A Celebration in Sydney

 

Sydney has to be one of our favourite places to explore. While accommodation is always an issue, and the cities Caravan Parking is as scarce as hens teeth, one of the biggest advantages in Sydney is the Opal card… coupled with what is generally a affordable, usable and convenient public transport system. Yes… you can easily get around the vast city on the public network and with the use of one of the transit apps available for smart phones which links you via public transport, from where you are, to where you want to go.

Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia

It’s winter across Aus’ and for my international readers… winter does not alway mean cold, but more chill nights and shorter days in so many places in Australia.  The east coast is shivering under a cold front which has moved in… to say it is chill on the east side now is an understatement. But here on the west side, the sunset side of the Aus’ continent, we have our winter warmth. The Man and I are currently camped up above the Tropic of Capricorn and the only thing chill is the wind. When the wind is quiet, the days are perfect, with blue skies, vast horizons and the delightful warm winter sun.

Crystal Cave – Yanchep National Park WA

Fresh from our journey through the Oondiri Caves and not far from our discovery of the Mole Creek Caves (upcoming in the free on-line mag’ RV Daily), our mind is still focused and fascinated with the Limestone Karsts of Aus’. As such, knowing that Western Australia’s SW region has large Limestone Karsts in their own right, the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Karst and the Swan Coastal Plain in particular, we started to take a good look around Perth where we are now stationed for a month or two.

The Devils of Trowunna Wildlife Park

Visiting Tasmania offers some unique experiences, from wild west coast shorelines to the wonderful charm of colonial heritage preserved across an entire state. The tales of bushrangers, convicts, survival and peril… they are all there. One of the things I most enjoy though is the wilderness and wildlife and Tassie offers a sate of these. We enjoyed exploring Fern Glade, and the wonderful wild populations of Platypus, we loved the penguins colonies, so active over the breeding season, but most of all it was the mystique of the Tasmanian devil. Each time we visit the Apple Isle, we make a plan to call into one of the Tasmanian Arks, those wonderful places, where the Tasmanian Devil is being nurtured, cared for and given the tools of survival.

Following is a video clip of our most recent visit to Trowunna Wildlife Park near Launceston and what a delight it was!

Beautiful Freycinet – Tasmania

Traveling down the east coast of Tas’ is a special pleasure, which is why so many travellers head for this stretch of Tassies best. In summer, those beautiful summer colours begin at Ben Lomond before you even reach the coast. They are scattered in thick blankets in these alpine heights and extending to the lavender fields that can be found on the lowland farms. This array include the lovely colours of the wild foxglove you can find along the road and the budding blackberries emerging in the late summer that promise so much when baked in a pie and served with cream.

Up There, Our Heads in the Clouds – Ben Lomond, Tas

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One of the things that we didn’t expect to find in our travels around Tas’ was the beauty of Ben Lomond and its tabletop plateau, which is Tasmania’s primary Ski Resort and a spectacular alpine region of the Apple Isle. We never actually gave it a thought… we knew about Cradle Mountain and its glorious landscape, often shrouded in clouds.

The Tamar Valley – Launceston

At the end of our stretch of the Heritage Highway we planned to camp up for a good week, cleaning, organizing and restocking. Launceston was the obvious choice, but not a lover of crowds we decided to stretch our toes instead at the very mouth of the Tamar River, at Low Heads near George Town.

Discovering the Little Penguins of Tasmania

One of our very first delightful discoveries in our exploration of Tas’ was the many colonies of Little Penguins, also known as Fairy Penguins, that range along the coastline in colonies. Predominantly found in the shelter of the northern stretch of island, but running well down the east coast and in colonies all around the coastline of the island, these little penguins live in an intrepid harmony with the rest of the population.

Exploring the Inland Canyon Region – NW Tasmania

Gunns Plains Caves

In one spectacular day we ventured in a loop down from Forth, and south, inland into the Canyon Region. Our aim was to explore the Gunns Plains Caves and it was a true delight. The caves travel deep under the mountain through to the other side and much of their length is still unchartered with extensive wet caves, sinkholes and active underground streams. Geoff our guide was a wonderful, full of tales and anecdotes, he was as entertaining as the caves were beautiful.

Parks Victoria – Touring East Gippsland

Freecamping is one of the greatest pleasures there is in being a traveller. Not  because it is free, as inexperienced travellers imagine, but because of the freedom. It isn’t about camping in rest area’s and skipping those Caravan Parks but more about the involvement you have with the Aussie bush, the forestry area’s, the National Parks and those precious Reserves that dot the country.