So long time no blog! :-). Have covered a few ks since Sydney and are now
on the Mornington peninsula just south of Melbourne.
Took until 2pm to sort out stinky bus windscreen so we loitered around the shopping centre and play park!! Believe me three hours is a long time to waste in Wollongong!!
From here we travelled down to Jervis Bay. Some beautiful rolling countryside with back drop of forested mountains. Staying in Huskisson. Was a little disappointed here. Was really looking forward to it and although there were the promised White sands just wasn't quite as I had imagined. The sand was squeaky though!!
Didn't help when I then stood on a wasp on the beach and received the most painful sting I have ever had and I have been stung lots in my life!!
The boys went rockpooling while i hobbled back to van!! A guy was catching ground sharks and keeping them in a rockpool so that was good find for boys!!
From Jervis Bay we travelled to Narooma. This is an inlet with the most unbelievably clear water - is stunning!! Tons and tons and tons of fish and
Pelicans and other birdlife. As we were sat watching the fish two huge huge rays came swimming past so that was a bonus! We had quite a long walk around the little town. Another very serene place with still calm waters. Huge fishing area and used to have a big salmon and tuna cannery apparently til all the fish got too wise!!
From Narooma we headed to Mallacoota. Another big fishing town with the biggest campsite ever!! Pelicans are two a penny here which is very cool!! They are huge with great big eyes!! Stunning location again. Very friendly town. Actually managed to visit a bar for couple beers for pretty much first time!!
Had BBQ by the water again and early
night.
I had treat of a massage first thing on Friday which was lovely and started the day off well. Did a bit of shopping then headed off on what was to be a mammoth day of driving!!
We had decided to drive straight through to the outskirts of Melbourne so that we didn't have to do any driving on my birthday- possibly not a great idea in hindsight!!
Slow start as roads very curvy and winding through the forest. Lots of tallow trees so the smell was lovely.
Then just after Orbost we hit an area of bush fire. They had just started clearing the road 10 days after fire had started. Was incredible - must have been very scary- as far as we could see were just dead burnt trees and fields much of it still smouldering. Was very sobering to see the force of it.
So then the next challenge - getting through the town of Morwell where due to recent flooding the freeway had started to collapse into the adjacent coalmine!!! Big traffic jams!!
So we finally hit the mornington peninsula after nearly running out of fuel!! Only to hit big commuter traffic :-(. Finally made it to Dromana to find no room at the inn. Just toying with the idea of staying illegally in the foreshore campsite when found a campsite in Mornington that had spaces. So drove back up again and finally got parked at around 9pm - we had left Mallacoota at 11am !!!
Boys eating hotdogs at 945pm watching toy story - the first tv for 4 weeks :-).
Alls well that ends well!!! Today hopefully some time on the beach and a nice meal out with few drinks to celebrate my birthday!! Sun is shining although a little chilly. All good!!!
Later that day.....!
Yep had fab birthday - started with huge breakfast at really busy buzzing coffee shop - seriously good beeline. Then had quick wander around the town and ended up in the park. Was a huge pirate ship for boys to play on and a nice sunny spot for me to lay in!!! All very chilled. Boys then went off for a bit and came back with flowers for me - awww sweet!!! Played a bit more then walked out to the harbour. Had a drink in the yacht club (v posh!!) and boys then had the biggest ice- cream of their lives!!! Then a couple of hours playing on the beach and back up into town for a v nice evening meal - all in all a very chilled birthday - other than the parking ticket we got for parking facing the wrong way - what a stupid rule!!!