Many years ago at a photography lecture a wildlife expert joked that if you want your subject to stay still then nail it’s feet down. Boy I could’ve used boxes of nails over the years especially when it comes to birds. And this little fella? Well he wasn’t going to turn around for an old duck with a camera. Continue reading The wrong end
We’ve camped in some crazy spots but this one certainly takes the cake. Continue reading Anyone for tennis?
Bushfires strike fear into the hearts of most Australians. Caravanners are constantly on the alert for signs of smoke, the smell, a certain golden glow that cannot be described, even the shadows that take on an eerie quality. This week while on a Caravan Club muster we found ourselves once more on alert. We can be thankful, but to those caught in nature’s path the losses to homes, livestock and livelihoods have been utterly devastating. Our hearts go out to them. March 2nd 2019, Toora, Vic To the south of us Wilson’s Promontory National Park is on fire. Back in … Continue reading 2019 Victorian Bushfires
March 2019, Port Albert, Vic Camped in Toora near Victoria’s famous Wilson’s Promontory and with the mercury hovering in the high 30’s we set off for a picnic in the rainforest at Tarra Bulga National Park. Within minutes of hitting the road a friend rang to warn us of bushfires near there. Wilson’s Prom National Park had also been closed due to bushfires… and we’d forgotten our sandwiches. Hot and stuffed and plans astray, we headed for the cool of the coast at historic Port Albert only to be confronted by a bear on a ute who’d obviously had a … Continue reading When the weather is unbearable
Juddy’s Hut is a miner’s cottage in Jamieson, Vic. Like so many of that era (1933) it was built from salvaged materials, note the heavy use of corrugated iron even in the chimney. And the name? Well Jack ‘Juddy’ Hampton lived in the hut for 30 years. There is more to the story of Juddy though as he fought in World War One. He was accidentally bayonetted in the stomach by a Frenchman while fighting at Paschendaele. After his home was flooded in the 1950’s for the new Lake Eildon, Juddy moved into this hut and resided here until the … Continue reading Juddy’s Hut
Feb 2019, Skipworth Reserve, Jamieson, Vic The Australian bush has many guises but as a Victorian this is what I recognise. Pinks and greys, and greens of a thousand hues all washed with misty blue. Continue reading The Australian Bush
Feb 2019, Skipworth Reserve, Jamieson, Vic I drop my breakfast to take a wander down to the river, just to enjoy the early morning sunlight on the bush and the smell of the air. In the shallows of a backwater a small trout, about the length of my hand, is also breakfasting. Continue reading Breakfast Trout
Feb 2019, Scott Reserve, Woods Point, Vic On the outskirts of Woods Point, high up in the Victorian Alps you’ll find Scott Reserve. The Mansfield Woods Point Road is steep, narrow and winding up here and I wouldn’t fancy towing a caravan in, but this pretty little campground is perfectly suited to tents and camper trailers. The reserve is flanked by the Goulburn River which is a tiny stream this high up in the mountains and shaded by tall Mountain Ash. There are picnic tables, a long drop toilet and river access. Continue reading Scott Reserve
When you’re conscious of space and weight books can be a problem. Not so with a Kindle. You can have hundreds if not thousands of books loaded on your Kindle and ready to entertain you. And reading books on your Kindle is much cheaper than buying printed books. Though I must admit you can’t really exchange Kindles in park laundries. Conserving power is a consideration when freedom camping but if you have a Kindle that isn’t backlit (ie. The screen doesn’t light up) then you can happily read for weeks without needing to recharge the device. A small battery powered … Continue reading Improve your ‘on the road’ reading with Kindle and BookBub
Nov 2018 We service our van annually and after the last service we arrived home particularly tired and gave up trying to reverse park the van straight in the back yard. This morning we paid the price for being lackadaisical (now there’s a word I’ll bet you haven’t heard in a while). We forgot to lift one back leg that was close to the fence. As we drove away, the by then dragging leg jammed tight on the steepest part of the driveway. Bearing in mind that the van was on quite a slope Woody jacked the van up with … Continue reading Oh, oh, oh
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