northern territory: katherine to bitter springs, mataranka

We popped in to the wonderful Finch Cafe before leaving the town of Katherine. Locals must be pleased to have a place that serves great coffee, decent food and a well-equipped kids playroom!

Mataranka is a popular place and it's easy to see why. It's accessible and not a bad dip - lolling about on a noodle. The kids loved diving for rocks in the bottom of the pool (much to the dismay of a grumpy grey). 

Bitter Springs is definitely our preferred swimming option though. We camped at the campground nearby which meant we could get down to the warm water nice and early before it had been stirred up. I was so pleased that J suggested that I throw on the snorkel. The visibility was incredible and while there wasn't much to see (turtles, weed, plants) seeing the underwater world just adds to the experience. 

Little A had his first real swim in warm water. He wore every flotation device invented as he floated with us down the springs which stretch about a hundred metres. He loved it and it was great to have him come along for the ride. 

The big kids threw on their goggles and snorkels and spent most of the swim duck diving and exploring in the clear water.  

western australia: karijini national park, circular pool

Circular Pool was the third walk we did with the six children. They grabbed their walking sticks and rock hopped like the confident rock climbers they are! We did have a tough time reigning some of them in though!

The walk takes you down the side of the gorge in to the valley between Fern Pool, Fortescue Falls and Circular Gorge.  Unlike the other walks most of the walk is along huge flat rock shelves. I can imagine the waters flooding over the edges and down in to the gorge during the wet season. It must be unbelievable!

The Pilbara had some rain a fortnight ago and their was still plenty of water about.

Circular Pool is surrounded by high cliffs and was a cold treat after a warm walk. The kids weren't in the water long but they explored the surrounding rock environment.

Photos courtesy of Vivid Imaging. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vivid-Imaging/151857428215142

http://www.facebook.com/OurRoamingHome Instagram http://instagram.com/ourroaminghome

western australia: karijini national park, kermits gorge,

The Kermit's Gorge walk was an unforgettable trek along narrow, slippery ledges and through cold pools, and waterfalls with towering cliff faces of that orange red rock. 

We, six parents, attempted and finished the gorge walk with seven kids under seven years. I hope the kids look back on the walk with a sense of pride of their achievement. It wasn't always easy. We had to work closely to ensure the kids took each step carefully, aware of their plan ahead on the narrow paths. In the narrowest sections we could reach both sides of the gorge. 

Some of us braved a swim at the end of the gorge walk but it was chilly! 

Thanks to our friend, and photographer, Jo for these shots which capture the light, the challenges and the achievement of making it through the gorge and back with our mob of kids!

Photos courtesy of Vivid Imaging. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vivid-Imaging/151857428215142

western australia: gingin

The view from the 13 storey purpose built tower for learning about gravity. 

Sandy Lake Farmstay ($35/n) a short drive from Perth, was a good place to base the family for two nights while we reacquainted ourselves with the caravan. It is exciting to hit the road again knowing that we don't know what adventures are in store for us. 

The  Gingin Gravity Discovery Centre and Observatory is a short drive from the farmstay and we thought we might stay an hour.  It cost $54 for the family but it really was money well spent. Four hours later we dragged the kids and ourselves from the Discovery Centre. If you've been to Questacon in Canberra then the Discovery Centre is a similar concept on a smaller budget with incredible resources and hands-on activities - the best way to learn about science!

victoria: the great ocean road, bimbi park, cape otway

Where do you get your travel tips from? 

I've got a scrap book and we've written down suggestions from Facebook caravan and camping pages, from friends, from travel guides and we also use ideas of people we meet on the road. 

Our new friends (whom we met at Kennett River) suggested that we stay at Bimbi Park in Otway National Park - near Cape Otway. This was a magic place. And so interesting. 

What would you say if I told you that as you drive to the Cape you pass through acres of dying forest due to koala habitation? It's a skeleton forest really. 

Cape Otway grounds costs $20/adult to enter and it's a great day out for a family. The money is going towards the establishment of a permanent dinosaur museum on the site. Fossils were discovered nearby. While the lighthouse is the dominant structure, the headland also houses other buildings - a telegraph station, accommodation, cafe, bunkers. There is evidence of the site being used as a place where people have gathered to eat for thousands of years. As well as Indigenous links the place has a dark history of shipwrecks and (mis)adventure. The coastline is known as Shipwreck Coast for a reason.

Ever since I spent weekends at Greencape Lighthouse (near Eden) as a child I've been fascinated by lighthouse communities. What sort of characters worked in those isolated conditions? I imagine eccentrics and resilient people and families. 

I loved the book, The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman and I've just picked up a secondhand copy of The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx. 

Bimbi Park is a beautiful park which has sites for campers, caravans (water limited) and cabins. There's a camp kitchen, laundry, amenities and a playground for the kids. 

tasmania: hobart

Hobart showed us that any kind of weather in Tassie is possible. Within the space of thirty minutes. Everyone we queried about the conditions insisted it wasn't usually this cold but changeable, yes. So we just packed for every kind of weather when we went out - hot, cool, windy, rainy. 

The changeable weather is not surprising given the mountain behind this beautiful city. I fell in love with Hobart. Again. I was here a few years ago for a cooking day at the Agrarian Kitchen (the first time I'd visited the city) and I was blown away, then, by the way the city seems to worship the Derwent, simply by hugging its edges. 

This time we made the obligatory trip to the Salamanca markets which I wouldn't recommend if you're travelling in a caravan, conscious of weight restrictions. I do love the Salamca Square though with its coffee, book shop & small stores for food and handmade goodness. We came home with six fillets of salmon for $20 too which have been cryovacced & frozen - ready for dinners. 

Dear friends took us to dinner at Smolt (famous for being Katy Perry's choice for dinner during her tour) but a great place for food too! I enjoyed my prawns & the wine was good. They, like so many Tassie restaurants, source bags of local produce. 

My daughter and I really enjoyed our morning walk along the beach near Bellerive. The mountain was shrouded in cloud but soon cleared. 

Hobart's Farm Gate Market is held on a Sunday and you can buy anything from wallaby fillets to mushrooms, bagels to blackberries, pies to cheese. We took home a beautiful Turkish loaf with black sesame seeds, fruit & bagels for lunch. 

We may have picked a day from kunanyi (Mount Wellington's) windiest week to ascend the peak. It was blowing a gale of close to 90km/hr but the view was simply spectacular. 

It seems that many Hobartians have a shack by the beach. We were lucky enough to stay in a friends place at Dodges Ferry which has a beautiful beach. It was busy over the long weekend but I wouldn't call it crowded by Sydney standards!

One morning we tired the kids out at the Hobart Aquatic Centre ($25 for a family). I lost count of the times the kids went on the water slide. They had a ball. 

Another day J took the big kids to the Rock It Climbing Centre. After four hours of continuous climbing and tunnelling they were exhausted! Apparently, because of his height, J had to remove his shoes to get around some parts of the tunnel. (That's my idea of hell!) 

What's a trip to Hobart without a visit to MONA? I won't say much more about this place other than you'll either love it or hate it. Just don't try going on a Tuesday. We had babysitters and arrived to find it closed. We had to go out to lunch instead. How awful! ;)