West Victoria Trip 3

Day 1 Friday 11th October


Left home around 9:35am...arrived at Mundulla Showgrounds about 1:45pm.....$15 night powered parked near the toilets...nice place
Tomorrow who knows where

Day 2
Left Mundulla today..went to Frances Oval..no camping there as far as we could see...so headed east over the border to Lake Charlegrark...set up only to find out later from the caretaker its $25 a night powered site....this place is so run down wouldnt pay any more than $10 night powered as thats all its worth..we are only staying one night.....after spending the day listening to jetskies and speed boats up and down the lake with no regard to any others safety...most didnt wear life-jackets..now tonight its a wild party up the other end of the Park...loud music etc
Tomorrow it could be Goroke CP...hope its better than here...also I lost a bolt off the arm of my camping chair today

Day 3
Arrived at Goroke CP today......just in time as it rained off and on all day with strong wind...might stay couple days..we are only ones here...its run by the APEX Club...very tidy and newish

Day 4
Still at Goroke CP......went to IGA store ..in one corner they had a hardware section..got a nut for the bolt for my chair..all fixed till next time..bought 2 x 10 can boxes of kirks drinks $3.99 each...Rosie used the little twin tub to wash some clothing ...we strung a line under the camp kitchen ...only dry place here.
Been raining off and on all day...with sunny times between.....I hope its better tomorrow as we are off to Lake Ratzcastle in morning...with no power there...last night it was bloody freezing...glad we had the little fan heater going.

Day 5
Arrived at Lake Ratzcastle......lovely day.bit breezy but fine...tried my luck at fishing....I think I'll make a better racing car driver....Rosie cooked dinner in a campoven and desert too

Day 6

Windy day..not much happening......by 6pm...wind picked up....I had a shower it was freezing with wind howling pass my knees.....anyway by the time I got back to the van...wind was close to 75kph.....we packed everything away and headed inside..11:30pm the storm struck......heavy rain/hale/lightning..didn't let up...

Day 7
by 9am we had enough and got out and headed 100klm back to Hynes campground...still raining on and off...but we got power and internet and phone coverage..not sure how long we will stay here

Day 8
Went for lots of walks rear the Reservoir today.......very windy today...but calmed this afternoon .....gotta put up with loud music coming from the fishing club..tonight
While weather is OK........might head SW to Coleraine tomorrow

Day 9
Cavendish today

Day 10
Well the weather looked bad but turned out warm but overcased ...but the day was ruined anyway......16 MotorHomes CMCA took over the place ....rude people.....I'm sure they stole power and hadn't paid...well we are moving on tomorrow

Day 11
well we desided not to travel today.......been wet all day...the CMCA lot left mid morning....so it was back to just us plus a couple in a MH that stayed yesterday..not CMCA members...They closed the unisex showers to men and re-opened the ones next door......bit old but they worked tonight...

Day 12
We left Cavendish this morning..headed through Coleraine.onto Casterton...then north to Naracoorte....dropped in to Bailey's Rocks campground......after lunch.headed to..Lucendale then out to Highway and stay'n at Padthaway CP $28 night powered

                                                              Bailey's Rocks campground

                                                       Padthaway Caravan Park
Day 13
We headed home today

Flinders Ranges Trip

Flinders Ranges Trip........starting the 2^nd September

Left home 5:30am today..arrived 10:30am...staying at Wilmington couple nights...
stonycreekbushcampcaravanpark.com.au/

$20 night powered site

Day 2

Tuesday Burnie and Shirley turned up from Murray Bridge...we were hoping to head off tomorrow

Day 3

Sat around...getting used to the 35+c days....far cry from West Victoria trips

Day 4

Left Wilmington Thursday 5th and FREE camped night at Warren Gorge

Day5

We did back roads to Hawker...today...seeing a lot of old historic sites..staying the night at Flinders Ranges Caravan Park $28 night powered..on tomorrow to Rawnsley Park

Simmonston

Day 6

Arrived at Rawnsley Park ($34) in morning set up then headed out touring the district for the rest of the day

(1)   Rawnsley Park Lookout

(2)   Cazneaux Tree

(3)   Sacred Canyon Aborigine Engravings (had lunch on way out under pine trees)

(4)   Hux Lookout

(5)   Stokes Hill Lookout

Rawnsley Lookout

Sacred Canyon

From Stokes Lookout

Tomorrow it could be Angorichina ..........or Alpana

Day 7

Left Rawnsley Park around 8:30am.....headed through Flinders Ranges Wilpena NP....then on to Alpana Station Homestead $38 night onsuite powered... we shared... so worked out $29 per couple

Had our first campfire tonight....Shirley and Rosie cooked dinner in campovens...we are booked here for 3 nights as Burnie wants to take us exploring next couple days

Alpana Station ensuites

Day 8

Got an early start and headed out to Chambers Gorge..about 70klm away....back to camp 2pm

tomorrow could be out to Brachina Gorge

Chambers Gorge

Day 9

We headed into Blinman...to the Mine then out to Nuccaleena Mine......that was a rough trip..4WD all way.............then on to Glass Gorge.....getting back to camp around 2:30pm.....had a campfire tonight....Rosie cooked meatloaf and pudding for desert

Tomorrow its  Angorichina for tyres for Burnie's van and fuel for us...then find a FREE camping spot at Parachilna Gorge

Blinman Mine

Nuccaleena Mine

Day 10

we are now staying/Free camping in the Parachilna Gorge......Got fuel today at Angorichina Village Diesel was $179.9 per ltr

Rosie cooked steak and kidney and mushroom pies in campoven tonight

Day 11

Still here........some light rain today..just  made the dust on the van turn muddy

Day 12

Left the Gorge this morning and headed up to Leigh Creek..where we did some grocery shopping then headed about 4klm out of town to Copley CP...$28 night powered

Tomorrow we head out to look at Old Beltana and Sliding Rock......finally today we have phone and internet

Day 13

Today it was out to Beltana and then on to Sliding Rock Mine.........also we spent some time exploring the old Ghan rail line......amazing how they built so much only to have to remove it then rebuilt it miles away

Sliding Rock Mine

Old Ghan Station on way to Beltana

 

 Tomorrow its back to Hawker CP then out to Wilpena Pound next day......ending our Flinders Ranges Trip...

We might explore some places near Port Germein on way home

Day 14

Back at Flinders Ranges CP Hawker.......just spending rest of day relaxing......this morning..we used a DUMP POINT.....not a pleasant job …

Day 15

Off early this morning to explore Wilpena Pound...very wet trip....couldnt see much when we got there

On way back to CP.......we stopped at Pugilist Lookout and had lunch up there...very high up and stormy

Then we stopped just out of Hawker and climbed Jarvis Hill Lookout.....very scarey as it was windy and light rain

Looking down to Hawker

Tomorrow we are heading back to Wilmington......couple days maybe if weather improves

Day 16

Back at Wilmington.......for 2 nights then home we go

Day 18.........we are home

Now to plan our next trip ???

West Victoria Trip 2

Yes We decided to return to West Victoria

9^th August

Ok......first up today get the van to tyre place...

got to Mitsubishi at Morphett Vale 9:15am after leaving van back home...Mitz fixed computer problems..couldn’t reset radio..we managed to get it working after Tailem bend got new code from Mitsubishi  and alls well...

Got home from Morphett Vale and reconnected van and on road by 10:30am

over Boarder around 2:30pm SA time.....staying tonight Kaniva CP $20 night powered site

not a great day

Day 2

We left Kaniva  and headed south through the Little Desert NP then to Goroke then about 10klm south again to Lake Ratzcastle camping ground.....flushing toilet/hot showers but no power... great area

Day 3

Still here..so quiet ...beautiful weather might head north tomorrow....no phone coverage here though

Day 4

Well its day 4...6:30am a storm hit us big time....gale force winds and heavy rain.......packed up and were on the road by...9am.....called into Goroke IGA for couple items...then on to Horsham then to Murtoa where we went to a BP self serve...no one there..you pay..then pump works...$156.5 Diesel

Then headed East and are currently at Rupanyup CP $10 night powered site....hot showers and flushing toilets.......bit different from last couple days at Lake Ratzcastle...same amenities but was FREE......while here we found a chap who fixed the legs on the choofa/brazier...that fell off last night after cooking dinner at the lake

Day 5

We left Rupanyup CP around 9:35am after another stormy night...awakening to a cold foggy windy day...heading north to Minyip. Had a look at the CP but it was just to windy and most area was disabled parking only....so we headed NW to Warracknabeal..had a look around at the junk stores and headed out to Jeparit CP its $16 a night powered....2 vans here...no one else...both look like they been here a while ...one being a new Jayco.....at the rear of the CP there’s a small park on edge of Wimmera river

Day 6

Stormy day most of the day today..Caretaker came tonight took our $32 for 2 nights.......we are thinking of returning to Brim tomorrow hoping it might be more sheltered ...we will see

Day 7

Yes returned to Brim this morning.......beautiful day....Rosie cooked meat loaf in campoven on the now fixed brazier hope the legs stay on this time.....meat loaf was served with mashed spuds and peas and gravy....followed by chocolate. pudding and custard.......pretty good camping tucker.

Day 8

Started out looking great.......had blue sky all day...but the wind was viscus 70kph I'm guessing

We got some mesh free from local hardware shop and I made up a little stand on the A-frame to hold shoes etc. to dry..I hope it stays in place as its only held on by zip ties that are pretty weak

forecast next couple days is bad..whether we stay here or move on.it a $million question

Day 9

We decided to stay here at Brim for weekend......today started out promising but started raining before lunch....just after we went for a stroll over to the bridge .where I slipped and fell heavy on wet grass that had lot of tree branches hidden.....skinning my leg and bruising a lot of joints...including my bad right knee....plus a hit mark on my head.....one never learns does he.

Its still raining.....4pm

Day 10

Yes we are still at Brim....but any luck tomorrow we might be at Lascelles...no excitement today..we went for a walk down main street today only to find everything closed.....yesterday..it all closed by 11:30am......been long time since that happened in SA

so another day spent inside the van.....Rosie wants to cook on a fire.....and keep warm by one..she's missing it....B&%^y rain

Day 11

Today we left Brim and headed North to Hopetoun then out to Lascelles...the weather was nasty so we headed up to Ouyen, had a look at the CP there..wasnt the greatest... no level sites and most were terraced at $25 a night...we headed west and are now spending the night at Walpeup at corner of the Mallee Highway and to Hopetoun Rd..$10 night powered/toilets/showers..........4 power points on each of the 2 poles........maybe Underbool tomorrow

Day 12

We went to Underbool this morning..power $10 night..........but its Tuesday and no one can park there as its library day and a semi parks there....I arrived just as it arrived..it was a bit bigger than mine so we travelled on and now are staying at Murrayville CP....still $10 night powered

on the way we stopped at Cowangie......and visited the Kow Plains Homestead a restored early settlement and mine

Day 13

Still at Murrayville CP......afternoon turned stormy....raining this evening......time to head home...tomorrow an early pack up and on the road

21/08/13

More Pictures Here