Spirit of Tasmania

I'd like to begin this post with a letter: 

"Dear Tanya, 

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 

When we booked our ticket for the SoT you politely insisted we pay a little extra and get ourselves a four berth cabin for the trip. I was reluctant to book this given the cost to take a caravan across but at $84 this was so worth the money. 

Our littlest was able to have uninterrupted day sleeps while our son completed his schoolwork on a lower deck. When we all started feeling a little sea sick we retreated to the cabin for some quiet time - reading books and telling funny stories. 

When our daughter vomited in her Dad's hair they could both shower and feel *refreshed*!

We'll be forever grateful that you suggested we have a cabin!"

What's a cruise without a game of hide n seek? 

It was a LOONG day but it went surprisingly well after an anxiety-provoking start. We left the caravan park at 624am and we're making good time until the queue to board the ferry (thanks to scrupulous security). We were in view of the ferry for the final 500 metres which took us an hour to drive! The baby was screaming, the parents were clock watching and then a cop pulled over a guy in front of us for going through a red light. It would have been easier if the big kids just kept asking "are we there yet?" But instead we were bombarded with complex questions about the traffic, the ferry ride & what we were doing (not much!) Argh! 

We finally made it onboard and we're lucky that our deck was the first to disembark in Devonport ten hours later. 

B declared "this is kind of the BEST day of my life." I suspect he was referring to the Twisties he was bought (& had never had before) and not the seasickness! 

Moments after disembarking. 

P: Where's the Tasmanian devil? 

B: (emphatically) They live in the jungle.  

Daddy: Well, not really the jungle. They live in the bush. 

P: Can we go to the bush where the Tasmanian devil is because I really want to see a Tasmanian devil.

NW Tassie: hellyer gorge and philosopher falls

Hellyer Gorge 

Philosopher Falls 

B, P and I drove west of Waratah toward Savage River in search of Philosopher Falls which we'd heard was about 10km out of town. This was about as much as we knew. The right hand turnoff came up quickly and we drove down a scrubby track with a canopy with just enough of a clearing to accommodate the truck with the bikes on the roof. 

We were soon amongst thick Tarkine Rainforest. The walking sign indicated a 1.5hr return walk, easy grade. No distance was indicated on the sign and I wondered if the children would make it there and back without complaint. 

The kids had a ball playing hide and seek amongst dense Tarkine rainforest. 

On the return I told them the story of the kids on a search for theTassie tiger. It would be special if the creature did exist somewhere in the thick forests of the north west. 

lessons for life on the road

We left our home in Sydney 28 days ago and I could spin a yarn about the trials, triumphs & tribulations of packing up our lives, our house and our jobs in order to hit the road but this post would be too long. 

Instead I'll share a few things we've learned on our trip so far

Paper airplanes are great for making friends (mostly) but not so good for flying in confined spaces. 

J and the kids love making paper airplanes, finding new designs online, analyzing their flaws & trying them out. We have a supply of paper especially for this purpose though the kids are getting more creative & turning their intricate drawings in to flying machines. After seeing the movie, Paper Planes, their enthusiasm was rekindled. 

Most people would have had to have made a paper airplane or at least seen one and that's why, like a musical instrument, they are a universal way to connect with people. 

B & P have made a few grey nomad friends by sharing their interest and these obliging grey nomads' eyes have sparkled as though they are taken back to a childhood. Not all grey nomads appear to like paper planes (or children for that matter) and that's okay. This was the life lesson for the past two days for the kids... how do you read someone's body language and what cues tell you that someone doesn't want to participate? 

It's not always easy being a kid. 

Needless to say we learned our first lesson fairly immediately. The confined spaces of caravan & the long trajectory of B's paper airplanes are not a good combination! Flying these things is definitely an outside activity! 

Tinting will pay for itself. 

I guess this statement isn't really fact so maybe it would be better read "tinting your windows will pay off in the long run."   For some reason we'd always assumed tinting would cost a bomb (and perhaps once upon a time day it did) but we had our truck done before we left Sydney for $270 at Forest Tinting (www.foresttinting.com.au). The tinting has definitely made the car cooler & today I was forced to park in the sun. When I returned to the car two hours later it wasn't nearly as hot as I'd have expected. We want to protect ours & our kids' skin as much as possible, too, so the tinting helps with that. 

The family bathroom is your friend 

We've stayed in a few places now that have a family bathroom. These are commonly set up with a toilet and a shower or, better still, a bath. The bathroom at our current site has a little mini toilet like the kids use at preschool. My favourite baths are raised to adult chest height so you can easily reach in to bathe the baby! 

Don't let pulling your hair out be the signal that you need 'time out'

I'm a strong believer in 'time out.' It gives the person an opportunity to retreat on their own, have mental quiet with the  time and space to reflect on their emotional state. I'm talking about time out for adults (as well). 

It's intense travelling as a family. When you have a house everyone can retreat to their own space. In a caravan your own space is everyone else's own space & you're trying to have 'time out' in your space because everyone's in your own space! Argh!

If you're travelling with one other adult it can be a challenge because, for each of you to have 'me time," the other person needs to recognise this and step up. Whether you go out or your partner takes the kids out, it might not matter but having regular time for yourself is essential as it breaks up the intensity. 

It's 30°c here in Melbourne but I trekked up and down a mall today trying to find P a raincoat (hers was left at home). I didn't find one but afterwards I had a melting moment & a coffee & did the crossword on my own. Alone. I was a better person when I returned from 'time out.'

Even if you complete a list as long as your arm there'll still be more to do 

In our finals hours in Sydney before we left we sold our car, found out the generic   ("fits all vehicles") bike racks we'd bought probably do, just not ours. We had to wait for the courier to deliver to our farm which is only 30 minutes from the closest big town. The bikes arrived. In the town 39 minutes away because in the country that's what happens. City folk - there are benefits to living the hectic life in the city. Country folk - stop rolling your eyes at me. I know you find this annoying too. A friend recently drove the 12-hour round trip to Sydney to avoid using a courier. No joke. 

Three days after we left I finally had time to breathe - and call the phone company to cancel our home phone and Internet. 

Our fridge never really worked (luckily we have the car fridge) but two days ago the wonderful people at Elite Caravans sorted the problem - insulations where the fridge needed ventilation. And now I can dream up good things to eat knowing I can use the fridge & freezer. 

Now if you've got this far and are still reading our tips I'd be surprised but here's our last tip for your perfect trip around Australia 

When you've set up at a site & everything looks great, be prepared for an invasion. 

And I don't mean of grumpy grey kind (though there are a few about), I mean of the wildlife kind. Yep - it turns out our caravan is literally sitting on a European Wasp nest. They've gone to sleep now (at dusk, two hours after our kids went to bed - they're so kind) but *rise n shine* they'll be up tomorrow! 

It turns out European wasps are attracted to meat. They are especially attracted to the small amounts of food a 7 month old baby might drop at meal times. They also don't stink once like a bee but many times over. Attack would be a more appropriate word. And it's difficult to find their nest because they build it in the ground. 

But they only attack when aggravated.....

think paper planes. 

Melbourne

Our visit in Melbourne ended up being a week-long stay. We'd booked the caravan in for the first service and wanted to see family before catching the Spirit of Tasmania across the Strait.

The team at Elite Caravans was so efficient and our early drop off meant we didn't have to wait long (enough time for cafe for brekky, schoolwork, playground & lunch). So often you hear of poor customer service after the sale but Elite got everything done. And we have a fridge! It ended being a minor ventilation issue. We were back at the CP for a swim. 

Baby A, at 7 months, is loving splashing and kicking in the water. We were hopeful the CP pools would allow the big kids to gain more confidence in the water. They've been having lessons since they were four & seven months old and we've even seen them improve in the few days in the water which is so pleasing. 

The kids loved the visit to Weribee Open Range Zoo. Initially it was disappointing as tickets were about $80 for the family. The heat meant many of the animals were taking shelter in the shade but we finished the visit with a safari. The safari included seeing hippos, giraffes, antelopes, rhinos, zebras and camels up close. It was brilliant and we became particular fond of Leroy the Rhino who sniffed at his dung and marked his territory with wee. Charming!

We had one of the best breakfasts ever at the Auction Rooms. I ordered a breakfast board which Baby A was happy to share. 

Ashley Gardens, whilst tucked in the 'interesting' neighborhood of Braybrook was a good place to stay. The manager accommodated our kayak and bikes while we went in to the city. Safeway is next door for groceries. The park itself was clean and there was enough for the kids to do - pool, games room with toys. I've also grown fond of a family bathroom with a bath! 

Mallacoota

The country around Mallacoota is simply beautiful. We came in from Genoa (where we went past a very busy free camp on the river) along the windy, wet road. There was so much more we could have done in Mallacoota but it was wet & the seas were huge! 

We arrived in the afternoon and took refuge in the camp kitchen where the kids had a ball playing in the fireplace & toasting marshmallows after homemade pizzas. 

It was a windy, rainy night but we were tucked up in our little home on wheels. 

The cost of powered caravan park sites varies. Mallacoota Foreshore Holiday Park cost us $28.50 and our kids stayed free. We are finding that the kids, more often than not, incur a fee. 

Buchan Caves Reserve

Buchan has been our favourite spot thus  far. Nestled between the hills the Buchan Caves Reserve is simply beautiful. It was hard to believe that the CP was full two days before we arrived. We shared the park with three other families though you wouldn't have known it. We were spread throughout the grounds and it was quiet aside from the whispering of wind in the branches high above us. 

The campground is a short walk to the caves & you can arrange a tour with the site office. This was unlike anything our children had experienced and they were intrigued. We challenged them to consider what it would have been like to be Frank Moon & discovering these caves over 100 years prior. We also discussed the double-edged sword which is opening them to the public, education and conservation. I know we'll be having so many more conversations on this topic. 

The most queried angle from B was along the lines of "why can't we see the REST of the caves - the Federal (open only for special tours) and the Duke's Caves (not open to public)?" 

Danny was the ranger on duty at Buchan. He was informative, approachable & inclusive of the children. 

It's rumored there are 300 or more caves on private properties nearby. 

The cost for our caravan for two nights was about $108 which isn't cheap but worth it. The cost for cave tours isn't cheap either but there are family packages & you could choose to only visit one. 

We could have spent another few days in Buchan. Even with the rain it was gorgeous & there are so many places out of town we would have liked to explore. 

Melbourne was calling! We had our first caravan service booked in which includes the fixing of the fridge (it's never quite worked properly), a leaky window & a loose pantry door that flings open when we drive. 

The kids are expected to help out more than they've done at home. They do dishes, washing, help prepare meals & set up the van when we arrive at a destination. They don't complain either... yet!

Don't be fooled. This spring waspositively  FREEZING not that I know! I had to hold the baby but I'm going on the fact that the kids jumped in and immediately crawled on to Joels head! 

Buchan Caves Reserve. Our favourite spot thus far. 

Mallacoota to Buchan

It was cold and wet and fairly miserable when we left Mallacoota a few days ago and we took it slow along the winding road. 

We couldn't resist another stop at the Orbost Historic Bakery with its yummy woodfired pizza & good coffee. 

While we waited for pizza B & I wandered up the Main Street to the IGA for a few groceries when I spotted a man standing by a table under a small marquee. A scratchy old sign said "Markets" and the sole market seller was the man selling a range of local produce - cauli's, eggplant, potatoes, walnuts, tomatoes, onions, zucchini & eggs and some locally made salami. We managed to fill a box with produce! 

Just a few days ago the caravan park at Buchan Caves Reserve was completely booked out. School has gone back & we were one of four families in the park for the two nights. The quiet was incredible! More about that in my next post!