I woke up with cold feet which was very strange. I looked around and noticed that the window (right next to my feet) was open and a cool breeze was blowing in. In fact, it was almost cold and there was mist swirling around outside. This is quite common (sea mist) along the coast. We had a quick breakfast and drove to the Loch Ard Gorge carpark and explored the area, including the famous gorge. The gorge is named after the clipper ship, which ran aground in June 1878 after three months sailing from England. Only two of the 54 passengers and crew survived. Tom Pearce, a fifteen years old ships apprentice, was washed ashore and, hearing cries for help, went back into the water to attempt to save Eva Carmichael, a 17 year old Irish ... read more

So, over the hill (or around the hills) we went. It's been a long time and that trip around the hills seems to take longer each time I travel it. There were steep hills and queues of vehicles behind us, including lots of trucks because there were roadworks too. Never mind, the 12 Apostles was something to look forward to. However, when we got to the 12 Apostles, there is now a humungous Visitor Centre (that was closed) and many choppers taking tourists out to see the sights. It was quite bizarre, especially for those people who remember the location how it was. A small car park with half a dozen cars with nothing fenced in (take your chances with the cliff edges). Today there were so many people and mostly visitors to our country. It ... read more

People at work wanted to see inside the bus. Some of them got the opportunity on the odd occasions when the bus went to work. Of course, there are others who haven't seen the LWB Toyota Coaster up close and personal that may also be interested in the lay-out. So here is the first instalment:... read more

After the final major service / repair of the Coaster we decided we could fit in one last weekend away before we started to get organised for our holiday. But where to go? In the end, it was a decision made partly by the weather forecast - it was going to be a little brighter on the East Coast. We got off to a late start and then discovered that we had left quite a few things behind at home! So we called in to Sorell to see if we could get a charger for the phones and were lucky to find some good service at the Telstra Shop there. After our delays, we decided that we would head to the Tasman Peninsula, and being unsure of where we might be able to free camp and ... read more

$99 - that's how it happened. $99 fares from Melbourne to Darwin and return, and as soon as I saw the headline on the email I knew that I could travel up to Kununurra to check out the 'Cruiser and say hi to Jake (the friend of Mike and Miranda) who was looking after "our" 4WD Toyota Landcruiser Hitop Camper until we got there. Previously I had dismissed the idea as absurd (and too expensive) but that headline changed everything - now I could go up and back for less than $1,000 (hopefully). The people at work thought that I had just gone a little crazier when I told them of my long weekend road trip to end all road trips; Car to Hobart Airport, Plane from Hobart to Melbourne, Plane from Melbourne to Darwin, Bus ... read more