WARRNAMBOOL

What a night we had camped at the beach near Portland(photo), as it blew a gale all night straight off the Southern Ocean. So we definitely weren't in a hurry to get up this morning with such dismal weather conditions. But we eventually did, went for walk on the beach, then left for Warrnambool, stopping off at "The Crags" and then Port Fairy, where we had fish & chips for lunch by the Old Wharf. Arrived Warrnambool around 3pm and immediately went to the Showgrounds, where it was supposed to be $10\night or $50\week for powered site for C.M.C.A.(our motor-home club) members, but turned out to be $20/night. I had a discussion with the manager and managed to have him agree to 10% discount for C.M.C.A. members, so we got a good site for $18\night with power and water, as most sites here have no tap only electricity. We initially booked for 2 nights until we look around tomorrow and think about how long we will stay here etc. It is fairly big town and as there is greyhound racing here on Wednesday night it looks like we get in for free, but the weather is forecast for rain here and it's cold (18deg) so we will see how we feel. Digital TV, Mobile & Internet coverage is very good here.

PORTLAND

Left Dartmoor camp and arrived at Portland around 1pm, parked Lucky Pigs at the Visitor Info. centre\Maritime Museum unhooked the Suzuki and drove off to see the sights around. At Danger Point we saw a Ganett  bird rookery which was being guarded by a dog and way out at sea also saw the blows of several whales as they surfaced to breathe. Then on to Cape Nelson and Cape Bridgewater where there was a really nice beach (photo), blow holes etc., but we didn't have time to visit the seal colony there as it was a 2 hour return hike up a hill. After returning via Bridgewater Lakes to the motor-home and hitching the Suzuki back up it was getting late so we left Portland and found a quite spot by the beach about 13 kms East of Portland to stay for the night, but l bit windy tonight. A couple we met from Queensland in Mt.Gambier told us about this spot and they stayed here for 2 nights. Good Internet, Digital TV, and all mobile coverage.

DARTMOOR

After refueling at Mt.Gambier (Diesel $1.34.9, Unleaded $1.39.9) we only travelled 48 kms today arriving at Dartmoor in Victoria around 2pm, where we had a look at the chainsaw carvings in the main street and parks. They have had statues carved out of trees by a chainsaw. The biggest one was a representation of children's nursery rhymes(see photo). A nice lady came out of her house to talk to us when she saw us looking at them to give us some brochures on them and we had a talk with her about them. We setup camp just down the road at "Fort O'Hare" which is the junction of two rivers and is historic because Mitchell (explorer) camped there in the 1800's. The camp was really good and there was plenty of little Blue Wrens, Kookaburras and even these ants that jump! Anyhow despite there being some mosquitoes there we had a peaceful night camped beside the Glenelg river. No TV and Mobile coverage was poor here.

MOUNT GAMBIER

Weather was good today so we washed both Lucky Pigs and the Suzuki, then went food shopping in town. We met 5 girls traveling to Adelaide from Queensland also looking to do some fruit picking etc.  Later we went with them to the Umpherston Sinkhole at night to see the possums feeding down inside the sinkhole under lights. Tomorrow we are going leave Mt. Gambier to head off over the Victorian border. The girls are traveling on to Adelaide so we called Joe to see if he would mind them staying for a night at his place, which he was OK with. But who knows if they will or not, we just gave them his mobile number.

MOUNT GAMBIER

Today we took the Suzuki and went to take a look at more of the Crater Lakes, lookouts and parks around the Blue Lake area. Spent an hour or so sitting on the lawn at Valley Lake(photo) in the sunshine watching the water birds. Peter went for a bike ride into town to get some 12volt plugs to make an extension for the Waeco fridge which we keep in the Suzuki unless we stopping for a longer time somewhere.

MOUNT GAMBIER

As it was a nice day we decided to go for a bicycle ride around the streets of Mt. Gambier after lunch. We also found that they have apple trees growing on the footpaths around town, so we picked a few to try them out.

MOUNT GAMBIER

Today after doing some more laundry we ventured into Mt.Gambier central and walked up and down the main street, had a look at the Cave Gardens, then drove to Engelbrecht Cave and the Umpherston Sinkhole which was very good. Weather is still cold but getting better, the sun even appeared late in the afternoon. As normal for Tuesday we had Dominos Pizzas for tea. We were going to view the sink holes at night as they light them up and possums climb down into them to feed, but we were too tired, so maybe another night.

PORT MACDONNELL

Today it was freezing here but we took the Suzuki and had a look at the Blue Lake then Mt.Schank where Peter climbed to the top of the extinct volcano. Whilst at the top the "Queen Mary" cruise-ship could be seen way out at sea on it's way towards Melbourne. We then traveled to Port Macdonnell where we had fish & chips on the foreshore for lunch (windy & freezing). Lots of Cray-fishing boats in the harbour.  We then continued on to Carpenter's Rocks via Cape Northumberland (photo), Cape Douglas and Blackfellows Cave. Then a leisurely drive back to Mt.Gambier via Kongorong through the pine forests.

MOUNT GAMBIER

Well today we just did some things around the Motorhome - setup the awning & washing machine and did some laundry, but spend lots of time talking to the other travelers here. It is such a small world as camped here as well is a big bus towing a trailer with a Subaru car and they used to live just around the corner from us and they know Con as they previously had a hired Motorhome and called in to do some shopping at Central Grocers where he had a conversation with them and checked out their motor-home etc. We have met several couples here from just about every state so far. Some have also sold their house and are experiencing the same feelings as us so it's good to talk with them about it too I suppose. Anyway we have decided to go look at The Blue Lake and do some sight seeing tomorrow, which is what my mother says will help as well, and after all mothers know best!

MOUNT GAMBIER

This morning we travelled the 30 kms into Millicent, parked "Lucky Pigs" and went for a walk around the town as the weather was cool but not raining. Daisy enjoyed it - all the different smells around and plenty of green lawn in the park to "pee" on. We then continued on to Mt.Gambier and went searching immediately for a particular camping ground that was supposed to be 6 kms out of town, but when we found it and we saw it was closed for maintenance and the whole place was for sale anyway we decided to go to the Mt. Gambier show-grounds which was closer to the city centre. Around midday we booked in for a week until finding out more. Cost of powered site is $15 a day and $20 refundable amenities key deposit. Looks like you are only allowed to stay here for 28 days max. and then have to leave for at least 2 days before you are allowed to re-book in. But we will see if there is any part-time work around before booking for longer period. We are here with about 7 other caravans and motor-homes and we met a couple next to us from NSW who also have a small dog similar to Daisy. All TV here is Digital and Telstra, Vodafone mobile and Internet reception is very good. TV channels include some local ones as well which is good in order to find out what's on etc. We both feel a bit lost at present, but I suppose this is normal after leaving Adelaide, which has been home for so long.

MILLICENT

After saying our goodbye to Joe and friends as they went fishing, we departed Salt Creek and travelled south via Kingston, Cape Jaffa, Robe and Beachport (photo). Rain gradually increased during our travels, so about 4pm we decided to camp at a roadside rest area approx. 30 kms north of Millicent for the night. Telstra and Vodafone mobile and internet coverage is good. Digital TV reception is really good here as well, but had to re-scan for them as they are different channels from those in Adelaide.

SALT CREEK

Joe arrived from Adelaide about 9am and around lunch time his friend, Peter arrived and we sat under the our awning having a few drinks and chatting. It was a bit cold here until late afternoon, so we had all had a hamburger with the lot each for tea and sat around the fire with some other campers tonight. Tomorrow Joe and his friends are going across the Coorong to do some fishing on the ocean beach, but as yet we are not sure if we
are going to un-hitch the Suzuki and also travel through the sand dunes, but we'll see how the weather is in the morning. Telstra and Vodafone mobile and internet coverage is good.

SALT CREEK

We found that our domestic water pump was leaking this morning, so before we departed from our Narrung camp, we had to replace it with a spare one which luckily we had. It was 12.30 before we left and travelled around the bottom of Lake Albert to Meningie and did some food shopping and then after having some lunch on the foreshore park there we refueled with Diesel ($1.44.9) and headed down the Coorong arriving at Salt Creek around 4:30pm. We booked into the camp area beside the roadhouse as this is where we had arranged to meet Joe tomorrow when he was coming down this way to do some fishing with his mates. Cost for 2 nights with power was $40.00. The camp area is pretty basic, but will have to do.

NARRUNG

Today we decided to unhitch the Suzuki from the A-Frame and go for a drive past Narrung down to Marks Point and the Tauwitchere barrage on the Coorong. It was a 20 km drive there on a good dirt road. There was so many birds there - Pelicans, Seagulls, Terns, Black Swans, Sea Eagles etc. 

We watched for some time as the Terns fell out of the sky like dive bombers after fish. When we returned to the Winnebago it was a bit humid so we sat under the awning having a drink when all of a sudden the sky grew very dark and we were hit with a storm front, even though we had no time to roll up the awning it survived the winds for more than an hour, which was lucky. We later heard that the same storm had caused flooding in Adelaide and the Barossa Valley! Lake Alexandria became very rough indeed and a large sailboat went past into Lake Albert towards Meningie seeking shelter from the bad weather. 

NARRUNG

We left the camp at Langhorne Creek around 9:30am and crossed the River Murray via ferry at Wellington, then on the way towards Meningie we decided to have a look at the Narrung Peninsula as we had never been there at all before, so before Meningie we turned right and followed the bitumen to the junction of Lakes Alexandria and Albert where we crossed to the other side via another ferry. On the ferry we met a couple from Tasmania also travelling in a Ford Transit Motorhome and we both setup camp at a nice
grassed camp site just after the ferry and enjoyed a pleasant chat with them.

LANGHORNE'S CREEK

As this campsite was nice and we have arranged to meet Joe at Salt Creek further south down the Coorong next Thursday where he was going fishing with some friends 
and needing to "waste" a few days before getting there we decided to stay another night at this camp. As it turned out this was a good choice as Con & Rose decided to come for a drive from Adelaide and we just sat around in the sun enjoying a bottle of wine Con & Rose had purchased locally.

LANGHORNE'S CREEK

Departed the Victor Harbor Holiday & Cabin Park at 8am as we wanted to go to the local farmer's market, but we couldn't find the bloody place where it was to be held!
So we just topped up with Diesel ($1.37.9) and Unleaded($1.33.9) then travelled to Goolwa where we had lunch and a look around Hindmarsh Island, the River Murray Mouth and the old Goolwa wharf area where Lesley 
found a really nice craft shop there which is well worth a visit. Travelling via Milang and Langhorne Creek we found a really nice campsite just 1 km east of called 
"Frank Potts Reserve" about 2pm, and we decided to spend the night here with about 6-7 other campers. 
Telstra prepaid and Vodafone coverage is good, but Vodafone wireless internet signal was poor. Digital TV is also good.

VICTOR HARBOR

As it rained during the night and it was cold today we spent most of today relaxing, shopping and even bought fish & chips for tea!

VICTOR HARBOR

Before dawn we were awoken by a "moron" driving a bitumen tanker who left a motor running for over an hour! After breakfast we took Daisy for a walk along the beach and Peter had a brief dip in the FREEZING water.
We then set off for Victor Harbor via Rapid Bay and Cape Jervis, arriving at Victor Harbor Holiday & Cabin Park (CMCA Friendly Park) around 2pm. We decided to stay there for 2 nights at a cost of $26.00 for power per night with $20.00 refundable key deposit. 
Telstra Prepaid & Vodafone coverage was good as well as Vodafone wireless internet. 
TV reception was limited to HD SBS and the normal analogue channels available in Adelaide.

NORMANVILLE

At 10.30am WE FINALLY LEFT ADELAIDE TODAY! On way out we said "goodbye" to Ben, Scott & Danni, Peter's Mum, Peter's workmates at Galipo Foods and Joe, then travelled south to Normanville to see Norm & Pat. We ventured a few kilometres south and spent the night at the "Hobart Hill Memorial Lookout" roadside stop. 
This memorial is for the ex-navy destroyer that was sunk off the coast to provide an artificial reef and diving attraction. 
No Telstra Pre-Paid coverage here, but Vodafone was OK

ELIZABETH WEST

Peter finished work at Galipo Foods and we spent the next four days packing and saying our goodbyes to family and friends. We also had the Mazda in cab air-conditioning regassed on Monday 7.2.11 as it never worked at all previously.