Yippee, now we are touring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Double click on images to enlarge.

On Sunday night we travelled into the Melbourne CBD to catch up with my son Trevor & his partner Scott. We dined at Time Out in Federation Square.

Monday morning saw me up bright and early & travelling to Laverton North. We had a new canopy fitted to the Triton dual cab and it looks smicko! After the canopy fitment we enjoyed a gorgeous lunch cooked by Michel’s friend, Gopi Vij at Hoppers Crossing. Then it was time to pack up the Triton, hook up the caravan & say goodbye as we hit the road.We travelled towards Geelong & onto the Hamilton Highway to Cobden. We were struck by the changing scenery of green lush pasture, flat dry farm land & lakes. We made camp at Lake Elingamite about 50 klm from Warrnambool. There were only 3 other campers & the lake was almost dry.

We will not be launching a boat at this boat ramp!

Tuesday morning was very cold & the diesel heater got a run before setting off for Warrnambool. At Warrnambool we visited the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village & took in a guided tour. Warrnambool is located on the coast & we experienced a very cold & windy day. The whole area along this coast is known as the shipwreck coast due to the high occurrences of shipwrecks & it is easy to understand why there were so many when you observe the wild seas & experience the strong winds

We camped at the Big 4 Hopkins River Caravan Park for the night the next day we travelled onto Portland where we had lunch. Portland is a very old settlement and a major agricultural centre particularly forestry & fishing. After lunching we travelled onto a little town called Dartmoor & free camped at the Fort O’Hare Reserve.

It was cold overnight & the next morning we travelled into Mount Gambier. Mount Gambier is located half way between Melbourne & Adelaide. It is South Australia’s largest regional city. It has a skyline dominated by dormant volcanoes. Mount Gambier is one of the few cities in the world to be built on the slopes of a volcano (what is it about Stephen & volcanoes?) There are giant sinkholes which unearth the past, their craters transformed with spectacular lakes & sunken gardens. We visited the Blue Lake (a crater) & the lovely Umpherston Gardens (a sinkhole). We did some grocery shopping & headed for the small town of Pernola. We found a great free camp for the next two days.

Pernola is a very quaint small town which is famous for being the start of the Coonawarra wine region & for Mary Mackillop. Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop is Australia’s first saint & was instrumental in starting Catholic education in the area & other parts of South Australia.

Approximately 50 klm north of Penola is Naracoorte. It is a retail & service hub & also an area rich in caves. The caves are world heritage listed & are recognised as one of the world’s most important fossil sites. We purchased a new kettle at the local camping store & took in a guided tour of one of the caves.

The Coonawarra region produces some of Australia’s best reds. There are many old & newly established vineyards with many having the obligatory free wine tastings, restaurants & winery tours.

After our stay in the Penola area we headed further along the Limestone coast through the small town of Millicent & then onto Beachport. Beachport is located on Rivoli Bay. It has sandy beaches & a rugged coastline & has a rich whaling & fishing history. It also has the second longest jetty in South Australia which was originally 1220 metres.

We hope you enjoyed this blog & look forward to your comment, observations & feedback. Take care!