Australia here we come!: October 2012

Wednesday 31 October 2012

17/10/12

We went for a drive around Mildura this morning and found Lock 11 which is used to raise and lower water levels so paddle steamers can sail up and down the river. We saw the Paddle Steamer ‘Melbourne’ moored in the Murray River and across the river we could see our caravan park.

We continued our drive and went to a small town just outside of Mildura called Merbein. It is an old town and is on the Murray River. We found the Rotary Lookout high on a cliff overlooking the Murray. We found a nice park on the edge of town and had lunch.

The girls wanted to visit the inland Botanical Gardens in Buronga so we crossed the Murray into New South Wales and started looking. We found ourselves at Gol Gol which is a small town not far from Buronga. We did a U-turn and drove back to Buronga. This time we did manage to find a sign pointing us in the right direction and we found the Inland Botanical Gardens. On the way in the girls saw a sign for the rose gardens and I was ordered to stop immediately. The rose gardens, in a word, are spectacular. There were roses of all colours growing everywhere and they were huge. Even a non-flower person like me could not help but to be impressed. The rest of the Botanical Gardens were mainly desert plants and we had seen plenty of them in the last 7 months. We went to an old shearing shed that had been restored and is now used as an entertaining area for visitors.

On the way home we crossed the border into Mildura and did some last minute grocery shopping before returning to the caravan park.

Lock 11 Mildura Weir

The Park alongside the Weir

The P S 'Melbourne'

Looking across the Murray River to our caravan park

in Buronga

The Murray River from the Rotary Lookout at Merbein

Our nice little lunch spot at Merbein

The Inland Botanical Gardens at Buronga

The Rose Garden

Beautiful Roses

The Rose Garden

The P S 'Melbourne' passing our caravan park

16/10/12

We left the rest area at 8.30am and drove to Barmera where we stopped in parkland on Lake Bonney. This was a very neat and pretty town with lots of roses in the streets and in private homes. We even saw black swans swimming in the lake.

From Barmera we drove to Renmark. Once again, there were roses growing everywhere. We found the Visitor Information Centre and obtained directions to a caravan business we had seen signs for. We went there hoping to buy some more LED replacement lights for our vans but they had none.

We stopped for lunch at the South Australian fruit and vegie quarantine station not far from the border with Victoria. After lunch we drove a short distance and crossed the border into Victoria and headed for Mildura. We found the Visitor Information Centre and the girls decided on a caravan park. The one they picked was in Buronga in New South Wales on the opposite side of the Murray River from Mildura. We crossed the bridge over the Murray and drove into NSW and our caravan park.

Today we drove through three states (SA, Vic and NSW). Buronga Riverside Caravan Park is right on the banks of the Murray River and looks across to Mildura.

Lake Bonney at Barmera

Black Swans on Lake Barmera

Some of the beautiful Roses in the park at Barmera

Leaving the Riverland District of SA

The Quarantine Inspection Station outside Renmark

Crossing the border into Victoria

Our caravan park in Buronga, NSW, looked across

the Murray River to Mildura, Victoria

15/10/12

We left the beautiful Brownhill Creek caravan park at 9.15am and hoped the peak hour traffic would be gone. To our amazement we had a good run all the way to the Barossa Valley. We stopped at Lyndoch so Karen could buy some lacey things she had seen a few days earlier. Then we had lunch in a park before continuing on towards Mildura.

We drove through some beautiful country and just before Blanchetown we crossed the Murray River for the first time. We drove down to the river bank and touched the water. We took some photographs and saw a paddle steamer and many houseboats. The size of the cliffs on the far side of the river was amazing.

From Blanchetown we drove to Waikerie, another town on the Murray River. We stopped at a park that had only been opened this year. A short walk from where the cars were parked was the Paddle Steamer Murray River Queen.

We stopped for the night at a rest area between Waikerie and Mildura called Fatigued Rest Area. It was not a normal overnight rest area but was only for fatigued drivers. Mary-Anne and I were very fatigued so we decided the safest thing to do was to stay there for the night. It turned out to be the worst rest area we had stayed in so far this trip.

Lunch at Lyndoch

The Barossa Valley

Our first view of the Muray River at Blanchetown

The Houseboats on the Murray River

We were excited to see the Murray

The mighty Murray River from Blanchetown Lookout

The Paddle Steamer 'Murray River Queen' at Waikerie

A ferry crossing the Murray River at Waikerie

Our 'Fatigued' Rest Area between Waikerie & Barmera

Monday 29 October 2012

14/10/12

Breakfast day had arrived. We got to the Windy Hill Cafe at 9.20am and were escorted to our reserved window table. We all ordered the following: pork chipolatas, streaky bacon, braised mushrooms, marinated roma tomatoes, chive scrambled eggs, tomato jam, ciabatta toast and juice; then dessert consisting of scones with jam and cream and a pot of tea each. Needless to say we were full when we left the restaurant. Thank you very much Jacinta we all enjoyed breakfast and the stunning views.

From Windy Point we drove to Carrick Hill and paid the admission fee for a guided tour through the house. The house and grounds were built by Sir Edward Hayward and his wife Ursula in 1936. Sir Edward Hayward's family owned John Martins Ltd, a large Adelaide department store. Urusula's parents were wealthy pastoralists who owned many fine homes in Adelaide. Ursula's father gave them the land at Carrick Hill as a wedding present.

During their yearlong honeymoon in England Edward and Ursula bought a considerable amount of 16^th, 17^th and 18^th century oak panelling, a huge oak staircase and windows from the demolition sale of ‘Beau Desert’, a Tudor mansion in Staffordshire, England. These items would be used in the house they planned to build at Carrick Hill. They had all the acquired items shipped to Adelaide and built their house around the staircase and lined most of the rooms with the beautiful oak panelling.

Edward and Ursula made an agreement that when they both died the house and grounds would be given to the SA Government and used as a museum for the enjoyment of the poor people. All the furniture is still there including personal items of both Edward and Ursula. It was a very interesting experience to walk through such a beautiful and opulent manor house.

After leaving Carrick Hill we went to McElligott's Quarry and read about the different rock formations on information boards near the old quarry walls. Then we returned to the caravan park and began packing up for our departure from Adelaide tomorrow morning.

The Windy Point Cafe

Beautiful views of Adelaide from the Cafe

We had a great view from our table

Our delicious breakfast

Carrick Hill

Beautiful manicured gardens at Carrick Hill

The rear of Carrick Hill with its extensive rose gardens

The gardens overlook Adelaide

The Stables at Carrick Hill

13/10/12

We caught the free bus into town again today and then hopped on a tram and went to the seaside town of Glenelg. We walked out onto the town jetty and then up and down the main shopping street. Karen found a sausage sizzle outside Coles and shouted us a sausage on a piece of bread for breakfast. We had that on the jetty and then went to the old town hall. There is a Visitor Information Centre there and a small museum. There was even an original bathing box on display. These were small wooden structures built on the beach so the rich people could change into their swimmers. There are none left now and this is the only one remaining. We caught the tram back into town. The girls wanted to walk around town and look at every shop so I caught a bus back to the caravan park and left them to it.

The tram to Glenelg

Glenelg Beach

View of Glenelg Foreshore from the Jetty

Glenelg Town Hall

The Beach Bathing House

Glenelg Main Street

12/10/12

This morning we drove to Mt Lofty Summit in the Adelaide Hills. It was a better day but a bit hazy near the horizon. The view from Mt Lofty all over Adelaide is wonderful. There is a modern Visitors Centre at the summit and a great viewing platform.

We then drove back to the caravan park and had lunch. After lunch we caught the free bus into town and visited Ayres House. This is an historic building and was the home of Sir Henry Ayres, a former Premier of South Australia, in the 1800's. We took a guided tour through the house and were impressed how the rich people of that era lived. It would have been much different conditions for the majority at that time though.

We caught the free bus back to our waiting car and drove to Carrick Hill. We thought we were driving to another lookout but, instead, we found another historic and opulent house. We didn't enter as it was getting late, but we did plan on returning when we had more time.

We then drove to a disused quarry called McElligott's Quarry overlooking our caravan park. There is now a park and picnic area there with views over Adelaide. We left McElligott’s Quarry and drove up Old Belair Road and stopped halfway up at a viewing area. This spot overlooks our caravan park from the mountain opposite the mountain with McElligott's Quarry. We had a better view of the park from this site.

We continued up the mountain and came to Windy Point at the top. Here there is another viewing platform with extensive views of all Adelaide. Mary-Anne discovered a restaurant next to the viewing area and decided we should all go there for breakfast on Sunday morning. (Her daughter Jacinta had given her some money before we started our epic journey so we could all have a meal somewhere during our travels.) Mary-Anne had been searching for the ideal place for the last seven and a half months - finally she had found it. The breakfast eating area is under the main restaurant but has large glass windows that provide unending views over Adelaide while you eat. This was the place, and she put her foot down. There was to be no argument about it!!!!