This welcome home to Victoria crap is just piling up, we had to put the bloody diesel heater on this morning. Our last free camp, on the edge of Lake Benalla   Not quite our last camp all together because we’ll be in the van tonight in the factory, so technically the trip stays alive for one more day. Ross sent out a pile of “almost back home” text messages to friends and almost every single reply came back with “Ha” and “LOL”, what’s that all about. We seen many wonderful vistas on our adventure, but this aint one of them.  The northern [ ... ]

Very quiet night at the Ettamogah Pub. There were 2 other vans in the carpark last night, and just on dark Ross wandering back from the toilet and seen some lights through the trees and discovered the ‘actual’ grassy camp area behind the fence directly outside our door. Oh well, aside from playing cricket its probably much in a muchness with not too many other people about. Ross headed up to the showers behind the pub itself, only to find a communal mens shower room which was a little reminder of a much younger period in Ross’s life.  Bit of a nice view [ ... ]

Crusty is right here 36° 33′ 14.09021″ S 145° 59′ 12.05342″ E https://www.google.com/maps/place/-36.55391394649728+145.9866815060377 — Sent using GPS Share: http://goo.gl/VOcnaD Sent from portable device. Please make allowances for predictive txt

  . Day 400 We made our mythical 400 day on the road point.   Its a bitter sweet milestone, and although we are looking forward to seeing our family Ross would very much prefer it to be a visit. Ross keeps a camping rolling logbook, and adding up all the travels we’ve down in the campertrailer and the 2 caravans we’ve spent collectively over than 2 years camping. We cant stay any longer at the Bungendore Showgrounds because there’s a dog show here commencing Friday and they want the room to spread the dog shit … so we’re out. We have only 2 days left [ ... ]

Crusty is right here 35° 58′ 4.91657″ S 147° 0′ 31.70757″ E https://www.google.com/maps/place/-35.96803238075567+147.00880765914917 — Sent using GPS Share: http://goo.gl/VOcnaD Sent from portable device. Please make allowances for predictive txt

Today we headed into Canberra to take Daniel to Questacon. Questacon like Science Works back at home in Melbourne. There’s lots of hands on interactive science type displays, puzzles and displays.   Some were fun, some were interesting and some held Daniels interest more than others Questacon rope puzzle Questacon has a similar vertical drop to that at science works We found a book that perfect for Barb This exhibit is an hour glass type vessel with a rubber susbtance inside.   Questacon opened back in in 1982 and the rubber hour glass was there at the start.   Amazingly the rubbery contents have been oozing downwards [ ... ]

A short fat Tiliqua Rugosa wandered through camp this morning, that’s a Stumpy Tail Lizard to our international readers.   Every genuine Aussie would know Blue Tongue shingle back variety We headed into Canberra today to the Australian War Memorial. We followed a Tesla Model S electric car most of the drive into Canberra.  Ross had vaguely heard of Tesla before this trip, and during our travels we’d heard a bit about the Telsa from the Jen and Louise .. but we’d never seen nor really expected to see one on the road. First was Tesla showroom in Sydney, and today a Tesla on [ ... ]

We’re camped in the Bungendore Showgrounds, and as been brought to our attention all the vans are pretty close together. Were camped with friends so we’re close to them but the over all reason most camps are in the same area is there is limited power in only a couple of outlets, and only 2 taps to bucket water from. We headed into Queanbeyan today for a look about.  We needed to cross 4 state borders today.   Bungendore and Queanbeyan are in NSW, but on either side of a pokie outie bit of the ACT and we had to drive through [ ... ]

  Something has gone horribly wrong with our day numbering.   After looking like we somehow werent going to make our 400 day target, Ross checked the GoogleWeb for a calendar calculator, only to find we are actually on track for the 400 days but somewhere we miss-numbered the blog day numbers.  Today is actually day 396, aso we’ve had to jump 3 days which Ross will have to find after we get home and likely renumber the entire blog Good news is we will definitely surpass our 400 day target We’ve been very busy in Sydney, but its time to leave.   Daniel [ ... ]

Crusty is right here 35° 14′ 36.50738″ S 149° 24′ 38.40056″ E https://www.google.com/maps/place/-35.243474271282665+149.41066682338715 — Sent using GPS Share: http://goo.gl/VOcnaD Sent from portable device. Please make allowances for predictive txt

After a huge day on the hoof yesterday it was a sleep in for Daniel this morning.   Barb doesnt need a long walk to incite a sleep in, and even after a late night repairing the blog Ross was still up at 6am. A more stable weather day today and off we go to Manly for the afternoon With a nice warm day developing Manly was chaotic and very difficult to find a car park.   We drove around aimlessly because we arent 100% where to look for car parks.   We eventually found someone leaving only 50mtrs from the beach and 100mtrs from [ ... ]

Today is Daniel’s day.   We’re only in Sydney because Daniel has wanted to go to Sydney and more particularly the Opera House since we left home so here we are.   Ross loves Sydney, Barb not so much, but either way Daniel’s final vote was what brought us here. The plan is to walk the 1km from the caravan park to the Lane Cove subway station and catch the train into the city.   The constant rain all morning was waylaying our plans.   We only needed a 15min break in the weather long enough to get to the railway station. Lane Cover in under [ ... ]

Barb had arranged to catch up for lunch with a friend who lives in Coogee Beach. Ross and Daniel were going to see the Disney movie Moana whilst Barb was out to lunch. The movie venue of choice was in the neighboring Coogee suburb of Randwick, at the Ritz of all places.   We headed over a little earlier to work out who would take the car and who wold drop off who. Randwick had zero parking options for us with the Kayak on the roof so Barb dropped the boys off at Randwick, and headed the 2km to Coogee Beach. The movie was [ ... ]

Wow, what a night in paradise.   The first night here the wonderful folk diagonally across the road were playing music and talking well after midnight.   It wasnt super loud, but a clear indication they couldn’t care less.   There is a heap of Kiwis camped over 2 sites and last night at 11pm it wasn’t looking like they were intending to abide by the 9.30pm curfew and obviously the caravan park doesnt bother keeping an eye on things. Ross and Barb were still awake and Barb wandered over and asked them quieten down, which went around like a dead Rosella [ ... ]

Crusty is right here 33° 47′ 29.17602″ S 151° 8′ 40.35705″ E https://www.google.com/maps/place/-33.79143778225184+151.14454362541437 — Sent using GPS Share: http://goo.gl/VOcnaD Sent from portable device. Please make allowances for predictive txt

Another day treading water in Karuah, sandwiched in between a couple of wankers.   Ross isnt really sure why we arent free camping somewhere far far away from other humans.   We do our best work as far from other people as possible.   If we just headed an hour inland we could have found a piece of paradise or at least a piece of Oz around like minded people. Last night Ross went out to the car to grab some grog out of the Engel and noticed his mountian bike sitting a little skewed on the roof rack.   Not having yet actually had [ ... ]

It rained all night here at Cundletown. We left Cuddletown all cuddled out and head south off the Pacific Hwy and along the Lakes Way which winds its way through the awesome Great Lakes area including Forster Tuncurry. We drove through Taree; with the fwy bypass like most towns now we just bypass them and we’ve never driven through Taree before.   A quick wander up the main street and a look in the real estate window.   This stunningly beautiful old weatherboard home on a double 1/3 acre block right in town and only $379k.   Our city property dollar would be very powerful [ ... ]

Crusty is right here 32° 39′ 42.97512″ S 151° 57′ 50.00309″ E https://www.google.com/maps/place/-32.6619375325216+151.96388974785805 — Sent using GPS Share: http://goo.gl/VOcnaD Sent from portable device. Please make allowances for predictive txt

Hapy New year to all.   Ross was in bed by 10pm, but waking up this morning refreshed and with a clear head found New Year had arrived regardless Camp Crusty in Cundletown.   Cundletown is just off the Pacific Hwy, so tomorrow its a short drive back to the highway and we are only a short distance from the next stop at Karuah Lovely quiet spot on the banks of the Dawson River We have Mexican Melbourne’itte friends traveling about in northern NSW, and they’re currently at Harrington which is on the beach only about 20km from our riverside camp at Cundletown. They booked last [ ... ]

  We broke camp this morning to head south.  It was easier to get the van out of the snug site than it was to get it in. We headed toward Kempsey and like the Big Banana, we have another must stop venue heading north and south.  Fredos Pies in Frederickton off the Freeway about 10km north of Kempsey. We’ve been loyal Fredos Pie fans for many years, and now cant pass by without stopping for a pie.   For reasons unknown to anybody but themselves they love Marilyn Monroe here at Fredos Fredos Pies used to be in a dumpy old cement sheet house [ ... ]