Being in the apartment is very much like coming home after a long absence. Not in the romantic, calming comfortable sense … more in the ‘shit thats broken, thats filthy, wheres the bloody kettle’ kind of way. Theres a lot of maintenance and cleaning to catch up on … but we dont have this view when we’re fixing and cleaning at the other home You can probably see we have cleaned the windows so far but not the balcony glass. Yesterday we spent much of the day stocking up on groceries, and grabbing some stuf from Bunnings, and getting into some maintenance. But first [ ... ]

We’re off to our apartment in Surfers for the first time in quite a few years. We’ve been mostly away in the van in recent years, and of course that included our 14mth caravaning lap of Oz The apartment was also rented long term for most of the time we’ve been absent. We’ve travelled through the Gold Coast and stayed at Main Beach in the van many times and we’ve often walk into Surfers and spied on the occupants of the apartment to ensure theyre looking after it. For the foreseeable future the apartment wont be back on the rental market, and we [ ... ]

Sunday 0-04-2019 22.10 (Hit this Google Maps link if the map above isn’t visible https://www.google.com/maps/place/-28.005440974892608,153.430730532693) GPS accuracy 8.0 mtrs

We’re here with friends on edge of Lake Boga for the annual air show Yesterday morning Barb and Ross walked around the lake … all 13km of it. The walk started of well, on a good path for around probably 4 or 5km … then abruptly ended. Aside from turning tail and heading back, the only way forward was to head inland for about a km. That was the last that was seen of the lake until the highway just south of the caravan park. Barb was shitting herself walking along the gravel verge of the highway until one of the many multi [ ... ]

Saturday 15-03-2019 14.32 (Hit this Google Maps link if the map above isn’t visible https://www.google.com/maps/place/-35.46185938426797,143.63509320619116) GPS accuracy 6.0 mtrs

Thursday 24-01-2019 16.33 (Hit this Google Maps link if the map above isn’t visible https://www.google.com/maps/place/-38.14142508686712,146.79221279048292) GPS accuracy 4.0 mtrs

It was cold last night. Bloody Victoria, we’re no more the 3ft over the border and the weather turns to shit We even put the diesel heater on this morning because it was 13 degs. The chicken (or more accurately roostet) was anouncing dawn at the top of hi 20 vehicles in camp last night ranging from tent, whizz bangs, caravans roof tops and motor homes. We only had 20km or so from the freecamp to Mallacoota, but check in at the foreshore caravan was 12pm according to a notice in the freecamp toilot block. The notice is a pretty good indication that [ ... ]

Sunday 20-01-2019 13.08 (Hit this Google Maps link if the map above isn’t visible https://www.google.com/maps/place/-37.55719583686668,149.759397325986) GPS accuracy 6.0 mtrs

We were on the road a bit after 9am, heading 40 mins south over the border and back into Vic to Genoa. Genoa is the first area south of the Vic/NSW border. Genoa has an old run down pub on what was many years ago the old highway. There are two other derelict buildings but nothing else. Genoa is much more famous and more simply known as the turn off from the highway to head to Mallacoota. We’re camped in a freecamp on the banks of the Genoa River. We’ve stayed here a few times before and Ross took Max for a [ ... ]

Saturday 19-01-2019 10.10 (Hit this Google Maps link if the map above isn’t visible https://www.google.com/maps/place/-37.47218951068162,149.59109859441773) GPS accuracy 6.0 mtrs

Hot and windy today. Today was ear marked as fishing day in the kayak, but it should have been yesterday instead We drove into Eden for a cafe breakfast … well, cafe breakfast for Daniel. Shared vegemite toast for Ross and Barb Max was very keen to participate more in the actual physical sense Forecast severe thunder storm started heading our way. Our resident meterologist Barb was monitoring from Weather Central, and call a code blue which when called the night before we leave a camp means all outdoor equipment must be immediately packed up dry and stored. NSW storm warnings are almost [ ... ]

For no particular reason, for the first time this trip we left the aircon on last night. Neighbours arrived late yesterday afternoon in long single axle Bailey Pegeant caravan. Its an older van and very euro looking. The small sites place their van very close to us, where our car should normally be parked The van is low, they have 5 kids and no aircon. Ross is up at 6am, all their windows and curtains are open and the windows are lower than eye height. Ross had to reverse out of the van, and walk backwards out of camp to go to [ ... ]

Misty and damp air overnight. Very little breeze but it was to bad. We did have the fan on for a while. The mass exodus from the caravan park continued, including us. We were 80% packed away late yesterday afternoon. We played a round of Daniels Zombie Apocalypse game last night before Daniel went to bed and then Ross and Barb watched the tennis The Aust Open is a bit of a summer travelling tradition which started when Barb was 9 mths pregnant and like a dwarf whale just before Daniel was born. Unable to do much but wait, we watched the Australian [ ... ]

Wednesday 16-01-2019 17.03 Crusty is right here (Hit this Google Maps link if the map above isn’t visible https://www.google.com/maps/place/-37.07724920033031,149.87564815318302) GPS accuracy 3.0 mtrs

The wind eventually dropped off last night, but it then became still and humid. Cant have everything … apparently Daniel got an escape room game for Xmas. The game uses a tablet App and a series of numbered cards to replicate one of those physical adventure games. Its really well done but its a one shot game which takes about an hour. Theres one timed path to a successful end and once its done, its done. Daniel’s special gift was firing on all cylinders and he was in his zone. He was picking up clues neither Ross or Barb could see. [ ... ]

Bit of drizzle early evening, but not much wind Forecast today is for a very warm day with 50km winds developing after lunch After all the angst created over our initial booking here if 6 days and being moved off and then back onto the beach front site etc we were asked politely if we would consider moving one site left to allow the people booked either side of us to be together … which we ablidged Those two sites have remained vacant for 4 days. We can only imagine the arse reeming that would have occured had we found ourselves in the [ ... ]

Muggy warm night, with a slight breeze Wind the over abundance of roos, they seem to be banging into our satellite dish and buggering up our evening tv No exercise today … nobody could be bothered. Ross is usually up around 6am, and out enjoying a morning brew under awning he spied this …… some kind of brick structure and a pole !!!! A better view of the congestion The Tarp Mahal. We are always astounded by the size of the tarps we see in every camp we stay The picture isnt great, but the BBQ location is pretty impressive. When these guys decided to go camping they [ ... ]

Storm moved away early evening and everything returned to normal. It remained mild, and there was a nice breeze. Max was very eager to chase the kangaroos on day one, but after a few days surrounded by roos Max has lost interest. Thats what Max wants Ross and Barb to think, Max on the other hand is thinking if one of those weird looking bastards come close enough, im going to eat it. The caravan park is dog friendly all year, and the entire beach is on lead only. Ross and Barb met some doodle folk last night while taking Max for a [ ... ]

Cool night and the Doona … WTF, a doona? Very strange. Last night Barb was in the van complaining it was cold; it was 22deg !!! It drizzled on and off most of yesterday, continuing through the night with more forecast for today. A severe thunder storm is still forecast and a warning has been issue. As of 1pm it a beautiful day, clear sky and refreshing onshore breeze. What a great site this is to wake up on. The caravan park?, not so much, but this site is truly awesome. Bit of early morning beach yoga, during a class for [ ... ]

We leave Toowoon Bay this morning for Merry Beach in Kioloa, south of Sydney, and around a 5 hour drive. Kioloa is located just north of Batemans Bay. We stayed in Batemans Bay long ago in the camper trailer when the older kids were Daniels age. We had schnitzel for dinner and Ross was tenderising the schnitzels on a chopping board on the freshly mowed grass … the kids were told it was parsley. Merry Beach is new to us; one of the new all important dog friendly locations that we now have to look for. Merry Beach also caused a “situation” a [ ... ]