We spent a cold night in Tamworth last night. We weren’t actually cold, not until this morning. We have a very good diesel fuelled heater with two vents in the van, but it is always turned off when we go to bed. Fortunately it heats the van very quickly. When Frank got up this morning the thermometer said it was 1.1 degree in the van and 3.4 in the fridge. No, we didn’t open the fridge to warm the van. When I checked the weather on my phone, it said that it went down to -2.5 c overnight. No wonder it was so cold. The water in our hose froze! Apart from being cold, Tamworth is a lot bigger than we expected. There is no shortage of motels, but seemingly very few caravan parks. I image ... read more

Hello and welcome to my first blog of our 2012 holiday. If you followed our travels around the west of Australia last year and found it entertaining enough to return, welcome back. If you are a new follower, I hope you enjoy reading about our trials, tribulations and adventures. This year we are staying in the east, but are still heading north, going as far as Hervey Bay most likely. There are a few differences this year. Last year was our inaugural trip in the fifth wheeler and was an excellent performance test of the van and set-up. As some of you may know, we had weeks of frustration with our fridge last time causing delays in departing and extended stay in Mildura before getting a replacement part in Adelaide. All up, we lost about ten ... read more

We are spending a few days exploring the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, a region of the state we have never visited before. The Eyre Peninsula produces wheat and the majority of the States seafood. Port Lincoln, on the southern point, is well known for tuna and kingfish, while Coffin Bay has a thriving oyster growing industry. Our first two days were spent at Venus Bay, a location we fell in love with. Chris and Linda, the owner/managers of Venus Bay Caravan Park were very friendly and welcoming, making our stay a very memorable one. The weather wasn’t conducive to fishing, so we did a bit of sight seeing. We saw lots of Stumpy Tail Blue Tongue lizards, both dead and alive. They are big, slow things, not fast enough to get out of the way ... read more

As we have progressed with our travels, we have visited a few places we would have liked to spend more time in or visit again some time in the future, and some, which we would never go back to. We would like to revisit Kununurra, Fitzroy Crossing, Exmouth and Horrocks, all north of Perth. The last four days in the south of the state produced a stand out addition to the list, Albany. Albany, on the southwest coast is stunningly beautiful with its natural harbours surrounded by hills and rocky outcrops. Albany plays an important part in Australia’s history. It was the first colony in Western Australia, was the home of the now defunct whaling industry, and was the last port before troops departed their homeland to fight overseas in the First World War. We went ... read more

This weekend we had a short break to Perth, catching up with family and taking in a little bit of culture. We drove to Perth via Mandurah, a once quaint seaside village, now a bustling metropolis devoid of any charm. Sadly, that is what happens to many such coastal retreats once developers move in. Despite the lack of charm, there are many lovely homes in the area, and the estuary is still very pretty. We have wanted to go to a Polish restaurant in Perth for a while, as Frank is of Polish ancestry, so Friday was our opportunity. Lucky we went, because it has changed hands and was closing two days later, to become yet another Indian restaurant. The food was good and so was the company, with special guests niece Renee and her two ... read more