The security check before embarking seemed stricter than usual. A packet of fire lighters was confiscated as being prohibited onboard and our small camping axe was removed and we had to claim it at Devonport. We had never had these happen before.

The crossing was one of the best we had enjoyed. There was around a two metre swell in the northern part of Bass Straight but as we approached the Tasmanian Coast this dropped away to almost nothing. We spent most of the time on deck ten, the top deck. Not many people on this deck as most people seemed to prefer to stick close to the bars, restaurant and shop on deck seven. We berthed at 6:15 but the quarantine inspection was fairly slow and it wasn’t until 7:00 that we managed to start the drive home.

It was easy to tell we had arrived back in Tassie, hardly any traffic on the road and no shops or service stations open. It was just as well we had filled up fuel in Melbourne! We finally got home 11:00 Sunday night.

We had travelled 24,711 kilometres and used 3,552 litres of fuel.

The weather hasn’t been kind to us since we got home. 16c and raining. At least we can start planning this year’s trip.

Genoa Rest Area

Stayed overnight with them and then headed for Genoa. This is just over the border in Victoria and has a great rest area for overnight camping. A large grassy area with shady trees, toilets and showers and all for the cost of a donation. About ten or so rigs camped here.

From Genoa we headed to Willow Bend Rest Area. This is another great rest area and is just before the town of Rosedale, about 150 kilometres from Melbourne.

Not a great lot of traffic on the Princess Highway however the road is not in good condition and it was a bumpy drive. We avoided Lakes entrance by going inland via Bruthen. This is a much better road with less traffic. Anyway why go anywhere near Lakes Entrance, it has more “no camping” signs per kilometre than any other town in Australia. Certainly not an RV friendly town.

Camped at Willow Bend

Willow Bend is a great free camp. There is a one and a quarter kilometre walking track to town, with interpretive signs along the way. The camping area is maintained by the local community as they recognise the economic benefits that result from a free camp area.

Tomorrow we head to the Frankston Peninsula to overnight with friends before getting on the Spirit of Tasmania Sunday morning. By 9:30 Sunday night we should be home after being away for around seven months.

Willow Bend Rest Area – 27 January 2012

St Ives showground

We were heading down to Sydney to meet friends Roelof and Amanda whom we had met whilst camping two years ago. They suggested we camp at the St Ives showground which was not shown in the Camps6 book. This turned out to be a great camp. Shady trees, power and hot showers for $20 per night and only ten kilometres from the CBD. From St Ives it was an easy fifteen minute drive to Roelof and Amanda at Narrabeen.

The Narrabeen caravan park wanted from $70 per night and they were fully booked!

We had a swim on Narrabeen Beach where the lagoon empties out to see. Lots of people making use of daylight saving and enjoying an evening swim.

Next morning we headed south to Wollongong. We decided to miss inner Sydney and went via the M2 and M7. Whilst these swing west around Sydney they have the advantage of no traffic lights and an easy drive. Now the western suburbs of Sydney have been in the news lately with all the shootings taking place but we were reassured that we would be safe as the M7 has tall barriers on each side. Supposedly erected to deaden noise to surrounding homes but really erected to keep motorists safe from stray bullets when passing through outlaw country. Well that was our interpretation anyway!

It was an easy drive to Wollongong to meet up with Robyn, Christopher and Edward. We left our caravan in their warehouse and stayed overnight with them.

I have never seen so many multicultural restaurants as Wollongong seems to have. I was introduced to a person who reckoned he was the token Aussie in Wollongong but I think he was exaggerating as I saw at least a dozen more!

It was then down the coast to Sussex Inlet where we will stay with Robyn, Christopher and Edward for a couple of more days before continuing south.

Sussex Inlet – Sunday 22 January 2012

As  usual the traffic was thick as we headed down to the NSW border. Every year we see huge changes in the roads, more bypasses and divided roads, however the traffic just seems to get worse. No particular destination in mind, just a free camp somewhere down the road. Now the Pacific Highway is not renowned for camping areas and it is a boring drive. Just a method of getting from A to B, everyone in a hurry with lots of fast and aggressive driving.

Eight kilometres south of Grafton we made camp in a grassed paddock alongside a 24 hour Shell roadhouse. Not a bad camp which we shared with five other travellers and numerous kangaroo’s. Some light rain during the night. In the early hours of the morning we had to upack the doona and use it on the bed. A first in six months. Not good, probably a portend of things to come!

Left our camp Sunday morning continuing south. We thought we might overnight on the beach front at Trial Bay Campground in the Arakoon State Recreation Area however a phone call elicited the information that not only was the campground full for the duration of the school holidays but they charged $52 per day per site!

Heavy rain on the Pacific Highway

We had forgotten that in NSW camping fees for National Parks and State Recreation Areas usually exceeds caravan park fees. So after looking at Camps6 (our free and low cost camps guide) and not finding much we headed, in heavy rain, for the Taree Showgrounds. If it had not been for the very heavy rain we would have camped in the Coopernock Forest Park.

Heavy rain continues as we settle in for the night at the Taree Showgrounds. Only one other traveller here. I suspect this is because, like most towns now, Taree is on a bypass and you have to leave the Pacific Highway to reach it. Will overnight here and then move on. We still have a number of friends and relatives to catch up with before boarding the boat.

Camped at the Taree Showgrounds

Taree Showgrounds – Sunday 15 January 2012

Returning to Bribie that afternoon we used back roads to avoid the Bruce Highway and had a much better run.

Bribie Island – Tuesday 27 December 2011

Mark and Naomi with Sarah, Cam and Mat are here in the caravan park and we were looking forward to a bit of swimming and fishing with them but with the extreme tides and rough seas predicted I think that will be out.

We have all been rigging a big tarp at Ralph and Jillaines on-site van to give some protection from the weather. This should be okay as long as the wind doesn’t get any stronger than the predicted 37 km/h.

Ah Christmas. Don’t you just love it!

Bribie Island – Saturday 24 December 2011

We are now in Brisbane and will commute between various relatives and friends until we head south early in the New Year.

Seeing double

For a time at the Bongaree Caravan Park we were alongside another Goldstream Explorer Caravan. This one was very new and shiny, it had never been on a dirt road and apparently the owners do not intend to ever take it on any. Very strange. They actually had a vacuum cleaner and seemed to vacuum the van every day.

We’re missing the outback already. If it wasn’t for the heat I think we would have turned around and made tracks for some remote bush camp.  The compensation of being here is the opportunity to catch up with family and friends.

Probably won’t post anything new until we are on the road again and even then it will be a sealed road full of holiday traffic. The interesting part of this trip is well and truly over, but next year’s trip is not that far away!

Mark and Naomi’s backyard – Sunday 4 December 2011

Vicki fishing at Inskip Point

Vicki has put in a lot of time and effort fishing for very little return. She had some small whiting and dart for lunch yesterday but anything of any size has alluded her. There are a lot of people fishing with not much to show for their efforts. The barge to Fraser Island is busy with a constant flow of traffic to and from the island. Apparently over the holiday periods three barges work from dawn to dusk it gets so busy, you even have to queue to get on. We see lots of four wheel drive buses taking tourists on day excursions to the island.

We have had brumbies in the camp ground of a night and from tracks in the sand it appears the odd dingo wanders the beach during the night. Unlike Fraser Island you don’t see any during the day.

Tomorrow we head off for Bribie Island to visit Vicki’s sister and brother in law. It will be good to see them again. We are looking forward to spending the Christmas period with family and friends in Brisbane as it will be the first time we have done this in quite a few years.

Have been into Rainbow Beach a couple of times to get supplies as it is only a ten minute drive from our camp. A nice little village with a patrolled surf beach. We have swum every day here at Inskip Point. We did have some bluebottles in the water at one stage but they have mainly disappeared now.

It was very still last night with no breeze and we had our fan going for most of the night. There was supposed to be a change in the weather yesterday with rain developing until Saturday but so far with the exception of three spits of rain we have not experienced the change.

Inskip Point – Thursday 24 November 2011

Vicki at Inskip Point

Had a few enjoyable days here at Inskip Point. Met Neville and Jenny who used to live in Geilston Bay, Hobart and who know my sister and brother in law. In fact we are camped next to them. They had been here for several weeks and warned us that on Friday there would be a huge influx of people into the area, probably tripling the weekday population and that a few of the new arrivals would be bogans.

They were correct and unfortunately we ended up with the family from hell camped next to us. About midday Friday two caravans parked themselves between Neville and Jenny and us in a space that was only really big enough for one caravan. Immediately out came the generator which then ran from early morning to nine at night. I think they only stopped it then because that was the generator curfew time. Grandfather, grandmother, mum and dad, assorted children and several noisy dogs. Mum had a loud shrill voice that she used incessantly and the language from them all was colourful to say the least.  Then mum got out the mobile phone and spent the next hour directing various other members of the clan to “their” camp!

Weekend in the campground

The other members of the bogan clan set up camp about ten metres away from their relatives and more trickled in until by Saturday afternoon there would have been about fifteen of them. They didn’t go fishing or swimming just sat in their camp drinking. Saturday evening not only did we have their generator going  behind us but one of the later arrivals opened the doors of his ute and put on loud country and western music.

Had drinks with Neville and Jenny on Saturday evening and agreed that Inskip Point was great during the weekdays but was best avoided at the weekend. Neville asked the bogans to move their generator and it got a bit heated for a moment as one of the bogans made a comment to Neville and Neville fronted them. Not much use trying to reason with people like that though.

Weekend on the beach

Sunday morning and already people are breaking camp including the bogans next door. We should offer to help them pack but they might take it the wrong way!

Despite the bogans we are still enjoying Inskip Point, swimming and fishing every day. The vehicle traffic on the beach has been constant over the weekend and looking across at Fraser Island it is the same over there. The Fraser Island barge runs continually from dawn to dusk.

Lots of people fishing but not much being caught from what we can see. Vicki has caught several small whiting but nothing worth eating yet. We will probably stay here most of this week but will definitely not be here next weekend.

Whilst on the beach fishing we saw this very unusual coloured cloud formation. Wispy cumulus cloud was coloured red and blue in different shading. By the time I got the camera unfortunately the colour had receded and only a couple of minutes after I took this picture the colour had faded altogether.

Colour in the clouds

The bogans have gone hurrah hurrah!!!

Inskip Point – Sunday 20 November 2011

Most basic supplies are available. Two bakeries, two supermakets (IGA and Foodland), butcher, chemist, surf, camping and fishing shops and a few other assorted things. There is also a caravan park in the town. It is only a ten minute drive to our camp at Inskip Point and on the way is a toilet dump point and a potable water outlet. Campers take jerry cans into town to get their water but we have the ability to fill the 70 litre water container in our vehicle and then drain it into the caravan tanks. Makes getting water back to our camp very easy.

We used to camp in this area when we lived in Queensland but seem to have forgotten most of it. Time and old age no doubt!

Inskip Point – Saturday 19 November 2011