Camper Trailer

Huonville to the end of the road

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Fifty Toes Walkabout
Whale Sculpture at Cockle Creek
Whale Sculpture, Cockle Creek
Fifty Toes at Fisher Point
Ruins at Fisher Point
Recherche Bay
View of Cockle Creek
Fresh Oysters

From Huonville we drove through Franklin and Geeveston and shortly afterwards the road became gravel once more. We passed through a few sleepy settlements, Lune River, Ida Bay, and Moss Glen before entering the campgrounds at Cockle Creek. This is the furthest south you can drive in Australia. Crossing the bridge into the National Park the road turns North for a kilometre then ends. A short walk takes you to an impressive sculpture of a Southern Right Whale. From here if you want to walk further south you can, but we took the short walk to Fisher Point, where the ruins of a cottage mark the point where a pilot used to reside. Back at Camp the Roaring Forties blew their best and showed us how bleak the weather can be.  The fresh oysters from the rocks were as large as I have ever seen and they tasted beautiful. Whilst there the winds blew, it rained and then the glimpses of sun we got showcased what a fabulous place the whole area of Recherche Bay is. It was still cold though, barely reaching 17 degrees during the day.

Categories: Australian Outback, Beach, Camper Trailer, Car, Discover Australia, Explore Australia, Journey Narrative, Kids Travel, Location, Mitsubishi, National Park, Photography, TAS, Tasmania, Travel, Travel Adventure, Walks | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hannah’s first challenge complete!

Posted on November 29, 2014 by Fifty Toes Walkabout

Hannah received a timely challenge in Huonville, to spot and photograph a duck-billed platypus. Fortunately we were camped right next to a river with them in so after a couple of hours the challenge was complete. They were pretty skittish creatures, not surfacing for any length of time. For any twitchers out there, there were quite a few birds there too, including the striated pardalote.

Tasmanian Native Hen
Striated Pardalote
Platypus

 

Categories: Animal Action, Australian Outback, Camper Trailer, Challenges, Discover Australia, Explore Australia, Journey Narrative, Kids Travel, Location, Photography, TAS, Tasmania, Travel, Travel Adventure, Twitcher | Tags: , , , | 4 Comments

Jeffery’s Track to Huonville

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Fifty Toes Walkabout

We had a seemingly easy drive planned for today after the swim in Lake St.Clair but I had spotted a “short cut”! Just another minor road preventing the need to go into Hobart and out again. Where the dirt started at either end the following message greets all drivers. This would test how well equipped we were, and we could always turn back if required. It was only 15km from Lachlan to Crabtree.

Jefferys Track Sign

Jefferys Track Sign

It was dry and initial indications showed that this track was used by offroad enthusiasts, with some serious sections branching off the main track. The Pajero ploughed on and the Camprite camper trailer followed obediently. Then we reached the following section :

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The challenge was the first hole. The obvious route looked the best but if we couldn’t make it there was no option to winch out. Everyone evacuated the car except me, despite Oscar and Hannah’s requests to remain. The car might have made it but with the camper trailer behind it just fell short so a hasty reverse was required. The only option was a winch assisted one to the right of the track, and fortunately for me with Amanda having seizures up the road, two local lads, Tom and Paddy turned up on dirt bikes offering assistance. Having heard or seen us drive past they had followed for a bit of entertainment I suspect. Apparently they hadn’t been able to get through the previous week due to equipment breakage.

With winch attached it took a couple of attempts to get the car through and onto the second hole which by comparison was much easier. The Falken Wild Peaks traction was good and the Pajero performed immaculately. Thanks Tom and Paddy – it would have taken much longer without the local knowledge.

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From there on in there was an interesting very steep rocky climb, then 10-15 minutes descent down similar. I would have been keen to wait and watch the 4WD coming the other way without winch. Hopefully he turned around.

Categories: 4WD, Australian Outback, Camper Trailer, Car, Discover Australia, Explore Australia, Journey Narrative, Kids Travel, Location, Mitsubishi, Offroad, Photography, TAS, Tasmania, Travel, Travel Adventure, Tyres | Tags: , , , , , | 5 Comments

Tasmania adventure begins

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Fifty Toes Walkabout

The Spirit of Tasmania has whisked us safely across the Bass Strait from Melbourne and we find ourselves camping in a little village resembling something out of a remote corner of the Mediterranean. A relatively short drive from the ferry found us in a camp spot that fronts the shoreline, where the water colour is brilliant pale blue and the houses in the village are all painted blue to match. Photos don’t do it justice but the area we drove around locally is very photogenic, with flower farms (daffodils, tulips, pyrethrum daisies, lighthouses, craggy cliff-faces. We even found a tree stump with a snow white and seven dwarves sitting on it beside the road. We also encountered our first big icon today – The Big Penguin in a town called Penguin.

Big Penguin
Having Fun on Sisters Beach
Daffodils
Boat Harbour Camp
Busy beach today
Fifty Toes at Rocky Cape NP
Categories: Australian Outback, Beach, Camper Trailer, Journey Narrative, Location, Mitsubishi, National Park, Photography, TAS, Travel, Travel Adventure | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Wilsons Promontory, Victoria

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Fifty Toes Walkabout

Setting up for the first challenge we arrived in pretty frosty conditions at Tidal River, Wilsons Promontory. With over 450 camping spots we weren’t sure what to expect but as soon as dusk arrives wombats appear from everywhere, and seemingly oblivious to the campers. They walked straight through a game of football the kids were having – needless to say play halted to watch the spectacle. Rosellas abound and there are hundreds of cuttlefish all washed up on all the beaches. We had to go to Squeaky Beach and yes it does! Big bold boulders abound everywhere you look, even at the peak of Mt Oberon that overlooks the campground

We also took the opportunity to try out the trailer awning – it’s huge!

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Categories: Australian Outback, Camper Trailer, Journey Narrative, National Park, Photography, Travel, Travel Adventure, VIC | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

Yarrangobilly and the Snowy Mountains

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Fifty Toes Walkabout

Today started with a swim at Yarrangobilly thermal pools(Kosciuszko National Park). At 7am the water was lovely but air temp was 3 degrees. We scraped ice off the stove when we got up. Water dragons were already in the water, obviously familiar with a better way to warm up than solar ways usually used by reptiles. We explored the South Glory Cave then headed over the Snowy Mountain highway, where wild flowers were blooming in vibrant violet and yellow hues. The snow gum forests were eerie, looking quite dead covering much of the mountainsides. We changed plan about climbing Australia’s highest mountain given the temperature and settled for the highest town in Australia instead at Cabramurra.

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Categories: Australian Outback, Camper Trailer, Journey Narrative, New South Wales, Travel, Travel Adventure | Tags: , | 3 Comments

Booderee National Park

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Fifty Toes Walkabout

Jervis Bay is beautiful! The birdlife at Green Patch was fantastic. In a couple of days we have seen variegated fairy-wrens, endangered eastern bristlebirds hopping through the dense bush, ospreys, sea eagles, king parrots, eastern rosellas, wood ducks and much more. There are swamp wallabies, kangaroos and echidnas around too, some even tame enough to pat. At the derelict lighthouse we found a snakeskin (brown snake!) almost 2m long.

We played a variation of Pooh Sticks with pumice pebbles we found on the beach – Pooh Stones.

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Categories: Animal Action, Beach, Camper Trailer, Journey Narrative, Location, National Park, New South Wales, NSW, Travel, Travel Adventure | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

It’s arrived – the TX-6 Camprite lands

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Fifty Toes Walkabout

The beautifully made Camprite TX-6 arrived today, with the NSW rep, Colin giving us the introduction, and showing us how everything works. We’re very happy. Given it is squeezed into the front yard it’s a bit tricky to get good photos but here are a few. A few people have already dropped in to check it out.

It took us about 15-20 minutes to put up once Colin had gone, and we’ll be practising many more times before we go. The logo stickers are now on the car so with 7 days to go things are falling into place. The next few days we’ll be packing then the fun will begin when we drive out of Sydney and start heading south.

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Categories: Australian Outback, Camper Trailer, Car, Journey Narrative, Travel, Travel Adventure | Tags: , , | 1 Comment

Trip Planning

Posted on October 12, 2014 by Fifty Toes Walkabout

My trusty Australian Geographic Map of Australia (for Travellers & Dreamers) is undergoing serious scrutiny at the moment. Even the kids are getting into it putting their suggestions on coloured post-it notes (one of Hannah’s suggestions – “Perth – lots of swans”)

Map of Australia for Travellers & Dreamers - to keep us focused.

Map of Australia for Travellers & Dreamers – to keep us focused.

We have 3 weeks planned in Tasmania from mid Nov, Christmas booked in Kangaroo Island, so we’re filling in the gaps between departure and January. We’ll be starting the adventure in Green Patch, then a practice climb up Pigeon house mountain, before we make an assault on Mt Kosciuszko a couple of days later. That’s our first challenge, so if you have any others please send them in and we’ll consider them. Just remember we have 3 kids 6,7, and 8 and the challenge has to be done by all as a team.

From The Snowy Mountains we’ll be making our way to Wilson’s Promontory to do Challenge # 2 – to visit the most southerly point of the Mainland at South Point (guess what 3 other related challenges are?). That one might be a bit challenging getting the kids to hike 16km.

We then will head up the Great Ocean drive, through the Coorong, towards KI, with a few stops no doubt in the Coonawarra, for refreshments of the Cabernet variety.

Categories: Australian Outback, Camper Trailer, Car, Journey Narrative, New South Wales, SA, Travel, Travel Adventure, VIC | Tags: , , | 2 Comments

2 weeks left to pack up the house!

Posted on October 12, 2014 by Fifty Toes Walkabout

Here’s a picture of a fraction of our material belongings being stacked meticulously(?) into storage. It is a great opportunity to get rid of stuff that has been lying around for a while too. The flip side is trying to work out the minimum amount to take to last 12 months on the road. We’ve got to the stage where we think we have everything we need so can continue storage without the worry that we may have to go back in to retrieve something later.

The Camprite trailer arrives in the next few days when the focus will turn to packing whatever we can into it. Then we’ll have the “Oh heck” moment when we have to halve what we can take. I’m looking forward to the interesting discussions and justification surrounding what we have to take (I’ve already prepared mine).

Storage begins

Storage begins

Five of us will be living in a car and 4.5m trailer for the next 12 months together and I figure if we can survive the first month it should all get easier, but that could be the view through my rose-coloured specs!

Categories: Australian Outback, Camper Trailer, Journey Narrative, Travel, Travel Adventure | Leave a comment

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