This morning we took a 4km walk along the white sandy beach of Tumby Bay. The foreshore has been planted with native plants which are endemic to the dunes of this area. Along the beach there is washed-up sea grass in substantial quantities which would make swimming, if you could bear the cold, a little difficult. We had a browse through the local shops and were quite impressed with the bakery and the local crafts store.
Later in the afternoon I took a drive along one of the many gravel roads and discovered some pristine beaches that would have been excellent for fishing. I saw plenty of birdlife with some big flocks of galahs and quite a few sightings of the Port Lincoln Parrot. Back on the tar I headed inland to the small town of Cummins. The town is a thriving hub for outlying farming communities. It was settled in 1904 and there are a few remaining historic buildings including the Butter Factory. I returned to Tumby Bay on the same route and had a good view of the coast from the top of the range.
Back at the van Alice had prepared a nice casserole which was complemented with a cheeky 2013 Ingoldby Shiraz.
Day 27, 14th May – Tumby Bay, Koppio and Port Lincoln (7023km – 7166km)
It is yet another overcast day so we decided to take a drive and get some supplies for the next few days. We headed inland towards Cummins and then took the well maintained dirt road to Koppio. We had read that there was a half decent museum at Koppio and when we reached that thriving community all that was there was was the Smithy Museum. I still cannot get away with a seniors rate so after coughing up our $10 each we started our tour.
It is amazing how many exhibits that this out of the way place contained and can appreciate why it has been listed by the National Trust. There was a blacksmith’s shop and cottage and we both had a go at pumping the bellows. The old Koppio Rural School has been reassembled here along with the old desks, inkwells, school bell, rules for female teachers (very draconian) and of course the dreaded cane. Other exhibits included a women’s pioneer room, horse drawn vehicles, stationary engines, tractors, farm machinery, vintage vehicles including a Studebakers from the 1920’s, a heritage hall and an exhibition about the terrible fires that swept through the area in 2005. I nearly forgot to mention the replica World War 1 tank that was used in the movie “The Light Horsemen” which was filmed around Coffin Bay. On closer inspection we found that the tank was made from plywood. There was also the world famous Bob Dobbins barbed wire collection. There were so many strands to this collection. Who could have guessed that barbed wire was so diverse and interesting? We were both impressed with the museum and would recommend it to anyone traveling through this area.
We arrived at Port Lincoln just after 1:00 and headed straight to the dining room of the Pier Hotel. We were both freezing and took a table next to the not so roaring fire. Alice chose our lunch which was crumbed Nannygai with salad and the ubiquitous chips. The food was great and put us in the right mood to tackle the aisles of the local Coles store. With our supplies in hand we headed out of town towards the suburb of Boston. The reason for stopping here is that they have a winery and it does not close for another half hour. The two reds and whites that we tasted were excellent. Unfortunately they had sold out of their award winning Riesling which was voted Australia’s best in 2014. Alice was sorry that she didn’t try a glass when it was on the menu at the Pier hotel.
Back on the road again and we decided to take a detour down a dirt road to investigate the beachside destinations of Red Cliff and Trinity Haven. These are both run by local churches and it appeared that you could book a stay at Red Cliff as there was a sign for bookings (Phone Kathy Brand – 86881947). The solitude and the rugged beauty of the coastline would make this a great getaway if you could secure a site. The T-junction where we turned towards Red Cliff looked like you could get in a free camp during the quieter months. Further down the road there was camping allowed at Second Creek which is about 7km from Tumby Bay. For $10.50 a night you get a spot right on the water with a spot to launch a boat and the opportunity to catch some Australian Salmon. When we arrived there were already two vans parked up and they looked like they were in for the long haul. We ended up arriving back at the van a little late for the Bold and the Beautiful but we can live without that.
Day 28, 15th May – Tumby Bay to Redhill (7166km – 7600km)
After a hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausage, grilled tomato and mushroom we hit the road at 9:30am en-route for Adelaide. Our first stop this morning was Cowell where I managed to convince Alice into buying me a dozen of their best oysters. My plan is to devour them this afternoon at our overnight stop and possibly complement them with a couple of Coopers dark ales. Alice decided to troll the bottle shops, all two of them on the off chance that they may stock the elusive award winning Riesling from the Boston Bay winery. When I picked her up at the second ‘bottleo’ she had a big grin on her face and was clutching two brown paper bags. She managed to snaffle two bottles from the 2013 vintage at the bargain price of $19 a bottle. That was $3 cheaper per bottle than the winery. I was impressed.
Back on the road and 170km later we pulled into the Port Augusta Shell servo and topped up our fuel for $1.209 a litre. It was getting on so we pulled over on the side of the highway and stopped for a bite of lunch. Alice whipped up a scrumptious salad that will tie us over until dinner tonight. We are on the hunt for a free camp tonight so we have set the GPS for the Redhill recreation ground which is about 140km south of PA. The highway in this section is excellent and occasionally we are rewarded with views of Spencer Gulf and the Flinders Ranges. Around 3:30pm we took the turnoff into Redhill and soon saw a sign which indicated that RV’s could camp for free.
The Ellis Street Reserve is a big flat area with plenty of trees, grass and a couple of rubbish bins. After setting up the camp I embarked on a series of stretching exercises which is designed to enhance my culinary experience with the oysters. It worked and I can only say there is nothing like fresh oysters to stimulate your senses! Alice is looking a little wary. Dinner tonight was a sensational piece of Atlantic Salmon with salad, fried potato and sweet potato wedges and washed down with that Riesling. Sensational!
Day 29, 16th May – Redhill to Adelaide (7600km – 7775km)
After a bitterly cold night Alice and I found it difficult to rouse ourselves from the sanctuary of our blanket layer. The thin blood does nothing for you in this type of climate. If I was smart, I probably should have kick started the generator and ran the heater for a few hours. In the end we crawled out of bed and were greeted by an absolutely gorgeous day. There was not a cloud in the sky as we headed south to Adelaide. As we approached the conurbation of Adelaide the traffic increased dramatically which set my nerves on edge.
In the end we made it to the Adelaide Caravan Park in Hackney without incident. The only drama I had was reversing the van into the narrow space which was surrounded by trees. It should be interesting when it becomes time for the hookup. I guess that I will need an exit strategy. The park is surrounded by trees with lots of parrots and rosella’s and overlooks the mighty Torrens River. We are only 2km from the Rundle Street mall so it will be Shanks’ Pony for all our tours and meetings while we are here.
Around 5:00pm we headed into the City where we will meet Alice’s good friend Nicola for Dinner. The walk was easy and took us about 25 minutes which gave Alice time to check out a few shops. Nicola arrived promptly at 6:00 and after a short debate we chose a Vietnamese restaurant aptly named Chopstix to test out our pallets. The food was great and after a couple of wines and some great conversation we settled up our account. I think the wine was slightly more than the food bill. To finish of the evening Nicola shouted us a decadent caramel and strawberry ice cream that we washed down with a cup of coffee. It was a great evening where we were able to catch up on all the news about our families and mutual friends. Just a short and rather cool 2km walk down Hackney Road and we were back at the park and safely ensconced in the warmth of the van.
Day 30, 17th May – Friends and Family (7775km – 7802km)
This morning we are catching up with one of Alice’s old work mates from TAFE, Martha and her husband Ronaldo. We are meeting in Melbourne Street, North Adelaide which is only a short 1km walk from the caravan park. It was very considerate of them to choose such a handy location. Our route took us along the walkway adjacent to the river Torrens and through a couple of parks. Melbourne Street has a burgeoning restaurant scene and judging by the number of patrons our chosen brunch place, The Store was doing a roaring trade. We secured a table and had a leisurely breakfast which had our taste buds working overtime. Martha and Ronaldo were wonderful company and we would have loved to have chatted longer but we had more meetings arranged.
I dropped Alice off in Rundle Street so she could browse the shops prior to us meeting her nephew Chris and his girlfriend Caitlin. The truck needed a wash so I thought that was better than two hours in the suffering seat. After traveling up and down North Terrace a couple of times I eventually found the carwash. With the last of the Northern Territory red dust removed the Triton finally had its bling back. I made it back to the mall just after our appointed time of 2:30pm. I noticed that Alice’s left shoulder was slightly dropped which indicated that she had a successful shopping excursion.
We adjourned to a coffee shop where we could relax and chat with Chris and Caitlin. He is looking well and really working hard at securing full time employment. Caitlin is a lovely young girl who is definitely having a positive influence over Chris. They made a big effort to come and meet us which we both appreciated. All good things come to an end and it was a little sad to say goodbye to them both. Back at the park I relaxed by watching the NRL and knocking the top off a Peter Lehmann 2012 Clancy’s Cabernet Shiraz Merlot. That was a fitting way to end a good day.
Day 31, 18th May – Adelaide to Clare (7802km – 7955km)
After lunch we headed into town to sample some wine and beer at Knappstein Wines. We were the only tasters and as a result were treated to the whole range on offer. The standouts were a Lord Mayor Shiraz, Sparkling Shiraz and of course the Riesling which the valley is famous for. To finish off I had a sparkling beer which was very refreshing. There was still time for another visit so we headed off to the outskirts of town to sample some Jim Barry Wines. Again we were the only visitor’s which is a double edged sword. On one hand you get excellent customer service with a good helping of wine and on the other it is difficult to depart without purchasing some of the product. Again the wines were excellent and the winery definitely worth a visit.
A quick stop at Woolies was in order as I needed a few vegetables for the roast lamb that I am cooking later tonight. The main part of the town is quite large and there are plenty of services available to meet most needs. Oh, the roast lamb done in the Cobb Cooker was tender, succulent and delicious.
Day 32, 19th May – Clare Valley (7955km – 8002km)
At around 2:00am I was woken by the sound of thunder and soon after the rain came bucketing down
. The downpour lasted for a couple of hours and gave everything a good soaking including our shoes. Later in the morning we took a scenic drive over the ridge to Mintaro. The town has a maze and quite a few historic buildings. We thought we would visit Martindale Hall which was used as the boarding school in the film “Picnic at Hanging Rock”. Bad luck, it is closed on Tuesdays. I went up one of the dirt roads for a better view of the mansion and the next thing we were sliding all over the road. The speed we were traveling at was barely 10kmph and the tyres just would not grip the sticky red clay. I put the Triton into four wheel drive and made my way out of that sticky mess. The truck looked like a layer cake and will need a good wash to remove the huge hunks of clay.
A couple of back roads later we pulled into Taylors wines which is one of the larger wineries in the region. Once again we are the only ones in the tasting room and have the opportunity to taste all of the wines on offer. We tried a few of the wines and then opted to spend $5 for a platinum tasting. This gave us a few olives, cheese and chutney as well as six premium wines. Now that was an excellent decision, as another couple came in just as we were finishing our tasting. This took the pressure off and we managed a graceful exit with only the purchase of some chutney and wine glasses.
On our way back towards Clare we took the scenic Spring Gully Road. There was an avenue of old gum trees that shrouded the road with the occasional splash of colour from the native Rosellas. We stopped off at Skilogalee Wines which was recommended to us by Alice’s friend Nicola. There is a restaurant attached to the winery and judging by the number of cars outside the food must be good. Alice and I tried a number of the wines so that we could choose one to have with our lunch. She thought that the Chardonnay was excellent and for me the Cabernet Franc from the range of reds was my pick. At $75 for a bottle I doubt that I will be choosing this one to accompany our meal.
With the tasting done we took a table that had a great view of the rose garden that had many flowers in bloom. I had pasta with Riesling cream sauce, scallops and chorizo. Alice chose a braised lamb with a middle-eastern rice and a pomegranate salad. This was washed down with a bottle of the 2012 Take Two Shiraz Cabernet. The meals were superb and were complemented by coffee and a glass of muscat. Alice’s decadence was greater than mine as she indulged herself with an affogato which was ice-cream, that she laced with expresso and muscat.
With lunch done and our bellies full it was time to give the Triton a makeover. I found a carwash that had a high pressure hose and removed a wheelbarrow of red clay from the underbody. In town I purchased some honey and macadamia sausages and some Texan chilli sausages from the award winning sausage maker. They will do as a treat for later tonight in the unlikely event that we suffer from hunger pangs.
Day 33, 20th May – The Barossa (8002km – 8242km)
We hit the road nice an early this morning and headed south via the old mining town of Kapunda to Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley. Our first destination was Maggie Beer’s Farm shop which we found accidentally without reference to any map. The shop overlooks the farmyard and a crystal clear dam. All of the products displayed in the shop can be sampled prior to making a decision on what sumptuous item to purchase. Needless to say my taste buds were given a good workout and I especially enjoyed the pate and salted caramel. Alice bought enough to just about fill the back of the Triton. Well I may be exaggerating slightly but she did purchase a few wares.
Our cellar master had recommended that we try the Artisans of Barossa cellar door which was the outlet for seven small winemakers. There is also a restaurant and the head chef Tracy Collins was a finalist in last year’s Masterchef show. I’m sure that Lilian would know who she is. We tried a couple of items from the menu and found them quite delicious and just enough to fill the stomach. The wines were excellent but we restrained ourselves from purchasing as the price range went from $20 to $150. With the afternoon getting on we traveled back through Tanunda and then onto Penfolds winery at Nuriootpa. There were a few patrons knocking back the wine that included cellar door reserve wines as well as the majority of the popular bin ranges. I worked my way through all the reds and enjoyed them all especially the Magill Estate shiraz.
Day 34, 21st May – Clare Valley (8242km – 8319km)
Time was marching on so it was back up the road to Watervale where we made a detour to Annie’s Lane winery. It is located in the heritage listed Quelltaler Estate and boasts large century old cellars that feature a museum, gallery and of course the cellar door. Our goal here is to taste the range of whites with emphasis on their Riesling. We were not disappointed and ended up departing with a few bottles. Back on the road and we decided to stop at Greg Cooley wines which is walking distance from our caravan. It was late in the day and at the tasting bar Greg the winemaker was ready to serve us a few wines. It turns out that he was originally from Brisbane where he used to sell real estate. He gave us a good run down on the different wines and what he was trying to achieve with them. After a good solid tasting we loaded up the Triton with more wine and headed home for our pre-cooked casserole.
Day 35, 22nd May – Clare to Mildura (8319km – 8724km)
What a night! It was absolutely freezing and there was that much dew that you could be forgiven if you thought it had rained. It was difficult to pack up for today’s journey as everything is damp and my hands are numb. We finally headed off but went into Clare where Alice did a spot of shoe shopping. We were initially going to head south back down the Limestone Coast and the Great Ocean Road however our plan now is to head for the Riverland and Sunraysia.
The road to Mildura was excellent and a mere two hours later we were there. After filling the tank we went in search of a free camp spot that is supposed to be about 8km outside of town and just off the Calder highway. We found a dirt road that looked promising and after a few kilometres we came upon some camping sites right on the bank of the Murray. We have an uninterrupted view of the water and think that Psych Pump is one of the best spots we have stayed at. With the sun setting, pelicans gliding by and a cool drink in our hands we sat back and enjoyed the last of the daylight.
Day 36, 23rd May – Mildura to Nyah (8724km - 8934km)
We were in no hurry this morning so we did not leave Psych Pump until 11:00am. The back roads looked promising so we traveled the byways for about 30 minutes until we came to the town of Red Cliffs. It looked prosperous and there was an opportunity to purchase some avocados and oranges. With our food stocks replenished we hit some more back roads and eventually stopped for lunch. We picked another spot on the Murray and had a good break at an out of the way spot called Wemen. The lunch was so good that we were joined by one of the local mutts who hung around until the food was gone.
Day 37, 24th May – Nyah to Echuca (8934km – 9122km)
Today we are going to stick to the Murray River theme and continue slightly south through the historic town of Swan Hill to Echuca. Along the way we stopped for a toilet break at the aptly named Lake Boga. The lake was huge with a caravan park right on the water and would be a great spot during summer. The whole district around here is surrounded by lakes. With our rest break over it was back on the road traveling through large and small towns such as Kerang, the big Cohuna, Gunbower, Torrumbarry and finally Echuca.
After checking into a caravan park which is right on the banks of the Murray River we took a short stroll to the historic port precinct. A quick bite to eat and before we knew it we were embarking on a paddle steamer up the river. Our steamer is called the Canberra and is reputedly over 100 years old. The trip takes you past the wharf which is lined with luxurious houseboats that come with their own hot tubs, old steamboats and not so new houseboats. River Gums that line the bank are home to raucous galahs and cockatoos. Our trip into the past was a little under one hour and brought back memories of Sigrid Thornton in the classic mini-series “All the Rivers Run”. Back on terra firma Alice trolled the gourmet food stores while I enjoyed sanctuary of a caravan spare parts shop. This was all too much for us so we dropped into a bar called the Bordello and tried a couple of craft beers.
Day 38, 25th May – Echuca to Melbourne (9122km – 9391km)
This morning we got away at a very respectable 9:00am for our 190km trip south to Victoria’s capital city, Melbourne. For morning tea we stopped at Heathcote and enjoyed one of their award winning sausage rolls. With a bit more time we could have explored some of the shops that sell local produce as well as wines from the area. At Kilmore we saw more police officers doing some sort of road works duty than we had seen for the entire trip. The boys and girls in blue were everywhere. As we approached our caravan park in North Coburg the nav bitch decided that we should travel down some narrow streets that despite the van we could just get through.
Eventually we found the park and after a quick set-up we headed out into Melbourne traffic to visit Alice’s friend Vicky. She resides at Ringwood which is about 40km away but for a good portion you travel on ring roads and freeways. We spent a great afternoon with her before heading back in peak hour traffic to the park. It would have been good to stay longer but Alice needs to pack her bags for tomorrow’s trip.
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