Motorhome 2009 Merry Christmas

Hello to family and friends,

 I hope that life is good for you all.

 Back at the end of October after I last sent out a news letter, I drove from Bendigo, SW to Maldon and happened upon their annual Folk festival in Butts campsite a beautiful bush gully. You Beauty, I would pay and stay on for the fun. I picked a prime spot to park in the bush. I then climbed up Mt Tarrengower and to the top of the forestry tower from where I had an eagle eye view of the camp, the distant Grampians and the immediate countryside.

Maldon an old gold mining town of great character has 2 km of heritage listed main street shops and cottages. It was a picturesque spot. For four days the streets were vibrant with musicians playing toe tapping music and Morris dancers leaping gaily about. The atmosphere was fantastic. The bush campsite had several music tents using stacked hay bales as sound barriers.

I met many lovely people and chummed up with Vern and Deeanne for the festival. We danced to the old time bush band in the local hall with the 14 elderly band members playing tambourine, penny whistle, accordian and pianoaccordian, mandolin and banjo, brass and guitars. They were amazing and a few of the local men were quick to get me on the floor and teach me the intricate steps of the Alberts and other dances.

Moving South, I camped for a week   beside Lake Colac where I cycled around the lakes beside lush green pastures separated by quaint rock fences and up Red Hill to the lookout. I found myself greeting the cows. “Hello girls”. They looked curiously at me! No wonder!

I worked my last stint with Alister in Coffee a la Carte at the Colac show.

 I also cycled the rough steep forest rail trail to Gelibrand. Roaring flames in the bush frightened me for a bit until I found it was just the firemen doing a controlled burn. I had to detour around that area.

I went down to Lorne on the spectacular Great Ocean road where cliffs and mountains rise straight out of the Great Southern Ocean, my bush campsite  for a few nights was near Wye River up a rough steep gravel track. Once on it there was no turning around so I planted my foot, straddled the gutters and 3.5 ton of low to the ground motorhome made it up to a delightful but isolated grassy clearing complete with grunting koalas for company.

On Gentle Annie’s Berry Farm in Penny Royal valley near Deans Marsh I picked raspberries and strawberries for 3 days. It was an absolutely gorgeous lush setting beside a running stream. I left there with stained fingers and lips, a kilo of plump ripe strawberries and cash in my pocket. The proprietors were a lovely couple.

Big Hill Track campsite, also above Lorne was like a mini league of nations as for 3 nights I chatted with Italian, German, French, Belgian and other backpackers. My bike pump came in handy to pump up the 2 flat tyres on one beat up combi van. The English couple then bolted hoping to make the nearest garage before the tyres went flat again.

I collected my son Mick in Geelong. How lovely to see and hug him. We cycled together near Colac, we camped for 4 days, 2 at Mt Eccles national park, a fascinating volcanic area. We viewed the volcanic lake and explored the cave. Koalas, possums, wallabies and roos and plenty of birds surrounded us in the bush as we relaxed and caught up on the last year. We are however still trying to remove grass seeds from our shoes and socks.

Off we went to Portland together to greet my daughter Melissa as she stepped off the bus and we set up our tents for the GVBR . We joined 4997 riders for 9 days of fun and spectacular scenery along the Great Ocean Road to Geelong. I was extremely delighted to share the cycling adventure with two of my three children.

Catching up with old friends and making some new ones was also good fun. We were proud to make it up over Lavers hill and enjoyed some great rolling hills but the first 2 nights were very soggy. On the first night I was sound asleep when someone fell across my tent at 3am flattened it and broke the pole. I think I over reacted, I copped some rubbishing later for waking up the surrounding area with my shrieks and yells. I spent the last couple of hours that wet night, sleeping on concrete tucked in against the only building nearby.

I also met up with Cynthia. We played in the same hockey team over 40 years ago. Incredible!

Portland was the first place in South Western Victoria to be settled and has many interesting old buildings and a very deep harbour. Nearby Cape Bridgewater was spectacular with rugged cliffs, a petrified forest and a colony of seals. All of this was backed by a great number of massive modern windmills whirling madly around and generating lots of power. I spent 3 days walking around the two places before heading north to Hamilton via Surry Ridge forest camp. It was a delightful peaceful clearing beside a creek.

I really enjoyed my 3 day stay with Bernadette and Lloyd in Hamilton. I first met Lloyd on the Margaret River WA Great Escapade ride. We enjoyed a great social weekend with their friends. They took me driving up to Halls Gap in the Grampians. Wow what amazing rocky mountains!  We also cycled (as you do) and swam some laps.

I received sad news from Tasmania. My friend Rob who took me out on a cray boat last summer died suddenly. He was in his forties I think. I had really enjoyed his company if only briefly. It is the people in my life who enrich it so much.  Goodbye Rob.

I have now crossed over into SA. I hadn’t thought of fruit fly and quarantine again so I stopped on the roadside madly chopped and lightly stir fried all of my newly purchased vegetables whilst squeezing oranges and lemons and munching my way through a small cos lettuce a Lebanese cucumber and a tomato.

I was taught to waste not want not and I wasn’t about to throw good food in the bin!

Mount Gambier Lake was an amazingly pristine blue colour and I walked around that volcanic crater and several others, Mt Schank included. Impressive! I’m so glad they are extinct nowadays!

Today the weather is disgusting! It is 38 degrees and there is a very strong northerly wind. Oh well, I shall just grin and bear it for a day. Tomorrow will be in the low 20’s again.

I shall be in Victor Harbor  SA for Christmas so I wish you all a

Very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful Year in 2010.

Motorhome 2009 The Working Traveller

The Working Traveller.

Thick Red Dust like talcum powder on every surface, including in my lungs is what I awoke to in Forbes. I had anchored in (whoops..moored... whoops again. I regress to my sailing years). Camped in Forbes overnight in horrid winds, I left 3 hatches ajar on the downwind side when I went to bed. Bad Mistake.

It took hours to clean up inside and out. At least over the next week I kept everything securely shut and only the exterior of the van was covered thickly in spattered mud in the next dust storm in Griffith where there was a slight shower with the storm a couple of days later.

I turned westward from the Newell Hwy at West Wyalong. My furthest west so far and into the beautiful Riverina District. I stood by the highway munching fruit that I didn’t want to throw into the fruit fly bins!

Griffith on the Kidman Hwy is an attractive town with orange blossoms scenting the air, orchards and crops looking lush and irrigation channels everywhere. I cycled about enjoying the farmland and did a bigger loop than anticipated when my tiny map led me astray. Sir Walter Burleigh Griffin planned some of the town as is evident by the circular roads, similar but on a much smaller scale to Canberra.

I camped beside Lake Wyanga 8k from Griffith, in the company of other travellers. A resident red pig, donkey, goats and deer also kept us company. We were delighted to have free power, water and toilets and a bar b queue. It was very cold and we all had heaters on and huddled down for 3 days.

Down through Ned Kelly country, Jerilderie and on to Cobargo to camp beside Billabong Creek. Here the “boys” were gathering for the Big Ute Muster next day at Deniliquin.

Huge lines of amazingly colourfully decorated utes were camped in long rows outside the grounds. I couldn’t repeat some of the slogans on the utes but by gosh what a mob of interesting characters they were. I remember seeing Mitch’s Virgin Conversions and I did see a blow up nude doll waving gaily to me and heard about nude dancers on ute roof tops overnight. Swag rolls were to be seen on most utes. No fancy tents for these tough blokes and gals. Old 3 piece lounge suites were commonly toted on the utes and gave them some home comforts around the campsite. One trio of utes had a spa a generator and heater and a water tank. I bet they were popular.

I worked for Alister in Coffee a la Carte at the Muster. 2 x 16 hour days plus a half day. We poured thousands of lattes and cappuccinos, very tiring to the arms and shoulders. It was fun though, interacting with the customers. The music was continuous. It was a fantastic spectacle. 25000 plus people. They made the  Guinness record for the largest gathering of utes and the most blue  “blokes” singlets ever worn in one place. Cowboy hats and dancing in the dirt were in. The rodeo tested some of the bull riders out. I am glad that as a worker I didn’t have to pay the $150 entry fee.

Deniliquin is also a pretty little town .I am constantly surprised at how beautiful these western areas are. I had always envisaged them as brown and barren instead of the lush spring fields that I am seeing. I think that it is only the irrigation that keeps them that way, plus it is the best time of year for green.

Two days later again found us pouring coffee by the thousands to the farming community at the Elmore field days. 15000 people and everything possible that the farming family might use was on display. Another bunch of lovely people to mingle with.

No rest for the wicked, straight on to the Shepparton Show to pour more coffee. By this time we had poured many litres of milk and ground many a bean to fill about 5000 coffee cups, no wonder I am a little tired!

I was at first very disappointed with Shepparton. I saw the most “grungy” part of the population. All of those with hardly a “bean” to their names are out there spending   “mega bucks” on rides and junk food. I am surprised that the rides can cope. The “ban obesity lets get healthy” message had not gotten through to these folks. I was appalled.

Alister looks after his staff very well and has booked my van into a caravan park at each town where I am working. He has also taken me out for a meal at each town that we work in. Shepparton caravan park was a lovely one beside the Goulbourn river.

 I stayed on afterwards and with the help of a little booklet, Cycling Greater Shepparton, I discovered a lot of beautiful countryside as I rode different circuits each day. The bike paths along the Goulbourn are extensive and lovely to ride along. I also swum laps a few days in the local pool, something I have done whenever there is an open pool in town. I meet local cyclists along the way and have ridden with one or two for a while.

I had a really lovely week camped beside the Campaspe river between Elmore and Rochester ( Cyclist Sir Hubert Opperman’s hometown) with many other friendly free campers. I love all of the little fire pots that we sit around at “happy hour”. We used the cleanish river water to bath and for our laundry and dishes. Some heat it on their fire pots. Dawn was watching Rodney one morning as he scooped yet another bucketful out whilst standing on a fallen tree. Suddenly…slip…whoosh…splash and only his head was showing. Dawn and I just couldn’t wipe the grins from our faces as Rodney struggled out shivering to dry off.

 I cycled every day for the week, so far I have ridden over 1300 k since leaving Brisbane. It is the best way to sightsee and the strong winds are at least giving me some resistance training in these flat areas.

 The back roads are set out in neat rectangles and it easy to complete short or long circuits, Apparently it was a soldier settlement area in the early days hence the rectangular blocks of land. The irrigation channels also run in straight lines between the road and the farms.

Now I am in Bendigo, having worked at the show again. I am waiting a day or two for some mail to come through and then will drive further south to explore more of this great country and see what characters I may find along the way.

Motorhome2009 - Going West

Going West

It’s 3 weeks since I drove off from Brisbane and I haven’t had a dull moment.

My 12 year old Grandson Jackson was good company on the drive to Crows Nest and I thought it delightful that he didn’t want either radio or ipod on, saying that he would much rather just talk along the journey.

We were fortunate to be invited to friend Kerrie’s  ( I met her on the WA ride) family farm They were warm,  fun and very hospitable and joined in with the pre ride fun in Toowoomba when they drove us in for the start of the Queensland Big 9 day 560 km ride.

The weather was great although we had one evening storm and 3 mornings where our tent fly’s were covered in sheet ice on the inside brrrrr. Kerrie’s black knicks hanging inside out to dry were white with frost. I wanted to see her put those on! . Kerrie and I were G1 and G2 (grandma’s)

Jackson excelled, had a wonderful time and became well known around the camp for his outgoing personality and his riding performance. He was chatty and friendly to everyone. Many of the men said “He’s very impressive but he sure does have a lot to say! People came up to me all the time saying” Oh… you’re Jacksons Grandma aren’t you.” Two older ladies told me that he was absolutely admirable and to be commended because he had spotted one of them with a flat tyre along the road and stopped and changed it for her. They were amazed.

As a Grandma , Grandson duo we did an ABC Southern Queensland  radio interview which was broadcast locally and in Brisbane and all over regional Queensland so we are now famous. I was delighted and proud to have him along even if I did rouse on him each morning to wind him up for the day. We had to get up, get dressed, pack our tents and bags, have breakfast, fill water bottles, pump our tyres and load our bags on the truck to be ready for a 7ish start each day! Quite an effort.

Jackson is hoping that his father might ride with him on next years Yeppoon to Bundy ride.

Amongst 1200 riders and volunteers, I chanced to dine one night with Liz from Mossman and next morning with Trish from Kawana who were both going to Coonabarabran after the Toowoomba - Darling Downs ride. They were joining a dozen friends for a week of camping and cycling in that region. They suggested that I might like to join them. Whoopee! Yes Please.

It was great fun and they were a lovely friendly bunch. We cycled up to the Observatory at Siding Springs in the Warrumbungles, joined the local BUGS (Bicycle User Group) on their Saturday coffee ride and did several other scenic rides on country roads in marvelous spring weather.

We also went bush with 2 local Indigenous people. Bill aged 70 and his daughter a triathlete, showed us some sandstone caves in the bush. It was a really interesting outing and they had us eating bush tucker along the way, showed us some Aboriginal cave paintings and we all sat in the high caves, looking out over the bush and had a lovely discussion about their culture and their place today in the local community.

On our last day we left the bikes and did a bushwalk of 14 kms, a circuit in the Warrumbungles that included the climb up to the Breadknife. What spectacular rock formations and a beautiful area. We also saw an emu with 7 fluffy chicks running behind him.

We had a final night dinner at Milton and Jane Judd’s home. Milton is the leader of the Coonabarabran BUG’s.

We all swapped address details and plan to do more similar week - long rides together in the future.

The weather cracked on Tuesday and after a brief morning storm I had a strong tail wind as I drove to Forbes. I could have used a spinnaker! It was rather hairy when the road wound around and the side on gusts had me gripping the wheel tightly. Great fuel economy that day. 13 litres to the 100 kms.

It was blowing a gale when I was parked on the Lachlan river at Forbes. It didn’t seem to perturb the numerous duck families waddling and swimming with their chicks. I had a sore throat and was coughing so went to bed but unfortunately left the hatches open.

I awoke to find my van inside and out completely covered with thick red dust. I didn’t move on as the wind and dust were horrendous and also had turned around to the southwest. I would have had a head wind. What a cleanup!

Next day as I drove to Griffith along the Mid Western Highway and then the Kidman I noticed that the previously creamy coloured sheep and lambs were all now orange.

The scenery has been beautiful and interesting. Mile upon mile of green crops in the valleys with hills in the distance and today as I hit the Riverina District there are masses of trees covered with oranges and the air is perfumed with them. Lots of grape vines as well.

Tonight I am parked on a river again, this time in Griffith. It looks like a lovely town, 24000 residents, I shall jump on my bike in the morning and explore.