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Heading north and outback
  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across Oz

Heading north and outback

No idea where we will end up, still unsure about heading to the coast or staying inland. That’s the beauty of not having to be anywhere at a specific time - we can chop and change our minds as we go. Looking forward to seeing more Aussie outback! Read more
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  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across OzHeading north and outbackTraveler

    Beaches, Rocks, a Scary Drive & a Gaol

    November 27, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Today is day 100 of our trip! First thing we did was check how Cadbury was feeling after limping yesterday. We were very happy to see that he seemed to have recovered. We packed a picnic lunch and headed south to explore some of the beaches nearby, starting with the pretty Scott’s Head with its pristine stretch of sand and aqua coloured water.

    Then we drove inland to find a picnic ground in the forest. The road was not sealed and was quite bad most of the way, narrow, winding and with large pot holes. Eventually we found the picnic ground but I wasn’t feeling the best after all the bumping around (and it was national park meaning we couldn’t take Cadbury out of the car) so after a short stop we drove a different (and much better) track back to the main highway.

    After this little 4X4 adventure we headed to South West Rocks after stopping to eat our lunch by the banks of the Macleay River at Rainbow Reach, across the river from Jerseyville.

    Next stop: South West Rocks. We drove around checking out the information Centre and the caravan park before parking and walking over the grassy hill to check out the gorgeous view of rust-brown and yellow sandstone rocks with a large expanse of blue ocean swells beyond. On either side of the rocky outcrop were beautiful expanses of white sand beaches, stretching as far as the eye could see.

    Final stop for the day was the nearby Arakoon Conservation Park to check out Trial Bay Gaol and camp ground, and the beautiful lighthouse standing proud on the tip of the peninsula. The harsh, cold stone walls of the gaol sitting high above the rocks below made the visit eerie and dramatic.

    The gaol was built to house prisoners who were brought to the area in 1886 to construct a breakwater (that was never completed) to make Trial Bay a safe harbour halfway between Sydney and Brisbane. During World War 1 the gaol was used as an internment camp for local German residents who were suspected (almost always falsely) to be conspiring with the enemy. Since then it has been left to rot and is now an historic ruin.

    We drove back to Nambucca Heads and enjoyed a bit of late afternoon sunshine outside, giving the Weber its first workout in a while, before heading inside for the night.

    Night night again from the Mid North Coast of NSW xx    Read more

  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across OzHeading north and outbackTraveler

    Extreme Storm, Then Sunshine & Drive

    November 28, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    The day dawned fine but by mid morning the sky had darkened and the rain began to plop heavily on the metal roof of the caravan. We had no choice other than to stay put and just chill.

    The rain got heavier and we could hear rolling thunder and see lightning continuously flash across the lagoon. And then it began to hail, which I could clearly see falling on to the skylight. It was quite a show...except that I had all our linen and towels outside to dry!

    After an hour of heavy rainfall, soaking wet washing and muddy puddles everywhere, the rain stopped as suddenly as it started. And the sun shone again, the sky returned to blue and the temperature went up to 30 degrees with extreme humidity.

    We decided to go for a drive for the afternoon to Bowraville, a small inland town with lots of historic buildings. We drove through undulating, green hills until we reached town, where we stopped for a coffee and to check out the old buildings. We continued our drive to Ducks Arm to the Pub With No Beer, made famous when Slim Dusty was handed a piece of paper with a poem on it about a Queensland Pub with no beer. Slim reworked the words of the poem, set it to music and the rest is history.

    We drove back to Nambucca Heads in time to enjoy happy hour sitting by the lagoon, enjoying the changing colours of the evening sky. It was hard to tear ourselves away to make some dinner before heading inside. We brought in all our washing (now dry thank goodness) and packed up the awning and outdoor tables and chairs in preparation for moving on tomorrow.

    Night night for the last time from the Mid North Coast xx    Read more

  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across OzHeading north and outbackTraveler

    Driving Through Port Macquarie & Further

    November 29, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    We headed off around 9.30 this morning, a little worried by weather forecasts of very strong south westerly winds. We had no issues as we headed south on the highway all the way to Port Macquarie. We stopped along the road high above Main Beach to put the kettle on and make a coffee as we watched the surfers below waiting on their boards to catch the next wave.

    After a quick rest we drove around the coastline heading to a nearby lighthouse. The road up to the lighthouse was not meant for towing a caravan. I think a small sign may have said not suitable for large vehicles, but that didn’t stop Gadi! He squeezed in the tight turning circle and luckily was able to park at the end of the circle.

    We checked out the view of the vast expanse of beach and walked out on a viewing platform over huge rocks and nearly got swept away by crazy, strong winds. The view was awesome as the waves crashed against the rocks, sending huge foamy sprays of water high up in the air. Next we walked up to the lighthouse and nearly got blown away as we walked around the perimeter, almost hugging the stone walls of the lighthouse for dear life. I thought I would lose my phone out of my hand and it was unclear if my clothes were being blown up or down.

    We continued to head south from Port Macquarie along the coast through some small towns, stopping to buy lunch from a bakery, hoping to eat outside by a river that seemed much calmer than the beach we’d seen earlier. The wet benches proved a problem so we ate inside the caravan - always convenient to carry your home with you.

    We drove all the way to the little town we are camping in tonight, where there is a free camp along the river with a two minute walk to town. Within five minutes we had our chairs outside by the river and were enjoying happy hour in the last rays of the fleeting sunshine.

    Time to feed Cadbury and think about cooking dinner for us    Read more

  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across OzHeading north and outbackTraveler

    Exploring Seal Rocks, Forster-Tuncurry

    November 30, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    We decided to leave the caravan in the free camp, next to the river, allowing us to explore without towing. We drove through the Myall Lakes National Park (we camped there many years ago), between some gorgeous lakes, stopping to stretch our legs at Smith’s Lake before reaching Seal Rocks, a very pretty curved beach with a rocky outcrop on one side. We continued on the steep, narrow road all the way to the lighthouse.

    Next we drove to Forster and ate lunch sitting on a park bench overlooking the glorious white sand (and huge sand dune) and turquoise water of One Mile Beach. Then we drove around the other side of the beach to a lookout over the rocks to the huge expanse of ocean. We were able to climb to the top of the sand dune and were rewarded with a spectacular view over the ocean and beautiful white sand.

    We headed over the long bridge to Forster’s twin town, Tuncurry, checking out the marina and the break water where they have netted off an area of the lake as a safe swimming area for children.

    Then we drove back to our little park by the river - it seemed a faster drive this afternoon via the freeway than it did going through the National park earlier.

    We bought a cold bottle of Pinot Grigio in town and enjoyed a glass with some of our Kingaroy peanuts sitting in the last rays of the afternoon sun on the bank of the river.

    Cooked a quick dinner of Moroccan lamb rump steaks with potatoes and asparagus and then chatted to a family just beginning an eight week trip down the coast. We got to see a pretty sunset and stood outside chatting until it got dark.

    Time to head indoors and say goodnight from Bulahdelah xx    Read more

  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across OzHeading north and outbackTraveler

    Around the Lakes

    December 1, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    After two nights at our little riverside rest spot, today we are continuing our journey south. We debated whether to drive in to Hawks Nest/tea Gardens or to Port Stephens but decided to head straight to Lake Macquarie and drive around the lake, between it and the ocean.

    First stop was Caves Beach where we walked up the soft, sandy path over the sand dunes to the wide expanse of beach. It was a little too windy to make it pleasant to sit down and relax so we headed back to the car and caravan for lunch before continuing around the lake until we found a rest area at Myuna Bay where we could pull up alongside the grass, pull out our chairs and sit by the lake for a while. Cadbury enjoyed chasing sticks into the water before rolling around on the grass trying to dry off.

    We continued on to our chosen stop for the night in Morisset, and did a quick supermarket shop and filled fuel before pulling in to the show grounds. We pulled up to our site to find our neighbours from a couple of nights earlier. We chatted as we set up and I put on a couple of loads of washing, checked out the sunset on the footy field nearby and cooked an easy dinner of quiche and stir fry veggies.

    Time to relax for the evening and check the maps for the best route tomorrow as we head through Sydney.

    Night night xx    Read more

  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across OzHeading north and outbackTraveler

    Driving Through Sydney & South

    December 2, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 33 °C

    Time to head through Sydney today. We had planned to go around via the new freeway M7 but decided, given it was Sunday, we would drive more inner city on the M1 and M3.

    It was a little stressful, especially in Sydney, changing roads and highways while towing the caravan with lots of traffic everywhere.

    For the most part the traffic moved and within 90 minutes we were crossing the Hawkesbury River and straight into the Sydney suburbs.

    Once through Sydney we headed back to the coast South of the Royal National Park so we could drive the famous Sea Cliff Bridge, a $52’million bridge that links the seaside villages of Coalcliff and Clifton in the northern Illawarra region.

    Before we drove over it, we stopped at the Bald Hill Headland Lookout to see the remarkable bridge cantilevered over the ocean. It was more impressive seeing it from the lookout than driving it as you just don’t get to see how far away from the cliff face you are, when you are actually on it.

    Next we drove through several cute little seaside towns with sensational beaches, however being Sunday and 35 degrees, every man and his dog was out and about! Also, the roads were narrow, filled with cars parked everywhere and there was nowhere we could have parked with the caravan in tow.

    Eventually we made it to our caravan park in Shoalhaven Heads, situated between the river and the ocean. The river was right behind our site and accessible through a gate leading from the caravan park to the riverside park. We set up, walked around to check out the waterways around us and chatted to some of our neighbours. Time for happy hour in the late afternoon sun before we cooked dinner.

    Good night from south of Sydney.    Read more

  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across OzHeading north and outbackTraveler

    From Blowholes to Mountain Views

    December 3, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    We decided to double back today to spend time in the town of Kiama, north of where we are staying. We checked out the little blowhole (we could hear it blow but there was no activity, probably due to the tide being out) before heading to the big blowhole and the lighthouse. There were plenty of tourists there and we got to see the the blowhole ‘blow’ several times, but they weren’t huge blows.

    Then we bought some fish and a dozen oysters (for me) from the fish market on the wharf before looking for a picnic table in the shade with a view over the ocean so we could eat lunch.

    Next we stopped at nearby Bombo Beach, a surfing Mecca, where there was a walk up around the cliffs to some spectacular rock formations.

    Last stop for the day was a drive out of town inland to Saddleback Mountain Lookout, the drive was through some spectacularly lush green farmland before the road wound up a narrow, winding mountain road. There were several lookouts at the top overlooking the hinterland and the beach far below.

    We drove back to our caravan at Shoalhaven Heads. Time to relax, check out the vibrant yellow setting sun over the lovely Shoalhaven river just behind us. Time to head inside,feed Cadbury and us, and see what’s on the idiot box.

    Good night xx    Read more

  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across OzHeading north and outbackTraveler

    Birthday Spoils

    December 4, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    So today was my birthday and the day began with a delicious brekky cooked by Gadi. Unfortunately, the weather was miserable, drizzling with grey skies.

    We relaxed this morning indoors watching old home videos that are stored on our hard drive.

    Late morning we decided to drive back to Berry, and check out some of the cute little shops. First stop was The Treat Factory, where we wandered around tasting a variety of food and eventually bought some dark chocolate covered licorice, some sweet orange marmalade and a homemade Thai satay sauce.

    We walked around the shops, and ate the best pies we’ve had all trip before heading to Berry’s famous donut van for obligatory freshly cooked cinnamon donuts and coffee.

    We went back to our caravan to chill for a while before i headed to the river with a glass of Pinot Grigio and half a dozen of those lovely oysters with freshly squeezed lemon.

    Time to head out for my birthday dinner at our local hotel overlooking the river. We sat in the beer garden with Cadbury, the light drizzle slowly dissipated, making it very pleasant to sit outside and enjoy ourselves with good food and good wine.

    I’ve had lots of phone calls and messages wishing me happy birthday, and despite the weather not being great, its been a lovely day. It has left me just a little homesick, so it’s lucky we are nearing home!

    Night night xx    Read more

  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across OzHeading north and outbackTraveler

    White Sand, Another Grey Day

    December 5, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Today dawned grey and drizzling again, which isn’t great as today we want to visit the Jervis Bay area - beaches and coves and national parks - well we can’t actually go into the national parks because of the dog.

    We decided to head off anyway and just hope the rain holds off. We drove inland first along the Princes Highway to Nowra and it’s twin town of Bomaderry and then headed to Huskisson, one of the towns in Jervis Bay. We checked out the beaches there, which looked really pretty, but no wow factor without the sunshine.

    We continued driving to Vincentia, a larger town and checked out some of the more isolated beaches. In the bay we could see a large navy ship, probably from the nearby naval base at HMAS Creswell. We ate lunch at a picnic ground nearby and then drove to Hyams Beach, supposedly the jewel in the crown at Jervis Bay. Legend has it that the local general store used to have a sign up saying “Australia’s whitest sand” and the slogan got picked up by media outlets and it became known as the whitest beach in Australia with the softest sand. These days Whitehaven in Queensland is often cited as the whitest sand, but it doesn’t really matter as we are spoiled for choice with beautiful beaches in Australia. Personally I think you’d be hard pressed finding better beaches than those in Esperance, south east WA.

    We walked out to the busy Hyams Beach and the sand certainly was white and soft. A small creek ran out close to the ocean on one side and beyond that the water was a gorgeous turquoise colour. The only thing missing was the sun shining making the beach sparkle.

    Never mind. After our time on the beach we decided to head back to our caravan, stopping in Vincentia first to shop at Aldi before returning.

    Back in Shoalhaven Heads we visited the small but cute botanical gardens before heading home. Time to chill and sit outside (and finish off the last of my oysters) and drink some Pinot Grigio while looking through the maps planning out the next couple of days, until it was almost dark. We are enjoying having daylight savings again after being deprived in Queensland.

    Cooking satay chicken using the homemade sauce I bought at The Treat Factory yesterday - hope it’s good!

    Night night xx    Read more

  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across OzHeading north and outbackTraveler

    Sun at Last, Heading South

    December 7, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Our caravan park kindly sent us a message asking if we’d like a late check out of 2pm, so this morning despite the skies still being grey we both had a swim in the resort-style pool before finishing our packing up and continuing our journey south.

    We debated all last night and this morning where we should head to, given we have two nights until we need to be at our next caravan park about two hours drive. We decided to free camp tonight and see if we could move our booking a day earlier - as the weather is finally warming up for the next couple of days before rain is forecast.

    We spent the afternoon checking out the lovely beaches at Mollymook and Ulladulla, eating a picnic lunch with a great view of the foaming waves.

    We also checked out a couple of great viewpoints over nearby headlands and discovered a sea pool that looked very inviting. Next we stopped at a lighthouse also with a spectacular view, and locals told us that breaching whales with calves were seen as recently as last week!

    Our last stop before finding our free camp was at Burrell Lakes where Cadbury enjoyed chasing sticks into the shallow river (the tide was out) and running around Iike a puppy across the sand. We sat for a while on a wooden deck over the water, wrapping Cadbury up in a towel to keep him warm and still.

    Then we drove to the nearby free camp where there was only one other camper. We chilled and eventually cooked a simple dinner before setting down with the TV for a while. When we finally stepped out in the total darkness we were rewarded with a million stars shining up above in the most amazing night sky.

    Good night from under a million stars xx    Read more

  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across OzHeading north and outbackTraveler

    Settling in to Moruya

    December 7, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We packed up and left our forest free camp and drove to the beach at Durras South for a look at the waves and stretch of white sand. Then we continued to Moruya where we will stay for the next five nights. We set up the caravan (directly on the riverbank) in the heat and switched on the aircon to cool down.

    We ate lunch and had a rest before deciding to go for a short drive to nearby beaches, including Broulee and Mossy Point. The wind was too strong to stay long at the beach but Cadbury enjoyed playing with sticks and having a swim anyway.

    Last stop of the afternoon was at Tomakin, where we found a great view over the bay and white, sandy beach. We drove back to Moruya and enjoyed the evening sitting by the river, watching the changing colours of the sky setting through the trees. We only went inside when it was quite dark, although we have a bridge nearby, which is lit at night with yellow lighting along the water, so the water remains visible.

    Time to cook dinner - steak and veg on the weber tonight with a cold glass of sangria. Looks like it will be a warm night overnight and hopefully, judging by the clear, twinkly stars above, we will have a lovely sunny day tomorrow.

    Night night from the south coast of NSW xx    Read more

  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across OzHeading north and outbackTraveler

    Aldi at Bateman's Bay & Chill Out Day

    December 8, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    The day was forecast to be a bit gloomy so the plan was to jut stay put and chill out enjoying our campsite directly on the river front.

    I decided to get up early (for me) and head half an hour north to Bateman’s Bay, where the nearest Aldi store was, as I wanted one of the special items coming out today - the soda stream. I’ve thought about getting one for a long time, and I think it could be useful on the road as well as at home.

    I spent a long time shopping, at Aldi and Coles, to get a few things on my list not at Aldi, and was pleased to find Gadi’s favourite fodmap-friendly bread at Baker’s Delight, as the last few stores had run out.

    I also got a large coffee and enjoyed drinking it slowly, savouring time out on my own in this pretty riverside town. Unfortunately, the coffee did not agree with my guts, and let me tell you it’s not fun holding on when you are driving half an hour til the next town!

    The rest of the day passed uneventfully, as we relaxed outside by the river and had a swim and spa mid afternoon, followed by more chilling outside watching life on the river.

    We gave the soda stream a whirl, trying out some plain soda and some flavored soda.

    Gadi heated up a quiche and some veggies for dinner and we sat outside enjoying watching the colours around us deepen and intensify. It’s simple moments like this that you hold on to when life gets hectic and unpredictable.

    Time to head inside, shower and see what’s on Telly.

    Night night from Moruya xx    Read more

  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across OzHeading north and outbackTraveler

    Gorgeous Tuross Head & Lunch by the Lake

    December 9, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Beautiful blue skies this morning. We decided to go for a drive, first to nearby Congo to check out the camp ground, where the river meets the ocean and then further south to Tuross Heads.

    The views at Tuross Heads, at the surf beach and at the river mouth were spectacular, with that magical formula of aqua-coloured water, white sand and rocky outcrops. We sat watching the surf for a while before driving to the lookout, where we were blown away by how beautiful the sweep of river mouth and ocean was.

    We enjoyed a late lunch of grilled fish and chips sitting on the deck of the Boatshed overlooking the lake, listening to some very average live music.

    We headed back to our little home on wheels ready for a nanna nap (all three of us!) and given our late lunch, we ate a late dinner of toasted sandwiches while watching Sunday night TV.

    Night night from the lovely riverside town of Moruya xx    Read more

  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across OzHeading north and outbackTraveler

    Sun, Cloud, Kayak, Relax

    December 10, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 22 °C

    We had a sunny morning today but Gadi didn’t feel like going anywhere - l think he was keen on watching a series he’s hooked on.

    By lunchtime we had swapped the blue sky for a grey one, a well as some rain. I made a trout salad for lunch, using the whole trout we bought at the trout hatchery a while back.

    In the afternoon Gadi went out on his kayak. He tried to encourage Cadbury, who had no intention of going. I sat outside for quite a while, enjoying the serenity and beauty of the river.

    Another lovely evening, cooked dinner and relaxed inside.

    Good night from Moruya xx    Read more

  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across OzHeading north and outbackTraveler

    Sleep In, Walk Around Mogo in Afternoon

    December 11, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Gadi slept in this morning. He slept and slept and slept. I figured he must have had a bad night so let him. He finally woke up at 11.30!

    We decided to just drive to the heritage village of Mogo, about 20 minutes north, in the afternoon. We strolled around, checking out the shops (lolly, wood, leather among others).

    Back to our little home on wheels for our last evening in Moruya. We cooked chicken and veg on the Weber and brought our chairs and table close to the water’s edge for our last dinner here, savouring the twilight and the shiny water.

    We packed up what we could from the outside of the van (making it easier for tomorrow) and headed inside to watch TV with a hot coffee.

    Night night from the south coast xx    Read more

  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across OzHeading north and outbackTraveler

    A Stop in Eden & on to Cann River

    December 12, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Time to leave the south coast of NSW this morning. We headed off about 10.30am, with a moody grey sky above. We drove through the gorgeous south coast farmland, with its green rolling hills dotted with grazing cows. We passed through cheese country in Bodalla, as well as the stunning green waters surrounding Narooma and the historic village of Central Tilba (my favourite little historic village).

    We know this area so well, having travelled here many times over the years, and my family used to holiday around here often when I was growing up.

    We stopped several times along the way as Cadbury seemed to have a tummy ache. We ate lunch near a river where there were oyster farms and an oyster processing plant. So I bought a dozen freshly shucked oysters to eat later.

    We stopped in Eden at ARV Caravans, as they are dealers for our Concept Caravan and we were looking to replace a part. We also stopped at the lookout over Twofold Bay and the lighthouse. We’ve been here many times, but it’s always lovely to see.

    We headed off mid afternoon, wary of the bad weather we could see was waiting for us in Victoria. This would dictate how far we go today, where we stop tonight and also whether we need to stay put (if the severity of the storms is as bad as it looks like being) for a couple of nights.

    We crossed the border into Victoria between towns. This border crossing is not particularly amazing - just a small sign welcoming you to Victoria. We checked out the free (donation) camp at Genoa (we’ve stayed here before) but decided to keep pushing on as the weather was fine and it was still early.

    We drove as far as Cann River, where the old caravan park has been turned into a free camp. We carefully worked out were to park in anticipation that the weather could turn nasty. We made sure we weren’t under any large trees, not in a muddy or dusty area that could become flooded and settled down in a grassy area towards the back of the park. There were quite a few people camping - a mix of caravanners, back packers in vans, station wagons or 4X4 with roof top tents.

    Immediately we arrived we found some problems with both the car and caravan. Earlier Gadi had accidentally turned too tight a circle, meaning the caravan actually slightly hit the draw bar. We think this may have caused the car to report a DSC Fault, which may have caused some other issues including disabling cruise control and the second battery charging our waeco fridge in the back of the car. Also, weirdly, there was no power to the caravan.

    Gadi spent some time trying to work out what the issues were and tried to fix them. Meanwhile, I sat outside in the weak sunshine and enjoyed my oysters with a squeeze of lemon and a cold cider.

    Not sure if much was fixed, but eventually we got around to cooking dinner - pan fried crispy salmon, asparagus and boiled new potatoes and sat outside to enjoy a camper’s dinner...this could be our last for a while!

    Night night from the east coast of Victoria. We are really close to home now xx    Read more

  • Zo-Mobil Zooms Across OzHeading north and outbackTraveler

    Time to Head Home!

    December 13, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    We got up this morning half expecting it to be pouring but the skies were clear. By the time we moved it was 10am. We kept checking the weather, in particular the radar close to Melbourne and the storm warnings. But we drove mostly in clear conditions.

    We were worried about the DSC fault in the car but other than a warning each time you start the car, and disabling the cruise control, which was annoying for Gadi driving on the freeway, it seemed ok.

    We didn’t stop until Sale, figuring it best to just keep going while the weather was good. We picked up some lunch and ate it in the caravan before continuing our journey. The skies began to darken once we reached Morwell and it finally began to rain.

    By this stage we just wanted to make it home today. We didn’t want to stop another night. We pushed on and the kilometers seemed to melt away as we inched our way home. It felt kind of poignant that we left Melbourne back on August 20 in the pouring rain and that we were returning to Melbourne in similar conditions in the middle of December.

    Our kids know we are on our way home, as does my Mum. We hope to surprise my sister and her family and everyone else in the next few days.

    Getting off the freeway into the Melbourne suburbs felt strange, in particular having to deal with traffic and people everywhere.

    As we neared home Cadbury definitely seemed on alert, whinging softly and watching everything pass by through the window. We know he will find it weird being home after travelling with us for four months. Two years ago he wanted to get straight back in the car as soon as we got home.

    We arrived home and our son was there to greet us. Of course Cadbury went nuts, which was cute to see. He did the same a couple of hours later when he saw our daughter. He was jumping and wriggling and seemed very happy. It was a lovely reunion for all of us.

    It’s always a great but strange feeling to arrive home after being away for a long time. I think we both felt the same. It’s great to see our kids and it will be great to see the rest of the family. But it feels strange to be back in a house and not to be travelling in our little home on wheels.

    Now on to all the unpacking, cleaning up and emptying the car and caravan. Once again we have had an incredible journey, seen some fantastic places, met some lovely people and made some amazing memories.

    It felt like we experienced many holidays all rolled into one journey. The great artesian way (and all the artesian baths we visited), the character-filled outback towns in NSW and Qld, reaching all the way to Karumba on the Gulf, the dry and hot Savannah Way, the magic of the green and lush Atherton Tablelands, sightseeing in Cairns (with Mum and our boy), then many mini beach holidays down the stunning East Coast mixed with some meandering into the spectacular mountains and the lovely Waterfall Way.

    We did a lot, yet still had time to relax with a glass of wine to watch the sunset. We saw so much, yet know there is still so much to explore. We experienced many firsts, but know there will be many more to come.

    Time soon to start thinking about the next journey, whether it’s just a short trip or a lengthier one. Dreaming and planning is always part of the fun!

    After 14.110 km I can finally say good night from my own bed in Melbourne!    Read more

    Trip end
    December 16, 2018
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