Our Australia trip

Our day didn’t start that well. Just before turning the lights off and go to sleep, Dotti got an epileptic fit and was anxious to go to sleep alone in the front of the bus. We made a makeshift bed near the foot end of our bed so Dotti would feel closer to Nossi (who was on the foot end of our bed) and us in the bed. Also we gave her half a Valium tablet.
She slept quite well and woke up not too early to go outside. When she walked about 10 steps she fell over and yelped in pain. She had done that before but only after quite some exertion. This time only after a few steps. I picked her up and we put her back in the bus, where she had a second epileptic fit and longer even so that she bit her tongue. She looked dazed and clearly in pain.
We could see her progress rapidly down and, even though she ate well and had twice a day pain killers, could not walk without pain. We didn’t want that and contacted a vet in the nearest village Orbost.

We drove there and at around 10 am Nossi and I said goodbye to our good old friend and Marjo took her to the vet. The vet was a young woman and an even younger assistant. To makeit more comfortable for Dotti, they all were seated on the floor with her. Being Dotti, she quickly found that there were some liver treats left on the floor and ate those quickly. The vet diagnosed Dotti with an advanced brain tumor that is inoperable and they decided it was best to let Dotti sleep in. With Marjo holding Dotti and the vet nurse feeding her little bits of liver treats, the vet injected her slowly. Then Dotti got very quiet and in a moment her eyes glazed over and she went peacefully. Our dear dog friend. It is better this way.

With sadness and love for Dotti, we went into a local park near the river, not far from where Dotti will be buried to talk about it. There we walked around the park and looked at the nice art.

Then we left Orbost which will always remind us of Dotti.
The navigator played a new trick on us and told us to enter the highway where that clearly posed some difficulty.

It was now about 1 pm and we were eager for lunch so we stopped in Genoa at a rest area. The rest area worked out to be a nice campground along the river and we decided to stay for the day.

Our lunch was lovely.

Marjo took her kayak and explored the river.

It was nice but a bit shallow and overgrown. Everywhere we’ve been it is clear that the rivers in Australia are quite low and it feels we are in dire need of rain. Let’s hope that is not a sign of a draught coming.

A memorable day.

We will always think of you.

Posted from Genoa, Victoria, Australia.

Over the last 17 years and even more so during the last 10 months we have enjoyed the company of Dotti, our loyal Kelpi x Cattle dog. Niki brought her home one day from a horse camp and Dotti has been the leader of our pack of dogs over the years.
During our trip around Australia we never thought that, at 17 years of age and advanced arthritis, Dotti would accompany us almost on the complete trip but she did. For 10 months she has visited over 200 campsites across 7 states, traveled over 30,000 kilometers, warmed Marjo’s feet in the bus and most important of all was our loyal, friendly and easy going dog for all those years.

Today Dotti passed away after arthritis and a brain tumor made it too much to carry on. She is buried along the Snowy River in the town of Orbost.

We will remember Dotti forever for the great dog she was.

In the water:

And on land.

Always eager for food.

And whatever we did to you.

You were always eager to play with us.

And although you loved to hide.

You were always eager to join us in our travels.

Rest in peace our friend.

You were great company.

And will surely be missed.

We can smell the coast again and have had enough of 20 kph going up hill and not much faster engine-braking the other side down again. So we aim for a spot close to the ocean.

The wind has picked up to about 80 kph and it pushes us further east.

I’m sure this does wonders for our diesel consumption and we might be using less than the smell of an oily rag.

The wind howls through the trees.

And clouds threaten with rain.

This part of the coast is called the “rugged coast” but apart from the roads to get to the beach, there’s not much ruggedness.

After 5 km’s of teeth shattering corrugations we feel in need of a stop and consider staying at a lake instead of the beach.

But when we see that the campground is on a massive slope and there’s only dirt, we decide to rattle on and a half hour later we arrive at Pettman’s Beach.

We settle and are surprised about the cheeky birds.

We find the time to finish some maintenance work that we started at Black Man’s Creek.

The beach is nice and empty.

When our neighbouring campers try to leave they have a flat battery. And of course we have a start pack; hey, there’s a reason we travel with a trailer full with whatever you could need.

A nice stay.

From Smoko we follow the road towards Omeo. Well that was the plan anyway until we met a chatty guy (the one with the cowboy hat and the colourful vest).

He told us a story that the road was under repair from the recent bush fires and following land slides and that we really should stop at a diner but that this would mean an 80 km detour. We weren’t thrilled but not being on a time schedule we didn’t care too much either. It was clear though that we couldn’t continue this road.

So we back tracked and turned towards Mount Beauty and up a steep grade. That lent for a nice photo opportunity.

The road from here followed the Kiewa river all the way to Falls Creek. The river and the slopes gave for some nice views.

Even with small waterfalls just along the side of the road.

There were plenty of signs warning for the dangers of black ice; the road was indeed steep and very windy with sometimes a crumbling side. Some of the signs made us laugh.

All the dead trees (or dormant?) made for an eerie sight.

Then we arrived in Falls Creek which is one if the major ski resorts of Victoria.

It wasn’t empty, but I’m sure not even close to one percent of the people that will be here during winter. It’s built on the edge of a dam.

And it seemed someone pulled on the chain with the drain hole plug. Soon it will be empty.

The area surrounding ski fields give a strange unworldly kind of feeling outside of the winter season.

Then we leave the high mountains and join the Tambo river.

And see some interesting shaped tree trunks along the road.

And when the scenery changes from mountains to rolling hills we start looking for a place to stay.

Then we arrive at Swifts creek which has a small campground along the Tambor river. It’s a weird place but we have a nice shower and even do our laundry and when we are not quick enough to give the dogs water, Nossi finds his own way.

A great day.

Posted from Swifts Creek, Victoria, Australia.

It was kinda sad to leave Black Man’s Creek, but when you’re out of supplies and miles away from a village then there’s not much choice. We were not game enough to start hunting for our own supplies and even then, even if I would’ve been able to capture a cow I have no clue how to turn that into yoghurt.

We take the dirt road back to the bitumen and get the bus covered in more dust.

Then we follow the road past trees and nice views.

Then we come to Bright, a nice village that signifies the start of the snow region. There are several ski shops and places to hire snow chains. There’s also a piece of art that catches Marjo’s eye.

When we leave Bright, the hills are turning into mountains.

Then we arrive at the Smoko campground where we see the same couple that we saw in Tasmania. Knowing that they love their generator and have found another couple that like that too plus have all their car doors open so they can hear the stereo better, we decide to search for a space as far as possible away. And we find a private spot right along the river.

The spot is in the middle of the trees and we all think it’s great to stay for a night.

Then, when I ask if the dogs want their dinner, they’re all ear.

A nice day.

Posted from Smoko, Victoria, Australia.

You can imagine that we didn’t like to stay another day at Lake Eildon. I’m sure that after enough rain the location can be really nice when the ground is covered with some growth and the lake full with water. But like its now there’s not much attraction.

So we say goodbye to the lake with its house boats.

And drive along winding roads further up the mountains. There is an abundance of manna gums (or white gum or eucalyptus viminalis) and many signs to be aware of koala’s who feed of the leaves of these trees.

Then the wind picks up and clouds move in and we have a southerly upon us.

We follow the navigator over the roads towards James Reserve but decide to ignore it when it suggests to take 12 km of bad dirt road. Instead we circumvent and cut it down to 5 km reasonable dirt road (and 12 km bitumen). When we arrive at Black Man’s Creek we can see it was worth it.

The large, well maintained, bush camp is nicely located next to a small creek.

The weather is interesting, first clouds and fierce winds but no rain.

Then sunny with cloudless skies. Still a cold wind but with the campground located in a valley surrounded by tall gums, we are spared from most of the wind that blows over our heads. We have a choice between the warm sun or the fresh shade and adopt a bit of an hot/cold pattern; warm up in the sun and cool down in the windy shade. Not a bad lifestyle if those are your only concerns.

The area is nice.

And we all settle down to stay a few days.

The creek is great for washing some of our pans and of course ourselves. After the first shock it’s nice and refreshing.

And apart form the occasional local family that comes here for a picnic we have the place to ourself. With blue skies every day and the fresh wind to keep the temperature at a pleasant 25 degrees there’s not much we miss (apart from kiting of course, but I’m sure that once we get closer to the coast that will be solved too).

Now we don’t have to pack up and drive every day, we have time for other things. We first re-pack the bus and trailer so that we can travel without loading our bed with dog beds, chairs and kites every day we travel. Marjo must have spotted some free space and soon after we finished repacking she goes on the hunt for a burl. Inspired at Axeman’s Hall of Fame, she has seen the nice things people make from burls (the stress warts you can see on the trunk of some trees). When you see them they don’t look like much, apart from the interesting shape of the wood grain.

But properly carved (or turned if you have the equipment) and polished they make for fabulous bowls. We already have one from my dad and Karin when they visited us the first time and Marjo got me one for my birthday in Tasmania. But now it’s time for Marjo to show her craftwomanship.

And when she sees a new toy it’s my turn.

Marjo and Nossi go for walks.

Also the birdlife is diverse and colourful.

And in the evening we light a fire to keep warm.

We all had a nice time.

A great stay.

Posted from Lima East, Victoria, Australia.

We arrive in Melbourne before sunrise and the whole deck is still damp and covered in salt crystals. It must have been a rough crossing with lots of salt water spray. When we moor everything is calm though.

After reuniting with the dogs and the bus we are on our way through sleepy Melbourne. We’re just ahead of all the traffic and can see the traffic jams build up the other way. We’re glad to leave the hustle and bustle and go towards Pierre to pick up the trailer.

Before we get to Pierre we stop at BCF where we bought the inflatable kayak to resolve an ill-fitting pump connection. They delivered the wrong pump hose with the boat. While we wait for the shop to open we have breakfast and play with the dogs.
At the shop I have an argument where the lady says they can’t help it if the manufacturer puts the wrong stuff in the box and I counter that I didn’t buy it on eBay just for this reason. A retailer should take responsibility for what they sell. In the end she gives in and contacts the importer who promise to send out a proper hose and if we can come back in a few days. I tell her that we don’t have that option and if they can send it to our home address (at Joran). She sputters that they can’t do that and I reply that I will then have no option to take one of the hoses from a pump that fits. She gives in again and takes our address. Like pulling teeth.

Our next stop is stocking up on fruit and veggies and we stop at the same shop where we went on the first trip to Pierre. There Marjo finds also a delicatessen store with more Dutch food then we saw in the Dutch shop in Melbourne last time. So we stock up on frites sauce, licorice and speculaas. Yumm.

Then we arrive at Pierre’s where his daughter does the honours. We give her the gift we bought at Axeman’s Hall of Fame and hook up the trailer and make our way north, towards the alpine region.

As could be expected the drive is up hill and we see nice forests, hills, lakes and streams.

Then we arrive at a campground close to a river. The bush camp is not very appealing, really a circle road in the dust. The river is a 5 minute walk down hill and (lucky) the shore of the river is about a meter above the water. I say lucky as the water flows so fast that if one of our dogs would have jumped in we would have lost them from view within 10 seconds. It’s not really visible in the picture but I couldn’t run fast enough to keep up with the flow (alright, I might not beat the world record running any day soon, but still can move reasonably fast).

So we decide not to stay and drive on to Lake Eildon.

The lake is another dam where trees have drowned in the water and now we can see where all the water in the fast flowing river comes from.

The lake is about 9 meters under level.

Although we can’t access the water here either and the camp ground is nothing special, we decide to stay for the night. We are supposed to book in by calling or going to the state forest website but they didn’t think that after 6 km of steep dirt road no one in their right mind drives back to see where they can get mobile reception to register for the camp ground.

The flies drive us inside and – with last yesterday’s short night anyway – we sleep like roses. If anything, the campground is quiet and dark.

Our first day back on the mainland.

Posted from Lima East, Victoria, Australia.

To all nice things comes an end. Silly saying really, because to all not so nice things comes an end too. Even all in-between things stop at some time. So forget that I wrote that.

We ran out of bread and so we make a few flat pan breads for Marjo as breakfast. Also the yoghurt for muesli is out and water is getting low.

More importantly, in two days we will be sailing to Tasmania and we want some time to freshen up ourselves, the bus and do the internal move so we can travel Tasmania without trailer. Bringing the trailer would add a huge amount of cost to our fare (like $800) and we decided to forego the kayak, bikes, tools, spares, and shell/rock/wood collection. So we need a bit of time and clean surroundings to get all non necessary stuff out of the bus in the trailer and all necessary stuff from the trailer to the bus.

Time to find a real camping.
It is always a bit of a challenge to find something close to a city that is not too restrictive but is more than just a patch of dirt with a cold shower. After some solid research looking at maps, camping reviews, caravan park websites and making calls we found an option in Glen Cromie holiday park. It has a bush type feel (talks about walking trails) and has very contradicting reviews. Some who talk about the good feel, others about insufficient and old amenities and unfriendly staff. We decide to have a look and otherwise go to the more formal Healesville camping that gets raving reviews but, judging from the pictures, seems much more formal.

On the way back to Melbourne we pass again the Herewegodutch cafe, but it’s a bit early for a broodje kroket so we drive past. We stop in Sale for some shopping and while Marjo is getting groceries and a new broom to replace the old one that snapped in two I’m keeping the dogs company and try to learn the lyrics of “Hey Soul Sister” from Train so I can play it on the guitar. I’ve already learned the “What’s Up” song by the 4 Non Blondes and being practically bold, I’m sure I can become a mean number five.
While leaving Sale, Marjo spots a new way to express her art: mosaic on objects. Don’t be surprised to see a mosaic bus in the future.

We say goodbye to the hills and head back towards Melbourne.

The reviews of Glen Cromie are all correct, the place is nice, directly on the river with nice bush walks.

At the same time the amenities are from the time that convicts ruled Australia complete with water from the river. Lucky for us the river is fast flowing and clean so we can shower and do the laundry.

The dogs can walk straight to the river to drink or take a bath and then lie to dry in the sun.

The walks result in some nice shots.

And a bush concert.

Press the arrow to play.

A great stay.

Posted from Drouin West, Victoria, Australia.

The next morning the sand still feels yuck, the ocean is nothing better and again we’re not able to go into the waves as they crash on the beach. It’s supposed to rain quite a bit today and I have visions of us in the black sand, in the rain and convince Marjo to leave.

We’re packed up in no time and leave the coast. Marjo has found a camp site, near water but away from the coast so less chance of being packed with Australia Day hordes.

We drive again through Sale and then come past Stratford. It’s around lunch time and I already have given up McDonalds after Marjo declined (she must have read Elizabeth’s book called “Nourishing your Heart and Soul”) when she spots a nice diner.

It works out that the owners are Dutch but not present. The staff is still capable of making us a nice broodje kroket and after this healthy meal we continue our trip towards the lower alpine region.

When we arrive at the Blue Pools campground it becomes evident that we were right; the camp ground is deserted. Perhaps afraid of bush fires? We have internet reception to check on Country Fire Authority updates, the road is sealed and there’s rain forecasted so we are not hesitant to camp here and have the pick of all the spots. A location with nice view of the rock face, not far from the pools and the river and from the toilet. We’re set.

We walk to the pool and have a nice refreshing swim. With no one else around and only the sound of birds, this is a magical place and we decide to stay for four days.

Just down from where we are camped is the river with some pooled water that flows very slowly. Ideal for our daily bath routine.

The quiet of the campground and the water makes for all kind of wildlife.

The weather is nice to be able to do things around the bus, such as making art.

… writing the blog….

…and walking on water.

And also to explore the bush and river.

At some point I saw Marjo and Nossi staring.

And was wondering what they were looking for when I saw it too.

Marjo is always eager to capture a nice bird picture; Nossi can’t help himself and still remembers Niki’s training to try and chase birds. This one was too high, so he went back to chasing flies.

A magical stay.

Posted from Briagolong, Victoria, Australia.

With our water depleted, bread, yoghurt and – most importantly – beer and wine supplies dried up, it seems time to leave the nice Reeves Beach campground. Just before we left a young couple setup a tent next to us. It seems not for sleeping in, but to stake out a place for Australia Day, which is only a few days away. With that in mind we are considering to find as soon as possible our next location. Overnight the wind picked up and in the middle of the night we pack up the awning and anything that can be blown away.

In the morning it is still blowing hard and it seems that the wind left behind soot from nearby bush fires.

Also the surf is much wilder.

So it’s time to leave.

Upon departing at around 9 am a fellow camper drinking a beer gave some helpful instructions in finding the next camp site: ” left at the pines, right at the honey suckle then you come to an arch made of gum trees to the entrance”. He had heard on the radio that several camp grounds were closed due to bush fire threats. We thanked him and then decided to rely on the GPS.

First we headed to Sale for groceries, grog, fuel and water and to visit a vet for Nossi’s attack of nasty bites. It worked out that the bites were from mites probably picked up in the bush from a wombat hole and we got a military strength antidote. Traveling from Sale to Paradise Beach we passed a farmer chasing his herd. He didn’t tire himself and used his ute instead.

Any stray sheep was quickly taken care of by the dog on the back of the ute.

Then we came through an arch of flowering trees (was the morning beer drinker right?) near the coast.

The tent squatters at Reeves Beach weren’t fools; the camp site at Paradise Beach (still part of 90 mile beach) was packed and we left. Then we followed the coast where 10 smaller camp grounds were designated for bush campers and found a spot we settled on number five.

We went to the beach and found that the shape of the surf is such that the swell rolls in close to the beach and then with much force slams on the sand. Not able to stand where the waves break, we just let the water spray us.

Marjo spots something struggling further down the beach and it works out to be a seal.

Nossi doesn’t seem to make any distinction between birds and seals and despite Marjo’s stern warnings he still makes the seal go back into the ocean.

At least we know now that the seal is healthy enough to go back out to sea.

We take a shower in a makeshift shower cubicle formed by shade cloth, clamps and our bush shower to spray off the dirty sand from the camp ground, have dinner, watch a movie and sleep tight.

An ok stay.

Posted from Briagolong, Victoria, Australia.