Now this where things started to go wrong:
- got as far as Torquay (surfie paradise, man) and was told not to continue as the road and the Nat Parks had been closed because of bushfire threats in the extreme heat and high winds. Can't argue with that so hung around Torquay for a couple of days, at which point:
- it started to rain and blow a cold wind straight of the sea from the Antarctic, so my scenic cruise was 3 days of battling squalls, storms and cliff edges to see this famed beauty. Even the bloody koalas looked as miserable as sin (but still cuddly, aaaah! - see photos), rocks and seas were pretty impressive though
- all of this whilst trying to keep the inside of the van dry for sleeping in. No chance of cooking anything as the cooker setup assumes sunny, dry weather outdoors from the van! It was just like trying to go camping in UK, and I remembered why I don't
End of this coast road, and the sun came out, typical. Some heavy showers still but sun. Followed the road up into South Australia, nothing spectacular except some volcanic craters and limestone cave systems at Mt Gambier and Naracoorte. Rejoined the coast on the way north toward Adelaide.
Didn't realise it was Labour Day weekend, well nobody told me!
- So stopped at a place called Port Fairy, pretty little place and found a Folk Festival starting that night (Friday) - now folkie types look the same at both ends of the world I can confirm. Had to park up in a car park.
- Saturday on to Goolwa at start of Fleurieu Peninsular, pretty little place and found a Wooden Boat Festival going on - now boatie types are the same at both ends of the world I can confirm but they like better music, blues bands! A bloke called Mojo Webb who I had seen before in Pau, nothern Thailand! And there is a micro brewery in an old rail shed on the quay, good beers too, so a good night was had. Had to park up in a car park.
- Sunday, a tour of the beautiful peninsular and on to the Adelaide Hills behind the city. Very pretty place, posh suburbia - now posh suburban types are the same at both ends of the world, etc, etc.
- Every bloody city dweller had his caravan out for the weekend, if only to go 20 miles into the hills - now caravan owners, etc, etc. Had to park up in a car park.
- Monday, and I'll have the whole of Monday with Adelaide city all to myself! Except for Fringe Festival, WOMAD festival and the Adelaide Cup horse race meeting - now festival goers and racegoers, etc, etc. Monday night and the had all buggered off home, so I got into a camp site and had a shower whether I needed one or not. Luxury!
Adelaide is very compact but beautifully laid out, completely surrounded by parks, gardens and the river, so the suburbs are physically separated. Keeps the unwashed from the city bankers too, I suppose (sorry Pete).
A couple of thoughts:
- Intiative prizewinner: lighthouse keeper who scratched a small hole in the blacked out landward side of the light in exactly the right place so he could see the beam of light from the local pub and know it was still working! My kind of man.
- Why does nobody tell you that the clocks change between states? And why do they have a quarantine on fruit, plants, etc to stop spread of insects when they can fly? I was hoping to see policemen with big butterfly nets, no one there at all, so even a fly with no passport could get across!
- Oh yes, and why the van is called Lindie: it doesnt say much but grumbles throatily on all day (through a large exhaust), except when its time for her to say "I need money, feed me, or I need a bloody drink". Now girls, I had a choice of names I could have selected under those criteria, so don't feel you're any better, just escaped this time, which is something I doubt I shall when I get back.
Enough! Am now in Northern Territory in Alice Springs but that's another story - its bloody hot and the bloody flies have reached here too, so quarantine can't be working.
Photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/laurentmik/Aus_Victoria_to_Adelaide_2009
Cheers! Mike
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