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My 9000km in three weeks Australian road trip with my two friends Anne and Alex has begun!
Melbourne (Victoria state) to Adelaide, through the outback to Cooper Pedy (both in South Australia), to Uluru, The Olgas, Alice Springs, up to Kakadu National Park, Litchfield National Park and Darwin (all Northern Territory) then down the West Coast passing Broome, Shark Bay, Ningaloo Reef (equal or better to Great Barrier Reef), down to Perth....so passing through 4 states, diverse territories and varied climates....yes, all in 21 days...!
On Thursday 5th I left sunny, hot Brisbane (with a hideous post-Fraser Island camping cold) to fly to very cold and wet Melbourne.
It has been great to catch up with Anne and Alex; not only to spend time with close friends but also to start a whole new phase of travelling - campervanning.
A & A organised a 3 week relocation deal to get us from Melbourne to Perth for less money than actually renting a van; the company needs it moved, we need it cheap! The van is great; spacious, good to drive and homely (despite the broken microwave, which initially seemed like a blessing!)
So the trip:
On Friday 6th we picked up the van (fighting ever worsening colds -Alex has been ill too!- which has now been vastly improved by a much needed trip to the chemist!) and headed out onto the Great Ocean Road.
This is supposed to be one of the most scenic drives in Australia and I was very much looking forward to it. The bitter cold and wet weather no doubt had influence, but I found it very disappointing! I've seen better coastline in New Zealand and England.
Saturday 7th we finished the Great Ocean Road and crossed the border from Victoria into South Australia, where we free camped for the night. We headed off road after dark to find an appropriate spot, encountering a wombat in the middle of the road and endless kangaroos bouncing by the sides of the road (and across it). Kangaroos are totally amazing, beautiful creatures that are fascinating to watch, however they are a real hazard to cars. It is recommended not to drive after dark - and we hadn't expected to encounter them so soon so we had to go very carefully! The next morning we saw even more kangaroos still around at
dawn, and a dingo. Tonight, I saw my first koala, sleeping in a tree in the campsite we are currently staying at.
Not bad for the first three days of the trip!
The sheer distance we are going to be driving is pretty crazy; aimed 450km per day! However, despite endless driving we have already passed through really different landscapes; from green, wet Victoria (so called 'The Place to Be') !, through the windy Great Ocean Road, into alpine areas, flat land, rolling hills...all on very long, very straight roads.
We are now just outside Adelaide, where we will spend the day tomorrow before heading off into the outback!
The nights are still freezing so I'm still sleeping Fraser Island style with jumpers, socks and woolly hat inside 2 sleeping bags! I am also getting used to wearing socks for 2 days running, preparing and eating 3 meals inside the same vehicle we spend all day and night in! (A&A are already pros at this, having been living in camper vans for the last 4 months!)
I have also discovered that when camper van travelling, a laptop is a great investment. At first I could
not understand why A&A would even consider travelling with such a cumbersome luxury item - however when the sun sets at 6pm or earlier and it's freezing outside, you very quickly become grateful for downloaded American TV and wireless internet.
It's going to be a crazy three weeks but it's going to be an incredible and unprecedented experience.
P.s. I'm not going to be able to access internet so often once into the outback and more remote territories.
Wish us luck!
P.s - We decided to pay an extra $15 a day to reduce our accident bond from $2500 to $400 in the event of an accident. Originally we were not intending on doing this, but after encountering kangaroos we're very glad we did!
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annie
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wow it all sounds great so far! the van looks cosy and def a break from noisy hostels! really impressed (and jealous) by your wildlife sightings - esp the koala, they always look so cute! looking forward to hearing more adventures soon!x