MORE TRAVELS

This morning we left the Geelong Showgrounds. The last couple of days we have been shrouded in terrible smoke from the horrendous fires that they are experiencing down the east coast of Australia.....so we can only imagine how those poor people who are in the area are coping with the smoke.

It’s been a terrible start to 2020 for lots of people in the bushfire zones who have lost friends, family, their houses, their properties, their livestock and their income......and how can we comprehend how they feel as we, the lucky ones, go about our normal day to day and our travels. We can’t!

But what we can do is keep them in our thoughts and do whatever we can to help in some small way, whether it be donating money, or non perishables, water & clothes. And I can’t even think of all those poor little bush animals. 

We are heading west now, its the safer option, towards Warrnambool. We had morning coffee at a lovely little town called Camperdown. The weather has cooled down here a lot, so had to dig out the jacket, and for all those who know me, don’t laugh, Ed had to wear a jacket too!!!

Camperdown is a dairy farming town, with rich volcanic soil, also good for wool growing. It’s also a tourist town as its the gateway  to the Otway Ranges, and the Shipwreck Coast.

The buildings here are around the 1880’s era..

Courthouse 

We had a nice walk around this town...you step back in time sometimes with these old towns....and you see all the old shops as they used to be, no modern shopfronts here!

We were going on to Terang, but the little caravan park was too crowded for us, so we found this lovely little free camp in a town called Panmure with a population of 421..and was established in the 1850’s ...when Timbercutters came to the area to harvest the River Red gum. With the clearing of the native forest and high rainfall, it became  a thriving dairy industry.

The Post Office opened on the 1st January 1867.

Don’t think its changed much. We did go in to have a look and buy a loaf of bread, which has increased a bit in price since it first opened at $5.00 a loaf.

We don’t mind paying that as the camp site is free and it all helps. 

There are a few of us here, its just that we are spaced out a bit which is nice. There’s a playground for the kids, lovely clean loos....a great camp kitchen with BBQ’s, and a swimming hole, where we spoke to a lovely young girl who was just about to have a swim. She said she was a local, so didn’t have to go far for a warm shower!!

It’s spring fed from the Grampians. 





No high rises here....love it..








It’s lovely to see the grass so green. We may stay again tomorrow ....see how we feel in the morning. 

Xxxxx

CHRISTMAS, GEELONG & MEMORIES

Haven’t posted for a while. Had a break over the Xmas holidays, but now we are back travelling again.

We left Mildura 15th December as I had to go have an operation on my knee at Bacchus Marsh Hospital. So back to our daughters place, van in their back yard and operation that next day. 

All good with that, although it’s now 3 weeks on and still sore but I’ll get over it!

So Christmas Day was had with the family, which was so good, the food was great especially the pavlova....thanks Shell..... then we said our goodbyes, which was sad.....as we miss them...left Bacchus Marsh and headed to the Showgrounds in Geelong.

We had a nice break there as I couldn’t really do much because of my knee, but we tried to get to the waterfront for a walk but it was just too crowded with holidaymakers.

So a couple of days later we went to Portarlington Beach for a feed of fish & chips for dinner. 

The beauty of being down south is that you get to experience the lovely long evenings. It doesn’t get dark till about 9pm, the sunsets are gorgeous and strolling along the beach is just magic. 

Portarlington has the biggest caravan park I’ve been in to and being Xmas, was full to the brim! There are a lot of permanent holiday homes in there belonging to many people from Melbourne who come with loads of family members every year as it’s right on the beach. It’s a great family atmosphere.

We also went to Torquay where my family used to go every summer when I was a kid.

I remember that grass being so much greener back then!

And the water was still just as cold, although being young you didn’t feel it as much!

This was taken at Torquay.....just a few years ago...that’s me and my brother....notice my mum wore pearls to the beach!!! Ever the English lady!

Happy Memories xxxxx