western australia: carnarvon

A overnighter in Carnarvon turned in to a four night stay at the Wintersun Caravan Park. 

Our three-way fridge has been having trouble reigniting on the gas setting since we bought the caravan and we'd booked in to see the fridgy in town. We left Wooramel later than we'd expected because the kids were having a great time playing in the river bed (with an emu making an appearance too) and we were chatting in to the morning with the family we'd met. 

The fridgy couldn't see us until the following morning so we booked into the Wintersun. And the fridge problem was a simple fix - an adjustment of the igniter. Turns out it was arcing the wrong way. There's always something to fix on caravan when they're on the road - bumping around the place. 

It was when the kids raced to the pool for  a swim at the caravan park that we ran in to the family from New York that we'd first met at Bay of Fires, Tassie and whom we hadn't seen since near Denmark in south west Western Australia. It was great to see familiar faces. 

The kids enjoyed catching up and Miranda and I share the same passion for good, fresh food so we workshopped ideas for meals on the road. We even exchanges homemade pizza for washing the dishes. Love being able to do that sort of thing with fellow travellers. 

The Gascoyne region supplies Perth with most of its fresh produce. The farms sit on the fringes of town. Each Saturday there's a farmers market but on other days customers can buy direct from the farm gate. Sadly many crops were completely wiped out with by Cyclone Quong a few weeks ago. Morel's lost their 30 year old avocado trees but they were still selling their fresh herbs, zucchinis, beans, cucumbers and other fresh veggies. I've stocked up and the car fridge is full of cryovacced veg. 

The Morel family has been farming in Carnarvon for almost thirty years. They are a two person operation and veggies are picked and sold daily. Unlike some other growers they bag each mango which results in a superior product with less wastage. Every crevice in our freezer has been stuffed with their delectable (and healthy) chocolate covered mangoes and strawberry "ice-cream." 

victoria: mount franklin reserve

There are some places that we visit that we'll never forget - Buchan (Vic), Boat Harbour Beach (Tas), Bay of Fires (Tas), Cradle Mountain (Tas) to name a few. 

Mount Franklin Reserve is another place to add to the list - a free camp - which we found in Camps 8. In paddocks, just out of Castlemaine, is an extinct volcano and within it is Mount Franklin Reserve. There are toilets but otherwise campers need to take home rubbish & have their own water. 

The sites are under towering pines and it's absolutely beautiful. The kids & J enjoyed a short walk around the top of the volcano and playing hide and seek in the forest. 

I'm sure there'd be times when this is very busy. 

tassie: cradle mountain summit walk

He was up at 0530 so he could get to the summit and back down again before lunch. 

It was J's third visit to Cradle Mountain and of the previous two he hadn't made it to the summit. I remember the second time J was there because I was too. It was an icy Tassie day and the freezing rain made it bitterly cold. We walked to The Hut but decided it wouldn't be much use trying to get further on. The visibility was bad and the path slippery so we turned back. 

This time everything was in J's favour. We'd had some clear blue skies and there was every chance he'd make it. Apparently it's not too difficult but for the final ascent which requires the walker to clamber over huge boulders. 

Unfortunately mother nature wasn't on J's side as the clouds only parted for a few seconds of the thirty minutes he was at the summit. 

The following day was the clearest we've seen input trip so far. Oh well - he'll just need to come back!

 

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!