It’s the very nature of travel to come and go but we’ve certainly found that the longer you stay somewhere ( particularly somewhere nice ) the harder it is to pull yourself away. So it was as we rolled down their driveway in Temora and bid farewell, not only to my brother and his wife, but also my sister, realizing as we did that it will probably be the last time we see them for quite some time given our planned route from here does not have us returning this way. That said, our best laid plans have a habit of changing !

Mindful of our failure to reach the top of Mt. Kosciusko during our last visit to Thredbo ( wind had foiled our attempt ), priority number one was to make the easy detour through the Snowy Mountains on our way to Victoria and give it a second shot. A more scenic drive would be hard to find – the more western route through Gundagai, Batlow, Tumbarumba, Khancoban and on to Thredbo made for easy and interesting driving ( apart from a heavy downpour as we were about to camp). Somewhat of a back door into the ski fields, this route is narrow, windy, and definitely less travelled but provides lush scenery, lots of wildlife spotting and the inescapable feeling that you are indeed in the high alpine meadows.

Following along behind a small truck and camper near Thredbo we realized it was a Dutch vehicle ( the distinctly European look of the camper, the “NL” plates and “Caution- Left Hand Drive” decal being tell-tale signs). Having both pulled over on the windy road to allow others to pass we stopped for an impromptu chat. Indeed they, like us, had shipped their vehicle over ( they from Rotterdam ) and were 4 months into a 12 month “full lap” of Australia. We were the first foreign vehicle they’d met and they only the second we’d met, each of us as surprised as the other to have not met more. Like us, they were having a thoroughly wonderful time and we discussed many of our shared experiences having shipped our own vehicles Down Under.

It would be a real stretch to describe Mt. Kosciusko as a “climb”. Apart from the length ( 13kms return ) it might even be an embellishment to call it a hike – more an energetic “walk”, perhaps. Taking the chairlift to the start of the walk ( along with hundreds of mountain bikes – the place is an absolute mecca for them ), one follows a clearly marked path all the way to the summit. There are large pavers in some parts, a grated metal walkway most of the way and a smooth dirt track near the end. Steep only in parts, the ascent was mostly gentle and in a little over 90 minutes we’d reached the top. Colder, windier, and foggier than the valley below, there were breaks in the clouds at times affording us nice views down towards Charlotte’s Pass. No shortage of company either – it’s a well travelled route ! Just as the National Parks lady had told us, in 3 hours the whole walk was done ( and plenty had passed us along the way 😊, obviously competing for the “fastest” ascent/descent).  Very enjoyable, and energizing – if you are looking for a fairly easy “Climbed the Highest Mountain in (insert country name)” claim, they don’t come much easier (well, perhaps in Holland !).

Regular readers will recall back in November that we left what was essentially a coastal route around Australia (at Cann River, in Victoria ) to come inland for visits to the Snowy area, Riverina district, Temora and Forbes. It was thus now time to head back to Cann River and continue on around southern Victoria to Melbourne/Geelong for the ferry on to Tasmania. From Cann River the route ( Princess Highway ) takes one on to Geelong via Orbost, Sale, Traralgon and Melbourne, necessitating diversions along the way to visit some of Victoria’s coastal attractions ( Marlo, Cape Conran and Lakes Entrance among them). Being December, the Victorians were out in force for summer holidays- the roads were fine but very crowded. Wilson’s Promontory had been on our agenda and an excursion to mainland Australia’s most southerly point much anticipated, however the weather gods intervened and our trip was cancelled due to windy conditions. Rather than waste time waiting for that to change we moved our Tasmanian ferry departure forward ( to New Year’s Day ) and beelined it straight to Geelong ( Wilson’s Promontory could certainly wait till we returned from “Tassie” ).

Geelong surprised us – long in Melbourne’s shadow, the city was vibrant, easy to navigate and its downtown and waterfront were well worth seeing. A great pub camp at nearby Little River gave us time to prep the vehicle for the Bass Strait crossing. No shortage of signs to the ferry terminal – it’s THE reason many RV’s visit Geelong – and the boarding process was smooth and on time. Once on the ferry, we sat back, relaxed and brushed up on the many highlights of Tasmania from the multitude of brochures available on board. Tomorrow, and after a delay of almost 12 months, we’ll finally arrive in “Tassie”.

Till next week…….