queensland: boodjamulla to karumba on the savannah way

It was hard to leave Adele's Grove. It was a relaxing week that we could have extended. 

We broke our rule again, briefly, and back tracked along the road back to Gregory Downs. If we had the time we would have stayed a night by the river like so many were. It looked beautiful. 

Heading north we hit the tiny town of Burketown where we bought a few supplies from the grocery store that had been recommended - in the post office. Some of these remote towns have deliveries of fresh food once a week. We made the most of a delivery. 

We almost stayed in Burketown but opted for the freecamp at Leichardt Falls instead. This must be an incredible sight in the wet or even after a wet wet. So much of the top end has struggled after a dry wet season. 

We do love just pulling up at a free camp for the night. 

The dirt road from Leichhardt Falls to Normanton was the best dirt we've encountered in our lives. There's always talk about the condition of dirt roads and there's a lot to be said about the impact of lots of traffic, weight and speed. 

One of Normanton's claim to fame is the shooting of the suspected largest croc in Australia by a local croc hunter. Obviously this practise isn't condoned or encouraged anymore thankfully. Normanton also housed a teeny tiny public library where the kids went crazy over the books!

Karumba is a town on the coast on the Gulf of Carpentaria. We wanted to see that sea since we had no intention of doing 'The Cape' on this trip. The population is predominantly made up of grey nomad fisherman holiday maker who fill their freezers over a few months each year. 

western australia : cape range national park

Osprey Bay at Cape Range National Park was a welcome relief after three nights in town. We love free camping - free of power and the pressures of a small plot in a caravan park. Osprey Bay free camp was only opened earlier in the year. There's a bush loo, the cost is $15/night and you can book online. Bore water is available near the visitors centre at entrance to the park. The kids would have played all day on the beach making huge castles.

The sunsets were beautiful. 

Yardie Creek Gorge was an interesting walk with the kids although it was the hottest part of the day so it was very warm. The gorge was amazing - with ospreys, goats and cockatoos. 

There are half a dozen great snorkelling sites a short drive from Osprey Bay. We spent our first day snorkelling at Turquoise Bay after two friends recommended it. We had the perfect day - little wind, clear sky, no swell and incredible visibility. Over the course of the day the older two kids mastered snorkelling - using a noodle to keep bouyant. We swam with sea turtles, black and white-tipped reef sharks, blue spotted fantail sting-Rays, anenome fish, trumpet fish, a huge groper, octopi, a huge rock cod and hundreds of beautiful tropical fish. There was so much to see which made learning to snorkel easy for the kids. 

The following day we attempted Oyster Stacks at high tide but it was a struggle with the strong current and big swell. I can imagine that with the right conditions the site would be interesting. After Oyster Stacks in the morning we drove back to Turqoise Bay with our travelling friends, the Nelson's-Hauers, and spent the rest of the day jumping in and out of the water. 

The boys headed out early one morning and ran (when the gravel wasn't too slippery) Mandu Mandu Gorge. 

J decided it was time to separate with his decade-long facial hair. Our poor girl cried for a day and asked him when the old Daddy was coming back. This was actually half way through his shave. J is not particularly fond of having a mo'. 

These beautiful flowers are native to Cape Range National Park. Each petal looks like a little bird and our bird loving boy was fascinated. 

western australia : wooramel station

Wooramel Station is a few hours drive from Monkey Mia but only a few kilometres off the highway. The campsites are right by the river though it's very dry at the moment. When Cyclone Quang came through a few weeks ago it took down a lot of huge branches from the old gums on this property but they've been tidied up. 

Our kids had a ball playing in these giant trees when we arrived. Another family set up next to us in the dark and we ended up chatting with the parents in to the night. The four kids roamed together, making games and having adventures under the trees and on the wide sandy river bed for a couple of hours while we chatted and packed up in the morning. Making friends on the road can be tricky. The kids meet little friends and within minutes one of the families can be leaving. Depending on how quickly/slowly the families are travelling we might not see them again on the road. So the kids are learning to grasp at opportunities to make friends. It's has done wonders for their confidence. 

The Artesian hot tub is a real draw card at this station stay. The bore water is steaming out of the ground and spilling out in to two tanks. It's a really well done bathing area and a novelty on a free camp! The amenities are in the halves of water tanks (I wish I'd taken a pic) - showers and toilets. 

western australia: murchison house station

Just a few kilometres north of Kalbarri is Murchison Station on which you can freecamp in the sand by the beautiful Murchison River. The station is a working property where goats run throughout the year until summer when some 5000 are mustered. There's plenty of history here being an old farm. It was once owned by a Turkish Prince. The cost to stay is $11 per person per night and there are showers, toilets and a camp kitchen. 

We've seen and met so many backpackers on this part of the West Australian coast. It was hardly surprising when a couple of 2WDs got themselves firmly bogged in the sand and had to be towed out. It was a new thing for us and J was pleased when he manouevered out of the sand without any trouble. The kids played in the river sand and from the rope swings for hours (when they weren't doing school work, that is!)

Unfortunately the biggest downside of the area is the fly population. I'm not kidding when I describe a plate of dinner with at least 50 flies on each plate and when those pesky little critters went to sleep the mozzies were waiting to move in. 

Our girl is obsessed with all things horses at the moment. Big River Ranch (on the highway towards Kalbarri) has pony rides and trail rides depending on age and experience. Our kids were pleased to have a half hour pony ride each. 

Our boy, on the other hand is bird obsessed since we stayed with friends in Hobart who had two pet birds. Every other day B is asking for a pet bird (remember him wanting to trap one to cuddle at Bay of Fires?). We've said that we'll need to finish our trip before well consider buying a pet bird. The next best thing was taking the kids to Rainbow Jungle - a parrot breeding centre - in Kalbarri.

tasmania: strahan

The walk from the People's Park to Hogarth Falls is a great walk to do with kids. It's about half an hour to the falls along the creek through beautiful rainforest - huge trees, ferns and, if your lucky, a platypus. 

We love our outdoor shower. Its ideal for rinsing off after the beach or for when it's warm enough to shower outside & that's where you'd rather be! We've had cold days in Tassie but we've also had some really warm ones. If you're planning a trip bring clothes for a types of weather (including swimmers because you might end up showering outdoors in a caravan park). 

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. 

October 2014: Melbourne to Sydney

Some of my loyal readers have been sent here from my Miss May Blossom blog or Facebook page. How ever you've come to find me, welcome! You'll notice that I have a keen intersperse in food but this is interspersed with other things and will definitely include travel now that we've finally hit the road!

This is a post from October 30th which will give you a bit of background but I'll elaborate more in future posts. As we've just unhitched for our first night of our big lap of Australia I'll have a little more time. 

I'd love to hear your stories of travelling through Australia so please feel free to share! 

October 30, 2014: t's been busy busy week for us. We collected our Elite Caravan & stayed two nights in it in Melbourne before heading back to Sydney.

I have to admit that I was surprised that our favourite meal of the week away (including the food around Fitzroy) was dinner at the Snowy Mountains Historic Bakery in Orbost. These guys opened in Orbost a few months ago from the Mornington Peninsula & I just hope they do well. 

When I hear "Woodfired Pizza" I expect gourmet. The seafood was fresh and local and gorgeous! Can you see the sea veg? 

They don't just make bread and pizza. I picked the winner! This was my fritto misto with flash fried prawns, mussels, scallops & topped with sea veg which is farmed locally in Newmerella. I can't describe how satisfying this meal was!

And before we left town the following day we grabbed coffees (great!) and an organic sourdough loaf! 

Orbost is on the Snowy River Cycling Rail Trail. I'd love to hear from anyone who has been on the trail which includes sections of track along the old rail bridges. It would be a beautiful ride.

We had a quick overnight stay on the family farm in Tanja on the way home and stayed with friends further north. And we ate dinner on the van two nights ago because we can't get enough. Ask us if we feel the same in a year after our big lap!

P.S. I have to add that the Orbost Caravan Park was a great spot to stay. Greg was very welcoming. An added bonus to the clean amenities block was a bath (at waist height) for the kids which our littlest boy loved. 

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