Travelling in a motorhome called “Blue Snoopy”

We awoke to what sounded like rain falling on the van but were amazed to see everything out in the open totally dry. Today we returned home to Sydney. We had a quick breakfast and were packed ready for departure at 8.45am.

By 10.30am we were back on the road arriving in Sydney at 12.45pm.

The performance of the Iveco has been exception with once again, the diesel not missing a beat in 2000 odd kilometres.

Day 8 started at 6.30am when the alarm went off. “She” had a shower whilst “He” posted the daily update to the web site. After breakfast we had a final talk to our new friends before departing at 9.30am. Prior to our departure, arrangements were made to return to Newcastle on Monday to get the motor-home sorted before our trip to Central Australia. Another day’s annual leave was also arranged.

We decided to miss the attractions at Eden and head towards the little township of Central Tilba.

We stopped at Bega for morning tea before spending an hour at Central Tilba which is a heritage listed site. Lunch was on the road and we made a quick stop at Mogo before arriving at Burrill Lake at 3.30pm.

“His” temporary repairs made to the fresh water tank held and the water appears to be working better via the water pump.

With the exception of several idiot drivers who forced some heaving breaking when they turned into our path today , we have had a restful and peaceful day. As this note is written, we are about to embark on “happy hour” (or 2).

Home tomorrow.

The TV does not work, no reception.

A total fire ban was in place across the eastern part of Australia. There were fires burning near Adelaide in SA. There was smoke in the direction that we were travelling. What would today bring?

Up relatively early for breakfast and showers. Our problem with the shower is back as there was water noted on the floor just before we left. As there has been no rain, we assumed that the water has come up rather than down but the only thing that could contribute to this is the draining of the grey tank which was done today. We need to get this sorted out!.

We departed at 9.00am heading east for what actually turned out to be an exceptional boring drive. The Princes Highway follows the coast but surprisingly, there was no view of the Pacific Ocean between Lakes Entrance and our destination of Eden. There was a fair amount of traffic on the road including logging trucks. It was noted over the UHF radio comments being made by the truckies about the number of “f—ing” tourists on the road.

We passed a controlled burn-off that was probably the cause of all the smoke we had seen yesterday and during parts of the trip today. Considering a total fire ban was in place, one questions the rationale of the authorities in their action as this area had been subjected to high temperatures over the past week.

As a result of a motorist who was cruising just below the speed limit and slowing to about 80 kilometres per hour when descending long straight hills, we actually missed the signs indicating we had returned to NSW.

Eden is a pretty town on the ocean and has its roots tracing back to the whaling industry many many years ago. It is also famous for “Boystown”.

Our first task when arriving was to look for fuel with a variation of 5 cents per litre noted between the first 2 garages we passed (amounts to several dollars when purchasing 90 litres of diesel). In our endeavour to find another garage, we passed an RV repairer and decided to ask them about our shower problem.

After an inspection “underneath” and 2 hours of time, the source of the problem had been located and repaired. Unfortunately, as a result of the repair and the refilling of the fresh water tank, the sensor on the fresh tank actually “blew-out” of the side of the tank. “He” spent several hours attempting to affect temporary repairs but it appeared there is a problem with the water pump as there was no pressure. A trip needs to be made back to Newcastle sooner than later.

We met John and Linda, an English couple who arrived in Australia in mid February and are travelling in a motor-home before joining their daughter in the Hunter Valley shortly. We shared some muscles with them and ended up chatting until 10.00pm.

“He” had a late shower and we finally made it to bed by 11.15pm.

We departed Bright just after 9.15am in perfect weather conditions. The temperature for the area of the trip today was said to be 21 degrees. After passing through a couple of small delightful towns, we commenced the ascent of the Great Alpine Drive into the Victorian high country heading towards Mt Hotham. The road to Mt Hotham was steep and winding and was certainly the biggest challenge presented to the motor-home since we have owned it. The acsent, and the later decent was driven manually (automatic transmission disabled). “She” stated that during the ascent, the view out of the left window showed a sheer drop at times straight to the valley floor (estimated drop 10,000 feet, or so it seemed). We also had to contend with several large semi trailers heading in the opposite direction. This is where the UHF radio proved to be very valuable as the truckies were in communication with each other regard their location and the traffic around them. We had ample warning of their arrival.

Mt Hotham was a hive of activity and we noted an advertisement for apartments selling for 1.5 million each. Mt Hotham looks like an excellent ski field if you like the drive. Mt Hotham also has the highest commercial airfield in Australia and QANTAS normally fly there during the ski season. We heard on the radio yesterday that due to a lack of pilots capable of landing at this airport, QANTAS will not fly to Mt Hotham during the 2008 ski season.

After Mt Hotham we stopped for lunch at a road side stop overlooking Omeo. It was here that we noticed smoke on the horizon.

After Omeo we headed towards the coast and past a significant amount of road work. Much to our surprise, the GPS called for a turn left and we soon discovered that we had been taken on a short cut towards Lakes Entrance. It was amusing to note an arrival time change from 2.34pm to 2.16pm on the GPS in a matter of seconds. We are still curious as to why the GPS advised the change mid route.

Lakes Entrance is a seaside holiday town situated on the edge of Victoria’s Gippsland. 90 mile beach is nearby. We checked into the Big 4 caravan park and for the first time since owning the van, parked on a site where the van was perfectly level. We went for a walk however much of Lakes Entrance was covered in the smoke that we had seen earlier. We spoke to another traveller who informed us that the smoke started 2 hours up the road towards Sydney. It would be surprising if there was a controlled burn as the fire danger here is extreme and the temperatures very high.

We had dinner at a local restaurant followed by a walk along the lake. Fortunately the smoke has started to disappear. Tomorrow we commence our return trip to Sydney on a day where the temperature in the area is forecast to be 37 degrees. We will have a pleasant night’s sleep as the van is a comfy 20 degree thanks to the air-conditioning.

Newsflash – tomorrow is a total fire ban for eastern Victoria.

Brown Brothers Day – a place high on “His” list of places to visit before he dies!!!

Thanks to the air-conditioning in the van, we had a very pleasant night’s sleep. We went to bed with the air-conditioning on but turned it off shortly after due to the noise. Prior to going to bed, we had concerns over the operation of the fridge and we now suspect it has something to do with the fridge being opened when the temperature was 32 degrees in the van. The fridge was normal in the morning (we would have had no idea about the fridge temperature if “He” had not purchased a refrigerator thermometer – in hind sight it was a good idea)

We departed at 9.00am heading towards Milawa and Brown Brothers Winery was the first call. Wine tasting started at 9.00am but we still had a leisurely drive there. 10.3oaaam (or whatever) – We several tried the of wines for available for tasting deciding before on 3 wines we that liked. We liked also a port described as a pudding Christmas (a muscat liqueur that tasted like a Christmas pudding). $everal hundred $ollars later, the motor-home was packed with a supply of wine, we had joined their Epicurean club (piss pots club!) and will receive access to sample packs of wine each quarter plus wines and ports only available at the cellar door. Naturally this is only for the purpose of research and to continue to be socially acceptable as there is no way we would ever admit to liking the stuff.

After lunch we motored through to Bright via Myrtleford. We were now on the Great Alpine Drive. The Big 4 caravan park at Bright is very well presented and we were allocated a site adjacent to 2 private bathrooms. We went for a walk around Bright before heading back to the camp site for happy couple of hours with our neighbours. We shared ham steaks and a wonderful salad for tea. Unfortunately our site was adjacent to a light that did an excellent job in attraction insects. We ended up with at least 50 insects in the van but managed to remove them before we went to bed. We also managed to find a swarm of wasps that created a challenge for “Him” as he cooked tea on the BBQ. “She” was not worried about “Him” getting stung but was more concerned of the possibility of the liberal amount of spray being used finding its way on the food.

We had a very comfortable night having cooled the van to 20 degrees before “lights out”. Tomorrow we travel across the mountains to Lakes Entrance. Temperature forecast is for the high 30’s in Victoria but hopefully it will be a little lower on the coast. Temperature for the high parts on the Great Alpine drive is 20 degrees (we might be tempted to stay!!).

We thought summer finished at the end of February. It actually feels like it started at the beginning of March. Last night was hot but after running the air-conditioning until late, we had a reasonable night’s sleep. The news today spoke about the high temperatures and the likelihood of mid 30’s for the rest of the week. This was the Tumut forecast and a comment was passed it would be hotter to the south. One of the reasons in coming this way was to experience the “Chilly” alpine weather. Not this trip!

Up at 6.00am, showers, breakfast and away at 9.30am. Last half hour before departure was talking to the owners of RV 100,000 produced by Jayco. We had actually read about it in a magazine. Once again there was information to be gained from talking to other travellers, the location we have chosen for the Flinders’ Ranges not the best and an alternative was suggested. We gave our new friends a business card (handy to have) and there is a good change they will email us with their whereabouts in the middle of the year and we may catch-up again.

We had a sedate drive to Holbrook where we stopped for photograph “2” of the “Big Things”. Number “2” is a submarine. The above waterline part of the former HMAS Otway now resides in a park at Holbrook. Holbrook is actually named after Norman Holbrook who was a British submariner and the holder of the Victoria Cross. His widow donated $100,000 towards the acquisition of the submarine and the erection of the current display.

After Holbrook we continued down the Hume Highway with a stop about 15 kilometres short of Albury at the Ettamogah Pub. This is the original pub.

We did a quick shop at Albury before finding a shady spot for lunch near the Murray River. Outside temperature was around 35 degrees.

Wangaratta was another 65 kilometres down the road and we stopped at a local wool manufacturer to buy some yarn for our daughter-in-law before heading back to the local Big 4 caravan park. Chicken legs for tea tonight washed down with a bottle of fine wine before an early night so we have our strength for our assault on Brown Brothers winery tomorrow. I’ll probably write the Wednesday blog entry on Thursday as my Braille is currently not up to speed.

It’s 38 degrees now and the air-conditioning is not really doing anything to cool the motor-home.

The alarm was set for 6.00am, we got up at 7.00am. At 6.00am we figured that we were not going a great distance so the extra hour was worth it. We were on the road at 9.00am with first stop at Adaminaby. With our new goal in life to photograph everything “big” in Australia, we took photograph 1 of who know how many of the “Big Trout”. For our Grandson, “She” took at photo of “He” taking a picture of “it” (number 1 big thing). Next stop was Providence Portal, a tunnel that feeds water from the Murrumbidgee side of the mountain directly into Lake Eucumbene. Unfortunately, Lake Eucumbene did not exist, it was totally dry.

We then entered the Kosciusko National Park where we saw evidence of recent bush fires and a stark landscape the result of the winter snow.

We detoured off the Snowy Mountains Highway to the ski fields at Mt Selwyn (we were early for the ski s season as we were the only car in the car park). From there to Cabrumurra with the intention of a visit to the Tumut 1 Power Station. At the lookout above Cabramurra (Cabramurra is the highest town in Australia), we discovered that Tumut 2 was the power station that provided tours. We set off the Tumut 2 via a VERY narrow and windy road that descended into a valley. By the time we reached the bottom, you could smell the brakes from overuse in stopping 4 tons of motor-home. We drove into the Tumut 2 car park only to find there were no tours. Bugger!

We had a wonderful lunch in the car park before setting off to climb the mountain again.

Next intended stop was Yarrangobilly Cave, an attraction we visited many years ago. After turning off the main road we immediately entered a “one way” road that was gravel. It was OK, we only had 14 kilometres to travel. Once again, the braking system on the motor-home was tested as we descended into another valley. This one was worth it as we did a self guided tour through the “Glory Arch” Cave that took about 45 minutes. Very enjoyable. They charged $3 to park in the car park on top of the $10.50 each for the cave tour!

The exit from the caves was via a dirt road and 15 minutes later we were back on the highway.

We arrived at Tumut at 4.00pm and checked into the caravan park (Riverglade Caravan Park). Tonight we have an ensuite so no troubles with the shower . We figure we will stop at Newcastle to get the shower sorted when we head to Central Australia in May.

Tumut looks nice, only problem is that it is 33 in the shade. Will have to run the airconditioning tonight.

We enjoyed happy hour at 5.00pm and hopefully will have a video hook-up tonight with the family in Sydney.

The alarm was set for 6.00am, we got up at 6.30am. We had a quick breakfast and “She” decided to have a shower in the motor-home. When you have about 15 litres of hot water, a motor-home shower has to happen in about 2 minutes. 3 minutes after “She” starts the shower, an announcement is made that the bottom of the shower is full of water. Sure enough, the base was full of water. “He” had a look “under” the vehicle but without sufficient space to get under, there was not a lot to see. It was a little concerning to see drop of water going from the area near to shower waste exit. The water was removed by using a bucket and chamois with the intention of trying to locate someone during the trip who could look at the problem.

Shortly afterwards, “She” decided for a quick visit to the amenities block and it was during this time that the van was readied for departure. Power was disconnected, the vehicle was removed from the levelling blocks, screens were removed, GPS programmed and most items stowed for travel. Eventually “She” returned accompanied by several other park residents eager to look at the problem. This would turn out to be a classic example of how travellers are prepared to help each other. There were several more inspections made under the van , water was flushed into the shower by garden hose but to no avail. So, the day 2 departure is also 1.5 hours behind schedule. The destination today is Cooma and we need to be there by 2.00pm for a visit to a relative.

First stop was Mogo where we enjoyed thick shakes, second stop was just short of Bega where we had lunch and a driver change. We left the Pacific Highway before Bega taking the Snowy Mountains Highway up Brown’s Mountain then through to Cooma.

Overnight was at Snowtel Caravan Park.

We were about 30 minutes late visiting relatives but the afternoon went well. A local pizza for tea followed by another look at the shower problem. Surprise, surprise, the water appears to be leaving the shower. We will continue to watch the water flow to se if the problem reappears but it may have been as simple as a air lock in the pipe. Tomorrow is Tumut.

Trip Overview

We will travel down the South Coast of NSW via the Princess Highway to Bega where we travel inland to Cooma and Tumut. We will then follow the Hume Highway to Wangaratta in Vic from where the Great Alpine Drive commences. Leaving Wangaratta we will travel to Bright (detour via Brown Bros) and then continue on the Great Alpine Drive through the Victorian Alps (a series of high plateaus and peaks along the Great Dividing Range) to Lakes Entrance. The return trip to NSW will be on the Pricess Highway via Eden.

Our departure from Sydney was delayed a little as “She” forgot to go to the chemist on Friday to collect the necessary medication required to keep us alive and sane. So, 1.5 hours late, we departed. First stop was for fuel and $70 dollars later, we were away.

Destination for the first night was Bungalow Park (Big 4) at Burrill Lake just to the south of Ulladulla. At Bulli the drive was broken with a call from the vendor of works banking system. Internet Banking was in the process of going down with the problem at our end. Whilst “He” made several calls “to the right people”, “She” organised takeaway coffee($4.00 per cup!) which was consumed with a couple of scones. We hit traffic at Albion Park due to an airshow but after that, the run into Ulladulla was uneventful. We did a quick shop at Coles in Ulladulla before checking into the caravan park.

“He” had stayed at Bungalow Park before and the overall change in the park since going under the Big 4 banner is impressive. The park now has a camp kitchen, play areas for kids and the amenities block were immaculate.

We spent the evening with “Her” cousin and his wife who live nearby. We returned to the motor-home about 9.30pm (we walked) and after speaking with a couple of neighbours, we were in bed at 11.00pm. At 1.30am “She” woke screaming of cramp in her left calf followed immediately by the right calf. So much for a good night’s sleep.