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Oceania » Australia » Western Australia April 4th 2024

Thursday 4 th April, OnslowOcean View Caravan ParkCost $39 pensioner discount per night Rated by us 8/10Mileage 16415 travelled 0No plans to do much of anything today but rest recharge and stay cool, the breeze is good but fierce. As a precaution and as we are leaving tomorrow we took down the awning for the night. Chatting to a couple from Brisbane in a huge 24ft van, they are living in it for five years so I suppose they need it, but boy it is big. He admitted to G that he knew he was overloaded but the missus would not leave anything, and worse his ESC (Electronic Stability Control) which is mandatory on vans over 10ft was not working, some people are idiots really and accident looking for a resting place, hopefully ... read more
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Oceania » Australia » New South Wales » Sydney » CBD April 3rd 2024

Last night was such an epic end to the tour. I was so emotionally high throughout the night, but then you hit such a low, afterwards. It’s a rollercoaster for sure! It was our latest night yet, but that, coupled with emotions, I am totally drained today! I woke up a few times, just to drink water, and turn over in bed. I didn’t wake up properly until about 10:30! My first thoughts went out to Bernard; he was up, and out for work at the crack of dawn this morning! I got showered, and got dressed. Then I spent a while sorting out clothes for today, clothes and bits for the vicious cycle class, and clothes for afterwards. That simple task practically scrambled my brain! I ate a banana, and a cereal bar, just to ... read more
With a toastie brunch
Underpass in Petersham
Petersham Park

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia April 3rd 2024

Tuesday 2 nd April, OnslowOcean View Caravan ParkCost $39 pensioner discount per night Rated by us 8/10Mileage 16415 travelled 550Pack up camp was easy this morning, probably as we had the cool in which to do it, made a big difference, on the road by 7.30am.We left behind the green of the plantations and growing areas of Carnarvon and headed off into new ground, we have never been north of Exmouth so far.The terrain soon turned to scrub and spinifex with nothing in any direction and the road a dead straight line to the horizon, this is typical of Australia for me and one of the things I first noticed when I did my round Australia trip in 1991, long time ago. Past the turn off to Exmouth and we really are on ... read more
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Oceania » Australia » Western Australia April 3rd 2024

Wednesday 3 rd April, OnslowOcean View Caravan ParkCost $39 pensioner discount per night Rated by us 8/10Mileage 16415 travelled 0Our camp site backs directly onto the ocean and the view and breeze are amazing. Unfortunately as we are now into the heavy industrial part of the WA coastline the water is a murky brown and the sand is now more like mud flats, you can see in the water the mud has silted up forming dangerous banks. A number of people are here with small fishing boats so it must be good out in the water, I noticed lots of them out late in the afternoon.Not much to see here but a good spot to rest up.We did find just very near to our camp site a beautiful war memorial made in the ... read more
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After having some fish and chips and paua (abalone) fritters, a coastal Kiwi favorite, we drove several hours up and over the beautiful mountains running through the backbone of the country. We stopped at the alpine hamlet of Hanmer Springs before dropping down onto the desolate west coast. We were quickly finding there is more solitude to be found on South Island, with long stretches of uninhabited and inaccessible coast. It wasn't until the 1960s roads were built and these areas were even easily reachable. We spent the night boondocking outside of Hokitaka before moving on to the southern Alps and glacier country. We stopped at Franz Josef glacier for a quick hike through the rainforest to a viewpoint of the glacier, but the clouds and rain from that morning had socked in most of the ... read more
Mt. Cook cold plunge
Shotover Jet
The Routeburn Track

Oceania April 2nd 2024

Today is my first day of exploring on my own. Bernard is at work today, so I’ll catch him later. I woke up naturally at 8:30. I think that both Bernard and Gavin left quite early, but I didn’t hear anything!! I am very accustomed to exploring on my own, but Bernard is looking after me so well, it’s more difficult to start again on my own. I’m a big girl, it’s only ever the first couple of steps that seem difficult, then you’re off. It’s like riding a bike.. ha ha. I set off the first time, yes, you read that right! When I went through the door, key, lift, and postbox scenario,(which I’ve practiced several times) I was all good, and the I was ready to go, but I hadn’t noticed the rain!! I ... read more
Breakfast at Chills Cafe
I need this in my life!
King Street, Newtown


We drove to Mt. Cook National Park for Easter Day. This park is home to the largest peak in all of Australasia, Mt. Cook, and 72 glaciers. The park is equidistant between Christchurch and Queenstown, which we quickly learned means it's overrun by hordes of daytrip tourists. We hiked the busy main 3.5 mile trail on the Hooker Valley trail to Hooker lake. It was a warm and sunny day so the swim in the glacier lake I planned on was not entirely unpleasant. The water was a brisk 37 degrees but it felt like all of our cold plunge training culminated in this one moment to sit on some icebergs and to a crowd of 100+ spectators. We were traveling a bit ahead of schedule at this point so I decided to keep on cracking ... read more
Best campsite!
Wandering albatross

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Pemberton April 2nd 2024

So in late February 2024, I headed back to Perth, to complete the last 450kms of my Bibbulmun Track adventure. Most people say it is too early to start out on the track and with news outlets showing quite a few bush fires in West Australia, I was a bit concerned. However, I was committed to the trip and decided to go with it and see what transpired. I had decided to go as light as possible and therefore took my Deuter 32 litre backpack rather than the 75 litre backpack I had taken previously, which I felt was too big and heavy. So on the 28th February, I caught the TransWA bus down to Pemberton ready to head off the next day to complete the trek. As previously commented, I had to backfill sections that ... read more
The track and day were just great
Plenty of debris on the track, both big and small trees down
My first contact with the wildlife.

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Pemberton April 2nd 2024

So in late February 2024, I headed back to Perth, to complete the last 450kms of my Bibbulmun Track adventure. Most people say it is too early to start out on the track and with news outlets showing quite a few bush fires in West Australia, I was a bit concerned. However, I was committed to the trip and decided to go with it and see what transpired. I had decided to go as light as possible and therefore took my Deuter 32 litre backpack rather than the 75 litre backpack I had taken previously, which I felt was too big and heavy. So on the 28th February, I caught the TransWA bus down to Pemberton ready to head off the next day to complete the trek. As previously commented, I had to backfill sections that ... read more
The track and day were just great
Plenty of debris on the track, both big and small trees down
My first contact with the wildlife.

Oceania » Australia » Queensland April 1st 2024

The Pandemic was finally over, the ships had started their long journey home, and Friday 17th November 2023 was the date we officially booked our ‘14 Night Queensland cruise from Melbourne’ with the Grand Princess. But it didn’t start there. You see, in 2020, we were originally booked to fly to Sydney to meet my Aunty, and Uncle to board the Majestic Princess (my dream ship) for a ‘ten night Queensland cruise until it was devastatingly cancelled when the COVID Pandemic occurred which put the International cruise industry on pause for over two years. Now that the International borders have reopened, all the restrictions have lifted, and cruising his back where it belongs; it’s time for the ‘take two’ of the Queensland cruise. THE PRINCESS MEDALLION: Because of COVID, a lot of things have changed in ... read more
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