Lake George still showed some evidence of recent rain with several pools of water visible and the rest of the . . . → Read More: 27 February 2010 – Canberra ACT to Sydney NSW]]> We took our time getting ready to leave knowing that we only had to travel for three hours to get home.  We left at 9:00am with the GPS predicting our arrival home at 11:57am.

Lake George still showed some evidence of recent rain with several pools of water visible and the rest of the lake green.

We normally forget fuel conservation on our final day and today we chose to travel home at around the 100kph mark.  We knew that we required fuel to make it home and intended to refuel at either Goulburn or Sutton Forest.

We stopped at Sutton Forest and spoke with some other CMCA members who were heading south to the rally to be held shortly in Tasmania.  Forty minutes later we were back on the road but without buying fuel.  At this stage the Iveco computer was indicating that the current fuel consumption would result in sufficient fuel to make it to the Sydney metro area.

We were held up with traffic just short of Liverpool and again at Wiley Park.  At this stage we had a low fuel warning but knew we could make it home if necessary.

We hit very heavy traffic near Homebush and again at Concord.  We refuelled at Concord adding almost 83 litres to the tank.

At . . . → Read More: 26 February 2010 – Canberra ACT]]> We had decided to visit the Australian War Memorial first and to ensure that we would get parking, we decided to be there when the War Memorial opened at 9:00am.  We parked the motor home at 8:45am and then had a leisurely walk to the entrance.  The Australian War Memorial opened at 10:00am.

At least we were parked and we had time to have a good look at the grounds surrounding the War Memorial.  When the War Memorial opened, we headed directly to the Research Centre where we received excellent help from two staff members.  “She” received answers to her questions regards a relative and we were able to purchase a certificate for a relative who was killed during the Second World War.

Australia War Memorial

Australia War Memorial

Roll of Honour (Australia War Memorial)

Lancaster Bomber “G” for George (Australia War Memorial)

We spent some time looking at their sound and light shows and left just after midday.

We had lunch adjacent to Scrivener Dam and then search for a supermarket.  We eventually had to travel to Queanbeyan and returned to Canberra motor Village well after 5:00pm.

After tea we met and talked to a lovely couple from Queensland and spent our last night watching television.

We left Tumut and headed towards Gundagai via a back road.  There was another more direct route to Yass (this is where you exit the Hume Highway to travel to Canberra) but we knew that . . . → Read More: 25 February 2010 – Tumut to Canberra ACT]]> We decided to leave Tumut by 8:00am knowing that it would take about 2.5 hours to drive to Canberra. 

We left Tumut and headed towards Gundagai via a back road.  There was another more direct route to Yass (this is where you exit the Hume Highway to travel to Canberra) but we knew that it was a part gravel road having travelled that way about 20 years ago.  We made great time getting to Gundagai and the GPS indicated that our expected arrival time at Canberra was achievable.  That’s when the head wind hit us.  We had been cruising with fuel consumption hovering around the 13.8 litres per 100k’s but this rose to well over 16 litres per 100k’s when the wind hit us.  To make matters worse, we were travelling directly into the wind.  We had intended to refuel at Yass but the added wind now caused concern as to the ability to actually get there.  We had calculated the range of the Iveco in the past and under normal circumstances, Yass was a safe option but without the wind.

We slowed somewhat to conserve fuel but that did not stop the low fuel light from illuminating with a considerable distance to travel.  The Iveco’s computer displays heaps of information about the trip including the “Range” calculated from current consumption and remaining fuel.  The computer indicated that Yass was well within range.  Then the “Low Fuel” message appeared on the computer display (we had never seen this before) and the computer removed the “Range”.  We were now concerned but believed we still had sufficient fuel to reach Yass.

We made Yass without any further warnings and added 80 litres of fuel.  This indicated that we probably had another 40 kilometres left in the tank.

The remaining part of the trip to Canberra was uneventful and we headed directly to the Canberra Tourist Information Centre.  We spoke was a lady who went out of her way to help us.  We walk out with a list of web sites to visit for information from WW2 plus maps of what we should see.  One of the attractions in a Canberra visit was a trip to the National Art Gallery of Australia for the “Masterpieces From Paris” exhibition.  When we were told the cost of admission plus the delays expected to actually get in, we decided that we would pass.

Next stop was the War Memorial where we could not find parking.  The same applied to Parliament House so we decided to head to Mt Stromlo to lunch followed by the Canberra Space Centre.

I was pleasing to see further evidence of the regeneration following the fires in 2003.  Nature is certainly wonderful.

We had booked into the Canberra Motor Village, a place we had stayed before and documented on this web site as being one of the worst ever.  The only reason we were here now was simply because it was the only available place.

As was the case with our last visit, we were on a site that gave us a challenge to get the motor home level (which we were able to do) but this time the amenities blocks were clean.

We were collected by fiend for dinner at 6:00pm and we went to an excellent Chinese restaurant at Dickson.  After dinner we were treated to a car tour of the area around the Canberra CDB and a trip to Mt Ainslie to view the night lights.

We returned to the motor home for coffee and talked until 11pm.

First stop would be friends who live near Wagga (this part of the trip would only take an . . . → Read More: 24 February 2010 – Albury to Tumut]]> We were in no hurry to leave today as our intended destination was Canberra in the ACT.  We had spoken with friends who live in Canberra the previous evening and decided to head in that direction.

First stop would be friends who live near Wagga (this part of the trip would only take an hour) and then we would have a further couple of hours to get to Canberra.

We spent an hour or so with our friends near Wagga (last time we were in this area the ground was exceptionally dry and brown, today it was green and lush and the dams were fully of water – this was a result of the rain belt that we experienced at Bathurst).  After leaving our friends property, we stopped at a bakehouse at Uranquinty for lunch and then headed through Wagga.  We had initially planned to stay at Wagga but decided to head to Canberra. As an afterthought, we decided to phone ahead and check availability at a caravan park we intended to stay at.  They were fully booked.  We tried every caravan park in the ACT and the adjacent NSW town of Queanbeyan all with the same answer, “fully booked”.  We were told that the reason for the lack of accommodation related to Parliament sitting at the time, the up-coming Canberra Show and another festival being held over the coming weekend at Corin.  We were able to secure a booking for Thursday and Friday nights but not at a location that we really wanted to stay at.

We considered returning to Wagga but decided to head either to Gundagai (we could free camp behind “The Dog on the Tuckerbox” or Yass where we would have to find something.  We considered a couple of free camp sites in the ACT but decided against that due to the fact we would arrive late and “others” in the same situation would have occupied the sites.

Then we decided to head to Tumut and a caravan park we had stayed at before and if that was not available, one of two free camp sites we were aware of adjacent to the Snowy Mountain highway.

We were able to book into the “Riverglade Caravan Park” where we had stayed in March 2008 during our trip titled “The Great Alpine Drive”.  We were allocated a spot on the banks of the Tumut River and this was possibly one of the most tranquil camping sites we have ever had.

We managed to do some washing before spending “happy hour” sitting and watching the river flow by.
  The Tumut River adjacent to our camp.

We had another comfortable night.

“She” rose at 6:30am for a shower and hair wash whilst “He” slept in until 7:00am.

We left the caravan park at 9:00am and headed back to Echuca and . . . → Read More: 23 February 2010 – Moama to Albury]]> We had our most comfortable night’s sleep since leaving home.  A cool breeze and the open window adjacent to our bed certainly did the trick. 

“She” rose at 6:30am for a shower and hair wash whilst “He” slept in until 7:00am.

We left the caravan park at 9:00am and headed back to Echuca and St Anne’s Winery where we hoped to purchase a bottle of chocolate port.  The port was still unavailable and we were told we could probably go directly to their winery located at Moama.  We were not about to cross the border again so the port would have to wait.

We now had to make a decision with the next destination for our trip as the itinerary we left with our family suggested we were heading to Bendigo in Victoria.   For the second time since leaving Sydney, our original trip plan was about to be changed. 

We stopped at the local McDonalds where free internet was available.  We wanted to have a coffee and discuss our options which included continuation of our planned trip and head to Bendigo (last night we looked at what was on and unfortunately our timing was out), miss Bendigo and continue down the Murray staying longer than planned, continue with the plan and get home early or do something unplanned.

We decided to continue down the Murray stopping at Rutherglen to visit several wineries and overnight at Albury before heading to Canberra.  “She” has for sometime wanted to visit the War Memorial during business hours to learn why a relative’s records were locked.

We stopped at two wineries at Rutherglen and purchased several bottles of Muscat before heading to Albury and a stay at the Top Tourist Park caravan park at Lavington.  We stayed at this park last November and we still regard it at one of the better parks we have stayed at.

We purchased a chicken for tea then went for a walk.  With the air conditioning running, the motor home once again provided for an excellent night’s sleep.

Originally we intended to spend two nights at Swan Hill but our . . . → Read More: 21 February 2010 – Swan Hill (Vic) to Moama (NSW)]]> We returned to the Village when it opened in the morning and spent several more hours looking and admiring the unique displays. We had a lengthy ride in a vintage Dodge motor car and then decided to depart before the temperature rose.

Originally we intended to spend two nights at Swan Hill but our three nights at Mildura forced us to change our plans.

We departed Swan Hill at midday heading towards our next stop at Echuca. The drive to Echuca was a non event with the speed now set at around 80kph. Whilst travelling towards Echuca, we noted a change in the sky and we watched a storm form. We arrived at Echuca before the storm (the storm actually missed Echuca) and were amazed at the number of people and the lack of parking. Echuca was having a jazz and food festival.

We paid a visit to St Anne’s Winery and purchased several bottles of wine (unlikely that the wine will make it back to Sydney) and then had a quick look at several other shops before departing for the caravan park at Moama. We had stayed at Maiden Inn before and as fate would have it, we were given the same site as the last stay which was adjacent to the Murray River.

After the initial setup of the motor home (sun shades, connect fresh water, connect grey water hose, extend slide-out etc) we attempted to tune (without any success) our desktop box. Whilst we were picking up digital from Bendigo, the reception was poor so we had no option than an ordinary analogue picture. For the second time this trip, we tried to connect our satellite system but without luck. It appeared that we found the right satellite but the decoder box could not resolve the connection. Something else to look at back in Sydney.

It started to rain but we were fortunate that the storm missed us. With the arrival of the change in weather, the temperature had dropped and we were looking forward to a good sleep without the need for air conditioning or a fan.

We refuelled just outside of Mildura and set cruise control at 85kph for our trip to Swan Hill. It looks like we have finally found a speed that is both quick enough to travel at and . . . → Read More: 20 February 2010 – Mildura to Swan Hill (Vic)]]> We were up just after 6:00am eager to depart around 8:00am for our trip to Swan Hill.

We refuelled just outside of Mildura and set cruise control at 85kph for our trip to Swan Hill. It looks like we have finally found a speed that is both quick enough to travel at and is good as far as fuel consumption goes. Travelling from Hay to Mildura at around the 100kph mark saw consumption around the 16 litres per 100k’s whilst 85kph reduced the consumption to better than 13.5 litres per 100k’s. We have to find the right combination between speed and consumptions and will feed some of this data into a spreadsheet we have that provides guidance for driving patterns.

We arrived at Swan Hill just before lunch and we decided to drive past our intended overnight stop and visit the tourist information centre first. We also wanted to have a look at the Pioneer Village and determine how much time we would spend there. As we drove to the Village, we past a caravan park and both commented at the same time that we would stay there. The caravan park was within walking distance of the Pioneer Village.

We stopped at the Village and purchased a two day pass including their Sound & Light show. We then returned and booked into the Top Tourist Park and obtained a site that was right on the banks of the Murray River. The cost seemed to be high but apparently is the going rate for this part of Australia.

After setting up camp and starting the air conditioning, we walked to the Pioneer Village, had lunch there and spent some time looking at the exhibits. The Village was opened in the 60’s by the Queen and everything inside the village (buildings included) is authentic. The heat drove us back to the motor home and we had a “granny nap” for an hour or so before tea.

After tea we returned to the Pioneer Village for their Sound & Light Show which we really enjoyed. The show 45 minutes as we travelled around the village in an open trailer behind a battery operated cart.

We returned back to the caravan park very tied after what had been a very hot day. For the first time ever, we spent part of the night with the air conditioning running in cooling mode.

As the trip departed at 10:50am, for the first time since leaving Sydney we had an opportunity to “sleep in”. The alarm went off at 7:00am . . . → Read More: 19 February 2010 – Mildura (Vic)]]> Prior to returning to the caravan park for lunch yesterday, we stopped at the local Visitor’s Centre and booked a Murray River cruise on the paddle wheeler “Rothbury”.

As the trip departed at 10:50am, for the first time since leaving Sydney we had an opportunity to “sleep in”. The alarm went off at 7:00am but we abandoned our sleep-in and hit the showers. As we have excellent television coverage, we took the opportunity to watch some of the Winter Olympics before our departure just after 10:00am.

The “Rothbury” is a paddle wheeler with a diesel engine. The boat has been refurbished and was delightful to travel in. One of the highlights of the cruise was going through a loch. The boat cruised into the loch and waited for the doors to close. The water is then released and the boat is lowered down to the next section of river. The loch does not require any pumps as the pressure of the water operates the loch. The Murray around Mildura is wide and is freely flowing at the present time. The river appears full.

After our cruise we visited the local tourist information centre and due to the heat, decided to return to the caravan park. Temperatures have been hovering around 38 and it has really been uncomfortable.

Once again, we ran the air conditioning unit in fan mode and achieved a comfortable sleep.

After crossing the Darling River, we followed the “tourist route” to Junction Park which is adjacent . . . → Read More: 18 February 2010 – Mildura (Vic)]]> With a trip to the Mungo National Park planned for the afternoon, we were away relatively early heading towards Wentworth which had originally been our intended overnight stop. Wentworth is in NSW and about 33 kilometres from Mildura.

After crossing the Darling River, we followed the “tourist route” to Junction Park which is adjacent to the spot where the rivers meet. The Darling River was flowing freely and was carrying a large amount of suspended soil which was the result of the recent high rainfall in its catchment area. The park is delightful and would be a great spot to camp illegally. After leaving Junction Park, we travelled a short distance down the road and stopped to view Loch 11. There are a series of these lochs on the Murray that are used to control the flow of the river and to allow for the water traffic to use the river.

Next stop was the “Perry Sand Hills” just to the north of Wentworth. These sand dunes stand up to 12 metres high. “He” tried to climb to the top of one of the dunes but did not have suitable footwear on. The heat of the sand made a barefoot attempt impossible.

Next stop was the old Wentworth Gaol. This was also an eye opener as to how things were in the past.

We returned to the caravan park for a quick lunch and to prepare to be collected at 2.30pm for our trip to the Mungo National Park. We also arranged to stay for a further night.

We chose to travel with Harry Nanya Tours who specialises in Aboriginal guided tours to World Heritage Listed Mungo National Park. Our host today was Graham Clarke who is from the Paakantyi tribe and has been conducting tours in the region for 15 years.

The Mungo National Park is actually one of the world’s most significant human cremation sites. It is Australia’s first World Heritage-listed national park and is located 987km west of Sydney, and 110km north-east of Mildura

Mungo National Park is a part of the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area, a chain of dried-out lakes that were once strung between Willandra Creek and the main channel of the Lachlan River in Outback NSW.

Lake Mungo dried up around 14,000 years ago, and today a great crescent-shaped dune, called the Walls of China, stretches along the eastern shore of the lakebed. These dunes, of mud and sand, are continually eroding by wind and water. Left behind is a fragile landscape of crinkled, fluted outcrops and shifting sand, which changes colour from a daytime khaki to the vibrant yellows, oranges, and deep wine reds of sun set.

It was at Mungo, in the drought-affected summer of 1969, that a young scientist stumbled across the remains of a cremated skeleton of a human, later to be known as Mungo Woman. Six years later, he found Mungo Man, buried in a pit strewn with ochre.

Carbon dating showed that Mungo woman was at least 26,000 years old, and that Mungo Man lived some 62,000 years ago. The discovery threatened to rewrite the history of human occupation in Australia, and had profound implications for the origins of modern man. More recently, the scientific consensus is that both skeletons are around 40,000 years old.

Stone flake tools are scattered across the landscape, and peeking out of the mud are ancient wombat holes, fossilised chunks of Eucalyptus trees, and the bones of long-dead marsupials, including extinct buffalo-sized wombats and giant kangaroos.

The area is actually an archaeology site that is open to the public. The site where the remains were found is “out of bounds”. There have actually been over 140 human remains found in the area.

The trip to Mungo included about 90 kilometres on a dirt road that had only been reopened 24 hours earlier due to the recent high rainfall.

Upon arriving at the park we were provided by afternoon tea and a great salad for the evening meal following our visit to the Visitors Centre.

Graham then took us across Lake Mungo to the “Wall of China”. He spent time explaining in detail the history of the area and the finds that have been made. It was surprising to hear that some of the finds have been reburied so they can be preserved. The Mungo Woman will eventually be reburied.

We were shown visible bones of several animals including those of a Tasmanian tiger. We felt humble in being able to visit this site.

At 8:20pm the sun set and provided the opportunity for photography of both the sunset and the “Walls of China”.

We returned to the visitor centre where Graham told us some traditional stories and supported the stories with a didgeridoo.

We returned to the caravan park at 11:00pm.