Aussie Lap, Australia, New South Wales, Places we have been, South Australia

Aussie Lap – Bathurst to Morgan

August 11, 2023 Maryann McDougall 1 Comment

Location: Bathurst, Wombat, Bethungra, Hay, Wentworth, Morgan

Regions: Nepean – Blue Mountains, Central West and Far West NSW

State: New South Wales

Time: 24 July – 27 July 2023

Average Temperatures: -4.0 – 22 degrees

Reason: Travelling Australia – visiting family

After a lovely week in Bathurst we set out for Morgan in South Australia with about 1060 km of travel so we planned to take four days to get there.

First stop after leaving Bathurst was Wombat, which mainly consists of a pub! Wombat is about 20 km’s from my hometown of Harden and I had promised Rob a beer there one day so we stopped in and had a lovely chat to the owner who told us the pub was for sale. It had been closed the last time we went past so hopefully someone buys the charming country pub!

Our first overnight stay was at a camp by donation at Bethungra which is between Cootamundra and Junee. A lovely little camp with a a great camp kitchen, organised by locals who have done a great job! We visited Bethungra Dam and the Rail Spiral the next day before leaving which was fascinating and well worth a visit.

The second day, saw us travelling to Hay, which is halfway between Sydney and Adelaide and a place I’ve always enjoyed travelling through, with the wide plains either side but despite promising Rob Emu’s and Camel’s we only saw 2 Emu’s (no photo though). At Hay we camped at Sandy Point on the Murrumbidgee River, part of the Murray-Darling system and still in flood after recent rain.

Sandy Point Reserve on the Murrumbidgee River

We aim to walk around each town we stay in and Hay has Silo Art which depicts images of those who fought in WWII. I was reading that Hay had an extraordinary amount of enlistment for a regional town and the subsequent number of lives lost deeply affected the area.

Out last overnight was at Wentworth just outside Mildura. Another free camp on the Murray just past the conjunction of the Darling River and Lock 5, a really lovely spot. We had a campfire too, which was a treat.

Aussie Lap, Australia, New South Wales, Places we have been

Aussie Lap – Toowoomba to Bathurst

August 11, 2023 Maryann McDougall Leave a comment

Location: Toowoomba, Moree, Eumengerie, Bathurst

Regions: New England, Western NSW and Nepean – Blue Mountains

State: Queensland and New South Wales

Time: 15 July – 24 July 2023

Average Temperatures: -0.4 – 13 degrees

Reason: First week of travelling Australia – visiting family

After many years of planning we finally set off from Toowoomba early on 15th July 2023. First stop Bathurst NSW then Morgan SA to visit family and we then plan to head West to Perth for a special Birthday!

The first day of travel went well as we travelled from Toowoomba through Goondiwindi to Moree in just under 4 hours. We plan to travel slowly about 250 – 300 kms per day but as we were delayed due to the first service on the van we did about 330kms. We stayed at the Discovery park which was old but clean and with lots of hot water. The thermal springs (hot and cold) were a treat too. Moree has a lovely walking track along the river and an Art trail.

On the second day of travel we took an AllTrails walk in Pilliga National park on the Sandstone Caves Circuit (about 25kms outside Coonabarabran). A 1.7km loop medium grade circuit with some steps, past 5 significant caves, some with Aboriginal Art and a good lookout over the Pilliga State Forest.

Camped at Eumungerie, outside of Dubbo, very flat camp with power and water. Fires allowed and firewood available. Lovely clear starry skies and brilliant sunset and sunrise. Toilets and cold only showers. Clean and well kept.

Our week in Bathurst was wonderful. Despite some very chilly temperatures (one morning was -4.6, feeling like -9.6!), catching up with my Uncle Tony, and cousins Michael and Mandy and their families was lovely. My sister Kay travelled over from SA too which was special.

During the week we met beautiful baby Jace the new addition to the family, visited Mandy’s co-op Art Gallery, travelled to Leura near Katoomba to help Michael pick up a railway scale he’d bought at auction, had many family dinners (thank you Mandy & Chris and Michael & Karren), visited Michael’s property at The Rocks for a bush walk, visited Mt Panorama, walked and enjoyed the lovely history and architecture of Bathurst including the Carillion which was a favourite landmark of my mum’s and even helped the “Booger Brains” win the local Quiz night!

Best of all we spent lots of time chatting and catching up with family and getting to know the younger ones.

Places we have been

Australia – Qld, Sunshine Coast, Mt Coolum

August 11, 2023 Maryann McDougall Leave a comment

Location: Mt Coolum

Region: Sunshine Coast

State: Queensland

Time: Two weeks in February and Eight weeks in April – May 2023

Reason: House Sitting

Rob and I experienced an idyllic five weeks in February/ March and then two months during April and May 2023 in repeat housesits at beautiful Mount Coolum looking after Mogwai a cute little Shi Tzu while housesitting as we awaited our van which has been delayed five times (originally due Oct 22, then Jan 23, then Apr 23, then Jun 23, then back to Apr 23, now expected mid Jun 23).

Oh what a magical 8 weeks! Living less than 300 meter’s from the beach felt like a dream come true.

In some respects it was, as I have always wanted to take leave in May, a month I consider to be one of the nicest months of the year in Queensland. The weather is milder as the season starts to cool to winter with temps between 10 – 25 which is great sleeping weather whilst the sea temperature still hovers around 20-22 degrees so you can still swim and the light at that time of the year is magical.

This relaxing period has been good for both of us after the very hectic 2022 finishing house renovations, but we have also been active, continuing our healthy approach with regular exercise everyday.

Every morning we do an 8 km circuit walking and running from Beachside, alternating the direction each day North then South from the lovely beach house which is approximately 300 metre’s from the coastal path and with Mount Coolum beach just over the dunes running parallel to the path.

We follow the coastal path and visit one of two coffee shops Cuba St to the South and Wagtails to the North; both on David Low Way and both serving excellent coffee, so we highly recommend a visit if you are up this way. We then return home with a walk along the beach admiring the view of Mount Coolum which sits directly opposite. Its a great climb too, especially at Sunrise or Sunset.

During this time we have enjoyed a mix of “Dolce far niente” (literally ‘sweetness of doing nothing) with some serious hikes, one around the Noosa Headland with Friends Liz and Dale a good 12km circuit with a lovely lunch after enjoyed at Sunshine Beach Surf Club; what a great day!

We are also continuing our education on all things caravanning, I’ve started making Sourdough bread and I’m also exploring pencil drawings and water colour painting. Mount Coolum is a wonderful place and really suits the outdoors lifestyle that Rob and I enjoy. Definitely one for the list for our forever home at the end of our roaming.