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Wandering Ozzies

Wandering Ozzies

We’ve sold everything and are hitting the road for an extended length of time travelling Australia. Some of you might remember that we had the name “Wandering Oz” from when we had our first caravan, 20 odd years ago. After all, our name is Osborne. Read more🌍Burnett Heads
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    • Wandering OzziesTravelerOur Lap of Oz - Part 2
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      Queenstown - Wilderness Railway

      November 17, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

      West Coast Wilderness Railway trip today. We love a good train ride and this was a GOOD train ride. Boarding at Queenstown station, it is so obvious that the tourist industry down here is struggling. We had 10 people in our carriage that would normally hold 26. To start the day off properly we were greeted with a glass of bubbles. The carriages look like they are brand new but are done in the style of the old carriages. Very comfortable without being luxurious. The steam locomotive is the original that first came to Queenstown in 1897. I won't go into the history here as there is plenty elsewhere. Suffice to say it was a fascinating trip with spectacular scenery and was most enjoyable.
      We can now say we have been on the the steepest gradient climbed by a regular train in the Southern Hemisphere, between Dubbil Barril and Rinadeena (1 in 12 or 8.33%). This is achieved due to the ABT Rack and Pinion system that is still in perfect condition.
      After we returned we took a short drive out to Horsetail Falls and Iron Blow Lookouts. This is rugged country.      Read more

    • Wandering OzziesTravelerOur Lap of Oz - Part 2

      Queenstown

      November 16, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

      Another freezing cold morning but no snow this time. Catch up day today with multiple loads of washing done and hung under the awning. Dryers in the laundry will probably get a workout later today.
      After lunch we visited the Galley Museum in town. A wonderful example of a community preserving the heritage of the town. I know being old tends to be a prerequisite for museums but this place was very interesting. A quick walk around town in the sub 10° cold was enough.      Read more

    • Wandering OzziesTravelerOur Lap of Oz - Part 2

      Queenstown

      November 15, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 5 °C

      Second day in Queenstown and we woke to a light layer of snow covering everything. Don't let anyone tell you snow is fun. The awning was left up overnight so it was covered. We had to drop it down to release the snow.
      All day we had wind, rain, hail, rain, wind and hail. Most of the day was spent inside with the highlight later in the afternoon when we went for a drive to empty the toilet cassette. Just loving life on the road.      Read more

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      Queenstown, Tasmania

      November 14, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

      We were lucky enough to win one of the Tassie Vouchers in a ballot allocation from the Tasmanian Government. It gave us $200 to spend on accommodation and $100 to spend on attractions. While the range was limited it turned out to suit us perfectly. The Queenstown Cabin and Tourist Park was one of the places we could use the voucher so we booked in for 7 nights @ $30 per night that ended up costing us $10. Bargain. From Queenstown we can explore the west coast and use the $100 attraction voucher on the Macquarie Harbour cruise later in the week.
      The drive in to Queenstown is notorious for the section of the Lyell Highway known as The 99 Bends Road. Driving from Derwent Bridge we had to drive down the mountain which is easier on the car's engine but harder on the brakes. It was a very, very slow drive down. The rain was pelting down to make it just that much more interesting.      Read more

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      Lake St Clair

      November 13, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

      Staying at Derwent Bridge we took the short drive out to Lake St Clair. The weather wasn't being particularly kind but we were determined to do at least some of the walks. The visitor centre at Lake St Clair is worth a visit in itself. Fantastic displays and explanations of the history of the lake and the area as well as the Cradle Mtn - Lake St Clair Overland Trail. We did the Figure of 8 walk which took in Watersmeet, Platypus Bay and Larmairremener tabelti - an Aboriginal cultural walk. Despite the cold and drizzle it was really an excellent walk.Read more

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      Derwent Bridge

      November 12, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

      From Brady's Lake to Derwent Bridge is a short drive but these alpine roads are a challenge with the van on. We camped in the grounds of the Derwent Bridge Hotel which is the most imposing building in the town. In fact it is almost the only building in town. A large fireplace inside was most inviting but the lack of other customers made it a bit uncomfortable. The publican asks that anyone staying purchase a drink or a meal at the hotel but at $30 for a basic curry we passed. First day here we visited The Wall which is a work of art by artist Greg Duncan that is sculpted entirely from Huon Pine. Very impressive.Read more

    • Wandering OzziesTravelerOur Lap of Oz - Part 2
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      Bradys Lake

      November 11, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

      We made an overnight stop on the way to the West Coast at Brady's Lake. These three waters, Bradys Lake, Lake Binney and Tungatinah Lagoon, were created between 1952-56 as water storages to run the near-by Tungatinah power station on the Nive River which we passed on the way through. A nice quiet camp with constant entertainment from the family of 6 (plus a big dog) camping in a camper trailer nearby.Read more

    • Wandering OzziesTravelerOur Lap of Oz - Part 2

      Mt Field National Park

      November 10, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

      The Three Falls Walk that we did on Monday was so enjoyable we decided to do it again. The conditions were a little better and the light was better being in the morning. The steps aren't getting any easier.
      We were lucky that the weather was ok in the morning as it progressively got worse during the day. Early afternoon we started the drive from the National Park campground up to the top of Mt Field but the road was awful, narrow, pot-holed, wet and slippery. After about 30 minutes we found a spot to turn around and gave it away. The rainforest is fantastic but the road was so bad we couldn't enjoy it.      Read more

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      Strathgordon - Gordon Dam

      November 9, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

      Leaving the van at Mt Field we headed into the Southern Wilderness. The road goes as far as the Gordon Dam and then just stops. Another "end of the road" in Tasmania. We stopped at Strathgordon which was built for the workers that built the Gordon Dam and the hydro electric scheme that it was it was part of. Gordon Dam is an amazing impressive structure that allows people to climb down the 195 steps to the top of the dam wall and walk across. An incredible experience. Lake Pedder and Lake Gordon are huge in the middle of the all the wildness.
      On the way back to Mt Field we took a slight detour to do the Creepy Crawly Nature Walk and lucky we did. We had been bumping into two young girls all day at the various locations and saw them again coming out from the walk. After we finished and were driving back to the main road we came across them with their car in ditch on the side of the gravel road. I had no way of pulling them out so we gave them a lift back to Mt Field where they called one of their Mums to come pick them up. We heard later that the car was written off. They were very lucky they weren't hurt in any way.      Read more

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      Mt Field National Park

      November 8, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

      From Austin's Ferry we headed west into the South West Wilderness National Park. The campsites in the Mt Field National Park have power and water but campfires are not allowed so a bit of a compromise.
      After setup we decided to explore the closest area to the campground. Leaving from the Visitor Centre we headed off on the Three Falls Walk. The first of these is Russell Falls, a short 25 minute stroll along a sealed walkway. Russell Falls is a most beautiful waterfall and reported as the most photographed falls in Tasmania. Easy to see why. The light was not good for decent photos but the falls were spectacular anyway.
      Continuing on through the rainforest we were taken by the beauty of the place. Tree ferns and mosses of every kind were everywhere. A lot of the smaller trees were covered with lichens and fungi and the huge swamp gums were just incredible.
      The second of the falls was Horseshoe Falls, named because of the split in the falls into the horseshoe shape. Certainly not as spectacular but lovely anyway.
      Along the path to the third falls was a side track through the Tall Trees area. These trees have been measured at up to 80m high and are hundreds of years old. Last of the falls was Lady Barron Falls. Another simply spectacular falls in the middle of thick rainforest. It is easy to see why this area is World Heritage listed. The circuit back to the campsite continues with something like 240 steps up out of the valley. We both agreed this is probably the best rainforest bushwalk we have ever done.      Read more

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