Cape Conran Coastal Park – Banksia Bluff Campground

26 – 28 February 2023

We talked to our neighbours about camping at Cape Conran as they had been there recently and recommended it as a lovely spot. Bookings are essential but we confirmed that we would be able to get online to book once we arrived. We set off from Nowa Nowa and drove through Marlo before arriving at Cape Conran.

Dogs are permitted in some sections so we headed for the other ones to look for a spot. Some are not suitable for towed vehicles and others were too sloping for our set up. In the end we chose the same spot the neighbours had camped on – close to the toilets and the walk to the beach, and level enough for us. The only downside was that we were not able to get much solar power happening. We knew we would be ok for a couple of days anyway.

After lunch we went for a walk on the beach and settled in for another relaxing couple of days. In the morning we went for a drive to find a birdy spot we had visited before and called in to West Cape, Salmon Gums and East Cape beaches. All beautiful spots but East Cape beach was my favourite.

Yet another old jetty to walk along

The campground at Banksia Bluff is in bush that had been devastated by fires in the summer of 2019/20 but it was showing signs of regenerating well. Although there weren’t a lot of birds, Mick did have some success close to our campsite. We also saw the resident goanna or goannas quite a few times, but no sign of the local wombat, Dennis, who apparently had worked out how to get into tents in search of food.

Leaving Cape Conran we drove back the way we had come, through Marlo, Orbost and then on to Bruthen where we had lunch in the park again.

Nowa Nowa

 24 – 26 February 2023

We had never visited Nowa Nowa before but it looked like a nice destination. Once again we didn’t have far to drive so we went the long way back through Bairnsdale where we wandered around the shops and picked up some supplies. We stopped for lunch at a park in Bruthen and then continued on into Nowa Nowa.

We were able to get an early check-in and set up in the shade by the creek. There’s not much to Nowa Nowa but there are a couple of walks, mostly along the creeks and river. We enjoyed our quiet afternoon with a nice view, and found ourselves with a couple in another Cub camper trailer as neighbours.

Saturday was going to be very hot so we set off for the walk to Boggy Creek Gorge Lookout fairly early. All we had to do was join the path that ran along the back of the caravan park and along the creek. It was a mostly gentle, slightly uphill walk to the lookout, but we didn’t think the view was all that special. Maybe we have been spoiled by all the stunning gorges we have visited in other parts of the country.

While the gorge was nice, I was fascinated by the markings on the trees along the walk

Later, we drove down to the boat ramp and walked along the Wetlands Walk, Again, this was a very nice walk but nothing special. Mick did find a “birdy” spot where he spent some time trying to get some photos.

Over the previous week, there had been marine wind warnings for most of East Gippsland but the weather had improved so we decided to head back to the coast and Cape Conran for a couple of days.

Lakes Entrance

 21 – 24 February 2023

We planned a short visit to be able to catch up with travelling friends who live in Lakes Entrance so we booked 3 nights in a caravan park near the beach. Once we left Lake King we only had a short drive to Lakes so we went a little way in the opposite direction to Paynesville – another spot we had never visited. It was a cold, grey day so we went and had a coffee in a bakery and visited the local craft shop. We didn’t walk along the shore because it was so windy and drizzling with rain but we did find the op shop before setting off back towards Bairnsdale.

We had to do a bit of back tracking on this part of our journey

We stopped to have a look in an antique shop and art gallery on the way, and then found a park to have lunch. We drove on to Lakes Entrance and settled in to the caravan park. Later in the day we went for a walk along the creek and down to the beach.

We had a few jobs to do, including a minor modification to the camper trailer to keep creepy crawlies out, so we went into town and did some shopping for the things Mick would need. He spent the afternoon completing the job while I off-sided for him.

On Thursday we joined Ruth and Boyd for a lovely lunch at the local Bowls Club and had a bit more of a wander around town. We weren’t sure where our next stop would be so we spent some time consulting the maps and considering a few options. In the end, the weather forecast convinced us to stay inland so we decided on Nowa Nowa for the next couple of nights.

Loch Sport and Lake King

 Loch Sport

19 – 20 February 2023

We chose Loch Sport as our next destination as it was on the Lake Victoria, and close to some free camps on the beach that we wanted to have a look at. We headed into the caravan park and noticed that it was very quiet with hardly anyone there. Like many in this area, there are lots of “seasonal” vans, but the ones here looked very much unloved which gave the whole park a run-down appearance.

We settled in and then set off for a drive to Golden Beach to have a look at a number of free camps – some with toilets, some which allow dogs. We were interested in the ones with toilets, but without dogs. It turned out we were further away than we thought, but it was a nice drive with plenty of stops along the way to look at the beach and camps. Unfortunately for us, all the best spots were taken so we decided to move further towards Lakes Entrance in the morning.

We did go for a nice walk along the shore at Loch Sport in the late afternoon, as well as the obligatory walk along the jetty. Despite the appearance of the caravan park, it was a nice enough, quiet location to spend the night. I’m not sure I would want to be there during the busy season though.

We enjoyed a walk along the beach and out onto the jetty at Loch Sport

After another short walk along the beach we set off to return to the highway and on towards Lakes Entrance.

 

Lake King

20 – 21 February 2023

We headed off from Loch Sport not exactly sure where we would spend the night. We had a few possibilities and as none were very far away we were able to take our time. Our first stop was in Sale to try and find the Wetlands. Poor signage meant it took a few goes, then when we did find the right place, the infrastructure was actually closed for repairs – and looked like it had been for some time.

We then went to the park on Lake Guthridge to have a look for waterbirds and decided to have an early lunch there. There are some picnic tables and toilets right by the water so it was a good place to stop.

After lunch we drove on to Stratford where we hoped to check in to the caravan park. Unfortunately they have a strict 2:00pm check-in policy, but did suggest we could park and wander in to town. We had a look around the caravan park and decided it wasn’t as nice as we had hoped so moved on.

We stopped in Bairnsdale for fuel which was the cheapest around the area on the day, and then drove on to Lake King. Again, a small caravan park with lots of “seasonal” vans, but this one looked much better maintained. Although we didn’t get a waterfront site, we still had a view of the lake.

We went for a walk and enjoyed a quiet afternoon while we contemplated whether to stay or move on in the morning. We decided to move on to Lakes Entrance where we would be able to catch up with friends we met on Cape York in 2016.

Tarra Valley

17 – 19 February 2023

We left Warragul and chose to go on the most scenic route towards Tarra Valley, but unfortunately we trusted the GPS once again, and although we were going in the right direction, we were on windy, hilly roads through farming county. It was a beautiful drive, but took much longer than expected as it was impossible to drive at the signposted 100 kph.

We found a park in Leongatha for lunch then continued on to Yarram, where we turned off onto the Tarra Valley Road. The information provided by the caravan park warned about the possibility of taking inappropriate roads if following the GPS or google Maps, so from Yarram we followed the signs – just like in the olden days.

It was well over 30° when we arrived at the caravan park but the rainforest setting, across from the river, made it the perfect location for a couple of days. Storms were forecast and we did get good downpour after a cool change arrived.

In the morning we set off to Tarra – Bulga National Park, further along the road. Our first stop was Tarra Falls, only a couple of kilometres away. There is a small carpark at the top of a set of stairs which provide nice views of the falls. From there we continued on to Tarra Valley where we went on the walk to Cyathea Falls. This easy walk along a creek through rainforest to the falls was my favourite for the day.

Cyathea Falls

We thought about going home for lunch and coming back up later, but decided against another drive on the very narrow, windy road so we continued on to the visitor centre where there are a number of walks. We started off on the Lyrebird Track but turned around after a while as the bush was fairly uninspiring regrowth, along a somewhat overgrown track. When we returned to the junction we made our way along the walk to the Suspension Bridge. This walk involves quite a bit of downhill travel – and then back uphill if you do it as an out and back walk as we did.

By the time we had finished we were ready for lunch so drove back to the caravan park where we spent the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying the beautiful surrounds.

The following morning we left Tarra Valley and drove back down the mountain to stop in at Yarram for some shopping, before continuing on towards our next stop – Loch Sport.

Warragul

 12 – 17 February 2023

We stopped and had lunch in the park at Lake Weeroona before going to pick up the camper trailer. We then had to drive back towards Melbourne, skirting around the city and then rejoining the highway on our way to Warragul.

We had booked a few nights in a cabin as we had arranged for the trailer to have some canvas work done locally. We were able to set the trailer up near the cabin to empty it our ready to deliver it in the morning.

With our few days we spent the time washing, reorganising and doing some cooking so we would have some meals in the freezer for those long days when we needed an easy and quick dinner.

We spent some time exploring the town and have to say the people in Warragul would be among the friendliest we have met. Everyone we spoke to was so helpful, and welcoming.

The weather was quite hot so we chose a slightly cooler day to go exploring in the Mount Worth State Forest. We drove up the mountain to Moonlight Creek Picnic Area and set off on one of the easier walks along the creek and then back via the ridge. Mick was delighted to catch a glimpse of a lyrebird after hearing it calling near the start of the track, but it didn’t stay still long enough for a photo. After the walk we made a cup of coffee and sat in the picnic area hoping for the lyrebird to come back. No, it didn’t.

There were good walks and a nice picnic are at Moonlight Creek

Once we had collected the trailer we had to set it up again to repack it ready to set off on the next leg of our trip. We had decided that going up into the mountains for some more hot days would be a good idea so we chose Tarra Valley as our destination.

Return to the Mainland

11 -12 February 2023

We booked to return to the mainland from Tasmania on the late sailing – 11:30pm. Not an ideal time, but it allowed us to spend our last day in Hobart with the girls, and get packed up at a fairly leisurely pace. We calculated our travel times and set off after 4:00pm. We decided that dinner in Deloraine would work out well time wise, so we headed to the pub where we have eaten several times before. After a nice meal, we continued on to Devonport, arriving at 9:00pm, which was when check-in was due to start.

Waiting to board in Devonport

We joined the queue and were through check-in and quarantine fairly smoothly, but then we had a very long wait to board. We sat in the queue watching almost every other vehicle drive line off before it was finally our turn. Once onboard, we went straight to our cabin as it was well after 10:00pm by then.

The Bass Strait forecast suggested we may have a bit of a rough night, but it wasn’t as bad as we expected. The late sailing time means arriving late too – which makes for a nice slow start to the morning. We had a light breakfast and waited to disembark. The reward for the long wait to get on was that we were on the first deck to be called to get off.

Getting out of Geelong was painless compared to the nightmare that was Melbourne and we were soon on our way to Bendigo to collect the camper trailer from storage.