A Good Look Around : Back on the Road - Port Macquarie to Devonport

Crowdy Bay

2 - 3 December

After three weeks waiting to have the camper trailer repaired we were relieved to finally get back on the road. Because of the delay we decided to head south to Tasmania and Christmas with daughter, Julia, rather than heading home and flying down as we had planned. With airline tickets cancelled and Spirit of Tasmania passage booked we left Port Macquarie for the short drive to Crowdy Bay National Park. We had booked a spot at Diamond Head Campground for an overnight stay before tackling the traffic going through Sydney.

As we expected the campground was almost full, with lots of families enjoying the sunshine and beautiful surrounds. We set off early in the morning for the drive through Sydney - one that we were not looking forward to at all.

Blayney

3 - 4 December

We drove south towards Sydney, making very good time on the motorway, but not enjoying the increasing traffic closer to Sydney. We stopped for a cuppa at a rest area, then lunch at Hawkesbury River Rest Area at Mooney Mooney. Refreshed, we drove on, turning west towards the Blue Mountains. Our aim was Bathurst and the GPS (otherwise known as the crazy woman) decided that the best way to get there was via Windsor and the Bells Line of Road.

The drive through farmland and then mountains is quite picturesque in parts so we enjoyed this part of the drive. Because we made such good time we arrived in Bathurst earlier than intended so continued on the Blaney, where we stopped for another overnighter in the caravan park.

Yackandandah

4 - 5 December

Heading through Wagga and on to Albury we made the decision to continue on to a smaller town for our overnight stop. We chose Yackandandah and were pleased with what we found. A small and friendly town, in a lovely setting on the way towards the Victorian High Country, Yackandandah suited our needs very well.

I started having problems with my left knee at Crowdy Bay so was restricted to hobbling around slowly and painfully on this leg of the trip. As a result there are not many photographs.

In the morning at Yackandandah I heard the telltale calls of Gang-gang Cockatoos in the surrounding bush. With an effort I managed to lug my heavy camera to the tree line to look for them. There were five or six cockatoos calling and flying between tall gum trees at the bottom of the park. Though too high and distant for any great shots, I was happy to get a record of these beautiful birds. Mick

Juvenile Gang-gang Cockatoo.

Male and Female Gang-gangs, possibly looking for a nest hollow.

Before heading off in the morning we stopped at the bakery for coffee and fresh bread. Next stop Bendigo.

Bendigo

5 - 7 December

We had found a caravan storage yard in Bendigo so made that our last stop before heading to Tassie. We checked into a caravan park for two nights, with the option of adding some more days if needed. We checked the weather forecasts, and the forecast for Bass Strait, and decided to change our Spirit of Tasmania booking to the evening of 7 December. This gave us a sunny day and clear night before having to pack up the canvas for at least 6 weeks in storage. It also gave us a promised calm crossing. Perfect!

There were a number of Red-rumped Parrots around the park. This is a young male.

We spent the day in Bendigo, stocking up on a few things we needed, and having a look around the city. There are some beautiful buildings, thanks to the Victorian gold rushes.

On Wednesday morning we had plenty of time to get packed up. rearranging items to ensure we had what we needed for Tassie, and leaving behind what we didn't. After dropping off the trailer, we drove back into town to the Golden Dragon Museum. This museum tells the proud history of Bendigo's Chinese community. We could have spent much longer here had we not needed to get to Melbourne in time for the boat to Tassie.

Nanken Night Heron (breeding plumage). Patrolling the fish pond in the Chinese garden.

We set off after lunch and made our way into the centre of Melbourne - doing battle with the spaghetti loops of the multiple freeways and toll ways. We didn't really get lost this time, relying partly on the GPS and partly on instinct. Finding our way to Port Phillip Bay, we found parking and a cafe on the beach, where we had afternoon tea (OK - ice cream) before driving the short distance to Station Pier just on 5:00pm where we checked in for our Bass Strait crossing.