Freedom Camp, National Park, Places, Point of Interest, SA, The Characters You Meet, Top Spots1 Comment

Pildappa Rock

Itching for Hitching

About 15kms off the Eyre Highway near the town of Minnipa in South Australia, Pildappa Rock stands high and proud above the wheat fields. The Eyre Peninsula is known for its granite monoliths and nearby Mt. Wudinna is 2nd largest to Uluru. Our mate finds a perfect campsite beside the wave face of the Rock and we constantly marvel at its size and the lichen stripes and patterns. Our other fellow campers are sprightly eighty year old retired Clarence Valley farmers in a camper trailer. We climb the rock and watch the sun set over the wheat fields. Our neighbour … Continue reading Pildappa Rock

NSW, Places, Point of InterestLeave a comment

Shipwreck Walk, Stockton, NSW

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The Newcastle Shipwreck Walk is on the northern breakwater at the mouth of the Hunter River. Built on the rusting hulks of numerous shipwrecks it is a place for reflection. Like all piers it is the preferred spot of fishermen and those who’ve passed are also remembered here with poignant messages painted on the rocks. “I always thought I would see you again.” A bike or a bucket on the path signifies a fisherman at work below on the rocks. Feral cats also a feature, live amongst the large rocks. They are hard to see but their meows are a … Continue reading Shipwreck Walk, Stockton, NSW

Caravanning Hints2 Comments

One Advantage of Owning a Caravan That the Salesman Won’t Tell You About

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We’re home again after a three week trip and I decide to bake some biscuits for a picnic that we will be going on. It’s an easy recipe and I soon toss them in the oven to bake for 15 minutes. Will I have a quick shower? No I might get distracted, how about catching up with the newspaper on the couch? Great idea I tell myself and settle in. After 12 minutes I peer through the oven door and little seems to have happened. They certainly aren’t brown and cracked on top like the recipe says. Oh, well just … Continue reading One Advantage of Owning a Caravan That the Salesman Won’t Tell You About

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Ship Watchers Heaven

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There used to be a fantastic overnight free camp at Nobby’s Beach in Newcastle, sadly it is now closed: Newcastle looks fabulous and we quickly find the free camp at Nobby’s Beach. The van is actually rocking in the stiff breeze, but we are in the company of a number of other RV’s and the view of the harbour and city lights is stunning. The harbour activity and the work of the tugs make for a great nights entertainment. The next best spot in the Newcastle area is the town of Stockton on the opposite side of the Hunter River. … Continue reading Ship Watchers Heaven

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Broken Hill ‘Tinnies’

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At first glance the houses, or ‘tinnies’ as they are known, of Broken Hill, NSW appear to be small, tired, unkempt corrugated iron shacks. But on closer inspection no two are the same, most are very neat, although few have gardens as we coastal dwellers know them. There is a lack of water in this town, so those who want a garden, have invested in succulents and oleanders. There must be a termite problem because the power poles are concrete and iron like those in Adelaide. This would explain the use of corrugated iron for the houses. Some houses have … Continue reading Broken Hill ‘Tinnies’

Freedom Camp, Places, Top Spots, Vic2 Comments

Nug Nug, Vic

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Just a short 10kms south of Myrtleford in the Ovens Valley there is a delightful bush camp called Nug Nug. Managed and well maintained by local residents there is lush green grass and both native and specimen trees beside the gurgling Buffalo River. There are toilets, a BBQ and power and river water are on tap. A small daily fee is charged. Myrtleford is a great base for exploring the Ovens Valley and there is no shortage of local produce. It may have a funny name but Nug Nug is a place where you end up staying much longer than … Continue reading Nug Nug, Vic

Freedom Camp, Places, Point of Interest, QldLeave a comment

Mary Kathleen

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The Mary Kathleen abandoned town site is located halfway between Mt Isa and Cloncurry in western Queensland. Uranium was found here in 1954. A town was built for the miners and their families. When the mine closed in 1984 families were given 21 days to vacate. All of the buildings were sold, houses, shops and community buildings. The houses were sold for $3000 – $4000 and most of them went to the nearby towns of Mt Isa and Cloncurry. Even the swimming pool was filled in. Today there is consideration to reopen the mine site to extract rare earth minerals, … Continue reading Mary Kathleen

Freedom Camp, Places, Taking Directions, VicLeave a comment

Sebastian, Vic

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We intend to spend the night at the Sebastian Recreation Reserve so we take the Marong Bypass to avoid Bendigo. It is still raining, steady soaking rain. Gabbi Garmin decides to send us down a shortcut and before we know it we are sliding along on a stretch of very wet clay road, hanging on and hoping that our new four wheel drive does what it is meant to do. By the time we reach Sebastian we look like we’ve been to the outback with red mud from top to tail. Needless to say Gabbi gets told once again. Sebastian … Continue reading Sebastian, Vic

The Road Less Travelled, WA2 Comments

Oh dear, not again

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We had hoped to get into El Questro and the staff had informed me that our van would have no trouble at all and that he road in was great. We take the iconic Gibb River Road which is sealed at this end and cruise on down to the turn off. It is a wide gravelled road but within minutes we realise that it is a no go for Priscilla. We shudder our way through five kilometres before we can find a spot wide enough to turn around then shudder back to the bitumen cursing bad roads for the second … Continue reading Oh dear, not again

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Boy did we bungle that

Itching for Hitching

We unhook Priscilla at the Bungle Bungles Caravan Park (Mabel Downs Station) and take off down the track to the Purnululu National Park. Fifty three kilometres of bone jarring corrugations, twists, turns and blind rises. Not to mention the five or six creek crossings although I do notice Woody grinning like a Cheshire Cat with those. When we finally get to the ranger station we learn that there is another 60km return journey just to reach Cathedral Gorge. Deciding to err in favour of caution we choose to visit the nearby lookout before skedaddling back to camp. The view is … Continue reading Boy did we bungle that