forward to back at home but also so much to miss.

    Let’s stop in the Grampians. Let’s see one more national park, crimson rosellas, roos and maybe even a wombat?

    We stopped at Mackenzie falls car park and set out for a bit of walking. Millie was tired and stayed in the van, so we didn’t want to take too long. It was a lot of fun hopping along the muddy track to Mackenzie Falls and further on, to Fish Falls. It had been raining heavily so the falls were bursting with water - so powerful, so full of life. We even got to see a timid roo in the car park when we returned! One thing we noticed was the crowds of people, something we were no longer used to. But the gum forest was ever so familiar.. we could feel that we were back home, in Victoria.

    We found a peaceful little RV place in Cavendish, on the Wannon River bank to stay for the night and the next day. Andy was keen to fossick for some smokey quartz in Mooralla, a nearby locality known to fossickers. He left in the morning and stayed out for most of the day, getting bogged, lost and dirty but content that we had tried. What he found was not yet certain but he was keen to return again.

    We enjoyed some pancakes, went for a walk and then played with a ball in the basketball court nearby. This was our last day but no one spoke to much about it. We just couldn’t believe it.

    Chinese for dinner followed in Hamilton, the same way we kicked off the travels with Chinese food in Portland back in Feb. A few hours driving and a wet overnighter at Pyke Creek and just under an hour’s drive to get to Sunshine in the morning. The gypsy life was truly ending.
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  • Return home

    12 сентября 2022 г., Австралия ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    The anticipation was growing as we reached our neighbourhood and recognised the very familiar streets and buildings. We pulled into Armstrong street and greeted our neighbour who was waving from behind her fence. Then I saw my car parked in the driveway, looking so small compared to the 200 series ☺️..

    We rushed to the back gate. And there he was, the little black nose poking through, trying to get close to us. Buddy. We rushed through the house (which felt so huge!) to get to him. He knew us. All shivering from excitement, jumping, getting tangled amongst us, this wonderful dog welcomed us home. We were instantly forgiven for leaving him behind 💛. This was the most beautiful welcome. I cried and hugged my dog. The trip was over but our family has just expanded and so did our hearts. It was a mixed bag of feelings.. but love was the main one.
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    Окончание поездки
    12 сентября 2022 г.