Wydon Crafts

On our way to our next stop I spotted an ad for a rodeo.   When we got into the caravan park at Narrawong we found that the rodeo was to be held in the next town, Tyrendarra, tomorrow night.   That did it!   Neither of us have every been to a rodeo – seen ‘em on TV, but never the real thing.   So we booked for two nights and settled in.   Quite a nice site near a river and the beach.

FRIDAY 9 JANUARY

Muddled around not doing too much today, although I did have a little pyro and craft session making some fridge magnets – I made 2 or 3 practice ones and stuck them on the side of the bus, just to see if the magnets worked OK.   Of course we had to pack Betty up for the trip and I forgot all about the magnets.   When we got home later that evening – there was only ONE!!!  Bugger!!!

Anyway, the Rodeo was just as exciting as we expected – bull-riding, bronco-busting, barrel-racing etc.    There must have been well over 1000 people there, some bought their own folding chairs and sat at ringside.   Others, like us, sat on tiered haybales.   It was rather a breezy night and in spite of having a canvas shelter around, I got bluddy cold – still hadn’t bought any warm clothes as I didn’t expect to need any!!!   Hah!!

It carried on till quite late and as we drove back to Narrawong we saw out very first wild koala, sitting by the roadside, looking as if he wanted to cross the road and getting rather cross because he couldn’t due to the unusual volume of traffic.

SATURDAY 10 JANUARY

Arrived in Warrnambool this morning and, after finding out that the Fig Tree Caravan Park was full we opted for the Surfside Holiday Park - good location but flippin‘ expensive at $42 per day and it didn’t really merit the charge – had a little drive around town and did some shopping.

SUNDAY 11 JANUARY

Visited the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village Museum and spent 3 or 4 hours going round this very well thought out attraction.   We then watched the start of a local fun-run and had a look around a display of vintage cars (thought Tony might have been there with his Model S, but didn’t see him).   Then walked through the local market where I bought me a ‘hoody’ and some jogging bottoms – no repeat of that cold evening at the rodeo thankyouverymuch!   What a busy day!!!

MONDAY 12 JANUARY

Our ticket for the Village Museum entitled us to a 2^nd visit so we called in on our way out of town to see if the wood turner or the sailmaker had put in an appearance.   We were partially lucky and spent some time with the wood turner who, at Jeff’s request, turned a larger-sized needleholder for all Jeff’s ropework needles.

Great Ocean Road – Jeff thoroughly enjoyed the drive, but I felt rather uncomfortable.   It’s a very twisty, turny, up and down-type road, but with some amazing scenery.    We stopped at all the lookouts and views – the Loch Ard Gorge (scene of a 19^th Century shipwreck), the 12 Apostles (huge columns of rock sticking up out of the sea (a bit like Bedruthen Steps on the north Cornish coast).   We stayed overnight at Princetown, about halfway along, in a small privately owned Caravan Park – very nice site, although a bit basic.   Fabulous views across the Gellibrand River.

TUESDAY 13 JANUARY

Continued along the rest of the Great Ocean Road – still just as twisty and turny and up and down – still more amazing scenery.   We wanted to stop at Kennett River but the campsite was full.   It did look very touristy so maybe we wouldn’t have liked it anyway

Geelong – Barwon Caravan & Tourist Park, Belmont – not too bad a site, although it is sooo HOT it would have been nice if there had been a pool.

WEDNESDAY 14 JANUARY

Decided to go to Portarlington via Drysdale as Carroll’s Woodcraft Supplies were there (the woodturner at the Warrnambool Village Museum had given told us about them).   We called in and were made most welcome by the owners.   We bought some sanding sealer and wax polish – they also stocked pyrography items too!!!!  So I bought a couple of small pieces of wood to pyro   Irene has done some really nice pyro work, she’s also done some on calico and was kind enough to give me a piece to try.

We got to the Portarlington Caravan Park at about lunchtime and then took a stroll around.   Quite a nice place, a bit touristy and, as it’s the peak season, the Park is the most expensive we’ve stayed in $50 a night!!!    In spite of this price the facilities were pretty poor, but the place was still jam-packed full – we had the second to last site available.

THURSDAY 15 JANUARY

A quiet day – had a stroll on the beach, the water was a bit cool for me but Jeff went in.   It’s a pity we weren’t here a couple of days ago when it was really hot.

Did a bit of pyro too, on the needle holder Jeff got the woodturner to make for him.

Managed to get booked in to the Ashley Gardens Caravan Park in Melbourne where Marion and Terry have been for the last couple of weeks.   It’ll be good to catch up with them again.

FRIDAY 16 JANUARY

Set off as soon as we were ready and got to the Caravan Park at noon.   It was actually quite nice to drive along the 3-lane Freeway and not have to bother about people not being able to pass us because of the narrow windy road.    Got booked in until the 21^st – the lady in reception is going to see if she can fit us in until 25^th (we’re on the ferry to Tazzie the following day) but the site it pretty-well booked solid.   As the 26^th is Australia Day it’s a long weekend – so I don’t hold out much hope.   Oh well – shoulda thoughta that and booked sooner!!    It’s also the Australian Open Tennis Tournament, and a lot of people staying at the park are tennis fanatics.

We’re sited fairly close to Marion and Terry and quickly got into our usual routine of drinkies and nibblies before dinner.   It’s hard to believe that we hadn’t seen them since all those weeks ago when we first arrived in Perth.

SATURDAY 17 JANUARY

M & T took us on a little tour of Melbourne and showed us where the Ferry Terminal is.   We were then taken on a tour of the Australian Grand Prix circuit in Albert Park.   Some experience, that – but Terry refused to drive a bit faster.    We then pottered around a market and a big booze shop and then headed back, calling in at a nearby ‘Subway’ for lunch – delicious.   These fast food franchises are all over Oz and we always make a point of getting lunch if we spot one at the right time of day.   They’re very healthy and very cheap.

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THURSDAY 1 – SATURDAY 3 JANUARY

Set off for Tony and Heather’s, following Tony’s instructions not to follow our TomTom’s instructions once we had reached a certain distance from their address.   Unfortunately we missed a vital turning anyway, and headed up this winding road into the Adelaide Hills and ended up going into town from the wrong direction and completely missing our turning.    Anyway, we finally got ourselves sorted out and eventually arrived at their home in Inglewood.   Heather was patiently waiting at the gate, having driven down (!!) the drive to let us in.    Very nice house in a lovely setting – amid trees on about 5 acres of hillside, complete with visiting kangaroos who nicked all the fruit from the fruit trees.

We spent a most enjoyable time with this lovely couple and their 3 Basenjis and a dopey chocolate Doberman who’s just visiting.   Heather has a beautifully kitted out workroom just up the hill behind the house where she designs and makes the most lovely quilts.   However, I have introduced her to the delights of pyrography, and she made such a great job of a picture from Sue Walters’ Pyrography Workbook that I hope she carries on.

Tony had restored a Model S Ford and had made a great job of it.

SUNDAY 4 JANUARY

Today we reluctantly took our leave from these kindly folk who had made us so welcome, with the promise that if ever we’re in Adelaide in the future we’ll visit them again, and likewise, if they get back to the old country, we wanna see them.  

Drove back into Adelaide hoping to have a look around, but in spite of it being a Sunday there was loadsa traffic and nowhere to park.   So we gave up on that idea and headed for Port Adelaide.   We visited the very interesting Maritime Museum and the Sunday Market – there was even a lady there who was selling woodburned items – her stall was called ‘Burnt Offerings’ – had quite a lengthy chat.   We then carried on down the coast a little way to the Adelaide Shores Caravan and Camping Resort.   Marion K had warned us that it was just like a holiday camp and boy was she right.   Very well laid out, but pretty near full with loads of families with kids – it is their summer hols after all

MONDAY 5 JANUARY

On down the highway to a nice but rather touristy town called Robe and booked in at the Lakeside Caravan Park.   Soon after we pulled into our site a guy came over and asked if we would mind swopping places with him – He wanted to stay another night or so and the site he was set up on was already booked for the following day.   No problem – all we had to do was unplug the electricity and pick up our little door mat.   His move was much more complicated.   There was he and his wife’s big tent and their teenage son’s tent – plus their fridge, their freezer, their cooking set-up including BBQ.   Then there were their clothes and personal stuff, diving gear and finally their boat on its trailer!!!!!     It was a hysterical site to see 6 blokes pick up the big tent and carry it across the grass.   Of course, no-one had a camera ready – typical.    He and his family were members of a Melbourne diving club on holiday diving for crayfish.   We stood around, drinking with them and one of the other divers walked around with a hoooge plateful of cooked crayfish for us all to sample – yummy!!    A little while later when everything settled down, the original guy came over with a goodsized cooked crayfish in his hand and said would we accept this as a token of their appreciation.   Flippin’ ‘eck we just moved about 10 yards and turned the bus around.   We were now actully backing on the the little lake, so we’d got the better end of the deal.   But no, he was insistent, so our starter for dinner that night was fresh crayfish.   We then joined the whole lot of them for drinks later that evening.   What a great day.

TUESDAY 6 JANUARY

We decided to have a quick look around the town before fuelling up and heading for Mount Gambier

So we strolled around for a bit and then went to find some diesel.   The first gas station we came to seemed a bit expensive, so we headed a hundred yards or so along the road to the next one. Guess wot!!!   “Out of Order” so we started pulling away to go back to the other one.   As we pulled onto the road, the engine died.   Oh No!!!   Looked out the back – no smoke.   Jeff tried to start the engine – nuffink.   It would turn over but not catch.   He managed to move Betty G into a safer part of the road and had a look at the engine.   “It looks like fuel starvation, but the fuel gauge is showing a quarter full”   He checked through various things but couldn’t trace anything wrong, so he decided to go back to the other garage to see if there was a diesel mechanic who could help.   A short while later and angel in blue overalls arrived.  Jeff again said that he thought it was fuel starvation.  So the guy also fiddled about and said “I think you’re out of fuel” to which Jeff replied “Can’t be – I’ve got a quarter of a tank.   His reply was “Lets put some fuel in”   Lucvkily we had our reserve 40 litres in the boot – and lo and behold after bleeding the system, we had ignition and Betty G was in business again, but with a faulty fuel gauge.

Panic over, we paid the man his $25, filled up at his gas station and carried on our merry way.

We drove into Mt Gambier, did a bit of shopping and then found a nice little caravan park quite near the city centre.  We set up and then went for a walk into town.   Just by the entrance to the park was a Podiatrist, and I said to Jeff, who had been having a bit of a footpain problem, “Why don’t you see if you can get a early appoinment”.    Well he did and got an appoiment for the following morning.   We carried on into the town  and found one of the sinkholes that the town is famous for – all beautifully laid out in rose gardens.   The town is actually built on the side of an extinct volcano and these sinkholes are the result of cave-ins in a huge tunnel system below the town.   The town itself is very pretty – the inhabitants all seem to be proud of the place and the gardens reflect this.

WEDNESDAY 7 JANUARY

Jeff had his Podiatrist appointment first thing.   He was given some padding to stick in his shoe which seems to be working wonders – no more foot pain.    Which was good as we did quite a lot of walking to various attractions – one of which was the Information Centre with it’s display of local items including a mock-up of a 2-masted sailing ship, the Lady Nelson.   We then walked to the Engelbrecht Cave and had a guided tour into the top part of this cave system which offers cave-divers a great experience.   By this time we wuz walked out and returned wearily to our campsite.

THURSDAY 8 JANUARY

On our way out of Mount Gamier we visited the Umpherston Sinkhole, another beautifully landscaped hole in the ground – chocca-block with huge hydrangeas    Spectacular!!   We then drove to another famous sight in this area – the Blue Lake.   Apparently from October to March this lake within a volcanic crater (extinct, of course) is the most vivid blue, then it reverts to a rather boring grey colour.   No one knows the reason for this, possibly something to do with chemicals in the water.

We thought about staying at the Blue Lake Caravan Park, but decided to press on to Narrawong.   It’s just as well we did because on the way to the campsite I spotted an advertisment for a rodeo being held in the next town the following night.   As neither of us had ever attended on, we just had to take full advantage of this opportunity.

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Boxing Day continued

Had a lovely meal with a lovely couple.   Leo and Diann, not forgetting Graeme and Val, have helped to make this a very special Christmas.

SATURDAY 27 DECEMBER

Left Ceduna and heading down the west side of the Eyre Peninsular.   Stopped to have a look at Streaky Bay.   The campsite here looked rather nice, but we understood that it was fully booked for Christmas, so it’s just as well we stopped up the road.    We found the Streaky Bay Craft Shop and spent some time in there.   The lady running the shop was very interested in our rope and pyrography stuff and said that it was a pit we weren’t staying round there – we’d have a ready market for our goodies.    We bought a few bits and pieces and went on our merry way.  

A few Ks down the road we came across a sign for ‘Murphy’s Haystacks’.    I’d read about them and thought they might be rather interesting.   And so they were.   Huge blocks of granite(?) sitting on a grassy hillside, looking just like haystacks.   Apparently in the late 1800s some know-it-all Irishman called Murphy on seeing these rocks on the hillside mistook them for haystacks and pontificated on how well the farmers were doing in this area to produce such huge amounts of hay.

We carried on down to Elliston and booked in at the Caravan Park after having a drive to some spectacular clifftop views.   Jeff even found a small cave overlooking the sea in which somebody had installed a table, chairs and even a wine bottle (empty, of course).   That evening we strolled up to the local pub and had a couple of beers.

SUNDAY 28 DECEMBER

Carried on down the Eyre Peninsular – more lovely scenery all the way down to Port Lincoln.   Had a bit of a look round before finding our campsite – seems to be a nice town with some super waterside homes.

I telephoned Tony and Heather – the people we had met all those weeks ago at Kynuna in Queensland who had so kindly invited us to spend Christmas with them.   Due to our prolonged stays in Denham and Perth we hadn’t been able to make it, so they had insisted that we look them up when we finally got to Adelaide.   I said that I thought we would be there by the 1^st which fitted beautifully into their schedule – they would be at their son’s place for New Year and ready for visitors the following day.

MONDAY 29 DECEMBER

Tried to visit an Aboriginal Craft Centre, but it was closed until the 4^th and we weren’t sticking around that long.

Pointed Betty northwards for the first time since driving up the Sturt Highway to Darwin.   Called in for a very good fish and chips lunch by the water’s edge in Tumby Bay – a nice little town where Jeff was able to get a much-needed haircut.    On up the coast, still more great scenery, to Whyalla.

Some months ago when visiting my GP, Dr Haq, I saw his locum, Dr Balla.   I mentioned to him that we were soon off to Australia and he said that he was due to join a practice in South Australia, in Whyalla and said that I should contact him if we found ourselves passing through that town.  Well here we were, “passing through” – actually staying overnight!    So I phoned him.   He was delighted that I had remembered to contact him and invited me to visit him at his surgery when he stopped for lunch.   He seems to be thoroughly enjoying his stay in Australia.   I mentioned that I was a bit concerned about getting further supplies of my medications and he was kind enough to write out a prescription for me.   He even checked my BP – all OK there.   As I was leaving he got his receptionist to take a photo of us together – hopefully he’ll send a copy to Dr Haq just to show him how fit I am now.

We booked into the Whyalla Caravan Park – lovely location right on the beach, but on the whole a bit disappointing.

A few days ago I had managed to contact Cuppa and Mrs T, another ‘Big Trip’ couple from Victoria who have been on the road since May.   I had been in touch with them for some time before we arrived in Oz, but didn’t expect to meet up with them as they were way ahead of us and going to a lot of inland places, whereas we’ve been more-or-less sticking to the coast.    They also have a blog, on Cuppa’s site (www.cuppa500.com)   Anyway, I’d been checking his blog now and again and spotted, a bit belatedly that their plans had changed and that they would be in South Australia at about the same time as us.   I contacted them by email and got their mobile number.   When I finally spoke to them they said that they would be travelling around the Eyre Peninsular and then returning briefly to Port Augusta.   This was great – we just might meet up.

TUESDAY 30 DECEMBER

On our way out of town we visited the town’s Information Centre and its big attraction (and I mean ‘BIG’) the WW2 Minesweeper HMAS Whyalla.   Took a very interesting tour all over the ship which is high and dry in the grounds behind the Info Centre – 2K from the sea!!

Finally left Whyalla and drove the few Ks to Port Augusta.   I phoned Cuppa to say that we were on our way and would be there in an hour or so, only for them to say that they had in fact left and had headed inland and were nearly at Kyankutta.   What a shame – I was really disappointed that we had almost managed got together, but not quite.   Oh well – c’est la vie.

We had a quick look around Port Augusta and then turned Betty southward towards Adelaide.   We got as far as Port Wakefield where we stopped for fuel and I checked to see if there were any campsites nearby.   There was and we decided to stay the night in this rather nice little town.   The site was the usual mix of campers, caravans, cabins and permanent residents.    Rather a good site right next to a dammed-up inlet/river(?) which served as the site’s swimming pool.   Apparently many years ago Australia’s great swimmer, Dawn Fraser, once swam in it.

WEDNESDAY 31 DECEMBER

We tried to get into the Top Tourist site near the centre of Adelaide, but they wuz full so we opted for the Windsor Lodge Caravan Park, on the north-eastern side of Adelaide.   We chose this because we thought we’d be able to get into the City for the New Year celebrations and it was on the way to Tony and Heather’s place in the Adelaide Hills.   Unfortunately we discovered that it was rather a long uphill walk to the bus stop, so we didn’t bother.   We had the quietest New Year for years!!!    There was a party going on somewhere in the camp but we hadn’t been there long enough to get to know anyone.   Wish we’d stayed the extra day in Port Wakefield!!!    Oh well – Goodbye 2008 – Hellooo 2009.

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