Brisbane Trip Day 34: Melbourne -> Bimbi Park

We all slept pretty well and were up in the morning to play with the kids and chat to my sister before getting ready to move on. I thought about unhitching and going to Aldi, then decided we'd just shop on the way. We left around 10.30 and headed through Melbourne, aiming for Colac. I noticed petrol was quite cheap but the service stations I saw were small and were going to be tricky to navigate with the trailer, so I decided to get top up after getting out of Melbourne.

We listened to Percy Jackson again and had a good run through Melbourne and out past Geelong. On the road to Colac we encountered roadworks and it became a very long trip along what is usually an easy, straight road. Eventually we arrived in Colac and stocked up on the groceries we would need for homeschool camp. While I was in the carpark I received a few phone calls and messages about Luna - she had been wandering overnight and had ended up with our neighbour, and another friend was looking for her to take her back to her place for a couple of days. I sorted that out as best I could, then went to get petrol, which was not cheap at all.

Heading out of Colac I was feeling a bit flustered as it was much later than I had hoped at this stage, and I followed a sign to The Great Ocean Road rather than following my GPS. I had planned to drive through Lavers Hill as this was the least windy road. We had been driving for a while, along a road that was pretty good, when I realised I had cut back across to the Skeynes Creek Road, which is the one I most wanted to avoid because of several hairpin bends and a steep descent to the ocean. By this stage it was too late to go back the other way so I decided to keep going and just take it easy. The wind was also quite strong and there were lots of small branches on the roads, which made driving a little more taxing.

The descent took a while (I took it slow) but it was manageable, and the tight turns were ok. I felt pretty good once I'd got to the bottom. There were great ocean views from time to time as we came down, and then we drove alongside the ocean for a while as we approached and left Apollo Bay. I was pretty tired by now and found the last little bit of the drive up to Cape Otway quite difficult. I drove fairly slow which was occasionally stressful when there were people behind me. As we drove down the Cape Otway road we came to more roadworks. While we were stopped, the lady with the Stop sign came along and pointed out some koalas to everybody, so most people got out of their cars to have a look. Back in the car we finally made it to Bimbi Park around 4pm.

I went to check in, and helped a friend negotiate the correct rate for her site (it defaulted to the base rate being for 2 adults, then added both children on to that price, rather than including the first child in the base rate). Caitlin wandered straight down to find her friends, and as I drove past the camp kitchen, Liam and Amelie jumped out to see friends as well. I drove down the back and found where I was camping with another friend, and he helped me get set up. Other friends were around as well and it was great to finally be there and get ready to relax for several days.

Once set up we wandered back to the kitchen for a quick meeting about the camp (mainly just asking us to be respectful of a visiting school group when they were praying), and saw a few more friends, then back to camp to finish getting organised - cook some dinner, have a cup of tea, chat with people as they wandered by. The kids were back and forth, playing with their friends and coming back to check in or eat every now and then. It was still very very windy which made things slightly less peaceful. I decided not to put my annex up until the wind died down, I did not want to spend all night worrying about it flying away. I chatted to my campsite friend until Amelie was ready for bed and then we went inside the tent, I read for a little while and then we tried to sleep and not get blown away.

Brisbane Trip Day 33: Wodonga -> Melbourne

I woke a bit after 7 and went down the street to get milk and a few other supplies, and to fill up our gas bottle before we go bush. When I got back Amelie was just waking up. The others were up soon afterwards and we had breakfast and started to get organised. Pack up went fairly quickly and well, until I tried to get the pegs out of the hard ground - some were tricky, and some were so stuck that I didn't know if I'd be able to do it at all. Eventually I managed to wriggle them free and could finish putting the tent away. We paid for our site when the caretaker came around, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was only $10, not $20, because we hadn't used any power. Racehorses were training on the track and on the grass near us, so the kids went and watched them for a while.

We set off a bit before 11 and listened to Percy Jackson again. The trip down the Hume Freeway was easy and fairly quick at first. I stopped for petrol and to check the air in my tyres, then we continued on. As the Freeway came down past Broadford and got closer to Melbourne, the wind was blowing sideways across the road and the driving became a bit more difficult and a bit slower.

We made it to my sister's place a bit after 2.30, and there was room in front of her house and driveway and a bit of next door's driveway for me to pull up with the trailer. We had to wait for a few minutes while the construction workers had a forklift on the road, then we were able to pull in. Amelie's best friend and her family met us at my sister's, and she went to the Museum with them. The rest of us spent the afternoon inside at my sister's, playing with the baby and the 4yo and catching up on each other's news. Liam is a big hit with his cousin so he was very busy playing cars and doing puzzles. Caitlin was more than happy to play with the baby.

Amelie came back in the evening, very happy to have spent time with her friend. We had pasta for dinner and then the little kids went to bed, my kids watched some videos and played on their iPads. I chatted more with my sister - I was so incredibly tired, any plans I'd had of getting things more organised for camp just didn't happen. We had a fairly early night, Caitlin slept on the couch, Amelie and I in the bed in the spare room and Liam on our foam mattress on the spare room floor.

Brisbane Trip Day 32: Bathurst -> Wodonga

Caitlin brought Amelie in to me in the middle of the night, Amelie had been a bit bothered by the dark I think. Sleeping with her in a single bed was a little bit uncomfortable.

I was up around 7 and saw the beautiful sunrise over the hills and trees, looking through the gorgeous big window they have in their dining area. I had a bit more of a chat to my friend as she got ready for work, then got the kids up and gave them breakfast, said goodbye to her kids, put our stuff in the car and hitched up the trailer. My friend had given Caitlin some horse blankets that she no longer needed, so I also reorganised the trailer a little to fit them in.

We set off sometime after 9 and drove through Bathurst and on towards Cowra. The countryside on our drive today was beautiful - very dry and dusty, lots of hills, some rocks, trees scattered around. It was all interesting. We stopped at a rest stop between Cowra and Young so that I could get a cup of tea, we all used the toilet and had an early lunch, and I adjusted some straps on the trailer (the bikes were wiggling loose a bit). A friend from home rang while we were stopped so it was a good chance to have a chat to her.

As we drove we listened to Percy Jackson and Greek Gods - which was a entertaining and amusing telling of Greek mythology - we all learnt lots and it's sparked many discussions already. Driving through Young I remembered stopping there once for a coffee with Tony - lots of memories on this road as well. We stopped in Junee (at a park that I remember stopping at before, but it was in a different place than I recalled - I thought it was near the railway station, but it was before we crossed the railway line) because a friend wanted to talk to me about homeschool camp - he was concerned about the bush fires around Camperdown and wanted to work out a plan for whether we would still go or not. We decided we'd keep an eye on weather and fire conditions and if the fire danger was low then we would go to camp as planned. The kids played in the playground while I talked and it was a lovely relaxing stop. There were a few freight trains going past which also added some interest.

We continued on to Wodonga and stopped at the Showground. I rang the number on the sign and the guy said to set up and he'd come and collect payment in the morning. They only allow 8 campers per night and I think we were the 8th. The spot that was left had a bus parked very close to the side where I would need to put my trailer, and I didn't want to encroach on the leisure space of the motorhome on the other side. So I reversed in very close to the bus, I don't think I could have been that accurate at the start of the trip. I also went a bit further back than the bus was, so we could both still walk around our vehicles.

I set up the tent, Caitlin helped with the tricky bits then went to sit on the grass to talk to her friends on the phone. The others played on their iPods for a while. Once we were all set up, Liam, Amelie and I went to Bunnings to get some lanolin spray to use on the tent zip (I wanted it before we got to camp in case it was cold and wet, because the zip sticks even more then, and I wouldn't be able to go shopping once I was at camp) and some other things (contact spray, WD40, and oil for the bike chains). We found these all in the one place which made it easy. There was a KFC in the Bunnings carpark, and I was very tired after a 6 hour drive and not much sleep the night before, so I bought a family pack for dinner, and Amelie bought all the kids frozen drinks.

Back at the tent we sat on the picnic rug (on the slope because I hadn't left us much flat space behind the tent - I figured for a quick stop without the stove we could manage) and ate our KFC which was delicious and just about the right amount of food for us. Afterwards Caitlin sat in the car for a little while and talked to friends again, the rest of us went to bed - I was ready for sleep by 9,30, the first time I'd been in bed before 11.30 in almost a week!

Brisbane Trip Day 31: Blue Mountains -> Bathurst

It was a bit of a windy night, and the noise from the trains slowly heaving up the mountain could be loud - they didn't ever wake me up, but a couple of times I was already awake and heard them go past. The morning was beautiful and fresh, with the sun rising and lighting up the trees across the grass from us.

There wasn't a lot to do to pack up and it went pretty smoothly (although the wind made it slightly difficult at times and I also had trouble with the zip on the trailer cover). My friend from the night before came past at one point, she was walking to Springwood and it was cool to see her one more time.

We continued to drive through the Blue Mountains, and saw the new Hydro Majestic Hotel and it's majestic view. We stopped for petrol in Medlow Bath, and then approached Victoria Pass, which I had been anxious about for almost a week. The grade here is 14% in some parts, and I knew it was a tricky, steep road. My friend's husband had given me some tips the night before, so I put the car in 2nd gear and just took it very slow. The speed limit for trucks was 40, and I went slower than that - it was fine, I didn't feel the trailer pushing me at all at that speed. There were a few tight bends in between the 2 steep parts, and I managed them fine and got to the bottom feeling very relieved and a great sense of achievement!

I would have liked to stop in Hartley and have a look around but we already had enough stops planned for these last few days of driving. Tony rang us when we were near Lithgow so I pulled over and we all had a chat to him on his birthday. We kept going and turned off to find my friend's place - a friend from my BHP days. We parked the trailer in front of her shed, and then drove in to Bathurst to meet her at her daughter's school, which was having a Highland Gathering.

We found her watching the bagpipe display (her daughter was competing) and sat on the grass and watched that and the strong man competition. We were all hot and exhausted and I sent the kids to get themselves an ice block. Amelie accidentally got the wrong one so I sent her to get a 2nd one - it was hot and windy and it was much more bearable if we all felt happy. After their ice blocks the kids went for a walk to look at the games and rides. I stayed and talked with my friend for a while, it was so good to see her. She and her youngest son decided to go home for a while, so I went and found the kids and saw Caitlin and Liam competing by running attached to a bungee cord and trying to put blocks as far away from their starting point as they could. Caitlin's long arms and legs and speed made this a lot easier for her. Amelie got her face painted (a cat on one side of her face, it was really well done) and the others played some skill games (throwing or shooting balls at things). We had a bit more of a wander around and then discovered that the meat pies were half price as it was nearly the end of the day, so we had one each.

We headed back to my friend's place. I hadn't been to her house before, it was huge and spacious - she and her husband had designed and built it 15 years ago and I loved it. We had a bit of a look around, and went down to feed bread to the sheep and the very old (30 years) horse. Her boys were riding their motorbikes, and the 15 year old took Liam then Caitlin on a ride - they loved it. The kids played on the trampoline and the swing, and Caitlin helped feed the horse, then we went inside while my friend cooked dinner. We chatted and the kids played and we had a delicious lamb roast with her and her kids. We had ice cream and blueberries for dessert and then sat in the lounge for a cup of tea. It was relaxing and easy to be there and I'm so glad we detoured inland to see her.

The girls slept in the bunk beds in the youngest son's room (he slept in my friend's room) and Liam and I slept in single beds in the spare room. It was really dark once all the lights went out - no street lights this far out of town and they turned all the lights off before they went to bed.

Brisbane Trip Day 29: Newcastle -> Sydney

I wanted to make sure that I saw the girls and their Dad before they left for school and work so that I could say goodbye, so when I woke quite early I didn’t try to go back to sleep. I had enough time to go for a walk and this time went straight to the granny pool for a swim. The sky was grey and there was a light breeze blowing in from the ocean – the feel and smell of the air reminded me so much of swimming at Merewether Baths on a cloudy morning. The water was cool and refreshing and got to about chest deep near the gap in the wall, where the water flows in from the channel. I swam around for about 10 minutes then went back to the house to say goodbye and thanks for letting us stay.

After I’d had some breakfast I chatted to Tony for a while, then Caitlin said that the oldest cousin had missed her bus. I drove her to school (which also gave the girls a bit more time together) and then stopped at Woolworths on the way back to get some more bread and milk. The bridge was up again as we left Swansea. At home I was just about to start packing when Tony rang again, it was great to have a chat of more than a few minutes with him.

I didn’t start packing until 9.40, then had everything done, ready to go by 11.40 which I was very happy with.  I was hot and sweaty so had a cold shower and got changed, we checked that we had all our stuff and were on our way by just after 12.

We stopped for petrol at Doyalson – last year I’d bought a Pokemon DVD at this petrol station so Amelie wanted to see if they had more. There weren’t any DVDs that interested her, she and Liam bought some chocolate. The drive down to Sydney was fairly easy, there was a lot of traffic but it mainly kept moving. Getting through to Leichhardt had a few moments of tricky traffic with the trailer on, but we made it fine. As I approached our friends’ house I saw a parking spot about 2 ½ cars long, in front of a boat. It was long enough for me to drive into it, then reverse back at bit and wiggle back and forth to get the trailer fairly straight (and mainly off the cycle lane). It was only a few houses away from where we were staying so I was very pleased with the spot.

Our friends weren’t home until after work, so we had some lunch at the car, then walked down to the Light Rail station at Lilyfield. We stopped on the way to buy Opal cards, and I bought a scratchie as well which we did at the station – we didn’t win anything but the kids enjoyed scratching it. The train was very crowded and took a long time to get to Central. Once there we caught a regular train to Circular Quay – we sat upstairs which was exciting for kids used to Melbourne, single level, trains (and I always love catching Sydney trains). Getting off the train at Circular Quay we had a great view over the Quay, the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. We stood at the edge of the platform and looked at the view, and noticed a street artist down on the path below – he was completely dressed and painted in gold, and appeared to be hovering in mid air – he had one hand resting on top of a pole, and was sitting cross legged about a metre off the ground. We headed downstairs to see if we could see how he was doing it, but he was packing up by the time we got there. From what we could see, the pole was firmly anchored in a base plate, but there was no other support – so we think he was balancing just on the strength of his arm on the pole.

We wandered around to the Opera House, looking at the markers showing the 1788 waterline. We admired a street artist’s painting of the harbour and gave him some money. At the Opera House we sat on the ledge around the edge of the point and looked at the Bridge, the boats and ferries going past, and the sails of the Opera House. We walked across the base of the steps and went down to the pontoon at Man-of-war steps, Amelie didn’t like being on the moving pontoon, so she played with some soft, sparkly sand on the path back on dry land. Caitlin and Liam had a look around, then we walked back up the Opera Houses steps and sat on one of the sloping parts in front of a window. It was tempting to run up to the top of the slope but there was a sign saying not to, so we sat at the bottom and looked at all the different aspects of the sails that we could see from there. We went over and touched some of the tiles and looked at the different patterns and how different they looked from a distance compared to up close.

Amelie wanted to see the Botanic Gardens so we wandered over there and the kids played around a sculpture of mother earth, Caitlin climbed a fig tree, and we went to look at gazebo that was installed recently, which had lots of symbolism about the colonial impact of Governor Macquarie and his wife. It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon so the backdrop was incredible, with the harbour and boats and bridge always in sight.

We wandered back towards the station, stopping briefly to share a cup of delicious lemon sorbet. We got to the platform just in time to jump on a train – one of the newer ones that I don’t think I’ve been on before. We admired the old fashioned style of Museum station as we went through, then got off the train at Central. The light rail train was just pulling in as we arrived at the platform, we were able to get on and get seats this time. The trip back seemed much quicker, and we wandered up the hill in much cooler temperatures, just before sunset.

Our friends were sitting on the front steps waiting for us when we arrived. We had a drink of water then sat out the back for a while and the kids played tennis with small plastic rackets, until the mozzies got too bad. We had delicious pizza for dinner and all the kids got on well. (Our friends’ 2 kids and another friend of theirs who was sleeping over). The younger kids played with loom bands for a while and did some puzzles, Caitlin sat with the adults and we played a game called Love Letters. The boys played Uno then started to watch our game, and we switched out players so that everyone had a turn. My host and I had a cocktail and it was a fun night, full of laughter and catching up.

Brisbane Trip Day 23: Brisbane -> Armidale

Our friends were leaving for dancing at 6.30am so most of them were up before 6. Caitlin and I were as well, hanging out with them before they left. Amelie woke in time to hug everyone goodbye, and Liam woke enough to say good bye, then fell asleep again. Once they were gone I had breakfast and had a shower, then started putting everything in the car. I woke Liam because I needed him to eat so I could pack the rest of our food. We were pretty well packed by 9, then our host pulled the trailer out of the driveway with his ute (it was going to be too heavy to pull over the steep lip of the driveway with my car) and I hitched up out on the street. We were in the car and had said goodbye to the kittens and the youngest boy, ready to go by 9.30.

Not far into our drive we saw 2 wedge-tailed eagles – an exciting start to our journey. We were all sad to be leaving our friends, although confident that we’ll see them again soon and it will be like we never left. The drive south was all new to me, I’ve never done this inland trip from Brisbane. The mountains we were driving towards were fascinating to look at, so many craggy peaks and interesting shapes. We were very slow going up and over the gap, but managed it ok.

We stopped in Warwick for petrol, and continued on towards Tenterfield. The land here was less lush and green than in Brisbane, although not dry. We saw lots of cactus by the side of the road. Liam and Amelie had a nap. Driving through Tenterfield I still felt ok, then soon after started to feel tired so stopped at a rest stop (near Bluff Rock) and we had a toilet break and a bit of lunch, and I made a cup of tea. I put my window down to get some air in the car when we stopped, and then it didn’t go back up. I managed to get it about halfway and we had to do the rest of the trip like that.

I felt better back in the car and the drive was interesting and mainly easy. I had downloaded a heap of music in the last week so we were listening to that, it was a pretty cool mix. We stopped in Glen Innes for Caitlin to run into McDonalds and get 3 soft serve cones, I made myself another cup of tea. I was feeling excited by now as the terrain felt familiar – I think I may have driven to Glen Innes once, but it was more that it felt like New England  and felt comfortable. One part of the road near Guyra was tricky, it was a long, steep downhill section. I’d had a truck behind me for ages – I’d lose him on uphill stretches then he’d catch up in between. He was right behind me on this section and it scared me – he was supposed to only go 80 down the hill, but I think he wanted to go faster. I was only going 80 because I was quite scared, the trailer was pushing the car and it felt much faster than I would have liked, and the truck was on my tail the whole way. At the bottom there was an overtaking lane and he went past me and I felt much better.

Arriving in Armidale was quite exciting, very keen to have a look around and see the places I remember. There was a hint of autumn in some of the trees and it looked pretty as we drove in. We came in from a slightly different direction than I’d expected, but I soon got my bearings, and was excited to drive past 2 of the streets I lived on while I was here. We easily found the showground and rang the caretaker to check us in. She came over and charged us $15 per night, I was expected to pay $20 so that was a nice bonus. I’d thought it might take us 6 ½ hours, with rest stops and driving slower because of the trailer, and I was right!

 I picked a spot and backed the trailer in, and the kids went off to explore. Once I’d unhitched I made a quick call to Tony before he went to work, went to the toilet myself, and then started to set up.  Caitlin had a shower and the others wandered around and talked to people with dogs. There’s several other people staying here, including some show people who are staying for the autumn festival next week (Armidale show was last weekend). Once they’d explored enough they played on their ipods in the car – it is a lot cooler here than in Brisbane and they were staying out of the breeze. We’re lucky that the last 4 days or so in Brisbane were only mid twenties instead of mid 30s like the first few days – otherwise we’d really really be feeling the cold here! We rummaged around in the car and found jackets and long pants which we hadn’t needed for a while.

Set up was pretty easy and it was nice to be back in the tent again. Once I had the beds up we walked into town – it’s 3 blocks along the same street from here to Coles.  (Before we left I covered the open window with a blanket). The kids found an abandoned Coles trolley and took turns pushing each other in it along the path. Amelie skipped ahead. The sun was setting and it was very pretty.

We bought some food for dinner (ravioli and soup) and breakfast (hot cross buns) and a couple of other supplies and headed back. It was completely dark now and everyone was tired. Back at camp we quickly cooked our dinner and ate it. I put the blankets on the beds and made sure everyone had enough to keep warm, and everyone was in bed by about 9pm (which is only 8pm for our body clocks).

Brisbane Trip Day 14: Gold Coast -> Brisbane

Another early morning for me and I sat on the balcony using the computer. The kids eventually stirred and we ate chocolate croissants and donuts for breakfast. Tony FaceTimed us - with Winky (the cat) on his knee looking healthy and happy - she'd been missing for a couple of days and it was a massive relief to see her. I'd been having such a good time and also feeling bad that I was so happy while the cat had potentially disappeared. I had a shower then packed while the kids watched some YouTube videos. I was all packed up before 9.30 - it's so much easier when it's just our stuff and not the tent as well! I took one load of stuff down to the car, then got some ice for the eskies (there was an ice maker in the corridor) and loaded myself and the kids up with another load to take to the car. The kids sat in the foyer and I asked the concierge to bring down the rest of the luggage, then I went and checked out. When our luggage arrived I went to get the car, and loaded it all in. I moved the car back down to the carpark near the trailer and headed back inside.

We headed back through the gift shop and up to the monorail station - Amelie was excited to finally get to go on the monorail. We did one circuit around SeaWorld and enjoyed seeing everything again, and it was fun seeing it from that perspective. Back at the resort the kids sat in the foyer while I went down and hitched up the trailer. It was SO hot - mid 30s at least, and very humid. I'm glad I didn't have to do a full pack up. The kids came down once I was ready, and we drove out to Paradise Country, the 4th attraction on our unlimited access tickets.

The drive from Wet n Wild to Paradise Country was a longish road with lots of speed humps. We drove through the paddocks holding the horses for Outback Spectacular, that was pretty cool (we'd seen the horses from the top of some of the rides on Monday, that was also cool). I pulled into the carpark and realised that it wasn't a loop and there was nowhere to park the trailer, so I had to back out. I got most of the way then a guy came and helped me with the last little bit. I parked in the 'additional parking' area and managed to find somewhere in the shade that would be easy to get out of.

The walk to the entrance was quite long, sunny and very very hot. Amelie really found it hard and I did wonder if it was worth it. We went in and tried to find a water fountain but there didn't seem to be one. We went down to the animal nursery and fed some goats and sheep, thankfully in the shade, then went into the barn and fed piglets, alpacas, ducks, more lambs and kids. It was fun, especially helping one of the keepers try the piglets on apples.

We decided we'd experienced enough so made our hot way back to the car, and drove back to Wet n Wild. I dropped the kids off and found somewhere to park the trailer - it was a fair way from the entrance but it was, again, in shade. Once inside we parked our stuff on the tables, got into our swimmers and refilled our soft drink cup (we had to pay a reduced amount to reactivate it). Liam and Caitlin went to the wave pool and Amelie and I went to the Junior slides. I did the mini tornado with her, then the mini half pipe, and she did all the other junior slides. One of them she was sitting and sliding slowly down and a kid came barrelling down headfirst behind her and ran into her - he and his parents thought it was hilarious, Amelie wasn't so amused.

We played together on the water playground for a while (I wasn't allowed on the slides there but could climb and walk around). We went into the Junior pool and the other kids came back. Liam and I went on the tube river and floated around once while the girls went on the junior slides again. They met us at the river and jumped in for a circuit as well. It was very refreshing and relaxing.

Amelie wanted to go on Mammoth Falls again, so we headed over there for a fun raft ride down the half pipe. We had a quick swim in the wave pool then back to get dressed again, feeling much cooler than we had been earlier in the day. I'd promised the kids a bucket of soft serve ice cream if we got the chance, so we took it in turns to add ice cream (vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and choc mint) and toppings (caramel, chocolate, lime, and sour worms, jelly beans and gummy bears), refilled our soft drink again, then reluctantly left our last theme park. (We'd thought about going back to Movie World again, but it had been such a perfect day yesterday that none of us really wanted to spoil it). I was impressed on all 4 days, at all 4 parks, at the staff - everyone was friendly and helpful and enjoyable to talk to.

We ate our ice cream as we headed towards Brisbane. The traffic was heavy but was moving the whole way. The ice cream was delicious and the toppings good, but the lollies were a bit much and most didn't get eaten. We saw DreamWorld on our way past and compared some of the rides there to what we'd been doing. There were still no caravans on the road - really odd. As we approached Ipswich we finally did see a caravan being towed - the first one (and no camper trailers) we'd seen since just north of Byron Bay.

We arrived at our friends' house around 4.45pm. My kids and the other kids were so excited to see each other and settled straight into playing on the trampoline and in the backyard. We spent a relaxed evening in and out of the house, watching Netflix, playing with the kittens and playing games. My friend and one of their kids came home from dancing later in the evening - it was so good to see her. The kids set up lots of mattresses in the lounge room and they all slept out there (all 7 of them). I slept in one of the kids rooms after a long long chat with my friend.

Brisbane Trip Day 9: Coffs Harbour -> Byron Bay

It rained for most of the night so everything was pretty soggy in the morning. The leak near Liam's bed didn't get too bad which was a relief. There were a few hours where it looked like it was going to clear up, the sky was a bit lighter and there was some time without any rain falling. I booked our accommodation at Sea World and then started packing, trying to get as much done as possible before the rain started again. The last hour at least we were packing up in steady rain, and all ended up soaked through to the skin. We packed in a different order to try to keep things as dry as possible and it worked much better than usual. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to tow the trailer out because the ground was very wet and sandy, but it was fine. We drove down to the carpark and headed to the shower block to change into dry clothes and retrieve our washing from the dryer.

Once we were dry we headed down for one more look at the beach - the sun was trying to come through and the water was shiny and beautiful, a nice ending to our time in Coffs.

I found it a bit difficult driving with the rain coming and going, so it was a slow drive north. I hadn't driven beyond Coffs Harbour before so it was all new. A lot of the Pacific Highway is dual carriageway now and they are working on lots more of it. We saw a pretty spectacular bridge in the process of being built - it is going to be high enough to replace the current bridge which lifts up to let boats through. There were cranes and diggers on pontoons in the middle of the river, it was pretty cool. As we drove we listened to 'The Colour of Magic' by Terry Pratchett - it took the kids a while to get into it, now everyone is enjoying it and I'm pleased to be sharing this series and world with them. I stopped once for a cup of tea and once to retie some straps on the trailer and the short breaks helped me stay alert.

We arrived in Bryon Bay around 4pm and I was astounded at the number of people around - lots and lots of pedestrians and the traffic was heavy. I dropped the kids off at the information centre and drove back out of the main street to the free parking for long vehicles which was a block from the main street. Lots of people parked here and walked back through across the old railway track. The kids played in the park and we used the toilets and I rang around the caravan parks in town to see how much it would cost us to stay - the costs varied between $50/n and $95/n. I'd been trying to get in contact with the local football club who let people camp at the football ground - I couldn't find out how much they charged for kids. We decided to drive out there and check it out and if too expensive we'd come back to the cheapest caravan park. The grounds looked green and inviting and they said it would be $30/night, and there were toilets and hot showers and only a 5 minute drive back into town - so we decided to stay here.

It had started raining again while we were in town (we sat under a big tree while I made my phone calls and it kept off some of the rain) and it had settled in by the time we arrived at the football ground. Liam and Amelie decided to stay in the car and play on their iPods, and Caitlin braved the weather with me to set up. It was windy by now as well which added a whole extra challenge. We got the tent up - we'd left the annex roof attached and the tarp over the tent, which made putting the tent up much harder, but setting the annex and covering the roof much easier. It still took us a while to get everything tied down and in an optimal position for avoiding leaks - and we were soaked right through again. The inside of the tent was pretty damp, there was water in several corners. We set the beds up closer to the centre than usual, and put blankets and mats on the floor so that we didn't spread the water around, and it felt pretty cozy. Luckily the weather was warm despite the rain, so it wasn't completely uncomfortable.

We boiled the kettle and had cup-a-soup and noodles for dinner. There were lots of backpackers staying there as well and we chatted to a few of them (and lent one group a saucepan) and headed to bed as soon as we could.

Half-lap Day 110: Camperdown -> Home

There was heavy rain overnight and once again we were very grateful to be inside a house. We got up and had breakfast and chatted to our hosts, Millie had a shower and Caitlin made more videos on her iPad. Tony and his uncle had stayed up quite late the night before so Tone had a bit of a sleep in. It didn’t take us long to pack up as we’d brought even less inside this time than the night before – the only time consuming thing was the extremely steep driveway that we needed to walk down and up to get to the car and back (we’d left the car and trailer down on the street, there was no way we could go up the drive with the trailer on).

LiAM in particular was very keen to just get in the car and head home. We were on our way just after 10am, very excited to be on the very last leg of our trip. We drove through the beautiful and familiar countryside around Camperdown, with the stone walls and windmills and cattle and sheep. Driving through the little towns between there and Geelong we saw lots of tractor and harvester equipment. Mainly we noticed how often we came across a town – we’d become used to driving all day to get to the next town, and here they came up every 20 minutes or so.

We stopped near Geelong to get petrol and some hot chips from Red Rooster. The roadhouse was a bit a of a culture shock – the service station, McDonalds, Red Rooster and several other food outlets all shared the same building, and there were SO many people. We got our chips and were happy to be back in the car.

It was raining pretty hard for a lot of the way into and around Melbourne. There was more traffic than we had seen – well, since we’d left. One thing that stood out to us was the low number of caravans – we were used to seeing almost nothing but trucks and caravans, and here it was mainly cars and utes, we only saw 3 caravans between Geelong and the ring road.

Traffic was slow on the ring road, first because of lane merges, and then because of a very nasty looking accident near Sydney Rd. Eventually the traffic cleared and the last 45 minutes flowed easily. On our way we drove nearby several friend’s houses and gave them a wave as we went past.

One by one the kids recognised roads we were driving on and realised how close to home we were. Coming through Christmas Hills it was very exciting to see Yarra Glen spread out on the plain below – really felt like coming home. As we drove through Yarra Glen we noticed lots of houses had been built in the estate they were just starting when we left. It’s cool to live in such a beautiful place too – driving along the road to our house we could appreciate the beauty and not feel so much like we’d left all these fantastic places and now we were just at home – home is fantastic as well.

We arrived home just after 2pm and everyone felt happy and bit of disbelief – we’d made it! We were going to back the trailer in to the carport first so it was in position to unpack – then we saw Buckley and everyone tumbled out of the car to go and pat him. He was excited to see us and we were all so thrilled to see him. We let him come inside with us to check out the house – it looked so neat and familiar and strange and felt much bigger than I’d remembered. We hadn’t been home long when Winky came out to see us. The kids were so excited that she ran straight back in under my bed in fright – but did come out and gave us all a cuddle then hung around with us all afternoon, I think she was pleased to see us too. Later in the afternoon we saw our 3 remaining chickens and the kids reallocated ownership and names (they’ve grown since we left and we weren’t sure which chickens these were – they’ve got new identities now so it doesn’t matter). The mountains that are normally our view were obscured by cloud at first, then the clouds lifted through the afternoon and we could see Mt St Leonards and really felt at home.

We lit the fire, went through our mail, slowly brought things in out of the car and moved things around the house to make it habitable for the 5 of us (I’d put a lot of stuff in the kids’ room so that our house sitter had more space, so I moved some of that back out so that the kids could get to their beds). LiAM and Millie put the PlayStation on and played with their new Skylanders, Caitlin rang her friends to tell them she was home.

It was a lovely, relaxing afternoon and I resisted the urge to rush around trying to get everything unpacked and in place – there’s plenty of time for that and I am going to try very hard to stay relaxed as I have been on the trip. Tony went to get pizza for our Friday night dinner – a great way to celebrate arriving home. While he was out he visited some friends and met their new baby – the kids and I are keen to see her soon too (born while we were away).

Caitlin started working on a photo slideshow of the trip to take to Girl Guides this week, then on tidying up her room – we’ve all got a new perspective on space and belongings I think after living in the tent for so long. Tony watched the football and the others watched some TV, I pottered around and we all felt very happy and comfortable (even though it felt a little weird as well).

Half-lap Day 109: Naracoorte -> Camperdown

The beds were so comfortable and the temperature of the house just right, and we all slept really well. I got up and had a shower then worked on the computer for a while, the others gradually woke up and played on the iPad then went out to have breakfast with our hosts. We had a relaxed morning, watching the Olympics and chatting some more, and I finished the 8^th Harry Potter book. We packed the car quite easily as we’d taken very little out, then spent quite a while saying goodbye to the dogs. We were ready to leave around 10am.

We drove straight to Naracoorte Caves and bought tickets for the Bat Cave tour (how could we resist!?), then we had an hour to wander through the fossil centre and look at all the animals that have been discovered in this cave system, and learn about how old the caves were and how paleontologists figure this stuff out. Seeing the megafauna that used to live in this area was pretty cool and exciting. The fossil centre had a cave in it, with a tunnel to crawl through – we all had a go and it was just slightly claustrophobic for some of us. Caitlin loved it, and is keen to come back here to do some adventure caving one day (in the real caves, not the manmade one in the fossil centre). We had a sandwich and the kids bought commemorative coins of the fossil centre.

We started off on the tour and went into a room set up with TVs that display the footage from infrared cameras in the bat cave. We could see little bats on the wall of the cave, and then found an area where lots of them were flying around. It was cool to be able to see them without disturbing them at all. We also got to look at pictures of bats and at a couple of real bats that have been preserved. Nice to be able to see the actual size of them (these guys are Southern Bent-Wing Bats).

From there we went into Blanche Cave. The guide had offered the kids one of the torches to carry, so there was fierce negotiation about who would hold it when and for how long, which resolved itself fairly well. Blanche cave started as a large open chamber, with entries at both ends. It was quite light and airy inside, it was more like a massive open room. There were lots of columns, and holes up in the ceiling (caused by carbon dioxide bubbles when the cave was full of water in ancient times), and interesting patterns on the walls – there were places where we could still see shells and coral and tubeworms making up part of the limestone. There were also a coulple of preserved animals who had died down here, a possum and a turtle, adding to the depth of knowledge that the animal remains are providing to the scientists around here.

We went further into the cave, through a little garden area and into another chamber that only had the one entrance, so it was quickly much darker. The temperature dropped significantly as we walked in. There was another preserved possum here, probably 150 years since it died, and it still had a full pelt of skin, the cold dry air and darkness helping it decompose very very slowly. There were areas of the ground here littered with tiny little bat bones, which will eventually turn into fossils. I was impressed with the way we were allowed access to safe areas of the cave, and they had cordoned off any areas where people walking would harm the history or heritage of the cave. We went off the main path, with the guide, into the Bat Chamber – no Batman here, and we only saw one little bat, hiding in a crevice. Cool formations on the walls and floors though, and some very old graffiti – burned into the ceiling with candle smoke, or carved into a column in the middle of the chamber – dates as old as 1885!

Leaving that chamber we went further into the cave and found where most of the bats were hanging out (the Bat Cave is their breeding cave, the one we were looking at through the infrared cameras, and no one goes in there. This cave is one of the places they hang out during the winter when they are in torpor and not going out to feed much. We were allowed to shine shuttered light at them unless they started chirping then we needed to leave them alone. We found 4 clumps of bats up on the ceiling, all huddled together. They were cute, just moving around a little bit and checking us out then deciding we were no threat. (I think LiAM and I, and maybe the girls, were the only ones who thought they were cute. We loved them.)

We walked back out, chatting to the guide, then did a quick toilet stop and got on our way. Today we drove through the Coonawarra wine region, very prettyy again and quiite different from home or the Barossa that we saw yesterday. The vineyards still stretched as far as the eye could see, but they seemed to be owned by more wineries, lots of small allotments of vines rather than just a few big ones owned by few companies.

We turnd left at Penola and were soon back in Victoria. After most of our border crossings on the trip – either quarantine stations or at least big signs and rest stops and a bit of fanfare, this one was very tame. Just a blue sign along a winding country road saying ‘Welcome to Victoria’. Everyone felt quite comforted to be back, and home is seeming ever closer.

The drive was beautiful once again. The land was very green, at this end of winter. Areas of massive gum trees throughout the fields (and low lying areas full of water, there’s obviously been a lot of rain here this season) soon gave way to rolling hills, with few trees, covered in green grass. We saw lots of cattle, and sheep, and windmills. The road was much windier than most of the roads we’ve driven on in this trip, as well as hillier, and Caitlin felt a little carsick.

We drove through Casterton and Coleraine which were beautiful little towns. We stopped for petrol in Hamilton and Tony and I remembered it from when we were here before Caitlin was born. The last bit of the drive to Camperdown went fairly quickly – Tony was in familiar territory now and we all felt a bit like we were nearly home when we reached Camperdown.

We went to Tony’s Nanna’s first. She had just popped out to see the nurse so we chatted to Tony’s uncle until she got back, comparing travel stories and catching up on family news from home.  Nanna came back and we had a cup of tea with her and Tony’s aunt, and ate some of Nanna’s sausage rolls. It was great to see her and she was thrilled to see the kids again, it’s been a couple of years. The kids played with her dog and her cat and it felt so cosy and comfortable to be there.

Eventually we said goodbye and went to Tony’s uncle’s house (a different uncle). We met their dogs and had a drink and settled down to chat while dinner finished cooking. We watched some Olympics and caught up on everyone’s news. We had a delicious roast lamb for dinner, then Tony got out the computer and showed his uncle some of the old photos we’d copied over from his cousin in Perth, he really enjoyed seeing them and they reminisced for a good while.

Millie was tired so w the kids and I went to the bedroom and we read the last chapter of Inheritance, so fitting that we finished it on the last night of her trip. I stayed with her until she went to sleep, then went to bed myself. The kids stayed up a while longer, LiAM did some drawing in Paintbrush and made an awesome picture of a horse, Caitlin played on her iPad and showed Tony’s uncle how to make videos. Eventually everyone headed to bed for our very last night away.