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Published: April 7th 2015
Tuesday 31st March 2015 We left Sale at about 1000 very pleased with the caravan park fees only $17/night for both nights with a power cost of $4.75. This park is well worth stopping at if you are in the area.
First stop was Bairnsdale, a couple of hours away, and after a walk down the typical country main street, we went to Maccas for lunch as we are getting rather addicted to their toasted ham, cheese and tomato sandwiches! After this we stopped in at the Information Centre next door and a very helpful lady gave us some ideas of what to see and where to stay.
After checking out the old church next door, the only thing worth seeing in the town in her opinion, we went to Cheap Auto Parts over the road for battery leads and fuses. Rags thinks he can make our battery bank big enough for a 3 day stay in a non-powered area.
Driving in to Lakes Entrance had us both recognising the place from our visit several years ago. As the Easter holidays are on at the end of this week, we
didn’t even try to book into one of the 20 or so parks in this area, instead we continued on.
The Bairnsdale Information office recommended seeing the historical Trestle bridge just before Nowa Nowa, about 10kms up the highway. We drove in along a well-made dirt road for about 2kms. The bridge, made from red ironbark and grey box timber, soared above us as it crossed a valley. We walked to the bottom of it, marveling at it’s construction all those years ago. One young lad decided to climb to the first rung of the bridge and entranced us for a while as he walked from one truss to the next - we hate to think what would have happened if he had lost his balance!
The adventure, or frustration, commenced after this. Judy said she would follow the line of the bridge to the other side, Rags would drive around the valley and pick her up. This was fine, except it was a little further than either of us expected. When we finally reunited we continued on along the track.
This track did not go where we expected it to, instead it went off in a
different direction. Occasionally it did head North as we thought it should, most often it headed South-West. The expected 4kms track ended up being over 35kms as we continued on expecting it to end soon. Only when we used the GPS on Judy’s phone did we get a good bearing and finally reaching the bitumen 50kms from where we expected.
Orbost appeared to be a typical country town with a line of car dealerships on the main road, interspersed with other light industrial businesses. We couldn't see a reason to stop here and continued on the road towards Marlo, a coastal town, following the Snowy River. About 10kms along this road we saw a clearing with a van already camped so we joined him. Great little spot, green grass surrounded by trees on the bank of the river. The camper there introduced himself, he was also from WA, originally from Carnarvon.
Three more campers joined us later; we had a few drinks and a yarn with one couple after dinner. Ash and Leanne came from Queensland but for the last few months were attending town shows and caravan & camping shows, selling their camp ovens and cookbooks.
Wednesday 1st April 2015 We were off reasonably early today, about 0830, and we drove back to Orbost to refill our water tanks. Rags had got carried away cleaning all the dirt we picked up yesterday and we were down to about 30 litres. Wiki Camps showed there was a tap for caravans at the town oval and here we filled up and used the clean facilities.
From here we drove down to Marlo, passing our camping spot and neighbours of last night before reaching the town. The Snowy River enters the ocean here and opens to a wide delta before reaching the ocean. The town is set high up above the river and we stopped to take in the view. Judy got talking to a local who was looking out for a friend, he agreed it was a beautiful sight and a friendly little town.
After travelling for about another 30kms we stopped at the Bemm River Scenic Reserve. There was a 1km MacKenzie Forest walk through rain forest starting several hundred metres from the highway carpark, so after locking the car we set off. We found there were a couple
of campers in the park there and we could have easily turned the van around. We just didn’t want to risk having to reverse out of a difficult situation.
The half hour walk introduced us to the East Gippsland warm temperate rainforest and as we approached the valley floor we saw lots of interesting plants and ferns, and near the end of our walk we watched and tried photographing a lyrebird as it moved amongst the branches. The walk was very well constructed with swinging bridges and boardwalks.
By lunchtime we had covered the 80 or so kilometres and reached our intended destination, Genoa. This is basically a deserted town, with a vacant service station, an empty shop, and a hotel, which has seen better days. Opposite the hotel is an bridge built in the late 1920s, now just used as a pedestrian bridge, leading to what was previously a caravan park.
The council here opened the park for free camping for 72 hours, the toilet block, picnic tables and barbecues make this a well-equipped stop and we joined about 10 other campers there, including Ash & Leanne, who got here before us.
After setting up
Genoa
A great free caravan park. We made sure we left a donation in the box to help the council continue this service.we unhitched the Jeep and drove the 27 kms of twisting & winding road to the coastal town of Mallacoota. This town is similar to Marlo the way it was overlooking a huge delta entering the sea, only many times bigger. The views from Capt Stevensons Point were magnificent, the estuary one side, the entrance and the ocean on the other.
The campgrounds are run by the council and stretch along the foreshore of the town. All the camping spots were numbered and already a large number of them were occupied. This is the largest caravan park in the southern hemisphere with over 650 bays. We were later told that all the sites were sold out months ago for the Easter break. A local told us about a new boat ramp that had caused some protests amongst the locals so we went to see Bastion Point. We thought it looked very well-done and an asset to the area.
In the evening we had dinner at the pub, as this was recommendation from Wikicamps. Judy had a seafood platter, Rags a mixed grill, both for about $20 each, and both of us left satisfied and replete. We won’t make
Genoa
Not much to look at, but a good meal may be had here. it a habit to go there every night whilst here, our waistlines would suffer.
Thursday 2nd April 2015 Had a restful night's sleep, the traffic was light and we were camped far enough away from the road for the noise not to affect us.
As we ran out of gas from one bottle and the caravan mob only part fill them anyway, we drove the winding 27 kms back to Mallacoota. Here we filled it at the Shell garage before driving up the coast a few kilometres to the WW 2 Operations Bunker Museum even though we knew the museum was closed.
Built during the 2nd World War, the Mallacoota Bunker was never intended to be, nor was it ever used as an air raid shelter or as a fortification. It was the headquarters of RAAF coastal Intelligence activity in the region. We walked around the building and read the information boards. Wartime censorship meant that the sinking of 12 Australian owned ships with the loss of 194 lives on the east coast was never reported. The adjacent Ex-RAAF airstrip is now the local airport.
We followed the track past the
Mallacoota
Australian Intelligence was active here during WW2. airport for some way, this eventually would reach Shipwreck Creek in the Croajingolong National Park. We didn't continue all the way, instead dropped into a couple of delightful little bays, surrounded by cliffs and dense vegetation. We followed a walking trail to Pebbly Beach, and stopped here for a while to just take in the beauty. We wished our friend Colin was with us, he could have explained the interesting rock formations there.
The Town beach was our next stop as we had been told about the old man seal who had taken up residence there over the past few years. Sure enough, he was there, right underneath where fish were being cleaned so that he could eat the carcasses. There was a sign warning not to feed him but this was ignored by everyone. He seemed quite docile but apparently some people forget that it is a wild animal and get too close.
On our return, Rags did a few handyman chores, setting up the solar panel, and hopefully setting up the electric braking system on the van. The brakes haven't worked since he changed over the 7 pin plug to the 12 pin flat plug the
Mallacoota
The resident seal. van uses. Between his fiddling and Judy's Internet research we think the the problem is solved.
Friday 3rd April 2015
Another sound sleep and only a few vans left early to disturb us. We planned a quiet day last night with the only activity being to climb Genoa Lookout which is also in the Croajingolong Nat Park.
This involved about a 10 kms drive, 7 of which was smooth dirt, into the forestry reserve. Then we had a solid hour's climb through the bush along a well-marked track, climbing all the way. About 3/4 of the way up there was a lookout looking inland and in the distance we could see mountains in NSW. Continuing on for about another 20 minutes, with the going getting steeper and trickier, we reached and climbed steel stairs to the summit which was atop a huge boulder.
The views would have been stunning if it hadn't been for the smoke from the controlled burns going on at present, but they were still spectacular. You could look over Croajingolong wilderness coastline, Gabo Island and the Mallacoota Lakes and inlet. It's no wonder so many people come
Genoa Lookout
The last few steps! there for their vacations. and why the 650 site camping ground is the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere.
Going down was much easier, and we made the walk in just on the 2 hours stated on the signs, including our stops on the way. Not bad for a couple of over 60s!
After lunch we stayed in the park, both of us happy to just use our computers or read.
Saturday 4th April 2015 A change of mind, we decided to move on this morning. We left, with no specific destination in mind and as it is Easter we realise that camp sites may be at a premium. Ten kilometres north of where we started and we were in NSW. It may have been our imagination but the road seemed to improve, but still nowhere near as good as in the West!
First stop was in Eden, a small coastal town which was a whaling station in the early days. There is a museum here, set on a hill overlooking the bay, dedicated to the whaling industry and the early history of the town. We read about Old Tom, a
Eden
The whale museum. killer whale who used to herd whales into the bay so that the whalers could harpoon them. How embellished the story is, who knows.
The brake controller for the caravan was playing up
and the brakes went on hard even when the Jeep brakes were only touched, making it very difficult to drive. Rags disconnected it and we will need to have another fitted when Easter is over. Meanwhile we’ll drive very carefully.
As the batteries in the van seemed to be charging up we decided to continue on, Bega the next stop. Here we found out how busy the area gets during Easter. The park in town was fully booked out so we drove to the coastal town of Tathra about 20kms away. The Big 4 park there had a spot for us but when we were quoted $80/night for the three nights and the park across the road $65/night in their overflow site, we drove out. No way were we going to pay those prices.
In Bega we refilled our water tanks at the showgrounds and continued along the Snowy Mountains Highway for 30 or 40 kilometres, climbing and twisting all the way, until reaching
Bemboka
Great camp site supporting the Lions. the town of Bemboka. This town has allowed the Lions Club to rent out spots for $10/night at the local oval. Great little spot; barbecues, seats, toilets and parkland all around us. We couldn’t believe our luck when the lady who collected the fees showed us where we could plug in for power!
There were 4 other vans there, three having been there for some time, plus one with a couple from Mandurah who we had met at Genoa. Les and Kay greeted us like long-lost friends and together we went walking along a trail in the Bemboka River Reserve to a spot where platypus were sometimes seen. The Bemboka River Reserve is of very high conservation value as it is an 18 hectare remnant of Lowland Grassy Woodland - apparently this is a bioregion which is listed as endangered. No luck in sighting any but an enjoyable walk.
We had pre-dinner drinks with Les and Kay before we returned to our van and the first meal using our Thermomix in the van followed. Very tasty and so easy. Just as well, we reckon that the Thermomix has the most expensive carry case ever, Judy almost choosing the
van because it had a cupboard big enough to fit it - well not almost, really!!
Sunday 5th April 2015 Not only did we wake up bright and early today, as Daylight Saving finished but we gained another hour! Up and about at 0700 on a Sunday and Rags not going bike riding.
After farewelling Les and Kay, who are moving to the next free camp about 80kms so that they are closer to Canberra where they are booked in for Monday, we walked into the Bemboka township a few hundred metres up the road.
Bemboka is a small, neat little town with farmland abutting it, the pasture reaching to the foot of the Snowy Mountains. Very picturesque with its rolling green hills, but we soon got the impression that the town itself was not as wealthy as it had been, with shops closed or converted to houses and old car wrecks lying in the yards.
The Bemboka Bakery there was the highlight and many cars stopped there so people could purchase their pies and cakes that were baked fresh on the premises each day. Several groups sat around with
Bemboka
Great little bakery & good coffee. their coffees and cakes. We of course joined them! We also bought some pies including their special of the day -tuna mornay pie- to take back to the van for lunch. We sat outside enjoying the sunshine and used the time to make a couple of phone calls as phone reception wasn't as good near the caravan. Judy spoke to her mother for her birthday for about 15 minutes even though she woke her up!
Continuing our walk through the town, we commented on the well-mown lawns and verges, the townspeople obviously proud of where they live. In a park we came across a young boy looking up at his football stuck in a tree, his attempts to dislodge it with sticks failing. Rags to the rescue! First throw of Judy’s waterbottle at it and down it came. Talk about a lucky shot!
The afternoon was spent catching up with work, reading and relaxing. Late in the afternoon the people in the 5
th wheeler opposite us, Bruce & Judy, invited us to join them in drinks around their fire. This is year 4 of their life on the road, they had traveled around since selling their property. At
Bemboka
Not a great photo but a platypus is hard to photograph. present they are negotiating the building of a new home as they realise property values are rising. Not something we would do!
Monday 6th April 2015 With daylight saving finished we now get up an hour early, although this morning we were woken up at 0530 by the rubbish truck emptying the bins. Judy convinced Rags to go with her for a walk to see if there were any platypuses in the pools in the river.
The reflections in the pools made it worthwhile being there but for some time there was no sign of platypus. Then we saw one in the distance, it swam on the surface for a short time before diving down again. We saw it three times, each time a distance away but definitely a platypus. Quite thrilling.
After breakfast we moved the van so that we could refill the water tanks, enjoying a coffee while we waited. Then we were off along the Snowy Mountains Highway towards Canberra.
The next 20kms were hard work with the road winding upwards the whole way. The corners were quite sharp, at times becoming switchbacks, but we managed to
Almost in Canberra
A comfortable spot to spend the night inside a quarry. Little road noise from here. keep up a good pace. By the time we reached the summit we had about 10 cars behind us so we pulled off into a truck bay to let them through. With the transmission temperature at 90 degrees we continued on slowly, letting it cool to about 75 degrees. Cooking the transmission here would not be pleasant!
Cooma was the first large town we reached and here we walked around the town and checked out a few shops. The rain had set in, not heavily, so we didn’t spend as much time there as we may have.
Just on the outskirts of town we visited the Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre which showcases the Snowy Mountains Scheme from the early days of construction to how it is today. Construction commenced in 1949 and was completed in 1974. The displays & a movie explain how they built 7 power stations, 16 major dams, 80kms of aqueducts, 145kms of tunnels and a large pumping station. The hardships faced by the workers, many immigrants from Europe, were shown, including how they battled snow and isolation all those years ago. The Scheme provides much of the electricity used in Victoria, as well as
More work!
Someone has to pay our fuel costs. being a water source for irrigation from the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers.
We enjoyed coffees here too and as Rags was feeling a bit cold Judy found him a new jacket to keep him warm - a memory of this visit!
Twenty kilometres further north along the Monaro Highway we stopped at a Rest stop, which also has a road metal dump attached where caravans can stop. We were quite glad to get off the highway, the Easter traffic had become busier and we had over 10 vehicles behind us. We travelled at just over 90kph but with the speed limit at 100kph it didn’t take long to have a bunch of cars behind us, the road has many corners making passing difficult in the rain.
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Sharyn and Neil Manuel
non-member comment
Trip
Hello to you both. The trip sounds amazing. Now that we have both retired we will be able to do the same, maybe follow in your foot steps. Glad the van has worked out well, it looks great. Keep well Sharyn and Neil xxx