CROSSING THE NULLABOR


SUNDAY, MAY 3  SMOKY BAY TO GREAT AUSTRALIAN BIGHT

We reluctantly left Smoky Bay at about 9.30 with grey skies, but very little wind.  Ceduna was the first stop, only about 40 kms away, for fuel and a few groceries. Pretty uneventful day, just lots of scrubby saltbush, a couple of roadhouses and a few emus. 

The warning sign for animals on the road amused me.

Millie managed to demolish her second bed during the day.

We stopped for an overnight camp at a rest area overlooking the Great Australian Bight. 

Beautiful scenery out the bedroom window.

MONDAY, MAY 4        GREAT AUSTRALIAN BIGHT TO BALLADONIA

Not a great start to the day with a cold shower – the hot water service was not working.  We continued on across the Nullabor. Just before the WA border, we saw a dingo at the side of the road.  It was just standing looking at us, didn’t even try to run away.

At the WA border we had to get rid of all our fruit and vegetables at the quarantine station.  Fortunately we knew this would happen so we didn’t have much left.  This means a couple of days without any fresh fruit or vegetables as there is nothing much until Norseman.

We passed through Cocklebiddy and Caiguna and started on the longest straight road in Australia – 90 miles of straight road.

We decided to stop at the roadhouse at Balladonia as there was a caravan park there and we would have hot showers.  It was an interesting place, there was a Skylab Museum there.  Apparently it is where a part of Skylab landed years ago.  The piece is actually in the Museum there.  There was also a very nice bar and eating area.  We had a very acceptable dinner there.  It is strange to find these types of things in the middle of nowhere.  There were also extremely large ant holes - must have very large ants in Balladonia!

TUESDAY, MAY 5             BALLADONIA TO ESPERANCE

Another early start (I hope I am not developing bad habits).  I think the time differences are messing things up a bit.  We were on the road before 8 o’clock. 

Another interesting sign on the highway are the emergency air strips for the Flying Doctor.  Great dual use for the roads.

Our next stop would be Norseman, approximately 200 kms away, where we hoped to get some supplies.  Alan also hoped to find an auto electrician and get our batteries checked as they didn’t seem to be working properly.  We found an auto repair place, where the man was able to check them.  He told us there used to be an auto electrician but “the town’s buggered now”.  I guess the mining downturn is having an effect here, similar to what we saw in Kalgoorlie/Boulder last year.

We went into the “town centre” of Norseman for a look anyway – there wasn’t much to see.  There were a lot of boarded up buildings and the ones still operating had a very tired look about them.  It had obviously been a thriving small town at one time.  The main street had nice little garden areas and some sculptures.  The corrugated iron camels were very clever.

From Norseman we turned south for Esperance.  As we travelled along this road the vegetation thinned out and there were large crop growing areas.  We followed the railway line all along and there were very large grain storage facilities at regular intervals. There were also many signs pointing to Historic School Sites.  This area must have been dotted with small schools in the past.  There were also a lot of shallow lagoons with some water in them.

We got to Esperance and started looking for a park to stay for a few days until Peter and Judy Brown catch up with us.  Unfortunately, the best positioned ones (there are 6 parks in total in Esperance) are not pet friendly.  We eventually found Pink Lake Caravan Park about 2 kms from the town centre, dog friendly and quite tidy.  We had quite a large drive through site so fitting everything in was pretty easy.  It isn’t always!

After setting up we drove to the shopping area to get some much needed fruit and vegetables, and a bed for Millie to sleep on!  The town is much bigger than I expected, with lots of shops and a very large industrial area.  There is a lot of development in the harbour area.  The rail line runs to the harbour and is obviously a very important part of the town.

We will be here for about a week and Peter and Judy should get in by the weekend, so there will be lots of Esperance to show next time.  

Merrilyn xx

SMOKY BAY

I forgot to put this photo in the first post.  This is a very special bracelet made for me before we left by Aiden and Hunter to remind me of them while we are away.  

TUESDAY, APRIL 29                                SMOKY BAY

The wind was still blowing very strongly in the morning but the rain seemed to have cleared.  It is lovely being able to stay inside out of the wind but still be able to see the sea.  

The wind stayed with us all day, but we did manage a long walk, pretty much all the way around the town.  We walked through the industrial area where all the oyster sheds are, and to the boat ramp. 

It was hard to find a spot out of the wind, but the sun was out so sitting outside with a book was the afternoon’s activity.  

The sunset was quite beautiful as there were only a few clouds in the sky.  I think it might have been a partial eclipse tonight. 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30                       SMOKY BAY

During the night, the wind dropped right away, so the morning was right for fishing.  The sea was very flat and the sun was out – perfect. 

While Alan was out fishing, Millie and I had a very long walk all the way to the little headland to the right of the shack.  The tide was out and we only saw one other person on the beach so it was quite beautiful.  Millie enjoyed her walk, there was a lot of scrubby bush along the way and she did a lot of running around in there – probably chasing rabbits.  She also chased the seagulls so she got plenty of exercise.  

As we walked along, there were lots of shells and seaweed, but I saw one large complete shell that looked beautiful.  I thought I would take it back and leave it at the shack.  As I picked it up and turned it over, there was a pop and a little crab retreated into the shell.  

The fishing boats seemed to be mainly just off the headland so hopefully there were some fish being caught.  

Alan had managed to find a couple of unsuspecting whiting to jump on to his line, so it was whiting for dinner.

THURSDAY, MAY 1                            SMOKY BAY

The morning was nice and sunny again, a little bit of wind but nothing much so Alan went out again to bother the fish.  

Millie and I walked again to the point, a bit more difficult today in the increasing head wind. As we got back, Alan did as well as it was becoming a little choppy out on the water.  He had a sizeable catch this time, 14 good sized whiting.  He also brought to the surface a number of large blue swimmer crabs but they dropped off as he pulled them in, not having any net with him.

After lunch the weather started to turn really nasty, with strong winds and rain setting in.  We were confined to quarters for the afternoon, all 3 of us in the camper.  Everything outside was wet and there was nowhere dry for Millie outside.  The afternoon was spent playing computer games and reading. For the quilting readers, I have managed to do a bit of sewing. 

During the night the wind got stronger, and the camper was really being blown around.  The rain kept up for much of the night and we couldn’t open any of the windows as it was blowing in.  However, we were very cosy in the camper and Millie was even allowed to sleep inside.

FRIDAY, MAY 2                               SMOKY BAY

In the morning it was still windy, with some showers, but the sun came out at times.  

The wind and showers continued for most of the afternoon, but we did manage a short walk to the Community Club to have a look at what time they opened and whether meals were available. They were, so that  was us for dinner. There were quite a few there, mostly locals and some people from the caravan park so we were told.  You need to be local to get prompt service from the bar, otherwise you wait. Home again to watch the finish of the football, unfortunately not a great result for Carlton. Another windy, showery night with Millie sleeping inside again.    

SATURDAY, MAY 3                            SMOKY BAY

In the morning, the wind had dropped again so Alan went out to try and catch some more fish, we were leaving the next morning and hopefully would have some fish to take with us. Millie and I walked to the point again and found a few interesting things on the way. 

The large shell seemed to be some sort of mussel, but some ladies I met walking told me that it is the shell that the razor fish grows in.  Razor fish are used for bait and have become quite scarce here now.  The shell grows upright in the water and the fish inside is quite small.  A very large shell for a very small fish.  The ladies were collecting some sort of reeds for weaving into baskets.  That would be interesting to see how they turned out.

Alan came back with a few squid for the freezer.  One of the locals came to have a look what we had.

It was hard to leave this beautiful place.

TUESDAY, APRIL 22      MARCUS HILL TO MILDURA/OUYEN 

We left Warrawee at 9 a.m. with Rose and Buschy in charge for the next few months, confident that everything would be fine in their capable hands.  During the night it had been very windy and some rain but it cleared for us to pack the last few things and get underway.  The big question was “how would Millie handle being locked up in the boat?”  

The answer was evident when we stopped to check a couple of hours later – one brand new pet bed shredded!  Not happy, Millie?

Lunch stop and pie report from Avoca – good pies.  Uneventful day, just regular stops to let Millie have a run.  We travelled through St Arnaud, Birchip and started looking for an overnight stop after Birchip.  We found a wayside camp with a few fellow travellers between Ouyen and Mildura.  It was a bit noisy with lots of trucks travelling on the highway, and a train going past early in the evening.  With no power, it was an early evening in bed after dinner.  Millie slept in the camper – hope she doesn’t get used to that!  At one stage she even thought she might be more comfortable on the couch!  I didn’t think so.  

  

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23       ROADSIDE STOP TO TEROWIE

On the road at about 8 a.m.  Millie is getting a little used to the cage in the boat, still not happy about getting in there, but she seems to understand it’s necessary if she wants to come.

Another uneventful day travelling through the Riverland area – lots of fruit trees, grapes and almonds, and some very large paddocks in places.  There is quite a tinge of green about everything, even away from the river so there must have been some rain recently.  No pie report today – pie free day – sandwiches by the road, without tomatoes which had been confiscated at the border, along with other fruit, beans and potatoes. 

We travelled along roads we hadn’t been on before after Renmark, new highlighted lines on the map.  There were lots of piles of stones, ruined cottages and outbuildings where the early settlers had made their homes.  

As you drive through the long stretches of open countryside it makes you realise how harsh the environment must have been for those pioneers.  Clearing the paddocks without machinery in the hot summer would have been so difficult, particularly considering most of the early settlers would have come from beautiful green English countryside. 

We drove off the road a little way to Terowie to have a look.  It’s like a ghost town.  It used to be quite a thriving community because train travellers and goods needed to change here as the rail gauges on each side of the town were different.  

There is a plaque at the station commemorating the spot where General Douglas Macarthur made a speech when he came with his family by train from Alice Springs to Adelaide.  It says that his family had flown from Darwin to Alice Springs and his wife said she refused to go any further by plane. It also says that this is where he spoke the famous words “I will return”.  Not sure if that is correct – maybe he said it more than once. When the rails were all made the same in the late 1970’s, the population changed to only a few people.  There are some interesting old buildings, and free camping in the old railyards beside the remnants of the station so it was worth the drive off the road.  For those of you new to the blog, this is how we travel.

Exciting news this morning with the arrival of Charlie Eric Muller at 10.30 a.m. to join my nephew Simon and his wife, Natalie and the gorgeous Isabelle.

  

THURSDAY, APRIL 24        TEROWIE TO PORT AUGUSTA

From Terowie we were heading to Port Augusta to stay with friends, Mark, Lia and Billy for a few days.  This was only a couple of hours drive so it was an easy day.  Just out of Terowie there was a paddock with lots of tin sculptures and old bicycles, probably the main tourist attraction in Terowie! We passed through Peterborough and Ororoo, both very tidy little towns.  In Ororoo there were corrugated iron statues in the main street, one of kangaroos and one of horses ploughing.  They were very well done.

Mark met us at the entrance to Port Augusta to take us to their place as we hadn’t been there before.  Apparently Billy was very excited about us visiting and wished “they were here yesterday”.  They have a nice big backyard so we have plenty of room to set up camp here.  Mark also had a shed full of “toys”.  

FRIDAY, APRIL 25                       PORT AUGUSTA

Mark, Lia and Billy were going to Whyalla for the drag racing today and Mark left us his car.  They suggested a drive through Quorn to Melrose where there is a good pub, the North Star, for lunch.  The scenery on the road to Quorn was lovely, through the south part of the Flinders Ranges.  The pub at Melrose was great, obviously very old and well preserved.  

The new additions were done well, the service was great and the meal excellent.  Well worth a visit if you are in the area.  There are lovely old stone buildings all through this area.

  

SATURDAY, APRIL 26         PORT AUGUSTA/WHYALLA

In the morning we found the shopping centre of Port Augusta and made a few purchases, including a chain for Millie at night so that she doesn’t have to sleep inside!  We then drove to Whyalla to have a look at Mark’s passion – drag racing.  This would be first for me.  Mark wasn’t racing but he is very involved in the organization, as is Lia. 

Billy is very much at home there and loves driving around in the golf cart. There were lots of impressive looking cars that went very fast, and it was quite entertaining, but I think it will probably be a once only attendance.

When we left there we drove to Point Lowly to have a look as it is a fishing spot that a lot of people seem to visit.  The lighthouse there was lovely and the area quite unspoiled. 

There were caravans and motorhomes just pulled up all the way along the shoreline.  As we were driving around we spotted a slide-on camper which looked familiar.  It was Denis and Joy McCabe from Geelong.  They were quite surprised when we pulled up for a visit.

SUNDAY, APRIL 27                       PORT AUGUSTA

As we hadn’t seen much of Mark and Lia we decided to stay another night to spend some time with them when they got back from Whyalla.  They have given us the keys and directions to their beach shack at Smoky Bay so we will be heading there from Port Augusta.  They got back from Whyalla about lunch time and we spent the afternoon catching up, then had dinner outside as it was still quite pleasant.

MONDAY, APRIL 28           PORT AUGUSTA TO SMOKY BAY

After saying goodbye to Mark, Lia and Billy we left Port Augusta at about 8a.m., headed for Smoky Bay.  The drive took us past Iron Knob, which was a very large reddish heap of dirt/stone.  This raised the question – how much iron is needed to make a ton of steel?  Ms Google later provided the answer – 2 ½ to 3 tonnes.  

In this part of the countryside the vegetation was largely grey/green saltbush with a few larger scrubby trees, always with the red dirt underneath. Later the vegetation became much thicker with taller trees.  The colours of the Australian landscape are so varied and quite dramatic at times.  We are very lucky to live in this amazing country where we can see such spectacular scenery and colours, find unspoiled places of quiet and have “adventures”. 

After a fuel stop at Kimba, the countryside became flatter with large paddocks for grain growing.  In all the small towns there are large silos by the railway line, no doubt the lifeline for these communities.  There was also a strong north wind blowing, causing big clouds of dust which made travel a little unpleasant.

At Poochera we turned towards Streaky Bay and the welcome sight of the ocean.  It was then a short drive to Smoky Bay.  Mark had been extolling the virtues of Smoky Bay for years.  His family has had the fishing shack here for a long time and he has recently had it replaced with something a little more comfortable.  We found the shack (not really just a shack now) and offloaded the camper beside it.  

This is certainly a hidden treasure – Smoky Bay (don't tell anyone about it).  An undeveloped fishing village where there are still a few of the old shacks right on the beach, only one store and an unspoiled beach.  It was amazing to be able to sit at the front of the shack and have only beach in front of you, the only sign of live being a few birds on the beach (including my particular favourites, pelicans).  This is paradise!

We walked along the beach to the jetty which has been sympathetically restored and saw a few people fishing off the jetty.  

One fisherman had caught a blue swimmer crab which he was going to put back as it was only just legal size.  He let me take a photo first – the colour was brilliant.  They are aptly named.  

Dotted along the beach there are rustic shelters which seem to encapsulate what the town is. 

The caravan park near the jetty seems to be well occupied, this is no doubt a favoured spot for fishermen and grey nomads. We visited the store which is well-stocked with just about anything you could want. Dinner was cooked outside with the ocean in the background.  During the night it became very windy and rainy, with the camper being blown around a bit but feeling very cosy inside.

Hello to everyone at home - missing you all, but happy to be travelling again.       

Merrilyn xx

NEW BLOG NAME

You may have noticed that the blog has a new name, something a little more interesting.  

Since we moved here, a little over 8 years ago, we have been trying to come up with a name for our little bit of the beautiful Bellarine Peninsula.  After much research (thank you Ms Google) and family discussion, the popular choice is Warrawee.  This is an aboriginal word that seems to have a few different, although similar, meanings - stop here, stopping place, place to rest, rest a while.  We have chosen to combine the meanings as stop here; rest awhile.  This seems to be an appropriate name as visitors all seem to tell us that staying here is very restful.

I thought this might also be an appropriate name for the blog, and I hope you will stop here; rest a while as well.

In a few days we will be heading out the gate, turning right and then left, and won't be back for some time.  We are leaving things in the capable hands of Grant and Rose while we are away.

I hope you will call back soon to travel with us for the next few months.

FEATHERED VISITORS

I thought it might be time for a new blog post.  I'm sure there are followers everywhere just waiting for what's happening in my life!   Actually I have new camera so this is a good place to show some of what I am practising.  It's a real camera that makes a proper shutter noise when you take a photo. Thanks to the research my brother did when he was getting one, I just walked in to the camera shop and said "I'll have that one, thanks."  I have since got a new zoomy (that's a technical word used by photographers) lens, so I'm clicking all over the place.  I have been able to get much better photos of some of our lovely feathered visitors.

We have lots of the lovely little wrens in the garden, but they are very shy and it's hard to catch them.  The females are especially hard to see as they are brown.  This little one is either losing his blue feathers or just getting them as they are a bit scruffy looking.  I have read that they only have the blue feathers when they are mating but that may not be right.

These Eastern Rosellas are frequent visitors to the garden, but like the wrens they are shy and fly off at the slightest movement.  We do occasionally see a Crimson Rosella with the Easterns, usually only one at a time.

The lagoon is nearly dry at the moment (wouldn't we love some rain!) so the ducks have migrated to one of the dams.  If Millie (possibly a dog, but don't mention that in front of her) stays away from them we might have them around a bit longer.

This heron has also been frequenting the dam.

A couple of years ago when we had lots of rain, we had hundreds of birds just out the front of the house as the lagoon was only about 40 metres from the house.  We can only hope to get that sort of rain again!

Thought I might do a few non-travelling posts.  It seems to be a good way to record things for future reference, even if no-one reads them now. 
We are very fortunate and live in a beautiful setting on the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria.  We have 22 acres and our house overlooks a lagoon.  This is home to lots of wildlife, mostly birds.  It is lovely to be able to look out at any time and see the swans and ducks on the lagoon.  When there is a full moon rising over the hill on the other side of the lagoon the water turns to silver or gold, depending on the colour of the moon. This week we had this beautiful view.

The next night the moon was a huge orange ball in the sky and it all looked even more beautiful.  My little "point and click" camera doesn't do it justice.  A new improved singing and dancing camera is currently under consideration.

Testing the changes to the blog layout.