23rd October

We have made it home, after over 7 months. It's surreal.

Due to the forecast weather in Melbourne we chose to stay in Mildura until Saturday morning, good choice as Melbourne had terrible weather. We drove 400k to just out of Bendigo, a place called Marong in a lovely little Big4 Caravan Park. It was built for when caravans were small & ours took up 2 sites at no extra charge. We only had the odd sprinkle of rain, had sunshine and a strong head wind. The fuel tank told us that. Mustn't complain as we have had tail winds for the most of the trip.

Sunday morning we only had under 200k to travel so arrived at 11.30am.

We had just turned into our Road when I got a message "Where are you Nan?".... Grandson, Mark was sitting on the bench on our front porch waiting to greet us, to help us unload and to show us his new car!! He didn't even have his license when we left! So lovely to see him, & see how happy he was. 

Sheena's career, Chris has been staying in our unit 2 or 3 nights a week while we have been away and she only vacated this morning. When I walked in I was blown away. Chris has left this unit 'Picture Perfect' and has left us supplied with 'goodies ' for days. The 'Wow' factor was this stunning orchid.

Also, every room had something in it, she has been so generous and appreciative of the freedom it gave her. Chris lives 100k out of Melbourne and comes back to care for children with disabilities over 2 or 3 days per week. During her time here she had a trip to Japan & has left a touch of Japan in our home.

Even although Chris had left the heating on, we couldn't get warm, but by the time we had put most things away, a hot shower and bed was wonderful.

So, comes to an end of this wonderful experience, 24,300k, a change off Caravan, great weather, new friends, , endless memories, new places visited, knowledge increased, good health mightily appreciated, and we give grateful thanks to God for safe travel.

19th October

Another beautiful day full sunshine ☀️ 17 at the moment , 2.30pm and tomorrow it's to be 29 so why go south? We had this photo this morning from Phillip Island . They had a low of 8 & it appears that they had a hail/snow storm! 

We will stay here in Buronga/Mildura until Saturday morning then drive to Bendigo for a drive through site that night, then home on Sunday. Glad that Chris will have the heater on for us when we arrive.

This Murray River is so beautiful.

This is some of the reasons to come to Buronga Caravan Park, everything is just that bit nicer.

We are enjoying this last week of our Round Australia 2016. Just over 7 months of a wonderful experience.

17th October

We woke up Sunday morning and said 'What are we doing here?" So......even although we had paid for 2 nights, we packed up and headed south to Buronga (Mildura), this is where we were 7 months ago with Liz & Howard as we started our "roundaus2016.blogspot.com" 7 months ago.

The Caravan Park was just about full so we were lucky to get a spot for 4 nights. We are right opposite the office, a very nice site.

This dear old couple are still sitting in the same position as they were 7 months ago!

To day has been beautiful, still in summer clothes, I took a trip to Spotlight to get some 'Special' material because I want to make some things for this lovely 'other' home of ours. Brian walked to Mildura and called into Optus to see when his phone contract expired.....found it had run out a month ago, so promptly walked across the road and enquired about gets a Telstra one. Optus is hopeless 😩 in the northern parts of Australia and Telstra is a lot better, mind you, not perfect...but then, what is?

Home to cook dinner then we went 'shopping together'! (That's something in itself).

Chemist for more supplies to keep us going, then Telstra, quite a wait then had a very competent young lady who explained clearly and set us up with a saving of about $500 a year. She had a technical problem and had to contact Head Office so it took about 2 hrs, but as we had nothing else to do ....it didn't matter. Went then to Aussie Disposals and got some replacement items that we needed.

With Telstra 

, we now have shared Data, so we are VERY happy 😊 

As I was on Telstra, it's all in my name, just as well something is, Brian has the Car AND Caravan.....I get the mobile phones (cell phone)!!!!! Ha,ha,ha,

.

15th Continued

After my last posting, we went for a drive around Silverton. Silly not to have done that before. Brian remembered a multi colour painted VW from when were there in 1989.....I can't remember it, but do remember some of the buildings. Sure enough the car is still there!!!

This is "Mad Max" territory.

This artist has beautiful work, We were there Saturday evening so all closed up, these were on the outside

So beautiful.

Some were 'well a little OFF'

At least Silverton has something for itself.

15th Photos

Silverton Park. &10 per person, $5 extra per vehicle for electricity, the tap water is non drinkable!

15th October

Silverton, 24k out of Broken Hill. It's not what we expected, may as well have stayed roadside except we have electricity for when we want the heater this evening. It's a stunner of a day and the flies make outside sitting unpleasant. TV impossible, phone is patchy but we are self contained so very fortunate. Quite a bit more live stock, Sherman, some cattle, goats and quite a lot of 'road kill' kangaroos. We have hardly seen any live ones on this whole trip but down south particularly, a lot of dead ones. Saw also a number of Emus also today.

The road side today reminded me of 13 years ago when Christy, 5yr old Mark & I drove to Newcastle for them to join Jamie who had gone there to work. That trip was a blaze of colour.

It's 'Patersons Curse' a poisonous weed for cattle I believe. BUT it so beautiful.

P.S. Where you have read Sherman, it should be 'some sheep' ........I won't dare to correct it!

14th Again

Forgot to say, the stop was Yunta.....not worth remembering!

14th October

We must have slept well.... up at 7am and 8am we were the first to leave.....then we arrived at our next spot before the previous nights campers had even left...well it was only130k.

Another one of Australia's 'has been' towns, a Pub, a Post Office, two 24hour petrol stations and 3 closed down businesses! There was a little park opposite the Pub with toilets and some railway sheds. We did see 2 freight 🚂 go through (non at night!). The view was very different to the previous night, but a number of other vans joined us. Dinner was still good.

We are enjoying playing Rummikub, keeping the brain working!

That 13 won me the game!

13th October

 🚘🚘🚘177k today, lovely weather, didn't stop at Port Augusta but stayed at a roadside stop, Orroroo. The outlook was beautiful fields and I cooked a lunch and enjoyed the view.

Then came evening, spectacular 

We had company of about 5 vans.

Stupid update

If I dare touch anywhere on the screen other than the keyboard, the whole lot disappears.

12th October

Oh what an interesting tour we have done today. Arrived at the Information Centre 10.30 so as to have an hour in the Maritime Museum before doing the conducted Tour of HMAS WHYALLA.

We dutifully paid our $10 each & were about to go in when a coach tour arrived & they had a private tour on immediately.......naturally we asked if we could join them & then see the Museum at our leisure........we passed muster (same age group!) and joined them with their guide

She was First class, funny, spoke clearly and spoke so all could hear hear. 12 in our group.

The actual seeing of the space and conditions is quite different to reading or seeing a film. I only took about 50 photos!! So will only post 5 (very restrained of me!)

The galley 

A square life raft

Up to 50 men slept in the one space, horrible. The Captain had a big cabin, well appointed but the men's conditions were deplorable. No hot water for showers at all!  And this was built in 1941 & took 9 months to build. There were 4 Corvettes built here, and then about 50 Iron Ore ships. Now no ships built in Whyalla.

After the tour we went on to the Museum and found it so informative & interesting. There was also a 12 minute film of the Whyalla's move from Melbourne to Whyalla in 1984, that part by sea then they built a cradle and moved it inland 2k . Who's the machinery that was needed for that manoeuvre was amazing, 5 great traction machines all pulling inch by inch 

OK, I hope I have inspired you to come and see for yourself!

There were a lot of stairs to climb up & down, so this old chook was pleased to have a Rest after lunch.

Supermarket shopping in later afternoon, then seafood maranara for tea, yumm.

Please excuse some mistakes, this system will not let me go back and correct them. If I attempt to, it deletes everything!!

11th October

A day to see the sights of Whyalla. Drove again around the foreshore and up to Hummock Hill Lookout where the gun turrets are still to be seen from war time.the Queen has visited here twice and unveiled the plaque up there. 

Looking down on the steel mills

Looking down on the CBA

This is the area the photos were taken from.

From here we drove out 30k to Point Lowly & Lighthouse on Fitzgerald Bay. There is no sand on the beaches there, it's all a red rocky pebbles but not smooth round ones. There is camping spots along there but they did not attract us in any way. 

We saw huge natural gas plant out there, all warning signs to say if the lights are flashing, take alternative route!!

All most interesting.

Made a call at the shopping centre, new ⌚️ for Brian, new pillow for me, and a visit to CentreLink to update our data as the iPad wouldn't submit The info!

Tomorrow we go to see more things of interest.

During the evening I had nice phone chats with good friends. Just some of my friends, there will be lots of talking when I get home.

10th October

Early start (early for us!) Brian had to have the car in to the Auto Electrician to have the rear caravan camera set up. We got it with the caravan but had never had the car set up to use it. During a heavy wind recently, a passing truck caused enough force to actually snap our driver side caravan mirror back against the car window....result broken but unmarked window, whew...lucky for us.

Brian walked back & again waited for the 2&1/2 hour job that took 5!!!!! Well we made good use of the time & cleaned the mud, red dust, dead flies, bird poop etc off the front of the van. Elbow grease was needed. I'm ashamed that i didn't take before and after photos. I was ashamed of it before. We didn't do the whole van, but did the really bad places & it's made such a huge difference. 

The car the brought back about 2pm and checked, & Brian returned him. He had 5 employees a year ago & with the down turn of the steel industry, he like so many others is about to close, he is on his own now & hardly any work! This is what happens to small towns when the main industry closes, very sad. This week saw the last car to be manufactured in Australia.👷🏻😪😪🚘🚘🚘

9th October

Whyalla.

A very nice day to drive only 267 k, this Eyre Peninsula was was damaged by the recent flooding and the cereal crops look amazing. As we came further north/east the more arid land started to show because this is iron ore mining area BHP was the instigator and the expert of steel is still going on.

This is the type of bush around , it's almost a grey colour.

The caravan park is small, old and clean & very friendly.

During the afternoon the wind came up so the awning was down (& has stayed down as it's not really sitting outside weather) then went for a drive to get our bearings. There is the steel mill and Port and city centre. Very nice water front. Poor pineapple palm trees were getting a bashing.

Then on to fuel up at the Shopping Centre, Whyalla Norrie which is a suburb and not far from our Park.

8th October

Another lovely day. Brian walked the foreshore to the town and says he looked for me in the shops he thought I would be in.....I had driven in and enjoyed my opportunity to drive and go to places I like.....the Caravan centre ( but it was only Service & repair, not a shop) next door was the Salvos Op-Shop where I got to metal mugs for morning coffee while on the move. Wento to a stunning gift ship where I wanted everything!! The shop itself was beautiful 

Next down was a quilting, knitting, patchwork crochet shop.......I want/will learn to crochet before our trip next year. Went to a shoe shop for Brian's new sneaker laces but no brown ones so had to go to Wollastonite for them. Spotted Millers.......can't miss that opportunity, got a nice lightweight jacket for caravanning and a beautiful new season top. Called at the Information Centre to pick up some more info & home by 1pm having thoroughly enjoyed my morning.

We went out for dinner at the Tasman Hotel and ha 'Deviled Scollops' they were absolutely delicious.

Came home and Brian won all the games of Rummy-O. AGAIN,

7th October

A full day, delightful. Did the everlasting laundry. We had some 'Water issues" last evening, the connection or local water pressure caused a minor leakage under the seating, there was a puddle under my feet & I knew I hadn't done it!!!, turned everything off, towel dried it out and Brian sorted it out this morning. Then off to see the Fishing boats. Dean Luken, the Olympic weightlifting 🏋 man of renown has a Tuna fishing 🎣 Big business here. 

We watched one boat unload 5 crates of mussels, it was fascinating.

Home for our 🍴 then out again, went to 'Coffin Bay' the very tip of the Eyre Peninsula. Oyster fishing here.

Went to the wharf & watched a number of boats coming & going as well as thr bird life.

And how about this, there were actually 7 chicks, but I was standing on the road with sun in my eyes, so was dodging traffic & hoped for the best......

Up to the 👀 out, what a view.

Back to town to see this Mosaic seat at the Anglician Church. It's something special.

There were some interesting bushes that I don't know anything about & haven't see before. Also there is one crop we can't work out, I must get a photo of it & maybe someone will know.

It's been another great day.