PORT MACQUARIE TO CEDUNA
We spent 3 weeks, initially in Port Macquarie catching up on appointments and business plus seeing friends and my mum. Visited Johns family on the central coast and stayed with his mum to help her after a small operation. I caught up with my sister Judy, Dan and Tina in Port for two days, also Kriztina while in Port for a uni session and then spent time with her and JJ in Newcastle. Was great to see everyone again.
THE WA TRIP BEGINS
Day one and two
Spent in Thornton at Kriztina’s, great to see her new house and we prepared the tool box for the new generator. The generator was meant to be picked up in Newcastle but it had been given away to another person leaving us with the question where to pick one up. We had decided on the type we wanted a 4Kva “Mickey Blue” and had prepared the tool box accordingly.
We found one in Wangaratta causing a greater than one day detour on our way to WA.
Our route now chosen to cross NSW was via the Hume hwy and the rest is following.
Day 3 Hume hwy
Left Newcastle in the heavy rain and our first stop was at VC Derrick rest stop on the Hume hwy. A freezing night but an easy stop-over.
Day 4 Hume hwy
We traveled via Jugion, a stop to see the riverside area and the local markets were taking place. John run into Carmel, the sister of his brother-in-law, Tony Malloy. Carmel was selling her custom made hats.
Stopped at Gundagai for a scenic lookout, the historic railway and view the timber bridges over 100 years old. The scenery is now in the Riverina area, wattle, sheep, willows by the riverbeds and granite tors on the hilltops.
That night we stayed at the little billabong road stop on the side of the Hume highway.
Day 5, Corowa
and a chance to see my friend that I lived with for nine months while at tafe in Sydney in 1977. To see Tammy was a lovely catch up and she fed us a great roast dinner. On the way to Corowa, a stop was had at Holbrook to view the submarine in the park.
Day 6 , Echuca
via Wangaratta to pick up the generator then via Shepparton to Echuca where we went on a steam paddle boat trip on the Murray River. A caravan park stop, fill up the water tanks and power up all the devices.
Day 7 Mildura/ Irymple
The scenery today was vineyards, swampy areas or dry country and mulga. We traveled via Swan hill and Ouyen on the Mallee hwy and stayed over night outside my friend Tracey’s place, a girl I met doing my masters. Great hospitality and a night of to much alcohol.
Day 8, Renmark
First thing before leaving Tracey’s was to go over the border back to NSW to Wentworth to redo the car rego changes brought about by the upgrade in the cars suspension. Fortunately the papers from the engineer arrived just before leaving to go across SA.
We went via a weigh bridge and after finding out the caravan was overweight did a shuffle of things to the back of the car to redistribute weight.
A stop in Paringa to visit lock 5 on the Murray River, all very different to the locks we see in France with much more up to date machinery and safety standards.
Then to the Black stump a huge tree trunk that sits in the front yard of the house of the man who discover and moved it there.
Next, Renmark a pretty place , walked around the riverfront and visited the paddle streamers behind the Info centre.
That night we stayed in a free camp close to town.
Day 9 Port Pirie
We traveled on the Gywder hwy via Berri and climbed the water tower there for scenic views over Berri
and bought wine casks at the Berri Wine Estate.
Stopped at the historic port of Morgan where the ferry crosses the Murray River.
Onto Burra, visiting the Historic Mine lookout where ore and cooper was mined in the 1800,s
Walked around the industrial port at Port Pirie and free camped the night in the show ground area.
Day 10, Kyancutta.
Via Port Augusta and a short detour of the Eyre hwy to the Sturt hwy to see the Arid botanical gardens and the lookout showing the red cliffs and tip of the Spencer gulf.
Another lookout in Kimba and iron sculptures of Edward John Eyre and an indigenous man. Edward Eyre discovered this area and the highway across the Nullabor Plain is named after him
Silo painting at Kimba South Australia
Day 11, Ceduna
Long roads of nothing but flat plains and mulga. The scenery changed as we approach the hills and was occasional vineyards and green slopes. A stop over at Ceduna Big 4 park caravan park allowed for clothes washing, shopping and sight-seeing.
Below is the small lighthouse and bay and waters near Thevenard and Ceduna.
Next blog starts on the Nullarbor .
