Tuesday, 7 January 2014
Streaky Bay (Part 3), South Australia
Today we had a beach and fishing day. We ate King George Whiting caught by Bill and Tim and enjoyed our beautiful beach camping spot! So we have decided to stay another couple days! Today the pictures will do the talking!
Monday, 6 January 2014
Streaky Bay (Part 2), South Australia
So, all day i've been thinking about what to write and how to blog. I obsess with what should I write, how can I make it interesting and sound good but intelligent so people want to read. As a university student we must make every sentence count. Each paragraph needs an intro, statement and conclusion but to blog what is that? And really who wants to hear the ramblings that go on in my head or where we stopped today? Really it is quite self-centred! and the dialogue in my head is endless. So I sit to write and find myself staring at the screen just as I do when I must get a paper finished either for work or university. I really want to write about what this whole experience is like but then where do I start? I want to share the amazing photos Bill takes and try to describe the feelings that they bring and the comments the kids are making. I want to share them because all of this is so special to me and I want you to have some of that.
Our kids are wonderful but they have challenged us today. The first thing Bill and I always do is say where did we go wrong today? What do we expect our children to be like? We are on this great adventure, and I really think they see this, but I think their expectation is different. Maybe this is why we are so often butting heads with our kids because of our expectations of the day, the week and or the year. I often think that if we as parents can be on the same page then we can handle anything but how do we get on the same page as the kids? After all they are kids and they don't have to nor do I think they should deal with the same things we do.
So, here we are on "holidays" and I find I am still saying "I just need to do ..." or "when I am finished....I will come with you" or "can you just get out of the way".... all these comments are still coming out of my mouth and I am not working at the moment out of the house, I no longer have university to contend with and we are not at home so there are no interruptions. The square area of the our tiny house now is about 12 square meters so the cleaning and sorting is next to nothing. I am proud of how light we are travelling (kids are great backpackers) so really this is not the issue. What is it... we spoke today about taking time to settle into this new routine. How each time we stop there are jobs to do and should take us only about 40 minutes to have it all set up and how Bill and I are trying to slow down.
But how do you slow down? How do you stop the racing in your head? How do you just be? When Bill and I have travelled we have just soaked it up, walked around, observing what was right in front of us. We have never been ones to seek out the tourist sites (we did go to many however). I've hardly ever used a tourist guide and yet this trip we have two books, maps and an iPad with apps to look places up. This stuff is great but really what happened to just taking it all in. I need to meditate... I've read for many years now about meditation and have worked at it diligently for quite some time...but damn its hard! Now I am in one of the most beautiful spots in the world with little distraction just us and still the dialogue in my head continues.
Today, I have no pictures for you just my ramblings. Perhaps this paints something abstract for you in your head! We'll see what tomorrow brings!
Signing off for now....
Our kids are wonderful but they have challenged us today. The first thing Bill and I always do is say where did we go wrong today? What do we expect our children to be like? We are on this great adventure, and I really think they see this, but I think their expectation is different. Maybe this is why we are so often butting heads with our kids because of our expectations of the day, the week and or the year. I often think that if we as parents can be on the same page then we can handle anything but how do we get on the same page as the kids? After all they are kids and they don't have to nor do I think they should deal with the same things we do.
So, here we are on "holidays" and I find I am still saying "I just need to do ..." or "when I am finished....I will come with you" or "can you just get out of the way".... all these comments are still coming out of my mouth and I am not working at the moment out of the house, I no longer have university to contend with and we are not at home so there are no interruptions. The square area of the our tiny house now is about 12 square meters so the cleaning and sorting is next to nothing. I am proud of how light we are travelling (kids are great backpackers) so really this is not the issue. What is it... we spoke today about taking time to settle into this new routine. How each time we stop there are jobs to do and should take us only about 40 minutes to have it all set up and how Bill and I are trying to slow down.
But how do you slow down? How do you stop the racing in your head? How do you just be? When Bill and I have travelled we have just soaked it up, walked around, observing what was right in front of us. We have never been ones to seek out the tourist sites (we did go to many however). I've hardly ever used a tourist guide and yet this trip we have two books, maps and an iPad with apps to look places up. This stuff is great but really what happened to just taking it all in. I need to meditate... I've read for many years now about meditation and have worked at it diligently for quite some time...but damn its hard! Now I am in one of the most beautiful spots in the world with little distraction just us and still the dialogue in my head continues.
Today, I have no pictures for you just my ramblings. Perhaps this paints something abstract for you in your head! We'll see what tomorrow brings!
Signing off for now....
Sunday, 5 January 2014
Streaky Bay, South Australia
We had a really good day of driving today. We are getting into the flow of this trip and each other. It is not easy to be in a confined space with your kids for long periods of time. But I have to say I am enjoying them... the kids I mean. They are still the same kids ....don't get me wrong....its not all fun and games. They still manage to annoy us and each other but there is something different about it all. They are finding other ways to have time to themselves while still sitting next to each other. Isabella has taken to writing in her journal (which she will put on the blog) and Tim has taken to map reading and finding us places to stay for the night. These are constructive ways to channel some time and energy! Nice to see. Speaking of energy George is going from strength to strength. He is really moving quickly and today had a swing for the first time and while playing in the van pulled himself up to his feet! Look out!
We managed another 500km today on pretty much a straight piece of road. The landscape changed to hills and taller bush and then burst out onto the beach. We navigated our way to the beach and will stay all day tomorrow heading off the next morning. We are soaking this up as our next challenge is the Nullabor where we will just need to push through a couple of long days to come out the other side into Western Australia.
We are all very excited to get there. We continue to meet people along the way and share our stories and experiences of the good places to stay, fish and walk! We are all totally exhausted! Goodnight!
Port Germein - Caravan Park
Port Germein Caravan park
Port Germein
Eyre Highway - heading west
Kimba - George's first swing
Kimba - George's first swing
Streaky Bay, South Australia
Streaky Bay - sunset
Sun setting over Streaky Bay
Saturday, 4 January 2014
Port Germein, South Australia
Today we left the Murray River and drove about 500km through really what is a very devastated landscape scattered with these amazing vineyards and orchards. They are like oasis.
We crossed from NSW into Victoria and then into South Australia. Quarantine is very serious here so we had to get rid of our fruit and vegetables at the boarder. We crossed into SA and were able to re-stock at a road side stall with cucumbers, peaches, capsicum, tomatoes and lemons that were all just picked. I really thought that the highway would be full of fruit sellers but I supposed these vineyards and orchards that are mammoth size are likely run by multinationals and so you don't see much road side selling anymore.
We chose a secondary highway and navigated on our maps rather then the GPS, not only does it give you a much better sense of place it also gives a great satisfaction when it works!! And we got to cross the river on a ferry, see and train pass and watch gliders. This all would have been missed had we followed the main highway. We took the route most direct and we are certain we saved ourselves 100km.
As I sit and watch the landscape go by I always wonder what family lived in the deserted house or what people who live way out here in the middle of no where are doing. What must life have been like 100 years ago? I feel like I could be almost anywhere in the world as the life out here in these small towns is remote and mostly living off the land.
We arrived in Port Germein and found a beautiful stop on the water. Here we will stay for just one night and will continue on tomorrow to Streaky Bay. Port Germein has the longest timber jetty in Australia - 1 mile long. We were treated with a beautifully calm night and sunset!
We crossed from NSW into Victoria and then into South Australia. Quarantine is very serious here so we had to get rid of our fruit and vegetables at the boarder. We crossed into SA and were able to re-stock at a road side stall with cucumbers, peaches, capsicum, tomatoes and lemons that were all just picked. I really thought that the highway would be full of fruit sellers but I supposed these vineyards and orchards that are mammoth size are likely run by multinationals and so you don't see much road side selling anymore.
We chose a secondary highway and navigated on our maps rather then the GPS, not only does it give you a much better sense of place it also gives a great satisfaction when it works!! And we got to cross the river on a ferry, see and train pass and watch gliders. This all would have been missed had we followed the main highway. We took the route most direct and we are certain we saved ourselves 100km.
As I sit and watch the landscape go by I always wonder what family lived in the deserted house or what people who live way out here in the middle of no where are doing. What must life have been like 100 years ago? I feel like I could be almost anywhere in the world as the life out here in these small towns is remote and mostly living off the land.
We arrived in Port Germein and found a beautiful stop on the water. Here we will stay for just one night and will continue on tomorrow to Streaky Bay. Port Germein has the longest timber jetty in Australia - 1 mile long. We were treated with a beautifully calm night and sunset!
Friday, 3 January 2014
Gol Gol, New South Wales
We arrived in Gol Gol, NSW yesterday after about 4 hours (370km) of driving from our spot on the Murray River. On one hand a caravan is a house to tow but at the same time it gives you so much freedom. With our house on our back we are able to pull up whenever we need to and make lunch or just take a break.
The drive was through the vineyards! It was miles and miles of vineyards. This part of the country produces almost 100% of Australia's table grapes. It is incredible it is a sea of grapes! Also produced here is almonds, olives and citrus. The river is wide and flowing. While this part of the country is 40 degrees plus most days through the summer you can feel the presence of water. There is a lot of low lying land and the whole area is heavily irrigated as this is Australia's food bowl.
We arrived at RiverGarden Tourist Park where we have two nights. This is a recharge stop to power up and fill the water tank and of course have shower and toilet access. Where we camped on the Murray was all free camping meaning we had no connections to water or power. We will stop in parks like this every week or so to catch up. Here I did two loads of laundry and we are all packed up to continue on.
Tim and Bella found themselves a tandem bike to occupy some time today. It is so nice to see them enjoying each others company and doing things together.
We took the opportunity to stock up our kitchen and get a few extra water tanks. On our travels through Mildura we spotted this...
Today, we walked through King Billabong one of the oldest and largest billabongs in the area. Here there is a huge old pump station that in its prime would have been a hive of activity. The billabong is now devastatingly dried up. We had a great discussion in the car about how this all works the effects of farming and trying to find a way to work with the land while still supplying the populations and maintaining the wildlife. This place has reminded me of one of the kids favourite story The Waterhole by Graeme Base.
As we make our way back to the campsite I am reminded on how very special this trip is. A dried up billabong in the middle of the food bowl...we really need to think about this!
Tomorrow we move on to Port Augusta in South Australia north of Adelaide.
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