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July 2017
03 July 2017
July started in a blur, with us still in Victoria and as a close family member underwent a partial lung removal and then to top it all off, open heart surgery. The good news is that they are over the worst of it now and are recovering as expected by the Doctor and medical staff, who have been just fabulous. Our days have been taken up with supporting at home and driving an hour each way to the hospital for visitations. Our timeline on travel is a little uncertain at the moment and we are thankful we have the lifestyle we have to be able to do this.
19 July 2017
With the patient back at home and settled in our support mission was over and it was time to move on. So we headed South East to Carrajung, home to Joanne's Brother and his partner. High up on the hill on the SE side of the small hamlet their home sits overlooking 180 degree views of the land approach to Bass Straight. With the sun or moon shining on the ocean in the distance as they rise the views are there to drink in while enjoying the silence that is so loud and so soul enriching. A telescope or binoculars a necessary verandah accessory and watching ships traverse Bass Straight a fun pastime.
Carrajung Sunrise
The view from the front porch.
The view to the South South West and Wilson's Promontory.
So we were going to move on today but with 40km/h winds through the area we decided to sit tight and let it blow itself out and move tomorrow.
20 July 2017
After a delayed start thanks to the weather we finally hooked the rig up together after lunch and headed out on the road, but not before we had some fun getting out of the driveway at Paul and Geoff's. Getting out of the drive meant we had to get onto the grass in order to swing wide enough to fit through the gateway, and that folks, is where the fun started.
With the weight of the house pushing us downhill we were taking the 90 degree turn slowly but the front wheels didn't want to grip or turn on the cold, wet grass and we began to slide sideways towards the cattle race. We tried to back up for another attempt but that began to get messy and we were going nowhere fast, so, with no other way to do it we hooked the winch up to the front post of the cattle race and edged forward using the winch to stop us sliding sideways. A little bit embarrassing in having to use the winch to get out of the driveway, but it was successful, and of course, when it was all over we realised that we had no photo's of the fun to be able to laugh at. So now we have used the winch to rescue someone else once, and ourselves once.
Heading down the dirt road we eventually joined the South Gippsland Highway, passing through Yarram and then turning off to Port Albert, our intended destination for the night.
Arriving in town we passed the old world shops which hark back to their Maritime history and pulled up in the carpark on the edge of the harbour and near the boat ramp as the dark clouds threatened to dump on us. Two motorhome's already in had taken up most of the space so we just made our own near them and settled in.
21 July 2017
Such a peaceful night here in Port Albert and we awoke to clear skies and a beautiful sunrise. As per her usual routine, Joanne went for a walk and came back with some nice sunrise photo's.
Port Albert Sunrise
Leaving town we topped up with fuel at a nice cheap $1.179 c/l and made our way along the South Gippsland Highway, turing off to check out Port Welshpool and it's small fishing fleet as it sat alongside the wharf. The old "long" wharf is under repair so there was no walk out to the end so we made our way back to the highway.
The next turn off was to Barry Beach, but after taking the short trip off the highway we were disappointed as we arrived at a sign that said "Port Anthony - Gateway to Gippsland", and the gate that was padlocked closed and accompanied by another sign that said no entry and no trespassing. Seems that Exxon has a port there and they certainly are not allowing us in for a look.
Back out to the highway we stopped for morning tea in the carpark near the old Toora railway station, now just a stop along the bicycle rail trail that follows the old railway line. Back roads out of town kept us off the highway as we passed around Foster and onto Fish Creek, climbing and descending as we went and stopping for a view of the area at Mt Hoddle.
There is a house just to the left of this shot and this is the view.
Following the Tarwin River as it winds its way to the sea we arrived at Venus Bay. This place was on the list because we wanted to compare it to the Venus Bay in SA where we camped one Christmas when we cycled around Australia. We were told then that the place had everything we could ever want, but it didn't. And now we know that the Victorian version however has more.
Stopping for a look at the ocean on Beach No1 was a good move as Joanne got talking to two locals enjoying their lunch by the sea, and one of them told her of a good camp spot at Walkerville not far away, where we would be okay to camp at, at this time of the year. So we made our way there for a look.
Passing through open farming country and past the large wind farm we passed the Cape Liptrap turnoff and dropped down the coastal cliff drive to arrive at a small hamlet by the sea with a small strip of land between the road and the ocean. We selected a spot and settled in for the night, but not before Joanne had gone for a walk along the beach. The view was not only of the ocean and rocks around the place, but a pod of dolphins passing by and good views of Wilsons Promontory across Waratah Bay.
Two of the large rocks that sit near the point. Wilsons Prom in the background.
The reason Walkerville was founded, the lime kilns for the abundant lime in the area.
With clear skies it seemed like a good time to try some astrophotography and not long before bed it was time to see if we could get a shot of the Milky Way or Star Trails over Wilsons Prom. The wind had thankfully died and that made for a more comfortable wait as the camera did it's work.
Not quite over the prom, but still nice with the lights of Yanakie and other points also visible.
Star trails over the Prom.
(using an inverlometer set for 12 x 1minute exposures, 30 sec between each exposure, f4.0, ISO 6400 in Bulb Mode and stacked with software)
And then the Milky Way Exploded!
Well, not really but a new found skill makes it look that way.
22 July 2017
It was indeed a peaceful night as we fell asleep to the sound of the ocean braking over the rockwall just a few metres away from our window. High tide was reached during last night's photo shoot and the water came to around 5m away from our front door. This morning we awoke to another beautiful sky and the rocks exposed again by the receding tide.
Sunrise at Walkerville.
The wind had come back and it was a cold wind at that. We enjoyed breakfast and the sun as it tried to warm the earth up and the locals were having some sort of meeting at the hall just 50m up the road, and they were enjoying a BBQ breakfast as we pulled out of town and headed back up the steep winding road to the top of the cliff.
A slight detour not long after we had started saw us take the dirt road past a number of small farms as they sit battered by the wind high up on the top. We arrived a short while later at the Cape Liptrap Lighthouse. Parking up we took the short stroll to the lighthouse itself and enjoyed magnificent views of the Cape and the Western Side of Wilsons Promontory.
Cape Liptrap Lighthouse keeping guard.
The lighthouse with Wilsons Prom.
The Cape Liptrap lighthouse was first lit on 17 November 1913 and has been in service ever since. The original was a steel structure, the current concrete version replacing it in 1951.
Back out of the wind we made our way back to Venus Bay before heading on through Inverloch and along the narrow, winding coast road to Cape Paterson. Stopping for morning tea in the carpark at the Eagles Nest Rock.
With the wind blowing hard and rain eminent Joanne took a trip down to the beach while I took a short walk along the road back to a lookout for a photo.
They say it looks like an Eagle sitting on it's nest, but it looks more like a chook to me.
Yep, more like a chook.
More winding road and we were in Wonthaggi where we negotiated the Saturday morning traffic and found a spot in the carpark to get some shopping done, then topping up with fuel before heading onto Dalyston where we had intended to camp. On arrival we found the place okay but the camping area was a mud bath, so with the weather looking rather nasty and closing in again decided to move on to Loch.
The trip up, and we mean UP, to Loch was very nice. Passing through the small town of Archies Creek, we climbed and climbed along the winding, often narrow road as it follows the ridges of some beautiful open countryside. Steep hills and valleys as far as the eye can see were pleasant to look at but there was nowhere to stop to get some shots of it. Krowera was next before we stopped at the Cape Horn lookout before dropping down into the small town of Loch, it's quaint main street popular with motorcyclists and cafe patrons.
23 July 2017
Overnight in Loch at the rec reserve was a quiet and peaceful affair. Leaving this morning we made our way into Korumburra for the dump point and then back to Loch and across to Lang Lang via some more pleasant countryside motoring. From Lang Lang it was onto Koo Wee Rup where we got married back in December 77. The town has grown and changed a bit and the bypass around it sure is different.
From Koo Wee Rup we made our way to where Joanne grew up on her parents dairy farm at Pakenham South. Parking up on the side of the drain Joanne went in to see the owners who she had promised a photo of the house as she knew it when she grew up there, then it was back to the bypass and onto Tooradin for morning tea before battling the traffic to and through Melbourne to the home of one of Joanne's sisters in Ballan.
24 July 2017
Rain overnight and being parked in a small gully of a nature strip we were wondering if we were going to get bogged leaving, but we managed to get out without having to fix the turf.
Taking back roads we were sorting of just following our nose until we stopped for morning tea at Meredith. We almost camped there in the Pioneer Park but decided we would continue on to a lookout at Maude, but via Steiglitz.
Not sure of what we sound find in Steiglitz we were pleasantly surprised with the small historic township, or what's left of it. Parking up in the carpark behind the old Courthouse it wasn't long before the camera was working.
Information on the town.
The old Courthouse sits on the side of a hill overlooking what was other parts of town.
The original drapery is still a family home, the road in front being the original main street.
Suggs Cottage as it sits restored down near the creek.
So after some exploration and a drive up the old main street we made our way to the small town of Maude where we pulled into the lookout carpark to settle in a good spot. The lookout is the site of the old Maude School and with the Bunjil lookout monument guarding the view of the valley below.
The Bunjil Monument in the shape of an eagle, held up by Eagle head totems.
The view from the Bunjil overlooking the valley below, complete with double rainbow.
27 July 2017
It's hard to believe, but 40 years ago today I was bussed from Melbourne to HMAS Cerberus to start my Naval career, and for the next 25 years, the best job, for want of a better word, of my life.
But today there was no lining up, confusion reigning supreme, being yelled at, PT and generally wondering why none of that was in the brochure and what we had let ourselves in for! Today was however, just as bloody cold and when we awoke there was a fairly heavy frost across the place.
A few days ago we awoke to a cool wind blowing across our camp back in Maude where the Bunjil had stood guard overnight as we slept. Dropping down into the valley below we then climbed up the 15% grade to get to the other side and completed successfully with all four wheels driving us up the slope.
Passing through Lethbridge we Bannockburn where we stopped for food and fuel before making our way to Shelford. Shelford is just clinging to the world by it's fingernails and many of the once quaint period houses are abandoned and falling down, real renovators delights. Of course the pub and the bluestone church are still in tact, the latter would look so good when the tree's were turning and the coloured leaves were out.
Passing along a narrow, winding road through typical open farmland we made our way to Inverleigh where to found a spot in the roadside rest area on the Geelong side of town and set up camp.
Having enjoyed the camp all to ourselves the next morning we unhooked and leaving Joanne to guard the house I took the ute into Geelong to have new boots fitted to the ute. We were hoping to get a little bit more out of the originals, but with a decent gash in one and the others down to the wear marks it was time to get new ones, albeit after only 41,000km's.
New Hankook DynaPro ATM boots on it was a case of heading back to Joanne, hooking back up and then spending the rest of the day relaxing, ready for heading off the next day.
So then this morning we awoke to a frost and packed up to head out leaving two of the three other campers to defrost in their own time. Back roads through more farming country saw us arrive in Colac. We took the tourist route out of town and around Lake Corangamite before heading up to Red Rock Lookout for a very windy view over the lake and the remains of past volcanic activity.
Leaving the lookout we made our way back just half a kilometre and then past the War Memorial and onto a small turning area that also gave views over the area.
Volcanic pools from when the nearby Warrion Hill erupted and formed the area's features.
Sitting below the memorial lookout, this grand house, Lake Colac and Colac itself.
Back down the hill to Alvie we made our way to a free camping area on the shores of Lake Colac. On arrival we found four other campers and three permanent looking caravan set ups. Selecting a spot down the end past the toilet block we set up in such a way to as to maximise the water views and in readiness for the forecast rain. Then we discovered a water tap nearby under a tree, courtesy of a motorhome that had come along. So, thankful we had not set up properly yet we backed up and filled our tanks up and then went back to set up properly.
Our camp spot on the shores of Lake Colac.
30 July 2017
Despite the cyclonic winds and the rain over the past two days, Lake Colac was a great campsite for us and this morning the sun briefly poked its head out from the clouds, and the sky to the West had more blue in it than we had seen for a while. We packed up and then topped up the water tanks as we pulled out. A brief stop in Colac for fuel and we were on our way.
We were intending to go to Terang as our next stop but coming around a corner we spied a very large, and long line of cypress trees with an old bus coming out of it, so naturally we had to stop for a photo, but getting it meant standing in some very wet ground.
The service doesn't look too regular, the passenger has been waiting a while.
Bus shot taken we made our way into Terang, but after arriving and having a look we decided to move on and see where we ended up, but not before a little trip to Noorat.
Noorat is a very nice little town just a short distance North of Terang, and with many of the homes in period style making for a pleasant look, and it looks like a very nice place to live.
Having located the home of a bloke I served with once, (and who unfortunately is away in Townsville at the moment), we continued on and headed over to Woolsthorpe where a lady we know in Atherton has a sheep farm that she comes down to to get away from the Qld Summer. Woolsthorpe is just a little place surrounded by farms, and after a stop for a look, we headed out through more sheep and cattle farming country and along bumpy, narrow roads to a small place called Macarthur and took up a spot at the rec reserve for $10 a night (power, water, toilets, showers, dump point).
31 July 2017
Magpies chortling way into the night were a pleasant soundtrack as we sat up last night watching a movie called The Dressmaker, and that meant that we were a little slow out of the blocks this morning, but that didn't matter. We awoke and Joanne went for a walk into town and then on her return we enjoyed a nice hot, good pressure shower in the rec reserve building before breakfast, and then we were on our way under promising skies.
Passing through more open countryside we stopped for a look at Mt Napier in the distance, and the valley that flows from it courtesy of a volcanic eruption and lava flow 8,000 years ago. Quite a nice scene with the mountain/volcano on the horizon and the lush green grassy valley that extended away from it and towards us, it's banks covered in the white specs of sheep and large banks of cypress trees planted long ago to help form wind breaks.
Passing through Myamyn and then Condah as made our way through the sleepy old towns and eucalypt plantations to Digby and finally onto Merino. A drive down to the free powered camping sites at the rec area was a must and if the ground had not been so wet, we might have stayed, but we didn't. We drove the short distance back into town and then around town for a look before stopping in the main street for morning tea.
Break over we made our way towards Coleraine via the winding and very steep road that follows the contours of the land, its climbs and descents as dramatic as the open farm landscape we were passing through, glad that we were not coming through when the wind was up.
A look over Coleraine from the lookout and then around town showed a small farming area town with a main street that looked like it had seen better days, despite the highway passing through it.
Onto Casterton we were again climbing and descending the long open hills with their long, green pastured views as the sheep and cattle grazed on the slopes until not far out of town we stopped to investigate the scenic lookout and a possible camp, courtesy of wikicamps. Turing in off the highway we took the muddy dirt track to the small turnaround and then backed up into a grassy area not far from the gate to a farmers paddock. Leveling off we called it a day and settled in as the clouds built up around us.
The view over Casterton from near our front door.
Our campsite overlooking Casterton which sits in the valley just on the other side of the trees.
Sitting here looking out the window we have watched the clouds and rain come over and then fill the valley below, giving Casterton a sprinkling as it went. The magpies in the tree's are chortling and the only other noise is the occasional vehicle as it passes nearby.
The clouds came and went as the day wore on and then just before sunset they lined up for a great show to end the day, and the month.
A great sight for the end of the day, and the month.
Mark Twain once said "...years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do that by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - and so we will.
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