Taking off around Australia… in a van…

Rod and Mira are going to be taking us with them on their travels in a caravan around Australia.  Married 38 years, and having just turned 60, both Rod and Mira are still working, and in 2009 they took time out for the trip of a lifetime… three months in a caravan, enjoying travel, together.  Each week they will share another part of their journey… feel free to ask questions and enquire about all the caravanning things you want to know.  Let them know you are reading.  

It was during a conversation with our son that the idea of buying a caravan and doing a trip around Australia was hatched. It seemed that he was of the opinion that we were not getting any younger and should go before we got too old. Our immediate reaction was to remind him that mid – fifties is not old and in any case we are both working and can’t just up and leave. Yet that is exactly what we did; risky as it was.

When July of 2009 came around we had prepared for a three month trip and with all the loose ends tidied up and assurances from our son that he would keep an eye on the house we headed off up the East Coast. As we said goodbye to winter in Victoria the sun was rising over the Gippsland Lakes.  Early morning light dancing on glass- like water reflected in the rear view mirrors.

At Cann River on the junction of the Princes and Monaro Highways the local bakery beckoned and having sampled the pies and sausage rolls on previous visits we pulled up for smoko.  Then it was back on the road to complete the first leg of our trip. Merimbula on the NSW South Coast was our first overnight stop.

Inland through the South East Forest National Park and into the rich dairy country of the Bega Valley; Highway one is a great drive. Country towns and villages provide the services for the people who call this area home. At Cobargo a different lifestyle is evident by the many arts and craft shops that line the main street. The coffee shops, eateries and pubs attract travellers eager to experience some country hospitality. From Cobargo the highway swings east towards the coast, skirting Wallaga Lake, Tilba Tilba and Eurobodalla National Park before re-joining the coast at Narooma. Further north at Moruya  a detour along the coast via Mossy Point, Malua Bay and Batehaven offers the chance to follow the seashore and visit some of the communities along the way.

BATEMANS BAY

Batemans Bay is on the banks of the Clyde River and is a tourist mecca. A great spot from which to explore the surrounding  area. This town is busy during peak season so we were glad to be there in July when all is quiet and we could enjoy relative peace and tranquillity.

Murramarang  National Park extends along the coast between an area south of Ulladulla to just north of Batemans Bay. The park features pockets of rainforest and secluded beaches and at that time of year we had it to ourselves for much of the time. A four hour trek to the summit of Mt Durras was spent in total isolation; didn’t see another soul. I had expected that the climb would test our relative lack of fitness but we did it with ease. From Mt Durras the views are pretty good but as is the case with many lookouts and high points within national parks the vegetation has been allowed to grow unhindered and we were left wondering what might have been.  Kangaroos abound within the park and at Pebbly Beach they hop about with total disregard to human presence. There are many species of wildlife sharing the park but kangaroos are most evident.

Ten kilometres south of Batemans Bay the village of Mogo has many buildings dating back to the early eighteen hundreds. We spent  a couple of hours wandering around the craft shops, galleries and bric-a-brac  stores that now sell wares from within these ancient walls.

Just out of Mogo on the road back to Batemans Bay a sign board marked a gravel road heading  towards  Monga National Park. With time to kill we headed of along this track. It soon became evident that this was a back road to the town of Nelligen on the Clyde River not far upstream from Batemans Bay. The road was rough and narrow  as it zigzagged and climbed steeply up onto a plateau where we came across isolated farmhouses and evidence of logging. The heavily timbered slopes gave way to undulating  farmland as we descended into Nelligen.

A pretty spot on the banks of the Clyde River Nelligen was once an important inland port for the movement of wool and timber to the coast. Paddle steamers plied the river delivering supplies to local industry and farming enterprises; then returning downstream laden with wool, timber and other produce. A few old buildings remain as a reminder of the early days and whilst the population of this town has diminished it is not hard to imagine what it must have been like so many years ago.