Crossing just over the Northern Terrirory border bought us to the Kulgera roadhouse. If Oodnadatta billed itself ( probably somewhat generously ) as the hottest and driest place in Australia, Kulgera steals the crown as the most “central” community in Australia and proudly promotes itself as such – at least the Kulgera pub states it is the “closest pub to the geographic centre of the country” !
Initial destination, Alice Springs ( hereinafter, simply “Alice” ), 4 hours further up the Stuart Highway where we’d stock up on supplies and fuel for what would be a week or so travelling what’s become known as the Red Centre Way – a loop, west of Alice catching the sights of the West McDonnell Range, a dip south west on the ( very corrugated ) gravel Mereenie Loop to Kings Canyon, and then on to the rock star attraction of the area, Ayers Rock ( Uluru ) and the Olga’s ( Kata Tjuṯa) before returning to the Stuart Highway.
Most Central Australian tourism sites are in or around the Red Centre Way (see map below).The Red Centre Way
Given we’d both visited the “Rock” back in the early 80’s (when it was actually possible to climb it – seems almost sacrilegious to admit that these days ) we very nearly decided to skip it. How could it be better to just “see” it now than it was to actually climb it, we reasoned ? Wiser heads prevailed and considering the myriad attractions nearby the decision was made to add in a revisit – and are we ever glad we did !
But first, to Alice. Anyone in Australia would be aware of the recent social issues plaguing Alice and some went so far as to suggest skipping it altogether. We didn’t, and actually couldn’t, as we badly needed supplies, and Alice is THE ONLY spot to stock up out here. We found the town clean, quiet and never felt unsafe ( the issues had occured almost exclusively at night so we wisely did not stay in the city itself, spending our first night at nearby Standley Chasm ).
Leaving Alice Springs and heading west to the McDonnell Ranges. Unusually green.Standley Chasm.Standley ChasmStandley Chasm
The West McDonnell Ranges lived up to their billing and we stopped at most of the key sights – the area’s always natural beauty enhanced right now by a carpet of green vegetation, the result of late season (and unusually heavy) rains, a vibrant green not seen in the area for over 20 years according to reliable locals with whom we spoke. Suited us just fine ! One particular highlight was a stunning view of the desert night sky while wild camping near the end of the McDonnells.
The “Big Hole”, Ellery Creek, prettiest of the waterholes we saw and swam in.Swimming, Big Hole.Ormiston Pound, West McDonnell RangesOchre Cliffs, where local aboriginals traditionally sourced colors for painting.Hiked to the lookout at Ormiston Pound – water not as clear here.Glen Helen Gorge.Driving out of the West McDonnell Ranges.Gosse Bluff, formed after a meteorite landed here millions of years ago.Sunset at our wild camp location near Gosse Bluff. Clearest night for stargazing we’ve ever seen.
Between the western edge of the McDonnell Range and Kings Canyon was the Mereenie Loop, for some an attraction in its own right. Rough, remote, and very dusty this track ( it’s not a road ! ) passes through indigenous lands and requires a permit but saves one reversing direction and going to Kings Canyon the long way round. A worthwhile trip by all accounts we figured we‘d endure some more dust, more bumps and explore what would be to us, virgin territory. It lived up to its reputation for roughness and dust and it did save a lot of kms, but I wouldn’t say the scenery offered much we’d not seen before. The opportunity to assist some some very young German travellers stranded in the middle with a failed starter motor added to the excitement and assuaged our desire to do a good deed where we could.
The Mereenie Loop drive requires a permit – but includes some useful tips !Mereenie Loop – corrugated gravel road ahead, “air down” !A young German couple were broken down at a remote section of the Mereenie Loop. We, and then others, stopped to help them and we ended up driving them to Kings Canyon.Tried a jump start, to no avail.
Kings Canyon had been much hyped but not without justification – it truly is a very impressive attraction. Multiple great hike options- we did the short one and the rim walk ( worth the near vertical climb at the beginning ! ).
Speakers on…you can hear the rattling from the corrugations – Mereenie Loop. Excruciating.Hike options, Kings Canyon. Rim Walk was spectacular.Us, Kings Canyon.Start of the Rim Walk. Steep.At the top.Kings CanyonKings Canyon.
From Kings Canyon it was back on sealed roads and on to Ayer’s Rock. Visible from 50kms away ( and seems to grow as you get closer ) it’s still one of the greatest natural wonders we’ve seen. The highlight this visit was the great sunset – the change in its colors is amazing. The Olga’s- to my mind anyway, better up close, the Rock more impressive when viewed from afar ( and at sunrise and sunset ). On the second day there we went to view sunrise at the Olga’s which also gave a great perspective of the Rock silhouetted against a rising sun. Spectacular stuff ! Honestly we both agreed that that the sunrise/sunset viewings, a drive around the Rock and a walk to the more impressive areas of the Rock were more memorable than the climb itself over 40 years ago…..and I didn’t think I’d be saying that !
Often mistaken for Ayer’s Rock ( it’s on the way ), Mt Conner is still an impressive site, standing alone in the desert.Getting into, and around, Ayer’s Rock and the Olga’s is a slick operation now. A world of difference form our first visits.Distant view of Ayer’s RockApproaching Ayer’s Rock by road.View from one end as we drew near.Close up.Getting ready for the sunset viewing.Just prior to sunset.…..and the best colour, just as it set.Next morning, sunrise view of Ayer’s Rock from the Olga’s. Looking one way to the Rock, then turned the other to the Olga’s.The Olga’s, sunrise.Olga’s, close up.Olga’s hike, us.Later in the am we managed to do a partial walk around the Rock before it got too hot. By mid day the crowds had really thinned outClose up to a “gorge”, Ayer’s Rock.
While some folks following our journey asked if we were continuing north after the week’s soirée around Alice, the McDonnells, Kings Canyon, and Uluru, we are in fact heading back south – down the Stuart highway towards Port Augusta and then on to Western Australia. We’ll come back to the Northern Territory from the north – it provides better weather timing ( or should ) and gave us the opportunity to travel on both the Oodnadata Track and the Stuart highway, difficult if one just goes straight north up to Darwin.
Time will tell how it all plays out…!
Till next week …..
Young Canadians about to take on the Great Central Road – a very challenging Outback track !
There are many Australian “tracks” that attract those wanting a taste of the outback and one of the more well-known is the legendary “Oodnadatta Track”.
Eastern end of the Oodnadatta Track.
Drive north from Port Pirie/Port Augusta and the bitumen ends at Marree. It’s there that outback drivers face one of two options : north-east just over 500kms to Birdsville in Queensland, or just over 600kms north-west to Marla via Oodnadatta, on the Stuart Highway connecting to the Northern Territory. Severe flooding further north and east in Queensland had cut the roads to Birdsville from that side so a trip to the iconic outback town for us would have been up, AND back with the real risk of being stuck once we got there. Common sense prevailed, and while the Oodnadatta Track was longer we did not have to do it in duplicate – and it tied in better with our other plans. Birdsville would be worked in later in the trip.
Starting at Port Pirie in the south, the route to Marree, beginning of the Oodnadatta Track, and on to Marla at the end of the track. “A” is Marree, “B” is William Creek, “C” is Oodnadatta, and “D” is Marla.Queensland Road Conditions report on the roads into Birdsville – from/to Queensland all were closed. Birdsville is in the bottom left of the image, in the far south western corner of the state.
The track’s original function was to support the building of a telegraph line and later served to help build a railway ( the famous “Ghan” line ). Neither are used now ( the telegraph line and its stations redundant, and the Ghan line replaced with a new line further west less prone to flooding ) but remnants can be found at places along the route. It’s rugged, rough in places, and extremely remote but offers one great solitude and mile after mile of flat desert sands for as far as the eye can see.
While the route starts in Maree, the sealed road to Marree also offered some great scenery, passes through several very historic South Australian towns and more kangaroo and emu sightings than we would see on the Oodnadatta Track itself. A short detour via the Flinders Ranges provided yet more variation on the scenery than on the direct route to Marree so we tacked that on to our journey, albeit briefly.
Classic Aussie pub, Quorn.Old railway station, QuornRoad to the Flinders RangesFlinders Ranges.Flinders Ranges.Tracks in the Flinders RangesOur first sighting of an emu.
Two outback travel rules ( which we both know well ) were broken on the run to Marree – never pass a fuel bowser without filling up, and don’t drive after 4pm. The fuel bowser we relied on was faulty ( we made it, but with less margin than we like ), and we found there were WAY more animals on the road after 4pm ( nearly wiped out our first kangaroo ! ). Lesson learned.
Sun setting near Marree. As a rule we never drive this late in the day and almost hit a kangaroo in doing so.
That minor drama aside the next two days in Maree and on the Oodnadatta Track itself were amazing. Our stop in Maree gave us a chance to sample some memorable Aussie outback pub fare ( the chicken parmy was a special treat ). We camped in the parking area of the pub voted “Best Pub in Maree” ( yes, also the ONLY pub in Maree ) – and currently the only camping option in Maree. A few stories were shared with fellow travellers especially tips on the road ahead.The Maree Hotel also has a famous museum inside – the Tom Kruz museum- that pays homage to a famous local postman bearing almost the same name as his better known Hollywood namesake. Tom’s is an interesting story – spelled out in tales and pictures on the walls of a room dedicated in his honor.
The road to Maree – end of the black top.Best darn pub in Marree – Marree HotelTom Kruz Room ( Museum ) Marree HotelOld Ghan locomotive, MarreeTrack to nowhere, Marree.
If you like great expanses of almost nothing and long, endless roads then this track is your bag ! We would have liked to have done it with a few less corrugations but hey, that comes with the outback. Traffic was sparse ( as expected ) and the towns/settlements along the way ( really only William Creek and Oodnadatta itself ) offered interesting respite and some historical perspective on this legendary outback route.
Beginning of the Oodnadatta TrackTravelling along the Oodnadatta Track.William Creek Hotel, William Creek, Oodndatta TrackFuel’s expensive in the outback !Lake Eyre, Oodnadatta TrackLater on the track.Algebuckina Bridge ruins, Ghan line, Oodnadatta TrackRest stop by the Algebuckina Bridge.Oodnadatta – hottest and driest town in AustraliaOriginal old Oodnadatta station sign. The line via Oodndatta closed in 1980.Legendary “Pink Roadhouse”, OodnadattaNear the end- lots of wide open spaces.Oodnadatta Track complete, the road from Marla north to the SA/NT border was smooth blacktop, a welcome relief after over 600kms of ( at times ) bone crushing corrugations.Shortly after the end of the OodnadattabTrack ( at Marla), we crossed into the Northen Territory. Nice to be back on blacktop !
I’ll preface this week’s blog with some news that we are absolutely delighted to share ( with those that don’t already know ) – we are going to be grandparents in mid- August ! Our daughter and her husband are expecting and we will take some time out of our travels this northern summer to be home for the much anticipated arrival of the baby. Very exciting stuff for us all. Our daughter is doing well and busy preparing for big day. It does, of course, move things around for us a bit – essentially we’ll now be very focused on the desert part of our trip and the weather dependent regions of Australia in the north between now and August. We’ll then return and focus on the southern part of the country ( as the Aussie summer approaches ). Hence, especially after our long delay in Melbourne, a bit of a “push” now to get to the Outback ! Fortunately it’s already the direction we were heading.
There is of course a more direct route from the Great Ocean Road ( where we left off last blog ) to Adelaide ( our next major destination ) but based on the advice of several folks who’d gone before it was decided that the coastal route offered some better vistas. There were indeed some memorable highlights – the stunning Blue Lake in Mount Gambier, as well as the sunken garden, along with the popular coastal towns of Robe and Victor Harbor ( two on our route that really stood out for us). The coastal route ends up crossing Australia’s mighty Murray River ( in our case via the punt at Wellington ). Much of the first part of the coast ( the “Coorong”as it’s called) is fairly monotonous- low scrub, some really tidal swampy areas and for us, some less than ideal weather to see it in. That said, we did enjoy great wild camping by the ocean in Port McDonnell and again just outside Robe and Kingston SE; nothing like going to sleep with a cool sea breeze, the distinct smell of salt air, and then waking up to the sound of crashing waves..!
Our travels since last post.View from our wild camp at “Granites” on the Coorong area in SA. Sadly, not such a nice day.This spot ( “Granites” ) was very popular with travellers!Sunset, wild camping Port McDonnellSunken garden, Mount Gambier.DittoBlue Lake, Mount GambierBlue Lake, Mount GambierBlue LakeBumped into a Chilean/Australian couple in Mount Gambier who’d done some serious global overlanding !Typical Coorong scenery. It was not the most exciting part of our travel on the coast. A little bit of local history I was not aware of.Coffee break, Coorong, SA.The obelisk, Robe, a very picturesque and historical town on the South coast.Coastal scenery, RobeHistory of the Caledonian Inn.Original limestone building, the famous Caledonian Hotel, Robe.Punt across the Murray River at Wellington, SA.Australian Cockatoo’s, our campground, Port Elliott, SAChatting with fellow campers Craig and Jenny, in Port Elliot. Like quite a few we have met they sold up their home, ordered this custom rig and are currently travelling Oz – then shipping it abroad to travel the world.Downtown Victor HarborThe jetty, Victor Harbor. The island is a great walk !Enjoying a coffee, Victor Harbor.The cacophony of cockatoos ! Victor Harbor.Pretty scenery on the Fleurieu Peninsula
At one point the diversion to Kangaroo Island was considered ( being so close on the Fleurieu Peninsula ) but on arrival at Cape Jervis the weather was very gloomy – on sober second consideration it seemed to make more sense to delay Kangaroo Island until we come this way again ( and we likely will ) when the weather is better – it’s also a very expensive short ferry ride so we’d like to see the place at its best. Onwards then, to Adelaide ( and the Barossa Valley ) just an hour away, some great sights and a long overdue rendezvous with a cousin I’d not seen in over 40 years.
My cousin, Michelle, and her husband Michael who hosted us in Adelaide. Checking out our “home”.Our packages had arrived ! Michelle kindly allowed us to have some critical parts shipped to her home in Adelaide .Here, Lois with Michael, Michelle’s husband.Downtown Adelaide, from across the River Torrens.Lois, spoilt for choice in Adelaide Central Market !Some local specialties ( check the labels closely ).The famous Bradman Stand, Adelaide Oval. Of interest only to cricket fans !Barossa Valley, Australia’s most famous wine region, just an easy hour’s drive from Adelaide.Prophetic words- Chateau Tanunda winery, Tanunda.Jacob’s Creek vines, Jacob’s Creek – our first wine tasting.Lois getting what seemed like a private wine tasting, Chateau Tanunda ( we were the only guests at that time ! )Stopped by Yalumba to pick up a couple of Lois’s favorites.
From the Barossa region it was an easy drive to the Yorke Peninsula where we had a couple of days exploring before driving on up to Port Pirie, for us basically the stepping stone to adventures further north – there’d be some van work to do ( minor repairs ), a little WW2 nostalgia to investigate, some serious stocking up on supplies and the purchase of a two-way radio ( an essential item, we’re told) for life on the long desert roads ahead.
Incredibly there is a walking path right around the Yorke Peninsula – we did not have time to do it ( it’s a very long walk !).These folks waited by our van in Port Vincent – the lady said her dream was to travel the world in a Sprinter . Her husband inside checking it out.Silo art, Yorke PeninsulaPort Hughes beach, Yorke Penisula, famous for the color of its sand and the turquoise water. South Australia has some of the best preserved classic Aussie pubs, two here on the Yorke Penisula.And the second, Yorke Peninsula.WW2 photos, Port Pirie gunnery school, 1943/44 where my father trained before sailing to the war in Europe. A bit of a nostalgic visit.Plaque commemorating Australian airmen who trained at the Gunnery School, Port Pirie. My father was here in 1943.The fan motherboard needed to be replaced – it took hours !Fan motherboard replaced – one of the critical parts shipped from the US. Would not want to have been paid by the hour for my labour, but got it done ! It failed days prior to shipping from the US with no time to replace it.….the new water filter, not so long !The lady at the tourist information office in Port Pirie said this was “not to be missed”. Hmmmm….not our cup of tea !A major re-pack while camped in Port Pirie – making room for desert travel essentials. We’ll start organized even if we don’t STAY organized !“Carry lots of drinking water”, we were advised, in advance of our first foray into the desert.Classic railway station, Port Pirie,Downtown Port Pirie.
From Port Pirie we’ll head to Maree, the end of paved roads in South Australia, then the desert tracks beyond. We haven’t even gotten to the part of South Australia yet that we are most anticipating ( the “Outback” ) but have already been amazed by the beauty, scenic variety and fascinating history of the state- it’s delivered us some very pleasant surprises.
Queenscliff pitches itself as a jumping off point for that most well known of major tourist attractions in Victoria, the Great Ocean Road ( G.O.R. ), however that honor more accurately belongs to nearby Torquay. This world famous coastal road, stretching for 243kms from Torquay almost to Warnambool, was was constructed mostly in the 1920’s predominantly by returned WW1 soldiers and is now considered a permanent memorial to those who died in the war. A huge engineering feat in its time, the route shows off the state’s stunning coastline, connects formerly remote seaside communities and draws tourists from all over.
A map of the area. Torquay is indisputably considered the Eastern end but some claim the Western end extends beyond Warnambool to Port Fairy ( likely the good folks in Port Fairy itself ) !
The Twelve Apostles ( coastal rock structures ) are the primary attraction but there is also plenty of wildlife in the area – kangaroos, wallabies, koalas and all manner of bird life are easily spotted and we were fortunate enough to see them all. The route is usually covered in a few days since there are countless opportunities for day hikes, taking in panoramic viewpoints, and various rainforest walks. We’d been before but still spent three days exploring it end to end….and could have spent longer !
Sign marking the start of the Great Ocean Road.
A short drive across the bottom of the Bellarine peninsula from Queenscliff soon had us in Torquay, the road’s Eastern starting point. Considered Australia’s surfing mecca ( RipCurl was founded there and still maintains its global headquarters in Torquay ), its a thriving “hip” town also known for nearby Bells Beach ( considered one of Australia’s finest surf beaches ). Bells Beach was in fact preparing for a major surfing competition just as we passed by so we happened to catch quite a few surfers in the water showing their stuff. Just a handful of sightseers while we were there, but in another 10 days, the place would be absolutely packed.
Surfers, Bells Beach.
Over the next few days, the Great Ocean Road took us from Torquay all the way to its terminus just before Warnambool, delivering a plethora of outstanding coastal photo ops, more animal sightings than we’d expected, some super camping locations, incredibly coincidental meetings with other travellers and superb weather on the critical two days we needed it – it certainly did not look like we’d pull that off as we left Torquay. Since most our time on the G.O.R. was more or less a collage of photo ops I’ll keep the commentary brief this week and let the pictures tell the story – suffice it to say we absolutely loved the experience and could not recommend it highly enough to anyone that comes this way…..you’ll not be disappointed !
It was the animal sightings that we saw before we really got to see the more stunning coastal formations for which the G.O.R. is deservedly famous. Kangaroos and brightly colored Rosellas, were feeding right in front of us at the remote Hammonds campground in the mountains about 15kms inland from Lorne, well away from the traffic and nearby towns. In fact, we had the campground all to ourselves.
Kangaroos inside the first campground we stayed in near Lorne.They stayed still for a short video. In Cape Otway there is a rainforest walk which we really enjoyed, and shortly after got a nice koala sighting ( next pic ).A koala in the wild spotted just outside Cape Otway Park.A replica of the original marker starting the beginning of the GOR.Coastal view from Teddy’s Lookout, near Lorne.Beth ( US ) and Will ( Canada ) who saw us in the van and stopped to talk. Turns out they, too, had just completed the full Pan American highway ( in a truck/camper no less ) ! Beside the starting point marker is a memorial to the ex-soldiers who built it.Seems there have been some problems with foreign drivers on the Great Ocean Road forgetting to stay on the left while in Australia. We saw this type of sign near every lookout and viewpoint.The road briefly leaves the coast and passes through some very typical Australian countryside. Sheep grazing with a morning mist in behind, here just after our second night camping on the G.O.R.The bugs were not bad at this time of year, especially in this area but we thought this was a good time to experiment with the bug screen we had made specifically for the sliding door of our van.. So far so good !
It was not until our third day travelling the G.O.R. that the sheer coastal formations and famous “Apostles” came into view – its is some of the prettiest coastline you’ll see anywhere. In a couple of places you can actually descend some pretty steep stairs cut into the cliffs and go right down to the beach ( being careful not to get stuck down there with no exit as the tide comes in ! ). Here, some of our better shots in no particular order:
Rock cliffs on the G.O.R.Arches visible from a G.O.R. lookout on one of the many short walks.Free standing “Apostles”.One of the larger Apostles near Gibson’s Steps ( one of the few points where you can walk right down to the beach against a sheer cliff).Us, at the bottom of Gibsons Steps.Same view from a distance.Video of same…..note the size of the people walking against the towering cliff.Distant coastal view .Lois bumped into these folks on a GOR walk – turns out they are from Penticton, just an hour from our home town of Kelowna.Many Apostles have fallen, and more will in the next years but as the cliffs erode, so too more will more form.A large Appstle.“The Grotto” – as pretty a picture as we took on the GOR.Us in front of a rock formation known as the “Grotto”.Grotto video.
Following the GOR, our travels took us further west, on through busy Warnambool ( a huge cheese producing region ) and on to Port Fairy, a town that surely ranks as one of Victoria’s coolest little coastal communities. It’s an attraction in itself and probably deserves more time than we gave it but we overdosed a smidge on its more famous neighbour. Port Fairy is also the last major community on the coastal route to South Australia – our next destination.
Waterfront, Port Fairy.Thriving Port Fairy, downtown. Could not find a park, every store and every cafe ( and there are many ! ) were full.
One could be excused, having waited so long for our van, for wondering where to start now that the whole country was finally open to us. Funnily enough, there was still lots to do right here in and around Melbourne before we went anywhere else. Darryn ( my nephew) and Rebecca and their kids provided a warm welcome and, as a real bonus, Darryn made himself available to help out with some transitional electrical issues before we set off travelling in a world of 240v when our van was configured for 120v – that and a few other minor electrical odds and ends ! Minor, of course to an experienced electrician ( which he is ) but potentially a challenge to one far less skilled and with a very small set of tools ( me) ! Darryn also took some great drone footage for us ( see below ). Guys, it was wonderful to have such a great place to come for our first few “set up” days – thanks so much for helping us out !
Van now in hand first port of call was to my nephew, Darryn and his family, who live in Melbourne. Oops, I almost forgot, “Pickle” their South American Monk Parrot !
With our rig all unpacked we were able to more accurately assess what had been stolen en route and what had not- hard to recall every item you travel with but I think we got most of it- now to make a claim. With our own wheels available it was time to revisit nearby Mornington where we had some appointments set up for things we needed and then to explore some of the places we’d missed during our first brief foray through the area .
We explored Mornington comprehensively before crossing by ferry to Queenscliff at the end of the week.We tackled the electrical issue by installing a 240v (input ) charger ( the unit that is ceiling mounted ). Can’t always rely on driving to charge things up, nor the sun, so now we can “plug in” ( in a sense ) to Australian shore power when camping.Darryn, connecting up our front light bar. Sprinters must have the most inaccessible batteries of any vehicle !Installing the 240v charger…..Lois, Rebecca and Eli out for a walk along the Maribyrnong River.
Darryn made a short drone video of our van. Shows some nice footage of us all working together to get the rig ready for some serious travelling in Oz !
It was a huge relief to have all those electrical matters sorted out ( thank you, Darryn ! ) but among the things stolen was the solar controller for our external solar panel, so that had to be replaced. Here the good folks at Retropower ( Victron distributors for Victoria, who’d earlier supplied our 240v charger ) came to the rescue again, replacing the stolen unit with a new Victron one and giving me some sorely needed training in combining these new components with our existing system. The aim was simple – harvest as much energy as we could when driving ( via our DCDC charger ), as much as possible when parked ( via our solar panels – 700 watt rooftop and 300 external ) and when neither of those options was available having a workable mains power solution. I’m confident we now have just that.
Darren, from Retropower took care of our new solar controller and gave me some useful Victron training !My Victron components lesson 😊A couple of ladies kept looking at our van while at Retropower, and eventually they came over for a peek. Could not believe it had come all the way from Canada !
While visiting Mornington during our earlier stay in Melbourne we’d seen some great camping spots at the bottom of the Peninsula so vowed to return when we had our own “wheels”. School holidays over, we were delighted to have no issues at all scoring a great site at the Whitecliffs Reserve near Rye. A great spot to rest up, swim, shop and really explore beautiful Mornington over the next week. While there we continued testing and changing a few things with the van to ensure it was configured as optimally as possible for some of the longer, and harder treks that we planned for the months ahead – better to get these kinks out when it was a comfy 25 degrees than when it’s 40 in the desert. Once we were comfortable with it all and had exhausted our interest in Mornington, we crossed the entrance to Port Phillip Bay on the ferry to delightful Queenscliff.
Day 1 camping by a beach in Mornington. It felt very good !The advantage to a late summer visit – great beaches, water still warm, and almost deserted !I may travel with Vegemite, but Lois always brings a little bit of Canada with her, too !We designed the camper so that we could cook “inside/outside”. With the sliding door wide open, cooking inside actually feels like you’re cooking outside ( without having to move all your stuff twice ! ). So far it’s been working as planned !Beachside spot in Rye. We kept coming back here as it was just a great location from which to explore Mornington. There’s also something very soothing listening to the gentle lapping of waves outside – we slept well.The classic “General Store” in funky Flinders. Of all the villages we explored around Mornington, Flinders was one of the nicest.Flinders Pier, with a view across to Phillip Island.Cape Schanck Lighthouse.What could be more Australian than a weekend game of cricket ( the batsman was out, caught behind, off that very ball ! ).Coastal view from Cape Schanck Lighthouse walking trail, Mornington Peninsula.Relaxing, Rye pier.Beachside walk, near RyeFerry line up, Sorrento. The ferry takes just 45 minutes to cross from the Mornington side to the “Bellarine” side ( the former to the south east of Melbourne, the latter to the south west).Oddly (😊) it’s mostly the younger crowd that inquire about our van – here on the ferry with some young local guys, curious to look inside. They seemed quite wrapt in the fact it was so big and still a 4×4.Dolphins entertaining us on the Sorrento-Queenscliff crossing – leaping out of the water, a highlight of our week.….and even doing backflips !
A short video clip….Classic old buildings, downtown Queenscliff.Our first night in Oz “boondocking” or “wild camping”. It wasn’t so “wild”, just a nice quiet street near a Queenscliff park where another traveller had already settled in for the night.
Queenscliff ideally positions us next week for our first major Aussie attraction – Victoria’s famous “Great Ocean Road”.
We are Lois and Jeff, of Kelowna, BC, Canada. Recently retired with a serious overlanding travel bug, we hit the road in our truck camper in May 2019, initially tackling the Pan American highway. The PanAm completed in April 2022, and truck camper sold, we plan to continue exploring again later in 2022 in our Sprinter 4×4!
