Day 22 (22/9) – Naracoorte to the Coonawarra

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).