On boxing day it's time to say goodbye. The campground that we stayed on will be swamped today with campers, about a 1,000 people in total and probably one third of that on the foreshore. I'm sure that there's enough space as the sites are very big but good luck to them with only 2 toilets.
We shut the gate and move on. So do James & Lisa and children and Cameron & Elizabeth. Everyone to a different, new destination.
The road East takes us past the Tantanoola cave and Marjo can barely control her spelunking itch. So while the dogs and I watch he bus, Marjo goes underground.
The caves were discovered by a young boy while hunting rabbits. He used to take his ferret and steer him down rabbit holes to chase down the rabbits and when the rabbit would exit the coop the boy stood ready with a net to catch them. One time the ferret didn’t come back. Tired from waiting the boy dug the rabbit hole deeper and found the caves.
His commercially astute parents got a lease on the land and commercially ran the caves. After they passed away 42 years later, the caves became under control of the Environment department of SA government.
The view from the top of the caves gives a good indication of the major industry: pine logging.
After this interesting intermezzo we went to Mount Gambier, time to stock up on food, water and petrol. Here we also run into James, Lisa, Spencer, Finn and Sienna who left the campground a bit later then we and caught up with us. We wave and go separate ways.
We have lunch at he Blue Lake, a phenomenon where the minerals in the lake in November turn the colour of the lake from winter steel blue to brilliant turquoise blue and then in March changes back to steel blue.
The first campground we wanted to stay at is somewhat strange. Just a car park next to an old crater. The view is not bad and there are toilets too, but the blowing wind is cold. A man from Tasmania who walks from his old station wagon with a coffee cup as big as a bucket explains that he just came from Dartmoor and had a great stay there. We talk for a bit and when he leaves a swarm of flies follows him. We decide not to stay and go to Dartmoor instead. With the wind picking up we drive more south to try and see whether kiting is an option.
Then at 2.06 pm (or 2.36 for Victorians) we leave South Australia and enter Victoria. We have great memories of SA!
I hear you thinking….is he going to make another attempt to compare states. Well, be disappointed, I’m not. If we hadn’t seen the sign, we would have had no clue that we changed states.
We drive into Nelson on the way to a campsite and, surprise, surprise again we pass James. They are camping in Nelson with friends for the remainder of their holiday. The campground seems very busy with lots of kids which suits them well but is not for us. Because there’s a lot of wind we have a look at the ocean but decide that the waves are a bit too much to kite on or swim in. There are also many signs telling us not to swim, almost enough for me to be recalcitrant and swim anyway.
We drive past more forrestries.
When we stop, to our surprise we see a river. Perhaps something for Marjo to kayak on?
Then we come to Dartmoor and pass some crafty wood cuttings.
We find fly-man’s campground without a problem and find a nice spot. The campground is not busy at all.
Marjo is happy when indeed she can take out her kayak.
And isn’t disappointed when on her kayak trip she discovers pretty trees and so.
A magnificent day.
Posted from Dartmoor, Victoria, Australia.
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