Tasmania - Tamar Valley

We survived the crossing of the fearsome Bass Strait in style on the SPIRIT OF TASMANIA.  With three metre seas, we feared the worst, but thankfully the boys slept through the worst of it, and in no time at all we were roused from our bunks to be greeted by a drizzly day at Devonport.

We were extremely fortunate to be staying with friends on the beautiful Tamar River, near Beaconsfield.  We were made to feel at home, and in no time at all, Matilda was set up on the front lawn with a view to die for.

Our fantastic first camp in Tasmania!

The next couple of days we explored a little of the local area.  Being so close to Launceston, we headed in for last minute Christmas shopping, and the compulsory stroll in Cataract Gorge.  The boys powered up the Zig Zag walk, and we enjoyed a ride on the chairlift, before returning on the easier walk on the western bank to Kings Bridge.

11 Days Out From A Year On The Road...

We are officially 11 days out from our year on the road... and the nerves are starting to show as we try to get everything ready to go.  In fact it was as good as called off this morning!

For the past few weeks our focus has not been on the trip at all.  Rather we have been busy trying to get our house ready for tenants to move in, ensuring schooling is in hand and all our furniture is packed away. Whilst the trip has been foremost in our minds in one way - it has been the furthest from our minds in terms of what we will actually do on our adventure.

Indeed we have often joked that we will start the
planning for our year on the road, once we finally get on the road!

That said, in addition to all the household jobs we are trying to get on top of, there have been a few last minute jobs to do on the camper and the Amarok too.  Nothing like leaving things to the last minute.

One job on my list for months was fitting a pair of helper springs to the Amarok.  A simple job - but I finally admitted I didn't have time to fit them, and organised my lovely wife to have them fitted at the local mechanic's.  Unfortunately the young fella who put them on didn't appreciate the dynamics of the suspension and the U bolts were striking the chassis.  

Argh.  Wasn't particularly happy about spending that evening pulling the U bolts off and turning them over - but it had to be done.  I guess the reverse of Parkinson's law is also true... (Parkinson's law states that work expands to fill the resources available to do it.  I have discovered that if your resources shrink (in this case time), the somehow you manage to fit it all in regardless!).

Upside down Miss Jane

Much better

Some good came of it - the road test!

But wait, there's more.  We decided we really should fit some bike racks for the kids bikes on the front of Matilda.  The most cost effective method was to buy a fork mount and bolt it to the top of the pantry box...  Not a big job, but placement was important to ensure that we can still use the hot water system on extended camps!  I ordered the parts on eBay - only to be told after four days that they weren't in stock, and I could upgrade my order or cancel it.  It was Friday afternoon - they were supposed to be delivered that afternoon.  Not happy Jan - I cancelled the order and picked up the parts from the local Roof Rack City - for $0.02 more than Mr eBay!

Making sure it all fits.

Got to get it just right!

And then we decided to take it up a notch.  In order to give the food a bit of protection from temperature extremes, we had been meaning to line the top of the pantry with carpet.  Having experienced the pleasure of trying to line the Amarok's canopy with carpet previously, I encouraged Jo to give it a go.  After a few false starts, she got fair cracking and to be honest did a great job.  We had more timber holding it in place whilst the glue set than is holding our house up...  The only casualty was a bit of hair that came in contact with the adhesive...  but as we tell the kids: "It will grow back!".

And finally this morning we hit crunch time.  For the past few weeks our study has had all the furniture removed, and replaced by all the stuff we might want to take with us next year.  Some of it is not negotiable, like the medical supplies, however some of it is best described as discretionary.

We took the point of view that if we might want it - then we should put it in the study so we could at least consider whether we want to take it or not.  Well this morning we pulled out all the camping chairs, BBQ, water jerry and so on and started our game of Tetris.

Hmmmm...  One thing is certain, the box isn't getting any bigger!

We both had a few different ideas - tried to work out what we would use every night and what we would perhaps use less frequently.  Mulled over where the emergency water should be - had a somewhat heated discussion over the size of the laundry bucket and damn near divorced over the where the awnings should live... 

We must be getting stressed...  But friends had warned us that just before you head off, the task will seem impossible and you will find yourselves asking if it is worth it.  Thankfully we both calmed down and the adventure is still on!  

I must be a lucky bloke!

I think I can, I think I can

With the new set of wheels not arriving until the 11th hour, and a camping trip on the agenda not more than five minutes after it arrives, I was really looking forward to hooking up the camper and getting the new car nice and dusty on its first trip.  You know - Lee Kernaghan - "Baptise The Ute" style.

But then again - such a new toy needs the engine to be run in properly, so perhaps hooking up a camper that weighs the best part of a tonne or more probably wasn't the best idea. Well not on the first day at any rate.

We contemplated returning to our original camping set up.  The mighty Subaru Outback packed to the hilt, with the Oztent RV5 on the roof.  We enjoyed our first camping trip as a family with this set up, however I distinctly remembered everything becoming one big mess - and that wasn't just in the esky either.

About four nanoseconds later we realised the folly of that idea, and started thinking of alternatives.

I had a perfectly operational electric brake controller that I had removed from Terry in preparation of the trade...  hmmm, and the camper was looking particularly lonely in the shed.

Decision made:  We would take the mighty Subaru Outback AND Matilda!  

Camper Trailer Maintenance - Pre-Season

With spring returning to the southern highlands, and school holidays fast approaching, the camping season is upon us.  With that means we will soon be hauling the camper trailer down the coast for a long overdue break.  I thought before we leap into the camper, it would be prudent to do a couple of simple checks before we head off... and I'm glad I did.

Time to haul the camper out of the shed...

The camper has been sitting for a few months now, and one of my jobs this week is to drag it out and get it ready for our next adventure.  After telling the family that this was one of the jobs for the day, The Little Fisherman was quick to inform me that he had seen a black snake sitting just next to the camper this very morning before breakfast when he was emptying the scrap bucket.  Righto - must be a another job for Daddy then hey!

A service for our Subaru turned into a much longer evolution than desired (why they changed their fuel filter location to inside the fuel tank is beyond me... and then there was the split front drive shaft boot that has spread grease everywhere... argh!).  Needless to say it was well into the afternoon that I finally got around to pulling the camper out, and Mrs Black was nowhere to be seen.  Hopefully she hasn't moved in to the camper!

But today was a day of maintenance on the vehicles various, and I thought I would share the few simple things that we will be checking on the camper prior to heading off on our next camping trip.

Easter at Boorowa

This Easter we replied to Howard's kind invitation to the Australia4WD.com forum members, to join Margret and himself on their beautiful farm at Boorowa for the long weekend.  We had met Howard and Margret before on movie nights and day trips, and had heard a lot about the farm around the campfire.  It was time to see it for ourselves.

Well it didn't disappoint.  Just over an hour and a half from our front door we turned off the blacktop and through the farm gate.  We followed Howard's mud map and meandered past the various buildings and sheds typical of Australian farms, before we headed east and then the landscape changed dramatically.

The land simply fell away and opened up a magnificent vista of the Boorowa River, with our campsite barely perceptible in the valley below:

The Valley Opened Up Before Us

Normally this time of year, most of the countryside is looking pretty desperate, however the uncommonly mild and wet summer had the grass coming up to bonnet height.  This long grass is very effective at concealing large granite rocks for those willing to venture off the track.  It was quickly apparent that there was an opportunity to seriously test a 4WD to its limits here, or simply relax and allow the beer and wine to chill whilst wetting a line.

We were with a bunch from Australia4WD forum... what do you think happened!

Do Terracans Float?

It has been a long time coming, but it was with unbridled joy that we headed out of town last Friday with the camper in tow, destination Shoalhaven River.  We were aiming for a camp we had spotted on our last adventure to the coast, and we now had it on good authority that there was an all weather access road from the west that would get us there.

With all the rain recently, we had heard that Oallen Ford had been up to 1.6 metres underwater.  Our camp was a little further upstream, and we weren't sure what to expect.  It was evident however that some large amounts of water had been over the road in places... and a few kilometres short of our destination we came across our first crossing.  It turned out that this was the easy one!

Thankfully a wade across confirmed there was a concrete base, and even more importantly the approaches were still in place.  The boy's were excited and I had to make a second trip with The Little Fisherman on my shoulders to take photos of our splash.

The two boys provided plenty of advice...

Before we sailed through... Mr Six and a Half taking the photo

We then ambled along into our camp... and what a camp we found.

A movie night under the stars

A good friend told me recently that once your kids start school, you will shun all your old friends as your social activities revolve around the kids and their engagements for the next 13 years.  Three weeks into our youngest starting school, my friend's wise words resonated when we tried to catch up for lunch.  We moved the date several times as birthday parties and important play dates seemed to pop up until finally we were able to pin down a date to catch up.

With the new year has come a new role at work, and a break from shiftwork for a while.  For the first time in my working career I am now in the spectrum of a Monday to Friday 9-5 job... and that means weekends!!!  And weekends means camping, lots of camping!!!

Of course I need to now caveat that claim with the observations of my friend - our calendar seems to fill up very quickly with swimming lessons / birthday parties / weekend play dates.  So we have made a challenge to ourselves to get out at least once a month for a weekend away.  It is of course difficult as we have a few other projects keeping things really busy - like trying to sell our house and build another - just minor things really, so it was a real surprise that Jo gave me a leave pass to go to a movie night organised by Pete and the crew from Australia4wd forum.

Watagan Wanderings – don't forget to check the oil!

The sun was almost shining as we bade farewell to the Cousins and thought about commencing our southerly journey home.  We were planning three more nights under canvas before returning, and were still undecided as to our destination.  Upper Colo Reserve and the Watagan Mountains were our options, but we were in no hurry to make up our mind... so we went to the beach!


Such country kids... jeans and boots at the beach!

But lovin' it

After an ice cream at Bar Beach Kiosk, we thought we would give the Watagan Mountains a go, as they were close to our track south, and there is a myriad of camping sites on offer.  We had heard the Watagans are a mecca for 4wd challenges, trail bike riders and the like, we were a little hesitant as to what we would find given our ability to choose campsites near doof-doof stereos. 

Western Plains Zoo

We made good time from our camp at Boyd River to Orange via Oberon and Bathurst.  We enjoyed a leg stretch in Orange, and followed the railway line north to Wellington via Euchareena, appreciating the diversion off the main highway.  We did have a peek at Lake Burrendong, with the intention of stopping at the State Park for lunch, however we were politely told that it was $10 to enter the park.  Needless to say we wern't that desperate for lunch and drove on to Wellington, 27km to the north west.


The suspension bridge over the Bell River at Wellington

Cameron Park at Wellington is a favourite place of ours to stop for lunch, with a suspension bridge over the Bell River providing entertainment for energetic little legs. A short stint on the Mitchell Highway to Dubbo reminded us of why we enjoyed taking the roads less travelled.  Mr Red Audi was a menace to all on the road, tailgating and trying to take every chance to get past us.  We were following a truck at a reasonable distance, and whilst the Audi got past us easily enough we had the pleasure of watching his dangerous driving for the next twenty five minutes or so as we meandered into Dubbo.

For the boys the Zoo was the whole purpose of our trip north.  We booked into the Big 4 Caravan Park, just a short cycle from the zoo, and caught up with CarieNan and PaBob who had joined us from the north.  The park well laid out, and with so many kids staying with bikes to explore the zoo, they had laid out a BMX track to keep the kids amused, in addition to the jumping pillow, pool and playground. I think Jo was just happy to have a hot shower!


About to head off for our safari at the zoo!

The Saturday of our Zoo adventure dawned drizzly with a forecast of passing showers.  We gamely packed a picnic lunch into our backpack, and prepared to boys for a day on their push bikes.  As we arrived and bought our tickets the heavens opened and we started making alternative arrangements, however the shower passed and we entered to zoo on our bikes – raincoats on!

Caves to Caves - Part IV – Boyd River

Our camp at Boyd River was beautiful, but at 1250 metres above sea level was rather chilly.  We set up camp quickly decided that we would spend the afternoon inside the tent playing games and reading the Muddle Headed Wombat.  The rain was now coming down in a good steady way, and our relief at being at the top of the plateau after our journey here was immense.

I reflected on our previous few hours and realised that perhaps we had bitten off a bit more than we could chew by coming along the Kowmung River Fire Trail, but the satisfaction of taking on the track and emerging triumphant was intoxicating (or was that the celebratory beer or two?).  Jo confided in me that although our situation wasn't exactly pleasant, she was comforted in the fact we had the Personal Locator Beacon in the glove box.  We also were trialing a SPOT Messenger and my parents had lent me their satellite phone for the trip.  She was extremely confident that if all went to custard, at least she could get the kids (and her too no doubt) into a nice warm bed for the night...

Caves to Caves - Part III - Recovery should be a four letter word...

Our plan on departing Yerranderie was to retrace our steps to Mount Werong, where we would then proceed to Boyd River via Dingo Dell and the Kowmung River Fire Trail. On the Banshee Road into Dingo Dell we had our fist hint things might get a bit more exciting with a small NPWS sign stating simply 4WD ONLY. Hmm. I had been wondering to myself if we were going to see any steep hills requiring low range during this trip. Sure, some of the hills in and out of Yerranderie required first gear hauling the camper up them, but nothing thus far would have presented a challenge for a normal car, carefully driven. All this was about to change...

At last we engaged low range for the descent into Dingo Dell. As we continued down into the valley we realised that the trail was very steep in places, and the surface was clay in several places. We were looking forward to lunch at the bottom, but the clouds started to close in, and a shower of rain greeted us as we pulled into the camp site.

Descending on the Banshea Road to Dingo Dell

The creek at Dingo Dell campground

A little word in the back of my head said we needed to get out of there... now. Jo echoed my thoughts by voicing them, clearly and succinctly.

The Little Fisherman was most disappointed as we elected to continue our journey up and out of the valley before the rain set in - delaying two of the most important things in the world - an opportunity to wet his line AND lunch.

As we headed north from Dingo Dell towards the Tuglow Caves, the track seemed to be even more steep that the entry. We then stopped at the bottom of a steep and badly rutted section for a pause, a think and to drop another 5psi out of the tyres.

Melbourne 4x4 Show

I had the pleasure of attending the worlds biggest toy store last weekend as part of the Melbourne 4x4 and Fishing Show.

What a collection of stuff - and how easy it would be to blow a couple of hundred grand in no time... Of course I had been sent without my credit card to avoid too many impulse buys :)

Over 35 000 people attended the show over the three days of the show. Thankfully Friday was a little quiet, so I was able to sneak away and check out some of the great gear on show.

I stopped in on the guys from Aussie Swag Campers to check out their new model. They now have a neat diesel heater in their 2011 model, and I think the changes they have made to the kitchen over the years has been fantastic. I enquired about putting a new kitchen box on our 2005 Aussie Swag, but with the changes up front adding too much tow ball weight, the whole axle has been moved forward about six inches. Hmm, too big a job for this punter.

The simple luxuries of life

How do you get the whole family to embrace camping?

Easy, bring all the comforts of home into a natural setting. Allow the kids to poke sticks in fires, marvel at wildlife passing through your field of view, enjoy a home cooked meal, a chilled wine or beer, count the stars as they come out and retire to a comfortable bed after a warm shower.

Impossible? well not really.

There are a few really neat looking vehicles that will allow you to explore almost anywhere in the world, with most of life's luxuries to hand. Some that look amazing are the Australian built Earth Cruiser and the Adventurer 4x4 Motorhome.

The only problem is the price tag - and the fact most of these vehicles are perfectly set up for a couple. There is no market for a self contained family 4x4 touring vehicle except for in America, home of the Earth Roamer based on the F550 truck (I don't mind their Jeep version, but perhaps once the kids leave home). These are all highly specialised vehicles and if you wanted to tour the world's remotest areas, they would be ideal. In the meantime I can continue to use Google to dream and try to find the perfect compromise :)

Most of us mortals are constrained to using a 4WD wagon or ute that doubles as the family hack during the week. Now whilst a vehicle of this type is more than big enough if your camping equipment consists of a swag and an esky, there are a few creature comforts necessary to ensure repeated camping experiences with the wife and family.

Oallen Ford - July 2011

This is my first blog from Blogger - hopefully a little easier to use on the road and import into the Australia4WD site. Please let me know how it works.

How cold do you want it?
I am sure there is an expression somewhere about Mad Dogs and Englishmen being out in the fierce midday sun. If so there must be an expression of similar but opposite sentiment about camping in the middle of winter…

But I had finished making a bike rack for the camper and was keen to test it out. Also we had missed the opportunity to get away a few weeks ago and my feet were getting itchy for a night or two under canvas, so with half an eye on the forecast, we set off.

We decided for want of convenience Oallen Ford, a beautiful spot on the Shoalhaven River in between Nerriga and Tarago. Normally the place is full of campers and their dogs and bogans with their hounds, however we were a little surprised and relieved to have the place all but to ourselves.


Our Campsite

We set up camp and enjoyed a curry I had prepared earlier in the day whilst the kids were at school. The Thermal Cooker dispensed the delicious curry which the family devoured wholeheartedly. It seemed that in the short hour or two since we had arrived the boy’s appetites had grown enormously and I was glad I had prepared double rations.

Green Patch - June 2011

The lead up
What is it about mechanical appliances? Just as I am about to board a flight for sunny Cairns, our Subaru develops an alarming noise when depressing the clutch… No worries me thinks – I am away for the week, so we can put the Suby in for a new clutch, leaving Terry to be the primary family hauler whilst I am away. Whilst I am away our oven dies, requiring complete replacement (thankfully without requiring a cabinet maker’s services), and then after a particularly cold night and day in the frosty Southern Highlands, Terry decides not to start.

I received a panic call from my wife, Jo, telling me Terry won’t start because the battery is stuffed, and asking if she should buy a new battery for the Terracan. It seems a fair request – battery is original and the weather was particularly bitter that day (I think she said it got to a maximum of four degrees on our verandah). A little more discussion and it turns out that Terry actually started and ran for a moment before stalling…. Hmmm…. I start thinking that perhaps the battery is fine, and it was the repeated attempts to start the car that flattened it.

I am in no position to help. Cairns is so far away and about 25 degrees warmer… I can feel Jo's frustration as she is stranded with two little helpers suffering a very bad dose of Cabin Fever. I try to make noises of how tough I am working, but I fear I have no sympathy at all coming back down the phone line.

I suggest that charging the battery overnight would be a good start (another bitter frost) and see what happens in the morning. The next morning Terry started and stalled again.

NRMA man comes and Terry starts and runs beautifully after pumping the fuel hand pump. It would appear our Terracan had an air pocket or similar in the fuel line. No obvious explanation. Yes, the fuel is winter blend. No, there are no fuel leaks. Yes, the battery is fine.

I figure that everyone was just more than a little jealous of my time in far north Queensland. I try to remind them that I suffer sea sickness and am not looking forward to the next few hours, as I climb up the gangway of the “Reef Magic”… My sentiments fall on deaf ears as I discover that the chill from the southern highlands can indeed be transmitted to Cairns via a phone line!

I don't know how she does it
I came home to a miracle. After a challenging week with the two little helpers pushing every button, vehicle breakdowns and appliance failures, my wife has managed to organise a group of friends to come away camping for the long weekend, pack Terry and Matilda and . Within a couple of hours of touching down, we are back on the road as a happy (if slightly exhausted) family heading east to paradise.

Our destination was Green Patch, in the Booderee National Park, Jervis Bay, about 2 and a half hours east of home. We were catching up with some good friends whom we have camped with before. The kids were primed for a weekend adventure, however I think the rest of us were looking forward to (hoping for???) a relaxing weekend. Dean and Mandy brought their three girls to try out their new caravan for its maiden voyage - a slight step up from our last Bendethera Valley adventure, and Nic and Dave persisted with their tent that had shared adventures with us in the Kosciuszko National Park and Ravine.

We arrived just before dark and quickly set up camp. The weather held off just long enough to enjoy a delicious curry dinner that had been prepared earlier. Not for the first time we appreciated the Thermal Cooker Pot. A shower or two or rain saw us set a record for the set up of the awning (beaten only when it hailed on us when setting up last December), and we retired early to enjoy the sounds of rain falling heavily on the canvas.

Green Patch
The south easterly weather pattern dominated our long weekend down the coast, but it didn't stop the fun. Thankfully the rain was heaviest at night, all but disappeared during the day and occasionally, very occasionally the sun came out to brighten the day. Fresh from the tableland winter, the little helpers thought it was paradise and we couldn't keep them out of the water. When they finally turned blue and admitted they were cold, we simply gave them nice warm showers and put them in dry clothes.


The water was chilly, even if too tempting to resist


The famous white sand was perfect for sandcastles

The Little Fisherman was determined to add to his catch of a single flounder on our last expedition. At school he had recently presented a short speech about how much he loved fishing and one day he hoped to catch a fish big enough to eat. Unfortunately it was not to be.. but that's not the point is it?


It is all about having fun


Especially when your fishing friend Dave is on hand to untangle the lines!

Of course the Little Helper had lost all interest in fishing by this point in time, much preferring to dig more sandcastles and swim some more. And who could argue with him. The water, whilst chilly was crystal clear and the beach sheltered with barely a ripple save for the tiny waves breaking on the beach. Green Patch is one of the few truly north facing beaches on the east coast, and when the sun did appear for its brief moments, it was really very pleasant.


When the fish aren't biting there is plenty of sand to play with


Or water to swim in

The main aim of any such weekend is to take some time out of normal routine and relax. And in such a beautiful piece of paradise it is easy to do so. Of course you have to be careful that:


the kookaburra's don't steal a sausage from the electric BBQ...


or the rosellas and parrots don't eat all your bread...


or you trip over the kangaroos!

Of course we all appreciated the down time and break from our seemingly hectic schedules. We loved the fact that we could sit and relax. The kids conducted numerous laps of the camping area on their bikes. Time trials were a great challenge that never seemed to lose their appeal. They also frequently raided the comfort of Dean and Mandy's new caravan to enjoy drawing and colouring in (or was it DVD's?) in the comfort of the settee.


If you look carefully you might see some of the campers flat out enjoying the serenity

The facilities of the camp included hot showers, electric BBQ and washing up facilities. Each campsite is clearly marked, and separated by landscaped boundaries. For a long weekend, the area was surprisingly empty with only a handful of us braving the weather and enjoying the campground. The Rangers were friendly and helpful, however when booking our sites, the office seemed a little disorganised and our sites were moved a couple of times before we finally arrived.

In all we had a great long weekend camping in a winter paradise. More photos of our adventure can be found at our Gallery, and more information on Jervis Bay generally can be found at Jervis Bay Tourism.

Thank you to Dean and Mandy for tolerating our little helpers who made themselves at home in your new caravan, and to Nic and Dave who helped keep the little ones amused by day, and the bigger ones amused, fed and watered by night. A huge thank you to my wife, Jo, who pulled it all together after a challenging week home alone with two boisterous lads.

Ravine - Kosciuszko National Park

With the sun shining, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Soundtrack playing and Matilda hooked up, we departed home and headed south for a four day camping trip back in the High (or as it turned out not so high) Country.

We took the scenic route south from Tharwa to Adaminaby via the Boboyan Road. Whilst it is 60km shorter than following the main highway via Cooma, it has quite a bit of slow going sections. I don’t think we saved any time, however the Gudgenby Valley Lookout is well worth a stop and look and we enjoyed the road less travelled.

We stopped for lunch at Adaminaby. The bigger of the two little helpers (The Little Fisherman) correctly identified the giant fish which adorns the small park in the village as a Rainbow Trout. This of course is not from the actual experience of catching a fish, but the addictive iPhone application Flick Fishing.

From Ravine Camp

Giant Trout at Adaminaby

We pushed on as we were keen to meet up with our friends who we had planned to meet at Ravine, on the Yarrangobilly River. Armed with the worthy directions of Craig Lewis and Cathy Savage we soon found our way to the perfect campsite on the banks of the river.


Yarrangobilly River at Ravine

We camped just downstream from the ruins of the Washington Hotel, in a lovely clearing with good access to the river. The bridge over the river has long been washed away, and the river crossing looked rather gnarly with large rocks and holes awaiting the unsuspecting. A couple of lifted Cruisers with much bigger tyres than us made it over during our time there, but we decided it wasn’t worth the risk of damage for the sake of driving over onto Lobs Hole Fire trail.

Instead we sat back - tried our luck fishing and enjoyed the serenity.

From Ravine Camp

The Little Fisherman tries his luck

On our second day we decided to explore a little bit of the area, and ventured back up the hill. The views from Wallace Creek Lookout were very pleasant, although the little people seemed more interested in a line of cicadas on a nearby gum tree.

From Ravine Camp

Wallace Creek Lookout

We then thought Three Mile Dam would be a nice spot for lunch, with the opportunity for The Little Fisherman to wet a line. How wrong we were. The weather at nearly 1500m above sea level is considerably cooler than at the 600m of our camp, and was not entirely unexpected. What was really unexpected the size and ferocity of the March Flies that commenced swarming as soon as we started putting lunch together. The kids were bustled back into the car, lest they be carried away by the monsters. Lunch was made hurriedly with two ‘swotters’ appointed to protect the sandwich makers, before we all beat a retreat to the safety of the cars to enjoy our lunch in some relative peace.

From Ravine Camp

Three Mile Dam

We headed down the hill to what is left of Kiandra and the relics of the heady days of the Gold Rush. It is great to see the old Kiandra Court House being restored, however much of what is left of the town can only be imagined from information plaques around the old town site. We tried our hand at fishing on the Eucambene River, however this time a large Tiger Snake discouraged further efforts and we returned back down the hill, our exploring efforts complete.

From Ravine Camp

Ore Crushing Battery at Kiandra

Sadly our friends had to leave us on day three, but we had two further nights down in the valley. It drizzled off and on, but thankfully due to our elevation, it wasn’t too cold. The little helpers even borrowed a bucket or two from the river to ensure the mud was just the right consistency for good old mud pies. Between the mud, bikes, matchbox cars and a totem tennis kit, we had plenty to keep us amused.

From Ravine Camp

From Ravine Camp

We thoroughly enjoyed our four days away, however were horrified at the news of the Toowomba and Lockyer Valley floods on our return to civilisation and mobile phones. We hope that those of you affected by this tragedy, and all the other flooding from Queensland to Victoria stay safe and well, and are back on your feet before too long.

Some more photos of our adventure can be found here:

Ravine Camp

Kosciuszko National Park December 2010

Yet again following the directions of Craig Lewis and Cathy Savage we ended up packing for a weekend touring the northern Kosciuszko National Park. The weather looked unpredictable - and was, but we had an absolute ball checking out such a magnificient part of the Australian high country.

With good friends Nic and Dave coming along in their Prado, we caught up on Thursday night to make our final preparations for a timely departure on Friday. The rough plan was to head over the Brindabella Mountains and enter the park from the north via Broken Cart Trail.

We enjoyed lunch at Micalong Creek before backtracking slightly to enter the park. We slowly meandered our way south, driving on reasonable tracks that were occasionally rocky and sometimes muddy.

With the soundtrack from The Man From Snowy River playing, there is nothing better than coming over a rise and seeing a wide open plain with brumbies peacefully grazing.


Our first brumbies looking fit and healthy

We continued our trip south through Long Plain, and marvelled at human's ability to construct huge high tension power lines directly through the length of the plain. Whilst practically one can understand the considerations of the engineers who chose the plain as the most economic route for the lines, it seems a little at odd with our huge price we are willing to pay for visual amenity these days in other areas. Of course we consoled ourselves in the fact the lines are transporting electricity generated from the incredible Snowy Hydro-Electic Scheme.

With the day getting long and the little ones getting tired we decided to head for a campsite with a stream big enough to cast a line. After a moment of indecision, Yarrangobilly Village Campground was chosen as the destination. The village has long since gone, with the exception of the old post office, but the camping area was picturesque, if split by the Snowy Mountains Highway.


Yarrangobilly Village Campground

The little ones were happy. With their attempts to catch dinner in the fast flowing Yarrangobilly River not yeilding dinner, sausages were a deemed a suitable substitute, and we settled into a pleasant evening around the campfire.

Dawn was shattered by Tipper and Dog combinations providing road base all the way from Goulburn for the National Parks, even before the little helper alarm clocks decided it was time to be off - so we decided to move on. After breakfast we packed in record time, but that was due to the driving rain more than the traffic, and decided to regroup at Yarrangobilly Caves.

Not knowing what to expect we were very pleasantly surprised by the Yarrangobilly Caves. The Rangers were most helpful and we thoroughly enjoyed our explore of Glory Cave. The little helpers loved their first caving experience (albiet with lights, paths and rails), and we are looking forward to coming back and visiting some of the other caves in the area soon. It was also out of the weather, which was a big plus at that time, although it wasn't exactly dry inside the caves either!


The boys outside the entrance to Glory Cave

We then pushed on to Blue Waterholes for lunch. With a bit more time on our hands we visited Long Plain Hut and Coonibil Hut on the way. The hardships endured by the early graziers is apparent in these huts, and it was great to see them being respected by most visitors. We also visited Coolamine Homestead, a more permanent settlement. I could have spent hours inside the buildings, but the little helpers had more fun stalking the resident kangaroos.


Coolamine Homestead

Blue Waterholes is a part of a similar limestone formation that formed Yarrangobilly Caves, however in this case there are numerous springs and the creek passes into the impressive Clarke's Gorge. Normally the creek is dry upstream of the springs, however it was flowing nicely during our visit. We enjoyed a short explore around here before the thunder signalled an impending downpour and we beat a hasty retreat to the carpark, so we didn't get any better photos of the gorge or springs.


Down by the river, with a nervous eye on the black clouds forming

We set up camp just up the hill from the carpark at Magpie Flat camp ground, sheltered behind a ridge line. NPWS had provided a good amount of firewood at each fireplace, and with a bit of coaxing we soon had a warm fire going... even if it did hail on us! Roast lamb in the Cobb Cooker was delicious and we soon made our ways to bed, with beanies and thermals on!

We awoke at the crack of dawn on Sunday, not to the sound of trucks, but to a chorus of Kookaburras. Outside the tents a kangaroo and her joey were enjoying the mown grass around our campfire. It was an idyllic morning, and after a good pot of coffee and hot breakfast we were ready for anything.

We headed out of the park via Talbingo, and as we dropped into the village, so did the Incredible Hulk, an Erickson Sky Crane.


The Incredible Hulk - slightly smaller than the famous Elvis

The aircraft was on a ferry flight from Melbourne to Sydney when the weather closed in and they landed at Talbingo. The crew kindly showed us (and half the village) over the aircraft and even let our boys sit in the cockpit. The helicopter was a highlight for the little helpers who have drawn the helicopter and built amazingly accurate lego models since getting home.



The boys in the cockpit look out the bubble windows

And then onto Tumut for lunch, and Gundagai for the compulsory stop with the Dog on the Tuckerbox before heading for home.


Dog on the Tuckerbox
(A full history on the poem and history of Bullocky Bill's Dog on the Tuckerbox can be found here.

Special thanks to Nic and Dave for the company, wine and photos. More snaps can be found at my gallery on Australia4wd forum here.

"Matilda" - Our 2005 Aussie Swag Camper

Our camper is a 2005 Aussie Swag - named by our boys "Matilda". We purchased it second hand in April and simply love it.

A camper had been on the wish-list for a long time, however we couldn't really justify the expense. All was to change on one camping trip!

We always knew one of the self-inflating mattresses had a slow leak, however I thought it was just my bad luck to get it every time. A firm mattress at bed time would slowly but surely turn into a thin mat allowing every undulation, rock and blade of grass to be felt. I loved camping, but was coming home with more aches and pains than when I left home.

The better half let slip that she had worked out which one of the self-inflating mattresses leaked, and revealed she could tell by the older style logo on the cover. Needless to say I swiftly swapped mattresses when she wasn't looking. The next morning, I awoke blissfully refreshed - but a little anxious as to what The Bride would say after her night becoming acquainted with the rocks of the Buckenbower State Forest. Instead of berating me about swapping mattresses, or even chastising me at all, she simply looked at me with bleary eyes and said the magic words “Let’s get a camper trailer.”

So along came Matilda – a pre-loved Aussie Swag Camper.

We had decided that a hard-floor camper would best suit our desire to travel around the country in a few years, however were worried about the general lack of storage space in most hard floor campers which seem more suited to couples. The Aussie Swag solved most of our immediate concerns by having a large pantry and fridge stowed on the trailer, freeing up valuable room in the car for more important things like kids colouring in books and the like.

Our first go at setting it up was at Yadboro Flat. It wasn't necessarily pretty (in terms of getting the canvas crease free) - but we found the camper extremely comfortable to base ourselves in. It is heavy – and we had a bit of fun coming home up the Clyde Mountain – but it travelled beautifully behind the Terracan.


We took it to Son of Trials Plus the other day – and whilst the Terracan found the going of the competition a little tough – we did enjoy retreating to the comfort of the camper's bed at the end of the day’s activities.


Of course one of the most important things is to make sure the camper is waterproof. I recently took the two little helpers to Jervis Bay for a couple of nights. Just after getting everything set up, the heavens opened and we received somewhere in the vicinity of 115mm of rain in the next few hours.

The little helpers thought this was great fun, having a road turn into a river, and all dirt turn to a most spectacular sticky mud. Thankfully hot showers were but a few metres away, and after getting them washed, dry and in their pyjamas, we retreated to a dry bed for the evening.


Some of the features we love about the camper:

• 80 Litre fridge – ample storage for a family, including all important ‘paddle pops’
• Comfortable queen size bed
• 2x 105 AH deep cycle batteries – keeps the electrics running nicely
• 120 Watt solar panel – almost keeps up with the fridge and other electrical requirements
• Pantry – huge pantry drawer above the kitchen
• Loads of storage - in front box, under the bed and in the body
• Waterproof canvas
• Enough room on bed to store kids mattresses and bedding

Source: Matilda