Wednesday, 27 February 2013

Hopping fun on Kangaroo Island

A trip down the Fleurieu Peninsula involved dropping off the van at a storage yard and a hot, but pleasant drive on to Cape Jervis.  A smooth crossing of the potentially treacherous Backstairs Passage, the main shipping route to Adelaide from the East, brought us to Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island. After only three weeks on the road with our tent and caravan we were to enjoy some homestyle comfort at a rental house on Island Beach on the north coast of the Island. As well, it was a great chance to catch up with Rose and Davo who came to meet us. Surrounded by bushland and some 200m from the beach, our accommodation was a welcome and spacious relief from the confines of the caravan. Bunks of a different sort (with enough head space to sit up) were enjoyed by the kids each of whom quickly claimed their territory.

We were eager to discover some of what the surrounds had to offer, so we ventured down to the beach to discover a long expanse of soft, fine white sand with calm waters which the children promptly determined was pleasantly warm.  



Our first full day on KI involved a drive to South Australia's only eucalyptus oil distillery, home to an emu named Julia and a stray galah, nicknamed Collin by the kids. After a tour of the fractionation process in action, it was on to a honey farm to sample some sweet product from the only pure strain of Ligurian bees left on the planet, according to the proprietor. Apparently, these bees were brought to Kangaroo Island many years ago from the Ligurian shores of northern Italy. Honeycomb coated in chocolate and, of course, honey ice cream proved a hit with the kids, particularly Rubes. We learnt about the honey making process and saw some bees in action, riveting stuff!




On to the south coast of the Island, to a seal colony of Australian sea lions was our next destination. A guided tour of the beach where some 1000 seals call home saw us up close and personal with these beautiful sea creatures. Many of the adult females had given birth to pups 6 months earlier and have been busy fattening them up for the colder months ahead. Spending up to 3 days at a time out to sea feeding and avoiding predators, these guys sleep most of their days on land. 


Day 2 on KI was a cracker, so following some school work we decided to head down to the beach for a swim and some sand digging. A swim in the crystal clear water was surprisingly warm, and then some sand evacuation saw both Jem and Rubes buried up to their necks in sand. The afternoon took in a visit to a local winery for a taste of some pretty average wines was compensated by the stunning views over the bay. 
On day 3 we took a drive to South Australia's first light house which was completed in 1852 to guide ships through the Backstairs Passage to Adelaide. A guided tour to the top of the lighthouse gave us a wonderful view back to mainland Australia to the northeast. The lighthouse was constructed from local granite, abundant on the cliffs below the lighthouse, gathered and cut by the early settlers by hand. Inhabited by lighthouse keepers until 1972, the lighthouse is now fully automated and still functions as an important navigation post for vessels. 



The rest of day 3 was spent at an island sheep cheese factory where we picked up some much needed supplies (according to Oscar) of sheep yoghurt, haloumi, manchego cheese and lamb and feta chorizo - all made on site. To end the day, a quick espresso at KI Spirits where some interesting liqueurs and vodkas are blended. Rose and Davo sharing a few of their own Limoncello secrets with locals. Our favourite was the nocino, a hazelnut liqueur only just made and not quite ready for sale. We've reserved some for when it does go on sale, hopefully forwarded on to keep us sane later down the track. 

Wildlife abounds on KI and we have been treated to many roo sightings, mainly in full poses of rigor mortis by the roadside, and a few live ones to boot. We've also seen goanas, sting rays, wallabies and plenty of bird life, but the koalas, wombats and echidnas have thus far eluded us. We still have a few more days to catch a glimpse. Tomorrow we go in search for koalas in ernest! Stay tuned...

Our hunt for the Aussie bear, took us to the southwest tip of the island and we weren't disappointed. The koala sanctuary had planted their favourite eucalypts and they had made themselves right at home. Here's a pic to prove our sightings.


The south coast of KI is beautiful and rugged so we ended the day with a short coastal walk and a visit to the Remarkable Rocks.


On our last full day on KI we took a leisurely drive around some of the northern part of the island taking in a salt lake, and a lavender farm and the scenic Emu Bay where during Josh's obsession to snap the ideal photo, he waterlogged his wallet and iPhone and nearly his camera to boot.


The end of our stay on KI had seen some fairly fierce southerly winds blow in and combined with our poor sea faring guts, the our imminent ferry crossing had Tracey running for the medicine cupboard. All were dosed the night before and the morning of our trip with drugs to ward off the dreaded sea sickness demons. It was time to say goodbye to Rose and Davo after what had been a memorable few days on this unique island.

The seas were choppy, and both Rubes and OJ were very concerned about their mother, considering she had been so preoccupied with the prophylactic measures. There were enough enquiries from them as to how she was faring to generate a "fine, don't ask again". Jeremy kept saying he was hungry, which seemed a perfect decoy - he was the first to fall - caught and bowled by his mother with a vomit bag and her trousers! Oj, who had been quiet for some 40 minutes, whilst the boat rocked to and fro, we discovered had been vomiting his breakfast over his chair onto the exit passage, unbeknownst to us until Ruby alerted us. Meanwhile, Josh was busy trying to tidy up Jeremy's spew and catch Oscar's spaghetti bolognese - most of it unfortunately made it to the turf. Given it was at the exit, Josh tried in vain to conceal the evidence - a witches hat served ideally as a base, but only functioned to funnel the rich aroma out the top for all to smell on their disembarkation. But alas, despite Ruby's ever helpful nature, collecting paper towel to assist in the clean up, she did not escape unscathed. A late projectile vomit whilst in motion crossing the aisle was the finale we could only have scripted ourselves. And so it was with the passengers queuing to disembark that we innocently turned our heads as several commented that the stench of sea sickness was fresh in the air. Ahh, to feel the safety of terra ferma beneath one's feet - what a relief. And that was KI.

Tuesday, 19 February 2013

Downtown Adelaide

After a long drive from Mildura through the Barossa Valley, past many famous vineyards we have arrived in Semaphore, Adelaide. It is a beautiful beachside town amongst cafes, parks and bike tracks. Everything the kids love!

We have found ourselves a very busy caravan park to settle down in for a week whilst Josh is in Dubbo and Sydney. There are many many grey nomads around which is mostly good as we feel very comfortable here and safe. We have been riding bikes into town, playing on every piece of playground equipment, doing homework and eating icecream. Tomorrow we will take a bus and tram into town and check out the city and another pretty seaside suburb called Glenelg. Nothing too taxing here which is nice.

Oscar is off on Thursday for his first solo trip on a plane to Sydney for his Barker test. Not quite in the right frame of mind but never mind.

Off to Kangaroo Island for a week on Sunday when Josh and Oscar return which should be fantastic. The kids have been great so far. Excellent in the car and having fun riding their bikes all day long. Jem is a real BMX bandit now and turns many heads on the bike tracks.

Friday, 15 February 2013

The three M's...... Mildura, Menindee and Mungo.

Mildura is really a very pretty town. We have spent a few days here looking around, lazing by the Murray River, finishing off homework to send back to Sydney, visiting the local Gem shop, getting auto mechanics to connect the battery to our fridge in the car and just hanging out (well the kids that is). We seem to be constantly busy, teaching, cleaning up, preparing food and just not really sitting still. We need to learn to relax. It is taking a bit of time for us to chill out. This caravanning  thing takes it out of you.




We tossed up whether it was worth going all the way to Menindee, some 280 km North of Mildura, partly on bitumen, but mostly on dirt road for the kids to see their sister school. And, well, we decided it was. Tagged onto this trip would be a visit to Mungo National Park. A very significant area for not only its Indigenous connections but that too for its archaeological findings. The landscape there is meant to be lunar in its appearance. It sounded like a great place to take the kids.

We arrived in Menindee on Wednesday afternoon at the Lakeside Caravan  Park. There isn't really much in Menindee itself but it is set on a very large lake amongst such a dry background.




As we attempted to remember how to put up the tent, the heavens were looking blacker and blacker and finally just as we finished pegging the last peg in the ground, the heavens opened. And I mean opened. The rain came bucketing down, the hail came as well and so too did the flooding. Our feet were so cold standing in the tent that we actually had to evacuate into a hall, running through the rain with the 3 kids up the dirt road to get there. Luckily our kids have a sense of humour, because it would have otherwise been a little stressful.



We decided to pike out and take a cabin for the night and see what the next day brought. A wise move on our behalf as the rain did not stop. Menindee had not seen rain like this in nearly 3 years. A good thing for the town as they rely so much on water in this district and a good thing for us as now we know our tent can withstand a great deal of rain and wind.

A new day in Menindee and a bit of sightseeing, swimming in the lake and a lot of catching up with  school work. There were a couple of kids whose parents leased the caravan park so our kids had a few mates to play with which Jem really enjoyed.




Unfortunately for us the roads into Mungo National Park had been closed and would probably remain that way for a couple of days, so our visit to Mungo was a no goer. Maybe some other time.

We did however get to go to Menindee Central School. The purpose of our visit to Menindee.
We were pleasantly surprised at how well equipped the school was both in terms of facilities, amenities and quality of the classrooms. For a school of 113 students and  85% Indigenous they had 25 teachers teaching. WOW that's heaps. We joined in on their assembly which was great, had a tour through the school from the principal and had a look at the sleeping quarters in the old train that the kids from Lindfield East sleep in when they visit each year. It was exciting for our kids to see what their fundraising money is going towards.  A real eye opener in many ways...our kids are so lucky and incredibly privileged. We should never forget that!







Monday, 11 February 2013

Yeehaa.... Cooma Rodeo here we come!

When we heard there was a rodeo in town we just had to stay in town. The Cooma Rodeo was supposedly one of the town's biggest days of the year. It was a hot day and there were many cowboys and cowgirls dressed for the occasion. We stuck out like a sore thumb. If only Josh had kept those boots, buckle and shirt from Texas, we would have blended in a bit more.

Anyway, there we were, the Birkenstock family, sitting in the crowd trying to work out how it all works. We just wanted to see some bulls bucking and some riders being thrown. There was a lot of lassoing, a lot of Jim Beam drinking and not much in the way of bucking bulls.

It was a fun afternoon nonetheless followed by a mandatory snow cone. A must at any country show.




Next stop, the mighty Murrumbidgee River.

We left Cooma and followed the highway through the hills of Koscioszko past some of the areas where the last major fire was almost 30 years ago now. The trees and the landscape were severely changed from that fire and now just tall dead trees are a stark reminder of the intensity of the fire that went through there. Onwards through Tumut for another crap coffee stop (we really need to purchase a nespresso) , through Wagga Wagga and onto Darlington point.

A cracker of a campsite awaited us right on the mighty river. It was a long drive but worth it when we got to the Park and saw the river right at our campsite. Just a night here but it was a great setting for a rest stop.




Another long drive through flat dry country side awaited us as we made our way through to Mildura...Sunraysia country. Finally we saw some animals along the way. Plenty of wild emus in the  grasses along the road and plenty of rotting carcasses squashed on the side of the road.

Entering Mildura is really like an entering an oasis. This incredibly fertile land growing grapes, garlic, tomatoes and melons amongst a very dry landscape. We have found another beautiful campsite which is set right on the Murray River. We have decided to stay here a couple of days as there is plenty to do. We will then be off to Mungo National Park where we will just take the car and tent and rough it for a few days.



How Australian is this scene? Kathryn O you would love it!





The kids ever so willingly doing their homework.




Friday, 8 February 2013

Josh's big Birthday

So February 8th arrived as it does every year - Josh's Birthday.  This was, however, no average birthday for the Big Daddy. It commenced with hugs and cuddles in bed and card giving, followed by a fry up of eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes on toast consumed in the outdoors with a day that was fine and already becoming quite hot.  So after a scrumptious breakkie, we headed down to the lake's edge for a quick dip. The kids have finally overcome their fear of creepies in the lake and, of course, dismissed Josh's claim that a species of Killer Duck is common in these parts - that was enough to see the humour in their unfounded fears.  A cycle into town around the lake's edge for coffee and slushees went down well until Jem insisted we drive him home for the return leg - not sure how.  He was satisfied with riding on Josh's handle bars whilst Oscar got a sore tush riding on a 12 inch frame.

Prior to class was another quick dip in the lake to cool off, and then preparation for the birthday dinner. Dad was served beer and cashews by underage waiters lakeside. Mood music and a dance performance was included whilst chefs slaved away on a 3-course meal.



Mr Crapallot (aka dad) was handed a personalised menu - food one side and drinks list on the other.  The verdict: service 9, atmosphere 9, company 10, food 8.5. An overall excellent dining experience.





Tomorrow, off to Cooma for the Rodeo.

Visit to Thredbo

On a beautiful sun drenched day we ventured off to Thredbo Village via the Alpine Way.  After a scenic drive through the high country, we took the chairlift up to just over 1900m and then commenced our walk to Kosciuszko Lookout.  The temperature on top was a pleasant 13 degrees, but the wind was blowing about 30-40km per hour.

Our trek through mountain tundra and remnants of wildflowers was interspersed with cries of "are we there yet?" from Rubes and Jeremy, whilst Oscar held the flag high with his newly acquired mountaineering enthusiasm.  The embarrassment of being overtaken by a group of octagenarians could not inspire our two youngest, but bribery with some sour snakes seemed to keep their spirits up and their legs in motion until we reached the top. With the highest peak in our sights and a patch of snow on it's south face the kids were satisfied that they had caught their first glimpse of snow and we could now move on to other things on our agenda.

Bob sledding proved a hit with all.  Jeremy took a few rides with me and Rubes with Tracey and then we swapped.  Jem complained mum was too slow and Rubes decided it was too dangerous with dad.  Oscar aimed to race the track without using his brake.



Final stop for the day and it was off to the leisure centre for some indoor swimming and an a waterslide.  Not a bad way to finish off the day.  Needless to say all slept well

Tuesday, 5 February 2013

Relaxing by Jindabyne Lake

It was another relaxing day by the Lake at Jindabyne. The kids have been riding their bikes, jumping on the inflatable jumping pillow and riding on the paddleboats. Not bad for a school day. In an hour or so it's time for school though. Josh performed his first reverse park with the caravan and did very well. Especially as there were many grey nomads watching every move he made. Actually, they are incredibly friendly and love to help out whenever they can.

The Snowy Mountains are really beautiful. Very different to the landscape anywhere else in Australia. It's very dry here, incredible when you think that parts of Australia are flooding at the moment. We drove a little today to a distillery that makes fruit Schnapps which was delicious. Much to Oscar's disgust he was not able to try it, being too young and all. He has however enjoyed looking at the cows in the paddocks as we drive past. All we here from the back is mmmmm......beef. I think he is dreaming of his next steak.

We also visited a Trout Hatchery which was closed to go on the tour but one of the workers there gave us some fish food and we managed to feed the wild trout in the river. Jem wasn't happy with the smell it left on his hands.







Getting ready to leave

Josh spent two days getting the car ready to take on our big adventure. We really wanted to get him to hurry up so we could pack but together with his perfectionist nature and slight OCD we just let him be. Anyway, he did a great job as the photos below show. We are finally on the road after a few days of tears saying goodbye to family and the kids driving us crazy with "when are we leaving".  The caravan is looking great and we are off!