The mouth of the Murray & Fleurieu Peninsula
We moved around to the west side of Lake Alexandrina to finish our Murray leg of our trip. Fellow travellers told us about this good free camp at Langhorne Creek. It was a good free camp with lots of people staying there for all different periods of time. So we decided to make this our base and do a few day trips.
Tuesday we took a drive into Stathalbyn, a beautiful little town with so many old buildings and touristy shops (that you can’t take 2 active boys into). There is the most stunning gardens with old bridges, views of old buildings and a tribute to our fallen soldiers. I could have spent hours walking around it finding different things, once again boys don’t allow for that.
Wednesday we took a drive to Goolwa and the mouth of the Murray. A bit of a highlight.
We got to the mouth at low tide. Looking out Matt & I thought yeh we could walk across to the mouth. But once we got to the channel, that had been dredged, there was no way we could. We tried to walk until our map on our phones said we were in the centre of the mouth. But the tide turned and made it a bit hard.
We found out that due to drought and agricultural factors the Murray isn’t pushing enough water into Lake Alexandrina to keep a good flow of water to enter the ocean. Therefore the ocean is stronger than the Murray and is pushing sand into the mouth which is why they have to dredge it. And to maintain some salt water in Lake Alexandrina (it’s nearly all fresh water) for the habitats. Fellow travellers at another spot (local to the area) told us that they stopped dredging it for the past 4 years but have had to start it again.
Goolwa had a great park where we had lunch and let the boys play (big & little).
Oscar W, the paddle steamer, is docked at Goolwa wharf. There is a whole room full of Oscar W’s adventures even had Echuca in there.
I have a new love for the history of the paddle steamer’s so much I brought a book that tells you where they were built what ventures they went on and where they are now. I know I keep going on about how much I love the Murray but I just can’t help it with all new things I learn about it makes me love it more.
Thursday was mean’t to be doing things that Matt and I like, doing the wineries but that didn’t happen. This makes me laugh. Why on earth would we think that the boys would allow us to spend half an hour doing something we like, when they can’t sit still for more than 20 minutes unless there is a movie on. We took a drive to Mount Barker and came across our first camping shop since Renmark so we went in and purchased a washing machine and new big chair for Ethan. Then went to Matts favourite shop (all males favourite shop) Bunnings. Thank god for playgrounds in Bunnings stores. The boys played while Matt took his time looking at everything.
Then to another great playground for lunch.
Friday we packed up and left our beloved Murray. Saying goodbye to our dearly loved friend. Was a bit emotional.
We moved to the west side of the Fleurieu Peninsula and set up a home base for 10 nights at great caravan park in Port Willunga. We spent the afternoon and next day just swimming, getting some supplies and driving around the area.
Sunday we drove back over the other side of the peninsula and had a look at Victor Habour. A beautiful coastal town that was very busy. We caught the horse tram across the bridge to Granite Island and walked round. The water across was crystal clear and we saw a stingray swimming. Under the water there is sea grass growing and all different sea plants. I would like to go back and snorkel/explore this area.
Granite island was quite impressive with all the rocks and their formation. Over time the rocks have rounded off, some have broken away. Just amazing. And the trees around the coast are so wind swept that the are growing at 90 degree angles.
Matt told the boys to walk through the trees roots then told them that a witch lived there poor Natey freaked out.
We walked back over the bridge. Another great park down by the beach. With a boat and skis behind it so we all had a go at skiing in the southern 80.
We then drove round to Cape Jervis where you catch the ferry over to Kangaroo Island. Seems like a small little fishing town. Not much else there from what we could see driving through, except beautiful views.
We drove back along the coast to the caravan park. We went through Normanville which looks like a great coastal town. For us to explore next time. We called into the beach at Sellicks beach and had our first swim. Forgetting that Nate hasn’t ever been swimming in waves before, so he didn’t know to jump over the waves. Hilarious for us but poor boy got dunked. He soon figured it out. Was a great swimming beach.
Some things that I’m loving about South Australia, the old buildings, throughout the countryside there are old buildings, some falling down, some abandoned but they are left standing. They are gorgeous and all over the place. The hills to the ocean. I love the east coast for this but it’s completely different here. The hills have been cultivated and you are driving along appreciating it then the ocean is just there. The vineyard’s are just everywhere (can’t wait to come back without the boys). It’s just so different to coastlines I have seen else where in Oz. It’s stunning.
I’m falling in love with this place. Everything is in close proximity and it’s beautiful.
xo
A week on
Wow what a difference a week can do.
Think we are getting use to life on the road.
We stop at 2 great free camps where fellow nomads of all ages and all different walks of life. That were so helpful and made me release that what I’m feeling is only normal and you do get use to it. Or you come up with solutions to make it better.
We bought a washing machine. So excited to have probably cleaned clothes. I definitely wouldn’t have cut it as a housewife back in the old days.
Showers are great when you are staying in a grassed area. And you don’t get dirty feet straight away.
Toilets – we are learning that playgrounds have nice toilets and are normally cleaned daily. So we take in turns watching the boys play (they use portaloo as there is no time limit at camp).
Breakfast – for some of you this wouldn’t be a big thing but to a little boy who has lived of Vegemite & toast nearly every morning for breakfast. Have cereal just isn’t the same. But who can be bothered starting the generator just for toast.
Today we are most grateful for our 10 nights in a caravan park thanks to Chris & Rod (fellow nomads) who put us on to Travel Auctions. We got 10 nights for the price of 4.
We have endless power, water, hot showers that we can leave running while we wash. And play equipment right opposite our camp. So a bit of timeout for mum & dad (but still in our view). And toast for breakky in the morning. Thank you so much for the heads up Chris & Rod, this is heaven.
Upon finishing our Murray River adventures we both turned to each other and felt a bit sad. We are now leaving home. As it still (even though so different) felt like we were kind of at home, or not too far away as we were still on the Murray. We are now a whole other place away, we are on the coast.
Goodbye ” The mighty Murray River” we will miss you, until we meet again.
We feel as though we are really on the road now. Not just a holiday.
Take care
xo
Our Second Stage of the Mighty Murray
Our last full day at Renmark we went for a drive through Paringa and followed to the west when we came across a sign that said “lookout”. We thought why not do the touristy thing. We were so glad we did it was our first sighting of the cliff’s along the Murray. We were blown away by them. Such a contrast to what we are use to at “home”.
We stopped and saw the black stump too. What is a black stump? Well we still don’t exactly know. But this is a stump of a fallen tree that was cut by a special machine brought down from Queensland then an outboard motor was put on it to move it up stream. Then it was craned to it’s current position. There was some black stump’s used as outhouse’s, not sure if that was on the river or off.
We went from Renmark to a little place called Cadell. It was a great free camp with a park, boat ramp, free electric bbq’s, a clean flush toilet that smelt amazing and green grass. We meet our first lot of nomads that were happy to chat. They were lovely people.
From Cadell we crossed our first ferry and did a day trip into another little place called Morgan.
Morgan has the potential to be like Echuca/Moama but it hasn’t yet. They are restoring a lot of the old sites so can’t wait to go back there and see what it is like.
It was the largest port in South Australia. With the train station being right next to the port. The cranes still in their original position so you can get the idea how they use to load and unload the barges and paddle steamers. With a bit of a write up on the largest barge on the Murray, explaining how high the loads were and how the driver had to navigate his way without losing any of his load or running into the banks. Can’t wait to go back (child free) and read about all the history.
Morgan is also where the Murray turns 90 degree towards the ocean.
Ethan decided that he wanted to check out the hospital in Waikerie. He came down the hill too fast and lost balance in the gravel and ended up with a big cut in his lip & a slight concussion. It was a horrible 30 mins drive to get him there. I faced him all the way there talking to him and I didn’t get motion sickness. I picked him and raced into the hospital and I don’t remember struggling. What adrenaline does to you.
We moved on to Mannum in the morning. Another good free camp at Bolto Reserve just up from the ferry cost $10 per night. Toilets weren’t as clean as Cadell but still clean enough.
We got our first lot of wind, it started there and we are still waiting for it to stop. At least it’s keeping the temperature down.
We decided that we’d ride the bikes over the ferry to the park and hire some kayak’s. We got them for a few hours and had a ball. We paddled up stream then went through to some wetlands then back along the houseboats & paddle streamers. It was so nice and relaxing. The boys loved it too. Might be something to look at buying.
From Mannum we headed to a little spot called Narrung, where lake Albert & Alexandrina meet.
We followed the Murray along, past Big Bend, where the cliffs are at the highest, through Murray Bridge, first bridge we have seen in a week, to Wellington, the last town on the Murray, then around Lake Alexandrina to Narrung.
From Narrung we did a day trip to the Barrages, as far as we could get on eastern side of the mouth. Then to Meningie. Another great little town to return to. Then back round to a nice green grass camp ground.
We took a ride over the ferry, up to the lighthouse which is the only inland lighthouse.
We meet two wonderful couples at Narrung that have been so helpful, giving advice and ideas of places to go. Both have been doing this for 5 years. Has me thinking I wonder if we could do it for that long.
I have thoroughly enjoyed our trip along the Murray. From green dairy farms, to the red dirt with vineyards where ever they could get the water to, to salt bushes everywhere and harsh environment, then back to beautiful pastures on undulating hill sides. And the river itself has slight banks to no banks to cliffs of limestone/granite back to water meeting the banks.
This weeks thought that is amazing me… Everytime we pack up and move again then set up. It’s just like taking your home and moving scenery every couple of days. As nothing else is changing except the scenery. Our van stays the same but everything else changes.
xo
Getting use to life on the road.
I’m not going to lie, it has been a hard week getting use to this basic lifestyle. We have been camping for a week before, so we thought we knew it all. It would be fairly easy with a few hiccups but this has been harder than I expected.
The dirt – OMG the dirt. You have a wash and you are dirty again, instantly. That clean feeling has gone. After 9 days of it, I think I’m finally getting use to the dirty feeling and smell. Don’t get me wrong, we are washing everyday and doing a wipe wash in between our washes. But you still feel dirty.
Power – unlimited supply of power has gone. We have to watch what we are using or else there is no watching a movie of a night time. So devices only get charged when sun is out or we are driving. Our battery runs our waeco which is our freezer, so we have to watch our consumption so at night there is enough power saved so it can run all night.
Running water – Oh to turn a tap on and have an endless supply of water. Not having to pump it out of the tank or pour it from a jerrycar. Not having to count the litres we have or how many we have used. To turn on tap to have hot water not have to set up the gas and water, and move the portaloo out of the ensuite tent just to have a wet, lather, rinse type of shower. And again watching the amount of water used so there is enough for all of us to showers.
TV – what is tv? Tonight is our first night with tv reception. I think we will all huddle round and watch “The News & The block” tonight. We are ever so grateful to our friends that downloaded movies on to our hard drive.
Hospital – who would have thought that you would take that for granted. 40 min drive in only to be to told there is a fee $270. Wasn’t going to take the risk though.
Bridges – to drive over a bridge whenever you want (so long as it’s not summertime in Echuca). Instead we wait for ferries to drop off then come to pick us up to take as across the river. Although the novelty hasn’t worn off yet.
Cooking outside – the wind has been blowing every night so then everything is taking longer.
Washing – hand washing just isn’t cutting it. Can’t get of the red dirt out of our clothes.
Oh but the positives still out way all of these things. And they are fun to laugh at and remember what it was like living in a house.
Look at my view for the next 2 nights doesn’t get better than this.
Then we’ll move on to another great view.
The time with our boys has been a bonus, they learning things we have taught them but we are all having fun together every day. And that’s the reason why we are doing this. To create lots of memories with our beautiful boys and that we are doing.
Love Courts xo
Our first stage of The Mighty Murray
Has been quite emotional a few days. Packing up all our belongings and saying our farewell’s to our loved ones.
Matt said goodbye to his car that he had spent the last 6 years doing up. It has only been on the road for a few months. So it has been a bit hard for him
Driving over the Echuca/Moama bridge and through the port saying goodbye to a town we really have come to love as our home over the past 7 years. Brought a tear to my eye.
We stopped at Swan Hill for lunch and got our first “Big” photo.
The Murray Cod.
We went down to the park on the river and had lunch. What a perfect spot for a picnic.
We made it to Mildura and set up camp at Merbein for 3 nights. What a learning curve the first nights have been. It has been a hard and very testing week.
We did a few activities Park for Play which is an all access playground that the boys thought was great.
We also did Perry Sandhill’s out of Wentworth. So glad we got out there in the morning the sand was hot, would have hated seeing it in the afternoon. They were fascinating.
We called into Orange World. Mario the owner had the best customer service. Let the boys make their own juice. Had a joke with Ethan because he was misbehaving.
We found a sandbar about a 10 minute walk from our camp so we went for a swim. Ethan discovered that with his life jacket on he could swim really well. There was a fence put in the river to make it safe for kids. Which is a brilliant idea.
We then headed off on Thursday to Renmark. We crossed our first border and first quarantine checked point.
We set up camp at Plush’s Bend. A great free camping spot with flush toilet’s. We are completely fascinated in the river here, we can walk 1/3 of the way across the river. The boys are loving swimming in it. Our camp is about 10 metres off the river. Perfect location. We decided that we should stay until Monday as the place has a few other campers around and it’s Australia Day weekend so thought we wouldn’t get another great spot like this along the Murray.
We had a look at the Renmark Paringa Community Museum which had a lot of different machinery and other things from the past. Ethan seemed to enjoy it and to my amazement knew what a couple of them did.
We looked at Loch 5 and taught the boys the importance of the Murray in early settlement, not sure they got it but makes my love for this great river even stronger. I also learn’t that the Edwards river (one of our favourite camping grounds) starts and finishes on the Murray river. Then Matt tells me all this info about it that I didn’t know. How funny that we have come over 550kms and that’s one of the things I learn’t.
Today we did the Monash Adventure Playground. There is nothing else around it really but this awesome playground. It is amazing. Grant Telfer an engineer started it years ago with leftover parts out of machinery, making all different types of quirky equipment out of it. It has been changed and even shut down for a short time due to public liability. It’s my second favourite playground so far in Australia.
The things that I have realised I have been taking for granted power, our toilet that flushes, a shower. Oh my shower, what I give for a shower where I can leave the water running the whole time I’m in it.
Enjoying seeing all the beautiful coloured dirt. Matt thinks I’m weird but the dirt is a beautiful rich colour.
I love our country, our mighty Murray. Can’t wait to see the transformation you make at our next stop.
Xoxo
The Emotion’s
Wow what a couple of months we have had. And the emotional rollercoaster that I have been on and been putting Matt through.
We have been busy packing, getting the van “Right” and spending time with our loved one’s.
Everytime we do something there has been a different emotion to feel. The realisation of missing our loved one’s and any milestone’s that may happen while we are gone.
Packing the house is not like packing to move from one house to another. But packing and not knowing when you will be back to these things. We have kept them for so long now but why? Do I really need to keep it? Will I miss it? Is it something that may have meaning to the boys when they get older? Or am I just being stupid?
Then our eldest son, who has just completed kindergarden/prep, says he doesn’t want to leave his friends and hates that I have already packed away all his things. And our youngest son we have just found out that he might have to have minor surgery. My emotion’s have been all over the place are we doing the right thing for our boys? Will they continue to learn all they need to, to slip back in to the normal schooling later? Will they be ok socially later?
Getting the van ready and our final purchases arriving is helping build up the excitment and I can’t wait to go.
We also have had a few weekends away in the van and I can’t wait to live that cruisey lifestyle being able to explore our country with the boys.
So many emotions and thoughts going through my head. No wonder why I have lost track of time and christmas is only around the corner and I’m not ready.
Hope everyone has a safe and merry christmas.
Can’t wait to share our adventure’s with you all. xo
Second part of our test run.
We ended up staying 2 nights at Carcoar dam. It was such a good spot. We thought we should try out some of our purchases.
So we set up the shower tent and our portable hot water service and all had showers. We all washed and only used about 25 litres of water. Which was great.
We’d borrowed a friends portable washing machine so we got that out and tried it. It was fantastic but I’m still undecided about it. Will put some more thoughts into it then decide.
Matt tested out solar consumption and we will be self sufficient so long as we get enough sunshine otherwise we will have to top up with the generator.
The boys have enough toys to keep them occupied – maybe too many.
On our second night there my parents came and stayed.
The next morning it started raining so we packed up in the rain. We were all done and on the road by 8.30am. So we decided to head to Narrendera instead of just down the road to Cootamundra.
We stayed at the boat ramp free camp spot. It was a great spot but too close to the highway. We had planned to stay 2 nights there but changed our mind when we saw how close to the road it was.
We were there and set up by 2pm. We had heard stories of the nomads pulling in after 2pm but had never came across it. The site started filling up pretty fast after 2.30pm. There where vans everywhere. We spoke to a few but for some reason (or 2) they didn’t come too close.
Boys decided they wanted to try camp style bath. Nate loved it. Ethan was a bit too big but still liked it.
<a
Matt cooked a beautiful roast lamb for tea. He has almost perfected cooking in the camp oven.
Once again we were packed up and on the road by 9am. We thought we'd just go as far as Conargo but we got there at 11am. This was the best free camp yet but we decided that it would be perfect just for an overnight stay not a whole day. So we had lunch and a play on the awesome playground. Such a great spot.
We moved on to our favourite camp spot just near home Edwards campground out of Mathoura. It is such a great spot with toilets and the river. Bird life was is abundance.
We packed up in the morning and headed home.
Has been great to find out that all our purchases have been the right one’s. Don’t think we have over packed our van either. And we are on target with our budget.
We are getting pretty excited now. And are so happy with our decision to go on this adventure. Our week away has Nate talking more again. Had the boys playing together, they do fight but they are getting much better. And neither of them complained about it or asked for takeout. And Ethan commented on how much fun it was being able to do fun stuff with dad.
Can’t wait to go. 14 weeks left!!
Our test run.
We are spending a week coming back from the beautiful Port Stephen’s. We high tailed it up there to a cousins wedding with the van on and did our first overnight stay in the truck stop at Gundagai. Then made it up there the next day. We stopped on our way past and saw the triplets. They are getting so big now. Had a great few days catching up with our family from Newcastle area and with brother, sister,in laws and nieces.
We then had a stop over with the triplets again. Then left on our test run.
What a challenge the first day was. A very learning experience that’s for sure. We left too late and didn’t allow time for steep hill climbing. When we got to our campsite we found out that it was closed due to vandalism. So on we went to the next one, Marys Campground Sunny Corner. We got there at 4pm so by the time we set up it was time to start cooking tea. We had no T.V service and very limited phone service. So poor Matt missed out on watching the Brownlow. Was a nice, very quiet spot, we were the only one’s there.
We packed up and were in Bathurst by 9.30am. We found a fantastic playground there where we let the ferals run free for a bit. Matt and I wanted to try our luck at Bathurst racetrack. Yep van and all. It was crazily steep. Steeper than we realise on T.V. How the hell do they do it at 150km plus. Crazy.
After the thrill of that we thought we’d head off to our next camp ground. Carcoar dam. What a beautiful spot. Toilets, cold showers and great views. There are about 20 other’s here with us. It’s a great spot. Looking over the dam there are some wind turbines. So we have been up and read some information on them. They are amazing being able turning position and blade’s position to get the most out of the wind.
Tonight is much better to last night. Hope our trip is more like this, as it will be perfect.
Will post the last part of our test run when we get home.
My clever husband.
Matt has been very busy over the past month making a draw and figuring out how we are going to fit everything in the cab. I think he has done a great job.
He has also been doing a few things to the van.
Now we just need to find sometime to get out and use it.
We have a week planned in September to try out all equipment, bits and piece. Can’t wait but hopefully will get out the river once or twice before then.
The Grampians
We have just got back from our first week-long stay in our caravan. We went away with my parents, who are experienced travellers, so they could give us some advice on our setup, what we need, what we don’t need. It was fantastic, they gave us so many tips for our trip that we just want to pack up and go now.
We went to the Grampians. It is such a beautiful part of Australia, I 
love it. I have been there a few times before as a child and had great memories.
I also went there as uni student but had quite a different experience as we hiked for 5 days.
Then Matt and I went there 7 years ago for our 5 year anniversary. There had been a fire through 6 months earlier but it was still so beautiful. It was black but with little shoots of green spurting everywhere. Just beautiful to see how our country can recover from such a devastation.
This time there was a fire through there just 2 months earlier but we saw very minimal parts of it this time. However we did see how the area had recovered from 7 years ago and it amazed us that we could still see the blackened tree trunks even though they had so much foliage on them.
It was a slightly different holiday then we expected. Where we stayed had no mobile 
phone service or TV reception. We had planned to do some research and I was going to blog but none of that happened. But it was actually nice to have no technology as we spent quality time with our beautiful boys. While we were there Ethan started riding his bike without training wheels. I have never been prouder of him. It took him a few goes to get use to starting but he got the hang of it. And Nate has been having speech therapy for 6 months now and the week away was great for him he started speaking more, and getting more interested in talking. The lack of technology ended up being a blessing in disguise.
We did a few of the easy walks and to our surprise the boys managed walking the distance. Nate did hop in the backpack for a while but managed to walk part of the way. And Mr Independent thought that he should walk the Grand Canyon which was challenging for Ethan but that didn’t stop Nate he did such a great job. They both wanted to walk the rest of the way to the Pinnacle but Matt and I thought that would be crazy so we went back to the car.
We had a great time and managed fine. Now the countdown has begun, this time in 10 months we will on trip of a lifetime, our dreams becoming a reality. Yeh!! Can’t wait.
Baker's Trip Of Oz 
Recent Comments