Most vans these days come with an inbuilt fold out picnic table. Picnic table seems a strange description as to use it one would have to stand up to eat. Apart from the name I’m intrigued by the uses that … Continue reading The Picnic Table
2014 We drive the Waterfall Way up to Dorrigo, NSW high up in the Great Dividing Range. We follow the Bellinger Valley, this is a lush area the river, the dark blue of the sharp imposing mountains behind and stands … Continue reading Dorrigo and the Waterfall Way
Flotsam and Jetsam One lonely starfish. 10 million peripatetic hermit crabs scurrying and climbing over each other and rocks in search of food and a larger home. Rocks the size of golf balls, no two the same, some red some golden all granite. Sponges scattered on the sand. Tongues of rocks reach out to sea. Chunks, spikes, mushrooms and paperweights of dead coral strewn roughly aside by each tide, cast offs from the reef. Tree trunks water logged and bearing the scars of oysters, blackened by the sea and age. Mangroves flank the shore at the creek mouth. Palms have … Continue reading Rollingstone on the Coral Sea
The feeling of coming home after a long trip can be sweet and sour. Sometimes we’re ready for home, losing our appreciation of the sights. Our senses jaded from trying to take in far too much. Our trip in the winter of 2016 had so many small things go wrong that we were in a constant state of stress thinking what next? Those mounting problems seemed to be punctuated with rain and returning south the cold seemed to be seeping into our bones. Walking in the door at home felt, well, homely. It was nice to have more space and … Continue reading Coming Home
The Forth River has many moods. Rushing down from the high country it is captured by the Hydro Electricity for it’s energy. Through the hamlet of Forth it swirls in powerful eddies before becoming a picture of gentle stillness as it becomes tidal and nears Bass Strait. Continue reading Moody River
In the town of Dunolly in Victoria there is a plaque erected by the people in honour of Queen Victoria. It reads as follows: June 22nd 1897 Erected by the burgesses of Dunolly In affectionate loyalty to the British throne and empire And in commemoration of the 60th year Of the illustrious reign of VICTORIA Queen of Gt. Britain etc, etc, Empress of India Who rules with beneficent sway over 400 millions Of the human race: On whose wide dominions The sun never sets. A free people we rejoice. ‘She wrought her people lasting good.’ ‘Her court was pure; Her … Continue reading A love So Great
A New Year’s Resolution I had originally intended to only include stories of our travels around Australia in our caravan but one state is missing out on all of the publicity and that is Tasmania. Not that we haven’t seen Tassie, in fact having had family there we know it very well. We just haven’t seen it from the door of a caravan or camped under the stars. In the New Year I intend to showcase some of the beauty of our southernmost state. My sincerest thanks go to all of you for following my blog and may your 2017 … Continue reading 2016 The Year That Was
Just south of Coffs Harbour, the neat and spacious Urunga Heads Holiday Park is right on the water. Our van overlooks the spot where the Kalang River joins the Bellinger River to flow out to sea. There is a long boardwalk running all the way out to the surf beach. It has had many incarnations and was originally built for the pilot station staff to run out to the river mouth to guide the ships in. Sailing ships used to land here to transport the cedar out. After walking the boardwalk we’ve worked up a thirst so we head to … Continue reading Urunga, NSW
Build an inner spring fence for the sweet peas of course! Just like this one in the mountains at Mt Beauty, Vic. Continue reading What to do with an old mattress
I’m standing on the deck of a cruise ship. It is a warm tropical morning and the heavily rain forested coast of Queensland’s Cape York is beside us as we head south to Brisbane. A woman standing near me says … Continue reading The Great Barrier Reef
