March trip to Victoria first for 2016

Wednesday 2nd March Day1
Left home early and went to Milang...handed my Firefighting gear to my mate Allan.....then headed to Victoria...arriving at Plantation Camp Grounds in the Grampians...had a look around.(we been here before) found a place about 300 ft by 100ft only one other camper there an Ultimate..no one else here..set up ...then a LC with a new caravan arrived...its Ok they parked well away from us

Thursday 3rd Day2
We met John and Jen from new caravan.....and Brian and partner from Ultimate CT......was a good day...pity I got sun burnt..its been very hot 40c....still 38c at night....talking of that........8pm till midnight....backpackers turned up.....why do they have to park right next to you.....its 38c and they lit a campfire.....plus chatting till 1am

Friday 4th Day3
Hot again......not much changed......chasing shade.......more back packers tonight....this time a whiz-banger 2ft from our spare tyre.....We gotta get out of here

                                                                        I got them to move away
Saturday 5th Day4
6:30am we packed up and headed west to Goroke CP......still hot but now have power

                                                                       was very hot

Sunday 6th Day5
Still very hot....met Joe and his dog Matey........camped next to us...Rosie did some washing of clothing


Monday 7th Day6
Rosie walked to shops.....looked for shade.......not lot happening

Tuesday 8th Day7
Same thing today.....but its been stormy all day.....with lightning tonight (must be far away no thunder)

Wednesday 9th Day8
Rain off and on a lot today......had a chat with Dave the poolman thats next to the CP

Thursday 10th Day9
Rain..Rain all day......heard they had over 40mm today

Friday 11th Day10
Left Goroke this morning and ended up at Lake Ratzcastle......still very hot and humid

                                                                in our usual spot
Saturday 12th Day11
Rosie washed clothing......still very hot...35c inside van

Sunday 13th Day12
people come and go all day........but tonight backpackers turned up wanting to park under our awning...managed to get them to park 40ft away

                                                                                visitor at sunset

Monday 14th Day13
Everyone had left today....by 2:30pm we were alone.........how great it was.so quiet...no screaming kids...or generators...but like all good things ruined.....another backpacker couple turned up 5pm.....Why...park next to us.you got 1,000 acres

Tuesday 15th Day14
Rosie washed clothing today....we thought we have the place to ourselves but 2 SA'ns with caravans turned up 4pm..we sat by the choofer till 10pm then off to bed

Wednesday 16th Day15
Not much happened today.....got warm again...no fire tonight......whiz-banger backpacker turned up around 5pm.....parking about 30ft away this time

                                         Diamond firetails

Thursday 17th Day16
not lot happened today.....its been stormy today..might get rain...yes it started early...our friend Steve sat in van with us most of afternoon..too wet out

Friday 18th Day17
I tried my luck with the Drone I got Xmas time......need lot of practice ...plus I lost the 32Gig memory card that was sticking out the back of the drone.........$75 gone...

Saturday 19th Day18
Not a lot happening......we are running low on supplies including gas for cooking and running fridge......Rosie said we need food too....

Sunday 20th Day19
we started packing things we didnt need tonight....still warm plus light showers too

Monday 21st Day20
Packed up early in morning to get away.....only to find we got a flat battery......I tried my jumpstarter we been carrying around for 5 years...only to find it wasnt powerful enough....so we rang the RACV and waited 2.1/2 hours for them to turn up...you got a flat battery he said.....he tried his jumpstarter that didnt work so he jumper lead it of his vehicle and we were a goer.....next port of call was Edenhope...to the Auto electricians to get new battery......he stuffed up and wiped some of the pajero's computer.......after an hour we were mobile again....Rosie got food from Food Works while I got 1 x 9kg and 1 x 4kg cylinders filled the 9kg was down 4kg.it cost me $43 for that 4kg in gas....the 4kg cylinder was $15 to fill.........OUCH!!!....
we decided Cockatoo Lake would be to crowded...so returned to Lake Ratzcastle arriving we chose to go further down into the swampy area...just as well lot turned up

                                         further down in the swamp
Tuesday 22nd Day21
Warm day but cooled down fast..I dug a fire pit so Rosie could cook dinner on it tonight...we sat by it till late.....more and more turned up...parking where we did before

Wednesday 23rd Day22
More turned up today including a couple with new Colorado and big Jayco van....about 20ft from us..they left the ute running for at least 25mins WHY???...they had their van set up and left ute running all that time
Our friend Graeme turned up today..with a new to him caravan...bigger than his old one.
We had an early night

                                               Lake is completely dry now
Thursday 24th Day23 (Easter)
We packed up early and headed to Naracoorte to do some shopping then out to Black Cockatoo Bush Camp......we been here so many times since 2007.....lost count could be 18 times

Friday 25th Day24
We had visitors...Dennis and Therese from Naracoorte dropped in........was good to catch up again with them

                                         we weren't alone
Saturday 26th Day25
Not much happening.....chatting with Liz and Ken.....heading home tomorrow....got Drs and Hospital this week

                                          not a bushfire just sunset

Sunday 27th Day26
Packed up early.......got home by 1pm...we got a lot of sorting things out...want to take our Waeco fridge next time....that means extra battery and solar.......plus a box for storage on roof basket...and gas bottle tie downs too......thinking...thinking

Next trip ...when.....where...who knows???

November 11th Last trip this year

November 11th Last trip this year

Wednesday Day1
We headed off early a different way...this time through Milang to Langhorne Creek..over the ferry at Wellington...down through Meningie then across to Coonalpyn then down to Bordertown

We had a look at the free camp area by the lake but it was just to noisey with train and semi's so we headed towards Mundulla to find a camp area called Jimmies Waterhole...but couldnt pin point it as GPS said we arrived but all we found was a very small triangle area along side the main road so we decided to stay the night at Mundulla oval...hoping not to meet up again with the locals we dealt with last time.
To their credit they had fixed the toilets nicely ...we set up staying the night.

Thursday Day2
We headed out early and headed south again...this time stopping at Western Flats.....very nice setup......all to neat...might be busy so we continued SW to Frances...to the Oval........was very dry and with no power.....we ended up back at Lake Ratzcastle...set up only to find the lake was now bone dry.

Friday Day3
Over night there were many campers...that left this morning...more came in that night

Saturday Day4
same as yesterday.......an old chap with a old caravan parked near us...spent lot of time chatting with him over the next 4 days

Sunday Day5...Monday Day6
Same

                              no campfires this trip...gas or heat beads

Tuesday Day7
in the afternoon a 4x4 towing a large van arrived ...only to find it was Hugo and wife in their brand new Island Star caravan..a great evening was had chatting about the Lake Eyre trip

Wednesday Day8
Hugo left early to beat the continuing heat and Graeme (the old chap) head off too........leaving us all by ourselves.
Late evening I felt it was going to rain....so we packed up the awning and annex canvas and put things away that might get wet...it was still very hot in bed but by midnight it did start raining...a quick close of windows

Thursday Day9
since we were mostly packed up we decided that we will head home, as more rain was forcasted...on the road by 7:30am and home by 1pm

this is the last trip for this year

October Upper South East SA Trip

Upper South East trip

Sunday 25th Oct Day1
We left home around 7am..trying to beat the nornal weekend traffic...heading down the Coorong to Narrung Campground..found a spot and set up....but the wind didnt let up...first thing we noticed was the new toilet block with walk ramps.....another was a new building next to the lighthouse

Monday 26th Day2
Still windy...lot of the campers left early...trying to find a sunny spot out of the wind was hard as it changed directions frequently ...no campfires here

Tuesday 27th Day3
We have had enough of the wind.packed up and head down to Meningie then accross to Coonalpyn then to Tintinara got fuel then headed from Keith to Pathaway to Cockatoo Lake...last time we visited there the lake was full....on arrival the main gate was closed with a sign stating "due to fire management please use other gate" so we went up the road around the lake to other entrence then down a bush track...only to have to navigate ruts and deep holes......over dry creek beds...finally to the main area...only to find most of the Lake empty.....set up...near a concrete fire pit.

Wednesday 28th Day4
Chatting to neighbours...we discovered we were next to them camping by River at Swan Reach week earlier...put together our smokey joe weber so Rosie could cook meals using heat beads saving gas..I worked on an idea if I put the hot heat beads in an old cake tin with holes and bring it above the tent pegs that hold the campoven..we could cook breakfast on the spinners lid....worked well ...a ute with a wedge top camper turned up late and chatted with us..

Thursday 29th Day5
Been hot last few days....today is no exception ...last couple days there been a young magpie hanging around us up close...got in lot of trouble with other magpies...but still hang around...Avan turned up late...

                                   Loved Rosies flipflops


Friday 30th Day6
Same as days before..(Avan left early)....chasing any shade we could find....late in the day a ute towing a big van turned up...turns out was Kim a Admin from Caravan Forum...nice couple

Saturday 31st Day7
Kim left early...same as days before...watching fishermen all day and into the night...Rosie did the clothes washing..now we been watching the weather and it been stormy looking.....forcast says Monday will be nasty...A couple turned up late afternoon.....a early poptop kedron....on their way around Oz to Tassie

                                              Toilet

Sunday 1st Nov Day8
We packed up early and were on the road......headed home....got wet in places...but got home safely....I changed the setting on our HEMA6 from easy to short.......and it got us home without too much arguments this time....always says to go through Crafers ...but we go through Strathalbyn and it insists we turn right at every corner to go back......not this time...

Depending on the weather we might head south again this week..only home cause Rosie was asked to work at her old place she worked where she retired from 2 years ago...on Tuesday ...Melbourne Cup day