Caravan Capers

Generally driving day with option to stop off along the way for any sights. Hopeful of getting into Coorong National Park (seemed like a lot of access points were 4WD only). Had fond memories of the film “Storm Boy” from my childhood – was taken to see it on my 13th birthday along with dinner in a flash restaurant. Didn’t look hopeful for a while but eventually found a scenic gravel loop road. Much closer to the action after that and even saw an echidna on the 3 km Lakes Nature Trail. Sunny and quite warm but a flat layer of cloud appeared to be forming over the ocean, spreading across the sky almost like a doona. Brief stop off at Jack’s pelican viewpoint (very distant pelicans) then stopped for the night in Meningie “northern gateway to the Limestone Coast”. Lake Albert Holiday Park, right on the lake with a gorgeous outlook. At $27 for a powered site, much better value than Penola. Fish and chips and red wine while the sun set and the mossies came out to play! Coorong mullet was great and the chips were way better than the last lot we had eaten at Apollo Bay ($17 and very disappointing!).

Checked out by 10.30, found somewhere to park the van in Penola and for the second time in 3 1/2 weeks got out the bikes! Pedalled off in search of more vino. Mapped out a route to 4 more cellar doors, starting in the heart of Penola at Koonara then on to Hollick, Majella, and finally Raidis (which didn’t open til 12 pm). A most enjoyable morning, although somewhat wobbly on the bike by Majella and seemed like quite a long way back to Raidis (it was the headwind not the wine, I’m sure). Seemed that we had purchased a total of a dozen bottles when counted up later. No wonder the knapsacks seemed a bit heavy.
Difficult choice re heading directly south to the coast via Mt Gambier or cut across and hit the coast further north. Plumped for the latter and went to Robe, partly because two people we spoke to while tasting suggested we wouldn’t miss much if we skipped Mt Gambier. Of course the stranger we ran into in the Robe Visitor Info told us we’d missed quite a lot of good stuff by taking the route we did, but oh well! Pretty little seaside town and the van park we stayed at “Sea Vu” was great. Obviously a lot of care and thought put into the place with gardens full of flowers, attractive sites and cute signs re how to manage your pet dog in the park. Late walk into town then back for a realtively small meal of leftovers (for me anyway – nothing to do with the amount of wine tasted that morning at all – just a bit under the weather!).

Discounted cave tours available when you’ve already done one so we decided on the Victoria Fossil Cave and the Wonambi Fossil Centre (self guided) tour plus the Wet Cave which is thrown in with the Wonambi one. Planned for a leisurely walk from the campground up to the info centre to purchase the tickets and then another leisurely stroll back down the road to the Victoria Fossil Cave (commencement time 10.15 am). Did we make it? We did not! Running late as usual but thought we could still do it (having left the campground at 9.40 am with a 1.2 km walk back to the cave from the info centre once we got there- yeah right!). Got the tickets by just before 10 am but when we mentioned that we were planning to walk back for the start of the tour, the ranger just looked at us pityingly. Very kindly offered us a lift to the cave with Barb, the ranger who was going to be leading the tour (thank God). Great tour and then did the leisurely walk back again for the rest of the planned itinerary. The animatronics in the fossil exhibit were a bit sad but it was still worthwhile. Lunch at the Caves Cafe was excellent!
Finally set off for Coonawarra around 3 pm. Short detour to Bool Lagoon Game Reserve – lots of bird life. Still managed to fit in a couple of tastings on the way to the Penola van park (which we were warned about along the way – apparently doesn’t meet the locals idea of appropriate standards for guests to the region, but unfortunately is the only caravan park within easy drive). Katnook Estate and Brand’s Laira. Needed to stock up on the vino again!
The caravan park wasn’t quite as dire as had been led to expect but at $35 / night (for an ensuite site, which is apparently all that was available), definitely not value for money, and very noisy (right on the highway with trucks roaring past seemingly incessantly. Coughed all night (once again have the post viral barking cough, extremely irritating to me and astoundingly annoying for all those within a 1 km radius I imagine).

As expected for the day we were leaving the Grampians, woke up to a lovely sunny day. Headed out anyway, first checking again with the Visitor Info Centre re my watch (no luck) and filing a lost property report with the Halls Gap police. Our insurance might actually cover the loss less an excess – amazing (and quite unexpected)! Back via Stawell and Horsham with a stop off at Mt Arapiles – lump of rock rising out of the plains that is a mecca for climbers and has fantastic views of the surrounding countryside. With Canola fields in flower and wildflowers everywhere, you can tell that spring has arrived (even though the temperatures could be a bit warmer!). Ate a celebratory vanilla slice and apple and cinnamon muffin at the top of Mt Arapiles (acquired from Waacks Bakery yesterday) and then set off towards SA. Chris was keen to see the Little Desert National Park, bit north of where we were so wandered off along small country roads to find it. Quite different countryside – dryer, more stunted flora and quite sandy. Interesting interpretive trail (2 loops that joined up actually) although some of the flora represented on the interpretive signs had obviously died or been eaten since the signs were first placed. left you wondering if the desert she oak was a small weed-like plant growing at the base of the sign, or something else entirely.
More fruit and vegie dumping at the SA border – getting quite tiring having to dump everything every time we cross a border, but guess there are good reasons for the restrictions. Arrived Naracoorte ~ 2.30pm and found the World Heritage listed caves via an interesting route plotted out by the intrepid Jen. Just in time for the “Bat cave tour” at 3 om (and they were running late anyway). Fascinating tour – two local caves where the southern bentwing bat is found (critically endangered). One a cooler cave for hibernation in winter and the other a warmer cave for delivering and nurturing the young (often the embryo is conceived a year prior and carried in a dormant state until the appropriate conditions the following year are achieved). Extremely helpful parks offical (Julie) organised our parks pass, our overnight camping in the parks campground (fantastic location, small campsite, quiet and good amenities with hot showers – highly recommended. No specific check out time either. “Stay as long as you like”. Even the busload of schoolkids that rolled in that evening (staying in the bunkhouse) couldn’t detract from the surroundings.

Drive to scenic lookout day, with option for short walks to said lookouts, if required. Visited Boroka, Reed (aka Reid, Ried, depending which map or sign you believe), lookouts, the Balconies, MacKenzie (or McKenzie) Falls. Then on out towards Horsham. Marked contrast to the region around the Grampians – completely and unrelentingly flat! After a very brief visit in Horsham returned via Stawell. Recommend Waack’s Bakery for cinnamon scrolls, vanilla slices and muffins! Also good coffee. Back to base for dinner and bed.

A walk in the mountains seemed like an option on waking, mainly as wasn’t actively raining and there was even a hint of spring-like cornflower blue in parts of the sky (among the grey clouds of course). A likely candidate was the “Wonderland Loop” – a walk of ~9 km taking in several of the shorter tracks along the way, leading to a spectacular lookout over the valley below from an outcrop of rock named the Pinnacle. Thwarted at the start unfortunately, as a landslide had closed part of the track! Drove on to another start point and got underway through the “Grand Canyon”. For those who have done the Grand Canyon in the Blue Mountains, this one I think is not as spectacular but still interesting with narrow, high rocky walls. All was going well until I took my watch off to put some sunscreen on. Yes, the sun came out properly! And promptly forgot all about it. Absence of watch not noticed until nearly a km up the track and no sign of it after rushing frantically back to where we had stopped (risking a heart attack due to general level of unfitness). Sense of glumness descended after this and the panorama laid out below from the Pinnacle could not lift the spirits. Even the antics of the marauding lunchtime currawong failed to amuse. No one (and the track was pretty busy) had handed it in to Visitor Info or the police by the time we left the area a couple days later – shame! Quite a contrast to the Prom – more what I would call “serious” walkers at the Prom – better equipped with walking footwear, backpacks, etc. Despite the length and moderate grades of these walks, this is obviously a much more “touristy” area, with more people just “out for a walk” for the day. Not the same sense of being alone with nature as other places we’ve been.
Managed to continue with sightseeing and a few shorter walks to vantage points then back for a shower and out to dinner at the Kookaburra Bar and Bistro. Good food but huge portions. Groaned into bed……

Expected to take several hours to get up to the Grampians but only took a couple. Sunny start to the day – hooray! Rain and looming cloud slowly appeared in the direction we were heading in and couldn’t see the tops of the mountains by the time we were climbing up into them. Sun reappeared for lunch in a reserve not too far from Hall’s Gap. Cheeky rosellas tried hard to separate us from our picnic but did not succeed. Frontal approaches, flanking attempts stealth attacks via our arms and heads were all attempted. Gave them a few crumbs from the bags in the end – reward for persistence.
Arrived Hall’s Gap and eventually decided on Takaru Bush Resort, around 4 km out of the main town centre and possibly smaller and quieter than the bigger places in town (we’re really quite antisocial people I’ve decided!). Lots of kangaroos lying around all over the place. apparently the locals get away with a bit of lawn mowing and an awful lot of lazing around!

Off to Flagstaff Hill today – historic reconstruction of a 1800-1900’s maritime village in Warnambool. Useful pieces of information gleaned from this experience – you wouldn’t have wanted to be a teacher back then, and ladies only bathed 4 times a year! Apparently lavendar and rose scented water was in heavy use. The 80 pounder gun emplacements were pretty impressive. Apparently to locals were worried that the Russians might invade back in the 1850s (time of the Crimean War) (one could ask why would they bother (and apparently they didn’t).
Sourced a “Pinky’s Pizza” capriccisoa as a desperation measure for a late lunch and ate it sitting looking out over Tower Hill, a dormant (was thought to be extinct but someone clearly now hedging their bets) volcano with several craters within a larger crater lake (a Maar volcano). Pizza was actually very good – extra anchovies and all! Lots of wildlife in the Tower Hill Reserve. Spotted emus, kangaroos, wallabies and swans, all within minutes of arriving (no echidnas yet though). Weather dodgy and wind still howling but went for a couple of loop walks anyway (plenty of daylight left at 4.30pm!). Still no echidnas but spotted a low lying mother koala with baby on board. She wasn’t very impressed with all the attention but hung around anyway.

Hit the really special part of the Great Ocean Road today…… rain blowing wildly in cyclonic winds around the 12 Apostles (I think there are actually less than 12 now as some of them have clearly fallen over –  certainly one of the main ones has mostly disappeared since I was last down this way ~ 20 years ago) and the waves crashing against the cliffs, often reaching well above cliff height. The landscape looks pretty desolate around here, with stunted heath and leaning bushes  – bit like the blasted heath where Macbeth’s witches hung out. They’d feel right at home around here! Certainly the waves around the cliff bases reminded me of witches cauldrons (“double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble” indeed). By the time we reached “the Arch” (approx our 3rd or 4th stop along this part of the coast), it was literally gird up the loins (and the goretex), stagger out at a rapid pace to the sight we were supposed to appreciate, say “wow” (hopefully without teeth chattering too much), and stagger back even more rapidly to the relative warmth of the car. Quite a relief to hit the end of the Great Ocean Road really and head into Warnambool.

Was looking forward to Warnambool. We used to come here when I was a kid to visit dad’s rels and the end of the long car journey was marked by sight of the Fletcher Jones ball – a big silver ball on a bright red tripod set atop the Fletcher Jones factory on the way into town (Fletcher Jones used to specialise in tartans, etc and we had tartan skirts from there when we were kids). Big ball was still there but in a somewhat shabby state – tarnished looking ball and the bright red legs had faded away to almost no colour at all! Apparently the factory closed years ago and hasn’t been maintained the way it used to be.

Stayed overnight in the Surfside Holiday Park. Nice and quiet (set up well away from everyone else in our usual antisocial manner), apart from the odd train that went past ~50m away occasionally! Sort of didn’t notice there was a train track right next door. Great amenities block after Bimbi Park – large shower stalls, all the lighting worked and the hot water (indeed the water generally) was not timed or charged (heaven). Very friendly helpfpul staff as well.

Rained again overnight!

Rained overnight (no surprise there) and gale force winds arrived. Still raining this morning. So much for the idea of a more substantial walk today! Explored Cape Otway Lightstation (built 1848) complex and just managed to avoid being blown off the top of the lighthouse in the force 11 gusts of wind (one gust recorded at 60 knots). Could barely move against the force of the wind (SW front coming in) up top. Surprisingly the rain had ceased and desisted and the sun even came out for us! After a relative dearth of koalas along the Grey River Rd, discovered a surfeit of koala bums in the trees along the road out to the Lightstation. Obviously koala heaven. One daring (or suicidally stupid) koala decided he wanted some leaves on a neighbouring tree so climbed his way up the tree he was in to ever smaller branches, all waving wildy in the gale. Almost fell off the tiny branch he ended up on then inched his way back down upside down and backwards until diverted by the succulent looking leaves he’s been trying for earlier – duh!
Thought a rainforest stroll would be more the ticket for sheltered afternoon activity so wandered off to Mait’s Rest – 800m (40min supposedly). Even with 3 layers of clothing, gloves and goretex, froze to death and got around in 12 minutes flat. Would have been quicker if we’d skipped the few interpretive signs (feel you have an obligation to read them, as someone has gone to all the trouble of composing and placing them – and I’m sure I’d read one of them somewhere else in the last couple of days….). On to warm cafe, coffee and cake in Apollo Bay, plus phone and internet coverage. Until my connection mysteriously dropped out!