queensland: cairns, holloway beach

HMAS Stuart happened to be in town in Cairns and J and the kids went aboard to visit our friend Kiwi! It was a great reunion as J and Kiwi had worked together for years in Sydney. The kids just love Kiwi!

A friend lives at Holloway Beach - just north of Cairns and we were happy to have a few nights in her drive way. We all loved being so close to the beach. Cathy did as best she could to convince us to stay long-term. Cairns has always had a question mark over the top of it - as to whether we could live there but we were sweating like crazy before 11am and we hadn't yet his the build-up. As much as I liked the big town/small city feel I just don't think we could have stayed. 

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queensland: undara experience

Undara boasts some of the largest intact lava tubes in the world. We took a tour of the tubes and stayed in the campground for two nights. The kids had a great time in the pool and the tour was informative and incredible. 

The kids didn't realise how grotty they'd become after playing around in the dirt in the tubes! 

There are a few bushwalks on the Undarra property. We took the Bluff Walk with the kids where we saw right across the country to extinct volcanos. 

We spotted this sad sight on the path - a dead jabiru. These are magnificent birds. Their black feathers have a dark green sheen and their beaks are long and strong. We wondered how he met a grisly end. 

northern territory: kakadu, gagadju, animal tracks

It seems like a lifetime ago but about 18 months ago we were sitting a fancy Christmas dinner in Sydney with a bunch of Js colleagues. We were discussing our plans to do the big lap of Australia when one colleague insisted we do Patsy's tour in Kakadu. "If you are a foodie," he'd said, "you'll love it." 

I did a bit of research and a few weeks ago I found the notes of made for the Animal Tracks tour which leaves from Cooinda Lodge where we were staying with my parents. 

My parents were happy to mind the big kids while J and I headed out for the evening. I don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone who might take this tour but it really was a great experience. 

Attendees collected seasonal produce - fresh water mussels, bush carrots and what was left of water chestnuts at the end of a dry dry season. 

Preparing the magpie goose. Pluck, singe feathers, gut, portion, cook, eat. 

Patsy taught us some bush medicine and then her and our host Mark cooked our dinner the traditional way - on coals in a paperbark oven. We ate buffalo, magpie goose and barramundi on the edges of wetlands where thousands, some say millions, of magpie geese were nesting. 

It wasn't long before the loveable whistling kites came in for their share.  Back in the bus two dingos could be seen circling what was left of our feed.  

Thanks for the tip Paul. We are so pleased we took this tour. 

western australia : lake argyle

Lake Argyle is one of those places that is raved about by visitors but not a place I need to return to. It wasn't unpleasant but there are just so many other beautiful spots in the world. Perhaps we just don't see the charm in large dams. 

J, however, did enjoy his kayak on the Ord River along with freshies, whistling kites and a white-breasted sea eagle whom was very interested in the lone kayaker. 

The steps down to the lake from the resort are poorly maintained and very wobbly. The rest of the family jumped in from the aging pontoon though and assured me it was considerably warmer than the infinity pool of which the resort is famous for. 

western australia: windjana gorge

We "did the Gibb" about seven years ago when I was pregnant with our first born. I remember the corrugated road up to Mitchell Plateau and having difficulty having a conversation in the car. The road conditions vary depending on when the grader has gone through and how much traffic the road has endured. We decided that, despite the caravan being an off-roader, we'd leave it in Derby if we were to do the Gibb and that its just too special to miss Mitchell if we were to start the journey. It became evident, as we headed up the coast towards Derby, that we wouldn't do the trip this time and we'd wait until the kids are older. Two to three hours driving a day is best for our family with a break around the two hour mark. There are usually toilet stops in that first two hours too so it's slow going. 

We returned to Windjana Gorge though. The few kilometres from the turn off to Windjana was the toughest but it's so worth it. The tracks are well trodden by the thousands of visitors who, either privately or on tour, enter the National Park each year and whilst more people are visiting, the area has not lost its intrgue.The gorge is impressive and it's an equally beautiful place to go to sleep as it is to wake up in! 

The campground has had the addition of showers and toilets since we first visited and it cost us $24 per night.

Windjana Gorge is the setting of a three year campaign of Indigenous resistance to white settlement by the Banuba people, lead by Jandamarra. The establishment of this area for pastoral purposes came at a great cost to the local Aboriginal people whose sophisticated societal structure was decimated by those who were forging economic growth in Western Australia and the nation. Ironically that economic growth was dependent on free Aboriginal labour on those pastoral stations. 

Jandamarra's journey from being rejected by his family after an internal dispute to working for the constabulary and then fighting for his people is detailed in two books, Jandamarra and the Bunuba Resistance by Pedersen and Woorunmurra. A children's book, Jandamarra, has been written by Mark Greenwood. Our children engaged with this history and staying at Windjana Gorge took on a deeper meaning for them. Of course there were many questions asked and the discussions were sophisticated as they processed what had occurred here and across Australia. We could have told our kids stories like this one (and we will continue to) but it's experiences like this which will etch their understanding in to their beings. I am grateful to be able to both experience this (as a person, a mum as a teacher) and give my kids these experiences too. 

western australia : kalbarri, natures window

It's hard to get the balance right when you're on the road with the three kids. We need to factor in the needs of everyone and sleep for the baby is generally a priority. Baby A does so well transitioning from his car seat and the pram but on days when we don't have to go anywhere I like for him to have his sleeps in the caravan. What this means, too, is that B gets a good solid morning of schoolwork completed.

On one such morning (while A slept and B did schoolwork) I took P to the camp kitchen at Murchison House Station and we made fresh rice paper rolls with carrot, cucumber, lettuce, mint, spring onions and a soya chilli dressing. 

This meant that we couldn't leave until lunch time for the the second walk we wanted to do near Kalbarrii - Natures Window. We ate our rice paper rolls under a shelter in the car park with an incredible view across the gorge and along with the gazillions of flies. They were dive bombing the dressing and it was so bad that even Baby A didn't bother pulling his fly net off because he was happier with it on!

Natures Window is a very short but picturesque walk but it was so hot on the day we did it. 

And when we arrived a Malaysian couple, who live in Perth, were having their pre-wedding shots. They looked amazing. The juxtaposition of the glamorous wedding shots against the back drop of the dusty and somewhat isolated outback with the swarms of flies wasn't lost on us. 

western australia: stockman gully cave, three springs, sandy cape

We sometimes lament about the places we've passed, the experiences we've missed that we don't even know of. Often we lament about the places and experiences we have had to miss because we just don't seem to have long enough to travel around this great continent. 

Most of us would think that a year is enough time to travel around Australia and it is but its not enough to see and do everything that this country has to offer. 

Nevertheless we've been given this opportunity and we're determined to make the most of it which doesn't always mean visiting every spot on the map. It does mean that some days we need to just stop and enjoy doing not much. 

Yesterday we had one of those relaxing days exploring Sandy Cape - the dunes, the beach, the limestone rocks. And we also just sat in the sun by the caravan playing lego, drawing, reading and getting school work done too. It was a welcome day of relaxation. 

Today was a very different day. B needed to get his head down and knock off a lot of school work for the morning. A woke up and at midday we drove to Green Head to grab a few groceries.

No sooner had we arrived than we realised we'd both forgotten our wallets (that's the second time I've done that) so we scrounged around for coins in the car and the gentleman at the servo/ liquor store/ grocery store was very helpful. 

From Green Head we drove east to Stockman Gully Cave. J happened upon a brochure for the cave while he was browsing through a bunch of papers at the caretakers caravan at Sandy Cape. It was a bit of luck really and we are so pleased we found out about this place. 

The Stockman Gully is a dry (when we were there) riverbed used by stockman to muster their cattle overnight. The cave itself is a limestone cave of about 250-300 metres long. 

We took our head torches and it's lucky we did because you walk a lot of the cave is in darkness. The kids and J loved it. Me, not so much. J remarked "how amazing would it be, diving through here?" Um yeah. I think he would find that amazing. You wouldn't get me down there at all. Ever. 

Another interesting thing about the surrounds were the half dozen bee hives at both of the entrances to the cave. The long sheets of honeycomb were visible. 

We met a family at the picnic ground by the cave and the uncle, a local, recommended a spot just off the track back to the highway. Three Springs is only accessible by 4WD - along a sandy track scattered with solid limestone rocks. 

Three Springs is literally an oasis. The gums are and beautiful banksias are fed by the springs. Apparently the palms were planted by Afghan cameleers. There was recent activity by camels, wild horses and foxes and no doubt this spot is a frequented water hole by plenty of wildlife. 

It was a great day out but even a few hours away from the caravan can seem like a huge day for the kids. If we can get back well before dinner then that's ideal. Today we weren't back until after 4 and that rush to get dinner and the kids in bed before 7 can be a little frantic. 

It's all about balance though. If we don't go out we miss things. We had a great adventure today. Tomorrow we'll charge our batteries - the caravan and the family's -  another day of relaxing at this beautiful beach. 

western australia: sandy cape

I can safely say that Sandy Cape Recreational Park has been added to our growing list of favourite camps. It's a free camp 12km north of Jurien Bay (and 8km west on a well maintained dirt road). I suspect the nearby sand mines are responsible for the upkeep of the road and there were a few of non off-road campers. There's a loo, dump point and bins. 

The cost to stay at Sandy Cape is $15/n per van regardless of the number of people staying which is an unusual but welcome way to charge campers. As a family of five we are frequently paying for our eldest two kids who are only four and six and whom don't use a lot of water or power. 

Regardless of cost the site is simply beautiful and we happened to snaffle the best site, Site 1 Shady Reatreat, right on the beach!

The kids could explode from the van in the mornings and head straight on to the beach. On the days when we had to knuckle down and get schoolwork done B could jump up for a break down on the water. In one such break he announced "I'm going on to the beach to fish. You can watch Mum but I know how to cast." 

There's a four night limit at Sandy Cape. Needless to say we would have stayed weeks. 

western australia: gingin

The view from the 13 storey purpose built tower for learning about gravity. 

Sandy Lake Farmstay ($35/n) a short drive from Perth, was a good place to base the family for two nights while we reacquainted ourselves with the caravan. It is exciting to hit the road again knowing that we don't know what adventures are in store for us. 

The  Gingin Gravity Discovery Centre and Observatory is a short drive from the farmstay and we thought we might stay an hour. It cost $54 for the family but it really was money well spent. Four hours later we dragged the kids and ourselves from the Discovery Centre. If you've been to Questacon in Canberra then the Discovery Centre is a similar concept on a smaller budget with incredible resources and hands-on activities - the best way to learn about science!

western australia: fraser range station, the nullabor

Our stay at Fraser Range Station was beaut. We had two nights in total and it was a good chance to unwind after the long driving days across the desert. 

We have been driving (somewhat) in convoy with a family we met at Pandurra Station way back near Ceduna and although we haven't stayed in all the same places it's been really great to meet up when we have. 

The two nights there also gave us the opportunity to 'eat out' at the station. For $30/adult it was a huge spread, delicious food and such a relief to not have to cook or wash up! 

We love staying on stations. Theres always plenty to see and the accomodation is usually pretty good. 

There's a great number of walks around Fraser Range and another round of Nullabor golf! 

south australia: tanunda, barossa, nurioopta

We were lucky enough to have a somewhat unplanned stay in the Barossa - at Tanunda. Our solid Land Cruiser Workmate needed a service so we stayed in Tanunda so J could take it in to Adelaide city for the day.

The CP was great for the kids with a playground in view of the caravan and a short walk in to the pretty town. We love the original stone buildings in South Australia. 

I fell in love with an antique shop in town (there are a few) and packaged up some amazing green Pyrex dishes and sent them home. 

One morning Miss P and I had a drive, mainly to see Maggie Beer's Kitchen but P insisted I pull over when she spotted these horses feeding by the road. She loves horses. I think someone will be wanting riding lessons soon! 

The samples of Maggie's peaches didn't last long! Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) I left my wallet back in the caravan so when it came time to make a few purchases I had to go through the car to find some coins. 

Dear little P decided she'd like to buy us some peaches by herself. She came back to me on the verge of tears and i could see she was upset. The tears poured down as she said the man wouldn't let her buy any peaches. 

A few weeks later it occurred to me that poor P had taken the sample bowl to the counter, rather than a packet. I assumed she didn't have enough money! 

We made the most of the beautiful weather and rode the rail trail from Anguston to Nurioopta. This is a superb ride through the wineries. There were a few stray grapes (not in the wineries but creeping on to the verge) so we tasted a few grapes along the way. 

What a great way to finish a ride! Local wine and tapas at Home of the Brave, First Drop Wine Bar. The kids loved the Brie and the olives. The prawns were delicious. 

After tapas I took the kids across the road to the local library while J Ross back to fetch the car. 

There are various roads from Nurioopta to Tanunda past big properties so we took the dirt roads back. 

tasmania: cradle mountain summit

He was up at 0530 so he could get to the summit and back down again before lunch. 

It was J's third visit to Cradle Mountain and of the previous two he hadn't made it to the summit. I remember the second time J was there because I was too. It was an icy Tassie day and the freezing rain made it bitterly cold. We walked to The Hut but decided it wouldn't be much use trying to get further on. The visibility was bad and the path slippery so we turned back. 

This time everything was in J's favour. We'd had some clear blue skies and there was every chance he'd make it. Apparently it's not too difficult but for the final ascent which requires the walker to clamber over huge boulders. 

Unfortunately mother nature wasn't on J's side as the clouds only parted for a few seconds of the thirty minutes he was at the summit. 

The following day was the clearest we've seen input trip so far. Oh well - he'll just need to come back!