A Tale of Two Towns

  We’re wandering along Victoria’s Bass Coast and drop in to reacquaint ourselves with Walkerville South. The road ends at the boat ramp and a sign declares that driving on the beach is not permitted here except for the launching of boats. For those not familiar with this area, the two tiny towns of Walkerville South and Walkerville North overlook Waratah Bay and are a mere few hundred metres apart. In years gone by the locals used to drive onto the sand and make a quick dash around the dividing headland at low tide. With driving on the beach no … Continue reading A Tale of Two Towns

Getting It Up

After deciding that this year we will slow down a little and stay longer in each location an annexe seemed like a good addition to our van. Thus with the Jeep filled with annexe paraphernalia we headed off to the coast for a few days to test the annexe out and make sure that it really performed as we’d hoped. With over bubbling excitement we started putting up our new annexe for the very first time and well, stuffed it up completely. According to the DVD getting the height of the caravan’s awning is the key to attaching the annexe … Continue reading Getting It Up

Digital Buzz

We wait patiently for our fish and chips at the San Remo Fishermans Co-Op in Victoria. We can’t help but be impressed by the slick operation as the place is packed and baskets are dropping into the fryers one after the other. Oh no, are crayfish really $125kg! Growing up in a fishing town we used to pay 10 shillings each for them whenever unexpected guests dropped in. But that was the 1950’s before global markets. Outside the co-op the sun sparkles on the water, fishing trawlers are tied to the wharf and traffic plies the bridge to the island. … Continue reading Digital Buzz

Franklin River

A friend had recommended this spot and it’s the Franklin River Reserve, near Toora in Victoria’s West Gippsland and it is perfect so we dash into Foster for supplies. There are swarms of cabbage butterflies flitting about the roadside in the sun. Foster is alive with shoppers and the shops are bright and cheerful. The local park is a picture with beds of annuals and colourful leafy vegetables. A little wooden bridge spans the creek where gold was first discovered. There are more flower beds down the centre of the main shopping street and a big old magnolia in the … Continue reading Franklin River

Walking on the Seabed

Each evening holidaymakers pick their way over the rippled sand flats sucked dry by the retreating tide. Heads down, people and ibis poke about on what was an hour ago the seabed. Soldier crabs toss and sift the sand searching for food. Gulls puff their feathers against the cool breeze while the setting sun bathes the whole scene a delicate gold. Me, all that I see is music to the soul and music written in the sand. Today’s post was inspired by this morning’s discussion with fellow blogger Miriam of OutanAbout. https://outanabout.wordpress.com/2016/02/10/wednesday-wondering/ Continue reading Walking on the Seabed

Of Time and Tide

The historic Derby wharf stretches out into King Sound in an arc. This was a cattle export wharf in the early days and our van park backs onto what was once the legendary cattle route to the wharf. The causeway across the mud flats that joins the town to the wharf is about a kilometre long and once held a railway line. We arrive at high tide and the pier is busy with fishermen casting lines and tossing crab nets. The wharf cafe is gearing up for curry night. The mangroves are almost submerged in murky water. This place must … Continue reading Of Time and Tide

Where are we?

The showgrounds market is just packing up for the day and the place appears to be somewhat disorganized. There are a lot of horse stables that, by the amount of fresh manure must be in regular use. The van parking area is in a fenced paddock off to one side and there must be thirty vans of all shapes and sizes, but mostly large. Beside us we have a magnificent Winnebago with slide outs and probably worth half a million dollars. On the other side is a somewhat messy van with an old bloke sitting in the sun on a straight backed … Continue reading Where are we?

Rocky Creek

“You are here today because of where we were yesterday”… inscription in the Rocky Creek War Memorial Park. Rocky Creek War Memorial Park near Tolga on the Atherton Tableland in Queensland is huge and when we arrive it has about sixty vans in the free camp area but there is room for many more. This is our third visit to this park and out of respect I make a point of reading every single memorial plaque. I learn that not only was this bush park once the site of a 5000 bed military hospital, but there were 2000 staff and … Continue reading Rocky Creek