Sue and Peter's Southern Journey 2008

Sue and Pete's Long Service Leave Holiday around South East Australia 2007/8
Setting out ................


Early Monday 17th of December we set off on our journey. The first stop after a long haul for the day was Moree. Sue was really looking forward to the spas of Moree but the pools at the carvan park were dirty and no really spa effect was enjoyed. Peter has said that he would like a drive though site, which they gave to us but they were packing them in tight in that area so we could not put out our awning.


Early next day we set off for Dubbo – it was going to be our first free camping experience. The drive was good and not too far. We went to the first site mentioned which was close to town but that site had been closed down. So we went out a bit further and found the next site and it was a lovely site near a creek.


On the Wednesday we stopped over in Forbes – there is a Lion's Club free camping site right in town – lovely grassed site with water and a bq right on the river. It was a short walk into town – there is a lovely hotel just over the bridge.


After the two nights of free camping we thought we would give ourselves the luxury of camping in a carvan park – we stayed at Shepparton. It was devistating to see the ravages of the drought so starkly with the big lake in Shepparton so dry.


Also we experienced the feeling of crampedness having had the open space of the free camping spots.


We arrived in Geelong on the Friday before Christmas.
The caravan park at Leopold – Pelican shores was lovely.
When we arrived back after a day out, Sue asked me to go for a walk, I didnt want to at first, so I went looking for her, I heard noise up by the pool, went up to club house where the noise was coming from. A lady grabbed me and said can I dance, I went with her inside the hall and as we went in the door she yelled to her other girl friends ' I found one'. I later noticed all the men were outside.
Christmas Eve we spent with Ronwen,Scott, Cameron and Leah. Ronwen cooked a lovely tea!




Christmas Day we picked up Vicky and met with Ros, Terry, Cherie and Sascha at Chiefley's for awonderful lunch. Later we went back to Ros's and again ate a great meal
On the Wednesday after Christmas Peter caughtup with Neil Pattie. We had lunch with Barb and Neil at the Queenscliff Bowls Club and then went back to their hoiday home in Ocean Grove. Karen their daughter was there with her four kids.It was a lovely day but we knew it was time to go when Neil started snoring while we sat and watched TV.




On Friday,28th of Dec, we caught up with the Elvidges for Christmas get to gether at Eastern Beach.
New Years Eve we trekked out to Lara to Sue and Mike's place for New Year's Evecelebrations. Sue's sister Linda and her husband Peter, Kelvin and joined us at Sue and Mike's place for the night.We had a great time. It was very hot though.


On the second of Jan 08 it was time to start our next leg of our journey. That night
we stopped at Meredith Park at Colac. There were so many flies and oh the wind !





We took a few day trips around the area – the Lakes at Camperdown were a highlight. Peter played night bowls at ColacBowling club – they didn't drink through the game1
After a couple of days it was off to Penshurst, which was a really lovely town, the camping was in a park land with power and water as well as free washing for $15 oer night. It was a hot day so the cold beers at the pub were very much appreciated.


We then went free camping at Narrawong whilewe stayed here we did a number of day trips such at Dartmoor where there were carvings, a garden place and we caught up with Janine and Stephen and all their kids.




Illustration 1: Janine and Stephanie at Narrewong


Next we were off to South Australia, passing through Tangaloo where we saw a big wind farrm, finally staying at Beachport for a couple of days – this is an unffected beach holiday resort, we again did a couple of day trips around the area.




We followed the coast calling into Robe – this was no longer the nice beachside resort now a trendy up market area, and finaaly staying the night at Kingston for the Sat night and then to the Cape Jaffa Wine festival. Trust us to find a wine festival – the Mount Benson wine region were featured. The camp site was across the road so we did not have to worry about driving home. We tasted crayfish dip made from the local catch, localy grown olives and meat pies made from bush ingredients plus a lot of red wine.




At the end of the day the local police were doing a breath test to see what people's reading was – after drinking most of the day with only limited food Peter blew .07 and blew .06.


Illustration 2: Cape Jaffa Wine festival 2008


So then the next day it was off to Strathalbyn, stopping off at an isolated beach stopover – The granites – to recover.






Well Strathalbyn was a real surprise – such a lovley town – the people at the bowls club were so friendly. Peter ended up playing a couple of games including a penant game. They even loaned him the uniform to play in. After checking my records again – it was Robert Jones who I was looking for in Strathalbyn – found his grave and after talking with Council in Woodside we found Rosie Elvidge ( nee McGirk)'s home 6 Elizabeth st Woodside. This is the home she and her husband bought or bulti in 1880.


Illustration 4: Rosie's house


Illustration 3: Strathalbyn Cemetry


The pump in the caravan was playing up and there was a water leak so Peter rang Jayco in Adelaide to see if they could fix it but it would be in mid Feb before they coud do anyting but Jayco in Mildura were able to do it the next week so after a week at Strathalbyn we said farewell and headed off to Mildura.




We ended up staying a week in Mildura – by the time we got just about everything fixed.
Again touring around we went to see where the Murray meets the Darling, a brewry, and the Mungo lakes info centre – this was a real surprise and well worth the visit.




Illustration 5: Sue at the Mungo Information Centre
Illustration 6: Peter at the Mungo Shearing shed




The next stage of the trip took us to Broken Hill – we did not have very high expectations of Broken Hill and had thought we would stay only a day or two. Again what a surprise it was such a facinating place – and not too hot – I think we picked a really good summer to do our trp.
Peter got a game of bowl s at the Zinc Bowling club and I trundled off to the family history place. By the time I had left there I had an address of where Sarah and Thomas Elvidge lived in 1910 when Thomas died and the section of the cemetry where Thomas was buried.





Well I found the house – there are a lot of homes in Broken Hill made from corragated iron and this was one of them. The grave well it was there some where and I found the rough area – again no headstone.


We went off to Silverton to do the touristy bit visiting the Dreamtime Mines along the way and the Siverton Goal which doubled as a museum where I found Grandad – Fred Elvidge's photo. Later we called in to the Silverton Pub where Peter had his photo taken next to a car from Mad Max 2.


We heard about this huge lage called the Menindee Lake which was one huge lake with a series of other large lakes. So off we went for a day trip out to the Menindee lakes system. Well we drove all around the Menindee lake – well it was a big expanse of what you could imagine as being a big lake but there was nto a drop of water in it. So we called into the Maiden Hotel and we were told no there is no water in the Menindee lake but there was lot of water in the weir and in the other lakes. So off we went – yes there was a lot of water. While we at the weir we were talking to this old guy who said only a few week prior he was driving and fishing where vast amounts of water now were covering.





This was a result of the rains in Queensland and local rain.
The next day were took off to Wilcannia and White Cliffs. We did not stop for long in Wilcannia – it was bit scary. Heavy Rain clouds had been in the area as we were travelling and they finally opened up as were about half way to White Cliffs. It was like Queensland rain. Once we arrived in White Cliffs were pulled over at the pub and watched the water rise.


Illustration 7: White Cliffs had not had rain like this since 2000


By the evening the water had gone away and we spent a very entertaining night in the pub meeting some of the ocals. The next day we went noodling ( fossaking in opal terms) – with no luck !


It was then off to Cobar which was an interesting town but we only spent a night the and then we went to Hay and had a quiet couple of days prio to coming to Numurkah – Lakeview timeshare – where I am writing this chapter of our holiday story from. It is nice to be able to spread out and walk around – we have just booked in for a second week here so two weeks of living normally or having a holiday. It is the 9th of February.