Committed Travellers

The diesel heater helped deal with the cold overnight. A large group of caravanners left this morning leaving sites empty all morning. I ran a power lead from one of the nearby sites while it was vacant to boost our batteries. There were a few hours of sunshine, so the batteries remained close to full.

We went to town for a walk and to have lunch at The Produce Store. It was warm enough for us to eat outside with Bluey. The food options were interesting, with offerings not available in most cafes. I had excellent salmon sushi, and Anita had lamb shank and vegetable soup. Bluey sat on his mat under the table, watching lots of dogs stroll by, ranging in size from a chihuahua to a greyhound.

We just missed out seeing the Bald Archy exhibition in Mansfield. The Shire Council advertising failed to name the winning artist – Judy Nadin – or name Sam Kerr as the subject of the caricature titled Flippin’ Kerfection depicting Sam’s celebratory backflip. The exhibition was in a lovely building with amazing stained glass.

The wide streets have decorative gardens and trees on the centre islands. The original Hotel Delatite was opened in an iron shanty in the 1850s. The current building was remodelled in Art Deco style in the 1930s.

The Commercial Hotel is striking, while the sombre building housing the RB Sellars clothing store was once a branch of the Bank of NSW.

There is a lot of colour in trees around Mansfield, from deciduous trees changing colour, to yellow lichen, green gums and cyprus trees.

I made our morning cups of tea, but we both left then too long and they had gone cold. With cold cups in a cool caravan, we need to drink our tea sooner than we do at home. Bluey enjoyed a small drink of tea.

After putting last minute things away, we drove to Wangaratta, planning to have brunch at The Railyard cafe. Parking was an issue as surrounding streets mostly have angle parking, and a lot of roadworks were happening as part of the inland rail project. We spotted a bus stop with a sign stating it was not in use, so squeezed under an overhanging plane tree. Two police officers were having a break at the cafe, and we enjoyed our coffees and food.

The water tower art was close by – note the mobile phone equipment and antennas on top. The historic railway water tower provided an interesting contrast. The railway station buildings are in excellent condition, still with slate roofs.

We had two refuelling stops – the first to fill the Toyota and the second to top up the Bushtracker diesel heater tank. We can’t do these at the same time as the heater tank is too far from the fuel cap and on the opposite side.

Our rest stop was at the Lake Nillahcootie Picnic Area on the Midland Hwy. There was no one near us, so I let Bluey off his lead to have a run. Very little water was going over the spillway.

We are on an unpowered site at Mansfield as the caravan parks were almost booked out when we rang weeks ago. Lots of people will have a four day break with ANZAC Day falling on a Thursday. The area attracts bike riders, and is close to the snow fields in winter. After positioning the Bushtracker on our tent site, we went to town for some essentials. This gate mural is very clever.

A nearby gallery had these newspaper artworks on display in the window.

Around the corner, a new Italian cafe had this clever mural painted on the front wall. While sitting at the cafe, customers can enjoy the mural of an eastern spinebill on another building.

Even though it was a cold 6° overnight, it was a sunny day topping 24° so our washing dried on the line. Since the end of the gold rush, Yack and Beechworth have survived on tourists – lots of tourists! We prefer the smaller town of Yack.

We had coffee at the bakery but did not taste any of the happy faces.

The buildings in the town centre are small and many are timber structures.

We drove the 20 kms trip to Beechworth and struggled to find a car park. The town has wide streets and several large grand buildings such as the post office, the former Bank of Victoria where the Gold was stored in a vault, and the Commercial Hotel.

We had a passable lunch at the Beechworth Bakery, but discovered there are eight bakeries in Victoria, all named “Beechworth Bakery”, including the one at Yackandandah.

There are still some old buildings not yet restored or refurbished.

We visited the award winning sweet shop, and watched as a school teacher instructed his group of students to leave their bags on the footpath, before shepherding them into the shop in small numbers.

Back at Yack we hooked up the Bushtracker to avoid having to do this in the cold morning. Tilly had some outside time while it was still warm, but Bluey needed to rest. We walked to the Yackandandah Hotel for dinner, which was good apart from cold plates.

Our free overnight camp at the Visitor Information Centre in Goulburn was great. Goods trains travel past about 40 metres away, but they didn’t bother us. It was disappointing to see other travellers park in restricted areas and dispose of grey water on the garden beds, contrary to the clear rules.

We went for a short walk up to the railway station. While this building was well maintained, other historic railway infrastructure was neglected and had broken windows.

Our first stop was the Metro service station to refuel, and our second stop was the dump site outside the showground on Braidwood Rd. We told Google maps to take us to Yackandandah, but the chosen route involved a 2.7 metre low bridge under a railway line. Fortunately, we spotted the problem before it was too late!

After turning right off Braidwood Rd onto Garoorigang St, there is a sign warning the road is not suitable for caravans, and another sign showing the height of the tunnel. We need at least 3.5 metres before we would drive under a tunnel or service station roof. The tunnel is historic and clearly marked on Google maps as being a 2.7 metres low bridge. We hadn’t spotted that detail and just started following the route. Several caravans have come to grief under the tunnel, losing their rooftop air conditioners.

A reviewer has posted photos of debris left by caravans that have been damaged under the bridge and another specific warning. I will contact the Visitor Information Centre to suggest they warn caravanners about this bridge, particularly if, like us, they give directions to the dump site. If we hadn’t made that diversion, we would not have driven near the tunnel.

We eventually turned around and found the alternate route southbound out of Goulburn that does not involve any low bridges!

Our drive along the Hume Hwy was uneventful except for one scary situation involving several trucks. We tend to travel at the same speed as trucks, about 100kph on straight roads, slower on windy roads. 

A couple of trucks had overtaken other trucks, but as we got closer realised one truck was travelling very slowly, almost walking pace. The last truck overtaking the slow-moving truck was reduced to jogging pace as it had lost its momentum going up the hill. We stayed way back and put on our emergency flashing lights to warn other vehicles of the danger, but two cars drove past us and had to brake suddenly when they realised how slow both trucks were moving. Luckily, they avoided colliding with the back of either truck.

We stopped for lunch at MacDonald’s at Gundagai after reading a sign advising it was on the highway, and we wouldn’t have to drive through the town. There was parking around the back beside a wide nature strip. Anita went over to order, and I followed later with Bluey. In the outdoor seating area, he was ambushed by three look-alike poodles. Their Japanese owners told me one was the offspring of the other two, and they had one more at home. I only managed to get a photo of two of his new best friends. I didn’t get a chance to ask about their fancy coats.

We chose Yackandandah as our two night stop because it is an historic village. We stayed here at least 8 years ago with Max, Coco, Miki and Riki when the ground was sodden and the rain persistent. Today, it was a much nicer dry and sunny caravan park for $40 per night for a powered site.

Once we had backed onto our site, I tied Tilly to the outside of the Bushtracker, where she was immediately tormented by a young magpie looking for human food. I took Bluey for a walk around the park, admiring the autumn folliage when I heard this paragliding overhead.

Tonight the minimum temperature is forecast to be 6°, so Bluey has his coat on under the doona. Tilly stays in her warm pouch unless she needs extra warmth.

It rained overnight and the wind would have been a problem for some of the campers trying to keep dry with tarpaulins. The rain stopped about 8am so we packed up, loaded the critters, and hooked up.

Meanwhile, the man at the next site hooked up his van unavoidably blocking the road, then disconnected his power and drainage, followed by a trip inside his van to go to the toilet and change into shorts! So inconsiderate!

The roads were mostly dry, but some areas had indications that water had been over parts of the roadway. We drove through Newcastle to the M1, which is in poor condition in some sections, especially in the left lane where we drove. There is only one service centre between Newcastle and Sydney, and one rest area just before the Mooney Mooney bridge. Fortunately, there was plenty of parking available at the rest area.

We only saw one tip truck and one semi trailer the whole trip up to the rest area. There was a lot of other traffic as there is another week of NSW school holidays. We drove 9kms through NorthConnex tunnel, also known as the M11 tunnel. I was pleased to see the speed limit is still 80kph despite some drivers lobbying for a higher speed limit.

The M11 tunnel, Hills Motorway M2, and the Westlink M7 are toll roads. The speed limit on the M2 and M7 is 100kph, which feels safer than the 110kph on most of the Pacific Motorway, which is hilly and winding in parts.

Many people were driving too close to the vehicle in front, so we were not surprised to see the aftermath of a crash where cars had been in rear-ended.

We decided to stop at or near Goulburn, and Anita discovered there are limited free camping spots at the Visitor Information Centre. We drove in, but all spaces were taken. We decided to stop to research plan B and were lucky to get a space created when a motorhome drove out. We are opposite an impressive park one block from the city centre.

My interest in Goulburn is the many historic buildings, some dating back to the 1800s and early 1900s. Here is a sample of city buildings.

My favourite is the 1933 Art Deco Elmslea Chambers. The facade is a mix of pink granite and decorative colourful terracotta tiles. The building still has its original slate roof.

For most of the day it has been raining. We loitered in the van until it was time to drive to Redhead to have lunch with a couple of our Roadie friends. We had a lovely lunch, while watching the wild weather and rough seas.

The Bushtracker is parked over a puddle, but other vans have small swimming pools on their sites.

Our potable water tap has been dripping, so I pulled it apart but might need replacement parts. There is an internal washer that might be the cause of our leak, but we couldn’t find a replacement today.

Later in the afternoon, the rain stopped long enough for me to pump up the Toyota tyres, fill the potable water tank, and take Bluey for a run in the park.

We bought tickets to see the Hussy Hicks at the Stag and Hunter hotel this evening. Our Newcastle friends had organised a table for 13 for dinner. Seven of the group, including us, were Roadies.

We queued early as there is limited seating in the function area. We all scored an uncomfortable stool, but it was better than standing.

It was Lisa’s birthday bash, so I managed to capture this image of her. The Hussies played three songs from their new album, but I didn’t have the stamina to stay till the end.

Before today’s outings, we put on another load of washing. There was enough sun for us to think it would dry.

Our first stop was at the Up Rising Bakery thanks to a recommendation from one of our friends who live in Newcastle. As well as a loaf of sourdough bread, we bought a berry brioche, croissants, and the last canelé.

I needed another device to hold my phone while driving the Toyota, so we went to Jaycar and Supercheap Auto, choosing a small device that holds the phone close to the dashboard. Why don’t cars come with built-in dash cameras and holders for mobile phones? They come with wireless charging stations for phones, read text messages, and provide hands-free phone call capacity, but don’t provide a cradle for the phone.

We enjoy driving through Newcastle neighbourhoods where there are streets with well-kept Federation and Victorian-era homes. There are hardly any historic houses at the Gold Coast!

Efforts are continuing to minimise the risk of homes being washed away at Stockton Beach. Large wire baskets are being used to hold rocks. These appear to be held together with heavy-duty cables. Other strategies include underground 8.5 metre concrete piles.

Today it was cool enough for us to wear long sleeves, which makes a pleasant change from the heat and humidity we experienced this summer. With the drop in temperature, I need to inflate the car tyres. They were all at 40 psi when we left home, but late this afternoon, they were only 36 to 37 psi.

Bluey and Tilly have noticed the cooler temperatures, snuggling up to us for warmth. With his recent short haircut, Bluey needs to wear a coat at night.

I walked to Lexie’s on the Beach for coffees. While waiting, I noticed some attractive features on the old change rooms, while a ship sailed through the breakwater.

There is an off leash area of parkland just outside the caravan park. Bluey jumped up on the sandstone block to take in his surroundings.

We went to visit our friend Jo, who lives in Newcastle. She cooked us lunch, and Bluey enjoyed his portion. On our way back to camp, we refuelled the Toyota and bought groceries to refuel us.

Distant thunder rumbled during the afternoon, but BOM radar indicated the cell was skirting around us. We stopped to take a couple of photos across the Hunter River, but in hindsight, we should have gone straight back to our van.

As we were driving off, there was a very heavy downpour. Anita reached a raincoat for me to slip on before coming through the access gate to the caravan park as I had to open the driver’s window to punch in our access code. Fortunately, another camper had closed our van door, but rain was coming in the open roof hatch. We mopped it up and put some bedding through the clothes dryer in the laundry. This section of roadway in the park was flooded, but the water soon drained away.

We ran the diesel heater for a short time to help get rid of the dampness. Tilly was a bit spooked, having been alone in the van during heavy rain, with some of it falling on her.

There were no overnight thunderstorms at Red Rock. Everything outside was wet from the rain yesterday afternoon, but soon dried out in the sun before we left. Bluey knows we are moving on and has to be in his car in case we leave him behind!

It took us nearly 6 hours to drive to Stockton Beach, while Google Maps estimated the 419 kms trip would take 4 hours 32 minutes. Google doesn’t know we like to have several stops and don’t drive at the maximum speed limit!

We had lunch from MacDonald’s at the Port Macquarie service centre. The car parked next to us has chrome spikes on its wheels. We have no idea why, but wouldn’t want to be too close as a pedestrian. Surely these spikes are not legal?

Our site is a generous size, so we were able to quickly back the van in and set up. Tilly was outside in the critter crate when our neighbours’ moodle wandered over to inspect. Tilly wasn’t bothered and Max just sniffed and went back home (off his lead!).

We had a booking at the 3 Sicilians Ristorante at Club Stockton. Bluey stayed in the car while we ate pizza. This figurine painted on the wall is the three-legged symbol of Sicily – the Trinacria, which consists of the winged head of Medusa surrounded by three bent legs and three ears of wheat. The walls of the restaurant are decorated with photos of Sicily.

We had an early night listening to the distant thunder and the pounding surf.

We enjoyed another warm sunny day until the late afternoon showers. BOM radar suggested severe weather was coming our way, but so far it hasn’t reached Red Rock.

We took Bluey back to Little Beach, but he was wary when he saw a small dog floating on a boogie board. He definitely doesn’t like swimming.

I watched a five year old reel in half a dozen small bream. His dad put the bait on his hook each time, which requires experience and knowledge. I bought prawn bait and managed to catch a couple of small bream, but lost my bait more often than not.

For lunch, we had delicious hamburgers from the local kiosk. It is well stocked and operates a post office. As I walked back to the van with Bluey and burgers, this 1.5 metre goanna wandered through campsites.