Road trip with dogs day 6

Lakes Entrance on Victorian coast

Another veiw of Lakes Entrance

Typical scene of hay bales in country Australia

We travelled from Orbost to Warburton today.  We manage to choose routes where the traffic is particularly light.  We turned off the main highwat at Moe and headed north, hoping for pretty scenery.  We were not disappointed,  We found ourselves winding along forestry roads through the mountains, with wonderful forests of mountain ash.  We had to dodge two loaded logging trucks, a bit scarey!  The weather got gloomier and gloomier and gloomier as we progressed.  When we got back out onto the highway the mountains ahead were covered with ominous black clouds and we realised there was no way we were going to miss the rain.  Just as we got into Warburton the heavens opened up and we couldn't see the road.  We got quite disoriented in the rain.  When we finally found the caravan park there was about 6 inches of water over the camping spots.  We asked for a cabin - too tired to deal with the wet! and were lucky one was available, which we took for 2 nights.  We can't have the dogs inside but we are allowed to kennel them in their crate on the veranda.  They are quite comfortable with plastic over their crate to keep the wind off them!  And the kitchen in the cabin is really good.  I'm enjoying the cooking without so many constraints!

Road trip with dogs day 5

We've had really nice weather today.  We decided to be "lazy" and maximise our country driving, and go to Orbost on the coast the most direct route over our high "snowy mountains" country (but it is high summer - no snow!) rather than via Bega on the coast.  We basically had the road to ourselves, and the climb down from the high plain, although it had no escarpment or ultra steep grades, was spectacular never the less.  On the high plains, the only indication of altitude was that at places the cloud line was in contact with the ground!  The amount of traffic on the coast Road was alarming after our quiet back ways we had been following, bumper to bumper, everyone trying to get back to Melbourne to start work tomorrow (Monday).  We only went the way we have because I needed to stay where the dogs were welcome!

We got into our planned camping place at lunch time so we have had a chance to recharge the batteries properly.  We had a look at hte internet for how the weather was going at home.  It looks as though SE Queensland is drowning so I guess we shouldn't be complaining about the wet tent here!  It's nothing like what home has had to put up with!  The caravan park here is lovely and peaceful - they were busy over the weekend but from the traffic on the Prices Highway, it looks as though there are huge numbers of people getting back to Melbourne to start work tomorrow morning.  They still have a LONG drive from here!  The park owner said it was extrememly busy last night but it looks as though the rush has now moved on and the peace has returned.

Road trip with dogs day 4

It was lovely and fine in Mittagong this morning when we left - had a nearly dry tent to pack!  The first stop was Yarn Addiction at Bowral - town next to Mittagong.  A yarn shop to die for (see photos!).  I resisted buying anything, but this would be my ideal of a LYS.  I have way too much yarn stashed at home, plus I plan on buying fibre for spinning in Victoria.

I've never really been to Canberra before so I was pretty impressed with the surrounding countryside, and the main drag in to Parliament House.  My task today was tocatch up with an old friend for coffee at Manuka, where there is an exellent (but small) yarn store, the Woolshed.  We found under cover parking and a dog friendly cafe, and had lunch with Ann.  How is it when you catch up with a "best friend" after a decade you feel as though you had never been away!

Then on to Cooma in the high country to a very quiet caravan park, fine weather, and very little traffic.

Sorry - the mobile connection is a little slow for the pictures - will try when we are closer ot civilisation.

Lake St Geoge on the road to Canberra

The Federal Highway on the road to Canberra (picnic stop)

Road trip with dogs Day 3

Today we avoided most of the rain - just the odd shower from Raymond Terrace to Mittagong.  All our gear was dryand we were getting into the swing of things!  We went the back route from Singleton to Winsor via a gorge through the Wollemi National park - no photos - the gorge was so narrow there was no-where to stop for photos and no little camping grounds or picnic spots.  The scenery was magnificent.  Not much traffic either, nice seeing our car has no grunt at all up hills with the load on board.  From Winsor we went to Penrith - agin the traffic was light, and on to Cambelltown to meat the Hume Highway - again we missed traffic,it's a great back way to avoiding Sydney proper!  We caught the freeway up the mountain to Mittagong, which was a very pleasant place to stop.  I dropped in at Victoria House looking for more Paternayan yarn for my longstitch harp case.  I have had nothing but trouble with getting the colours I am using, and lo and behold, I find out that the company making the yarn is not presently dying the shades I need!  Massive matchup for the nearest colours to what I am using!  We avoided the showers while pitching the tent, but they closed in after.

Camp at Mittagong

Road trip day two

It rained all night.  We woke up to constant rain.  We were almost floating in water!  It took about 2 and a half hours to get ourselves breakfasted, packed up and on the road.  All sorts of things got wet that were not intended to be wet, and had to be packed wet.  So some fine tuning is needed to improve things!  Like, big tough garbage bags would be a great idea, and the waterproof pack in the roof rack will need to be rolled up because somehow we ended with a lake on top of it and also inside of it, negating it's waterproof properties!  Luckily we are sleeping over at my brother's house at Raymond Terrace and can dry out!  The rain was clearing just as we drove out of Glen Innes!  It was wet and showery all along the range and high country.  Once we got down back closer to sea level the weather cleared and we could sigh in relief.  Even with the mist and rain the scenery was still spectacular.  We had 12% grades down the range, but luckily the traffic was extremely light and we could take it easy given how heavily the car was laden!  Nice to have a meal cooked for me this evening and to catch up with my brother and his family!



Wet tent at Glen Innes





The weiw from Thunderbolt's Way



Road trip day one

We packed the car yesterday and left bright and early on the way.  We got to the next suburb, and found DS's wallet left in the car.  Nothing we could do but backtrack and toss it to him (he was sleeping in!).  He owes us one - no wallet, no ID, no ATM card and going to Adelaide on Sunday?  He was close to us having to post it back to him!

Going through Cunningham's Gap the road had subsided, and was only one way in sections.  We have had way too much rain!  The cloud was shrouding the mountain tops which is NOT a promising sign for a camping trip!  By the time we got to Tenterfield the showers started.  When we made it to Glen Innes to pitch camp for the night the clouds were low and dark, and the thunder was beginning to rumble.  We had that tent up very fast!

It was a very wet evening!  Thankfully the park where we stayed had a fully functioning kitchen which we could access, and we were right to cook for ourselves without eating out (being economical here!)  The dogs ended up a bit damp and cold, and spent most of the time in their crate wrapped in towels to keep warm.

Preparation 3

We have packed the car!  Everything fits, just!  The dogs have a rolls royce crate to ride in - plenty of space.  DH was stressing it was too big andwe wouldn't fit everything.  The dogs know something is up!  When Bill would go into the garage the dogs would sit at the top of the stairs and whine.  it doesn't help that I've been cleaning up.  It is such an unusual activity on my part that the dogs stress - they know it means something is going to happen to them!  Here's hoping we get off early tomorrow.  We've got to somehow get onto daylight saving time.  Here in Queensland we are spared that problem - we don't want any more sunlight than neccesary - we wait impatiently for it to cool down each evening.  I cook later as it is!