Saturday, 1 September 2012

Red dirt experience - first 1,000 km

Ian doesnt get paid enough.  I know he is just doing his job, but when your job is cleaning up blocked sinks - blocked with your kids vomit - he just isnt paid enough.  And, to his credit he showed up with only a pair of rubber gloves.  The Spirit of Tasmania  trip was not kind to either son or husband, and discussions about whether we holiday on a South Pacific Cruise will be held later . . . . .

Day 1 and we head for Lorne - the land is rich and fertile, no sign of any drought - infact "to tell you the truth we are bloody sick of the rain" said the lady at our first stop.  Our tent is waterproof and we were pretty tired - and Lorne is so beautiful!!  We visited Erskine Falls (a lot like Liffey Falls in Tassie) and Teddy's Lookout - we really appreciated the views, rainbows and forward thinking of the post WW1 veterans who with pick and wheelbarrow, carved a road through this coastline.  Kids excited, and holding up well.


Day 2 we travel to Port Campbell and stay in their amazing holiday accomodation - nice camping spots, wonderful camping kitchen (heated with all facilities) lounge, games room, austar, all the comforts a family require!  Port Campbell is a stunning place, wild, and fierce - battered by storms from the Southern Ocean.  Amazing that it is a port as its a really narrow gorge.  It has a lovely river flowing to one side that you can walk along and find lots of dead things . . . . .


there's a walk you can do up onto the headland - but you have to cross the river first - a little warmer and we'd have done it!

Day 3 and we back track to the 12 Apostles - what an awesome coastline with an interesting history.

Middle son discovers that it takes thousands of years for sand to be made from rock - a good thing too i say or the Australian coast would be at Alice Springs by now . . . . middle child does not get my sense of humour.  We also head over to Woollongong and go to their truely amazing museum (holidaying in the school term has its advantages - we were the only family there over 3 hours!!)  Seeing the Loch Ard peacock - now that is a history worth investivating - but in a nutshell the Loch Ard was one of 200 ship wrecks on this coast, this one had one 2 survivors (the museum centres around the story) and we see the Loch Ard peacock - some 6 feet tall ceramic piece of work that sunk with the Loch Ard only to wash up on the shore 3 days later, with the smallest chip on its beak.  Its quite remarkable.  What is also remarkable is the light and lazer show at the same museum - a fountain of water making the screen with a truely fantastic re-telling of the Loch Ard sinking - I've never seen anything like it!

Day 4 we pack up and move on to Mount Gambier - but thats for the next blog :) 

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