A brief stop in Naracoorte

I thought I should write this blog, before we head off to the south east again.    I had, of course, full intentions of writing this blog immediately after the last one, Bellwether Winery, but got distracted by the garden.   A rush to get everything planted before summer.   And planting means weeding too, plus a few other maintenance jobs around the house.   But more about this later on.

Naracoorte!    Such a pleasant surprise, other then the cold weather.   I cannot believe we never visited the town when we lived here during the 1980s.   Our family would have loved it, so much to do, plus a huge swimming lake.   The caravan park was next door to it, and was surrounded by parkland and playgrounds.   A great holiday destination.

Back to our recent visit, where we stayed in the showgrounds, a green oasis, with basic facilities.  Cheap though.   The main camping ground has now become a Big4 Holiday Park, with prices to match.   The showgrounds had plenty of space and somewhere for Piper to run freely, so we were all happy.   It also had no shelter as such, and the wind blew fiercely through the showgrounds most of the time.    A good test.

Now Trev's Bargain store featured prominently on the main street, next to the huge supermarket, and up the road from a huge and popular pub.

Thank goodness for Trev's, as they sold a range of dog leads, and saved the day when Piper chewed through her old lead.   Piper did not like being tied up.   She now has a flash orange lead, with a comfortable handle, for the low price of $6.   I liked Trev's.

Naracoorte is very spread out, with lots of associated farming firms, and most definitely a country centre.   However, the main shopping centre was a bit bleak, I thought, with lots of roads running through it, too many vehicles and too few shops.   It took ages to cross roads, especially with a dog in tow.    So typical of many country towns, in that everyone wants to park immediately outside the shop they want to go into, rather then walk a few metres.

However, away from the centre of town, it was a joy to walk around, at a leisurely pace, with plenty to look at and admire.   There was the Creek Walk, the Historical Walk and a Nature Park

This old engine, in the photography below, is the only 1877 V9 class steam locomotive in Australia.
Interestingly, the Naracoorte to Kingston railway line, closed in 1987, was built about 1881, and joined Mt Gambier Railway station.  Initially there were no engines, so the carriages had to be pulled by horses.   Some of the lines are still in place, and the track is still there.   It would make a fantastic cycling track, but then that would cost money to develop, and I think the region is more interested in wine growing rather than catering for cycling enthusiasts.

The old mill, built in the 1960s, in the photograph below, is now part of a museum called The Sheep's Back, which has displays showing wool production from the earliest European settlement in the 1840s to the present.   A fascinating museum, which includes an old shearing shed, an old school (I so remember the smell), Post Office, rooms in houses, even the prototype of a robotic shearing machine, which never really worked.   No photographs of the displays, due to leaving my telephone in the caravan.

The river walk was beautiful, and of course water was plentiful due to the winter and spring rains.

Piper loved the walks too.   Notice her new orange lead matches her harness, and the spots on her body.   A colour co-ordinated dog.

The wisteria in full bloom, and very fragrant too, on the wall of the beer garden at the huge pub.   We had to sit out there for dinner, due to having a dog with us, but it turned out to be a blessing as the dining area inside was extremely crowded and noisy.    We also had an interesting conversation with two men who were on a short holiday from Adelaide.   The food was good too, and service was fast.  A very organised pub.

Another walk, further along the river walk, which led into a wooded area.   Although it did say to keep dogs on a lead, I would not have been tempted to let Piper off the lead, due to snakes coming out of hibernation.   Mind you, it was so cold I think the snakes would have been very sluggish.

The huge lake, fed by an underground water source, and opened in 1971.   Initially it was not fenced, and the water untreated, but all this changed in the 1990s, when changing sheds were built, the lake was fenced off, and a filtration system installed.   And entry is still free too.  It is now open from December to March.   Plenty of room for all swimmers.

On the last day, we went for a drive into Victoria, destination Casterton, in order to visit the home of the Kelpie dog.   For those people who do not live in Australia, the Kelpie dog is an amazingly intelligent breed of cattle and sheep dog.    A dog that needs much training and exercise if kept as a pet, which we found out when we had one in the late 1970s. 

The story is as follows:  The original 'Kelpie' was born in 1871, her parents being a pair of black & tan Collies imported from Scotland.    The pup was named Kelpie, a Scottish term meaning 'a malignant water sprite haunting the fords and streams in the shape of a horse'.   The pup was purchased by a man called Gleeson, who swapped his horse for the dog.   All this took place at a ford on the Glenelg River, in Casterton.   Who knows whether this story is true or not, but it sounds good.    And there is no doubt the Kelpie breed of dog is an excellent sheep dog.

The Kelpie Centre.

The main street, looking very forlorn on a wet Sunday afternoon.   Many shops had closed or were due to close shortly, so typical of a small country town.   Although it has been said that the Kelpie centre is helping to bring the town back to life again.

The iconic Australian scene, two dogs protecting the utility while the owner is in the pub across the road.  Well we presumed he was in the pub.   There was nothing else open.   I hope the owner ties them to the open back before driving off!   Or brings them into the cab.   They were certainly well trained dogs.    Border collie dogs in this instance rather than Kelpies.

Piper enjoyed being in the caravan and made herself at home on our beds, which we also used as lounges during the day. 

And one more interesting fact, well for us anyway.   Naracoorte is part of the Wrattonbully Wine Region with Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz being the main two varieties grown there.   Although grapes were planted there in the late 1960s, it was not until the 1990s that planting began in earnest.    We lived in the UK, so it was no wonder we had never heard of this wine region, in between Padthaway and Coonawarra.   A very pleasant find, for us.   So of course I sampled some of the local wines, just to make sure they were good!

And we are looking forward to returning to the area again, with my friend Kathy, in a weeks time.   We will stay in a rented house in Mt Gambier on this visit.   Quite luxurious.

Camping at Bellwether Winery, Coonawarra

Finally a trip away in our caravan.   Great excitement.   Although Piper thought otherwise in the days leading up to our departure.   She would not eat her dinner, despite it being her favourite cooked food.    She knew we were packing to go somewhere, and in her mind that somewhere was going to be without her.   But she was wrong, and a very happy dog jumped into the back of the car.    

It took ages to pack the van, who knows why, as it was only a small van.   All the heavy stuff went into the boot of the car.  We finally set forth mid morning, direction the Coonawarra wine district, in the south east of Australia.   Limestone country.

The day was sunny and very warm, and temperatures appeared to be rising so we packed plenty of summer clothes, and minimal cold weather clothes.   A big mistake there.   Apparently one should always have a thick jacket, hat and gloves to hand, regardless of the time of year, when travelling in the south east.  And sturdy shoes if camping.   I wore lightweight Skechers.   Wet feet for five days!   It was all a learning experience.

We had a lovely trip through the hills, via Strathalbyn.   Gorgeous countryside.   The van travelled well, very lightweight and well balanced.   So easy to tow.

First stop was the Wellington ferry, which carries vehicles across the Murray river.   This 24 hour ferry is free.  

A very fast flowing Murray river, and wide at this point.

We stopped at Tailem Bend, on the Dukes Highway which was the main road between Adelaide and Melbourne.    Lunch and coffee at the services, and not too bad either.   Little did we know that this was the last of the hot weather for us.   Walter and Piper looking happy in the sunshine.

We turned off at Keith, quite an historic little town apparently.   I know that last time we were there we visited the only cafe that was open, and sat outside and no one walked passed us.

We drove along the Riddoch Highway, again through picturesque countryside.   The land is so green at the moment.   According to a traveller we met, in his huge off roader, the south is currently the only green part of Australia.   He was from Brisbane and loved the cold weather and green surroundings.    At that stage we could not appreciate it as we wanted sunshine and warmth.

We passed through farmland before arriving at the different wine regions, namely Padthaway, Wrattonbully (Naracoorte) and Coonawarra.   All part of the Limestone Coast, which was once a popular area for the local indigenous peoples, and then settled by European settlers in the  1840s.   The area was under the sea off and on, up until 2 million years ago.   The deep limestone deposits created from the coral and other sea life, plus the moist climate, makes the area very fertile.   Great farmland but also ideal for grape growing.

We arrived at Bellwether Winery, which is a small boutique winery that blends grapes from different areas.   We went to a wine tasting session there, quite a different flavour wine but quite delicious all the same.   We bought a bottle of  Bellwether 2018 Wrattonbully Malbec.    The winery also has the name Glen Roy attached to it, due to it being situated in sheep shearing sheds called Glen Roy.

The winery and camping grounds were rustic!   We were taken aback when we first arrived, as it appeared to be lots of old wood, rusty bits and pieces and basic sites.   There were two sites with electric hook up, and three sites without electricity.   We had one of those, and relied on the solar panels on our caravan for light at night, which worked very well.   We paid $30 per night for our site, which was pretty reasonable considering it also included Emma, Steve and Isabel in their tents.

Our caravan, in the middle of nowhere!   The toilet tent was put between the caravan and the car, and this arrangement worked well.   No snakes made their home in the tent, to surprise us on our nightly visits, thank goodness.

There were quite a few bell tents on site for glamping.   They cost $200 per night which we thought was a lot of money just to sleep in a normal bed, in a tent.   People still had to walk to the ablution block for showers and the toilets.   But they did get a free bottle of wine, plus enough food for breakfast.  Very pricey glamping all the same.

A view of the the camping site.

The outdoor camping kitchen was fantastic, and we washed our dishes here, plus cooked our breakfast each morning.   At least Emma and Steve cooked breakfast, which we appreciated very much.   Nothing like sitting outside eating bacon, eggs, tomatoes and baked beans.   Walter took the coffee machine over there so we were able to have our morning coffee also.   The floor was dirt so no worries about dropping food.   The people who run the winery also had hens, and vegetable and herb gardens, all available for anyone using the camping ground.    The lemons on the table were free to take also.    So very generous.

The ablutions block.   And quite luxurious.

A view of the campsite from the entrance.

There was heaps for children to do; namely a tree house and lots of wood around for building cubbies.    Plus a donkey and a few strange looking cattle.   Not to forget about the small flock of sheep wandering around the campsite and Mabel, the dog, who kept an eye on everyone.

Bellwether winery.   The wine was produced in the building behind this sign.    The tasting rooms were in the old shearing shed.  Renovated of course.

On the second night we had a campfire, thanks to Steve's craftmanship.   It was quite impressive.

We managed to keep reasonably warm, with the help of a few throws.  However coats would have been welcome as well.   The wine and beer tasted very good.

My pink jacket may have looked warm, but it was only a thinly padded jacket, bought in Primark.   More glamour than warmth, and certainly not appropriate for an outdoor campsite.    I should have brought my down jacket with me.

Once Piper stopped trying to eat the sheep poo, and trying to chase the sheep, she settled down.   We even let her off her lead on the final morning so that she could play with Mabel, the dog.   Piper did not like being tied up to the caravan, she slipped out of her harness twice, and chewed through her lead. 

Piper enjoyed the bonfire too.

Emma and Steve, looking happy.

Steve cooked the meat and the sausages over the fire, and they tasted pretty good.   Well done Steve.

We then toasted marshmellows.   Yummy.

Walter, Emma, Steve and Isabel visited the Naracoorte Caves, which were pretty impressive.   As dogs were not allowed in National Parks here, I took Piper into Naracoorte, and walked around the streets.   I also had to buy her a new lead so now she is quite colour co-ordinated in orange accessories, which match the orange spots on her body,

There was only one other incident, well not really an incident, but more of an embarrassment to the rest of the family.  It appears that in Australia, one does not wander around the campsite in pyjamas.   Unlike in Holland where I have seen people in pyjamas riding their bikes around the campsite.   So at 7.30 am I was seen washing the dishes (from the night before) in the camp kitchen, whilst wearing pyjamas, dressing gown, fleece, bed socks and white plastic shower shoes.    And due to the fact that there were no mirrors I did not realise that my hair was sticking out in all directions and I had toothpaste on one side of my mouth.  Quite a sight apparently.  No wonder the young trendies, who were cooking their breakfast, did not speak to me.

It was a lovely few days there, despite the cold, and we reluctantly packed up and Walter and I went to our next campsite in Naracoorte and Emma, Steve and Isabel drove home, via another small boutique winery, which had the most delicious wines apparently.

Girls' weekend!

Two blogs today.   When I wrote the first blog about caravanning I saw this one in the drafts section, with photos but no words.   So I realised I must finish it.

At the beginning of August we had a girls' weekend, with Donna, Emma, Andreena and me.  Donna and Andreena stayed at our house, and Emma only lives a 15 minute walk away.

A miserable weekend, weather wise, with a bitterly cold wind, and rain plus our heating system stopped working, so we had to huddle around a small heater, with rugs over us.   But we were not deterred by weather or cold.

Friday night was movie night at Marion, where we did a little shopping, had dinner and then went to see 'Yesterday'.   Good listening to Beatle songs with a sweet little story added to it.  Nothing too taxing.   We nearly got blown off the carpark at Marion.   Well not really, but it was very blustery.

Saturday dawned cold and miserable, weather wise.   Then the heating packed in, always at the wrong moment.   Luckily it was still under guarantee, but we had to wait until Monday to get it fixed.

Anyway the four of us were undeterred, with Emma and Donna going for a run, and Andreena and I went for a sheltered walk along the reserve in front of the scrub.   We threw the ball to Piper so she was very happy.   It was too blustery on the shore front to go on the ParkRun, but I believe many people still turned up.

After lunch, which we ate huddled around the heater, we headed off by car to Port Willunga.   Time for our coastal walk.   Hardy people I know.

Smiles before we left the car park.

It is a beautiful walk, around the coast from Port Willunga, past the second Port Willunga beach car park, and three Maslin beach car parks, to the start of Moana Beach.  One of the Maslin beaches is a nudist beach, with a very dodgy car park.   No one on the beach on the day we walked. 

I think it took us under two hours to complete the walk.  Most of the time we were on very good paths, but at one point the path was badly eroded, as was the land around it.   An old quarry area, I think.

Posing on the cliff tops.

Those clouds in the photograph below look very threatening.   The wind was coming from the south west, straight from Antartica I think.  Luckily it was behind us the whole way.

The rain clouds were getting closer at this point.

A very wet foursome here.   We did try to shelter behind some trees at one point.

And then a beautiful rainbow.

We managed to avoid crossing one creek by walking further inland.   However the last creek at Moana was impossible to get around, due to the volume of water coming along it.   So there was nothing for it but to take our shoes off, and paddle across the sand and stones.   Our feet were numb by the time we got across, and sore from the stones. 

All in all, it was a great walk, very companionable, and in beautiful scenery.  Walter collected us at the end, and we were very pleased to get into a warm car.

That evening, after we warmed up, we went out to dinner at Oscars in McLaren Vale. 

Great company and a super meal.   A great end to a lovely weekend.

While Donna was staying with us, we drove to Myponga Beach.   Aaron and Kylie have a painting which was done not far from Myponga Beach.   And amazingly we found the exact spot with the same tree that is in the painting.   The tree had been battered a bit on one side, and the painter must have climbed a fence on the left to get the picture, as only part of the road was in the painting.   The grass was also yellow in the painting, which was part of the artist's imagination I think, because in summer the area would be brown.   Still it was very exciting to find this spot.

We also drove down to Myponga Beach, which was a beautiful little hideaway spot.   We were told there were shacks there, so we were expecting small battered places.  Instead every 'shack' was large and quite luxurious.   Everyone calls their holiday home 'a shack' here regardless of the size.

Altogether it was a really lovely weekend, spent with Donna, Emma and Andreena initially and then out for a drive to Myponga Beach with Donna.   

Caravanning again

We could not resist the temptation of taking to the roads again!   Yes we have bought a caravan, a simple one this time, lightweight and easy to tow.   Namely a pop top, which has a roof which lifts up, giving even the tallest of people plenty of space to stand upright.

Now you may wonder why we have made this decision, and there are times when we think we are a trifle mad too.   But we have taken the plunge, into the caravanning life, not the swimming pool, which has turned slightly green and very cold.

We have been here for more than a year, and there are places in Australia that we really would like to see, and having been used to our own little house on our travels in Europe, we thought this would be the way to go here.   No off road stuff though, we are not that keen on the outback.   Also the big mean looking rigs required for that sort of travel look terrifying to the novice traveller.

We have pretty well done everything to the house and garden, that needs doing.   We have replaced the oven and dishwasher, and had the heating and air conditioning units checked and serviced, so other than the swimming pool developing a leak, we are pretty right.   We have submitted our tax returns and ensured the tax people are satisfied.   So that bit of money we put aside before leaving the UK, which we envisaged would be necessary for independence, namely a solar system with battery backup, was no longer desired or needed really.   The house came with nearly new solar panels and batteries are still pretty iffy things to have installed outside the house.

So in our eyes. buying a small caravan was the perfect way to spend that little bit of money in the pot.  And, of course, we had to change the vehicle, in order to tow the thing.   One thing leads to another, as we all know.

We should have known when we bought the new Kia Optima thirteen months ago that we might buy a caravan.    But we ignored these thoughts and opted for a new car that we thought we could drive for years.    Typically we were wrong.

So we traded in the nearly new Kia Optima, for an older Kia Sorento, which has a 2.2 litre diesel engine, and an all wheel drive with differential lock.   It also has air conditioned seats, namely little holes in the seats to allow cool air to flow out, but that is neither here nor there, in the scheme of towing caravans.   Just a little luxury.

Walter looking happy with the new vehicle. The old Honda behind him is still going strong, and could tow a caravan, but the risk of breaking down out in the country somewhere is just too scary.

Now our little pot of money was not large enough to buy a brand new caravan, with lots of bells and whistles.    And we were rather sick of buying complicated, as servicing and looking after it took time and money.

So we have gone simple.   A 2002 Island Star pop top, which we bought at a sale in a large caravan and motor home showroom.   They were getting rid of all the old trade ins.   A clear out before summer.   We bought it as is, other than safety checks.    

We collected it last Thursday afternoon, and yes it was a dream to tow.   It was easy to reverse into the front drive way, and Walter and I had no problems unhitching it and pushing it into place.  The only problem is that the caravan now sits in front of the garage, with the new motorised roller door, so the car can no longer be put in the garage.   Oh well, good place for the bikes.

So the specifications are simple.   The pop top lifts up, the sun shade rolls out, and there are side walls that fit onto it, in order to close it off.   So much easier than trying to fit an awning to our caravan in the south of France.

On top of the roof there are solar panels, with the battery in the front boot.   It all works, and looks fairly new.   There are two gas bottles, which we must padlock on, otherwise they may walk!  The Alko hitch is very simple, just fits over the tow bar and locks in.   No more making sure that the green band is showing on the hitch.   There are heavy chains to fit onto the tow bar, to make sure that the caravan does not part ways with the car.

Inside there is a fridge, two burner stove, grill and microwave, plus cold water taps, with a water filter underneath.    One of the taps is the old manuel pump type, but the other two work via something, which we have not been able to find yet.   We have ordered a new filter, which may be the problem.   At the moment no water appears out of the taps when turned in.   And yes we have filled the water tank.

There are no manuels for anything. so we have had to rely on our own knowledge.  Other than the taps, everything else works brilliantly.  So far so good, but we are going to get a mobile service person to come and give everything a check over, just to make sure, plus change the front boot lock, which has no key!

I am a bit obsessed at the moment, as everything we buy looks like it has eyes and a mouth.  At least the caravan looks happy, unlike the coffee machine, which has a gaping mouth and winks at me!

I am having a good clean out inside, not that the caravan was dirty.   Plus we have bought a few items, as well as emptied our kitchen cupboards a bit. 

The mattresses are in good condition, but we bought a queen sized topper and cut it in half, just to make sure of comfort.   We also bought bamboo type mattress and pillow protectors.   So important to have a good nights sleep.

And some of you may have noticed that this caravan does not have the luxuries that we used to think were crucial to travelling.   There is no hot water service, no heater or central heating system, no bathroom so no toilet or shower or hand basin.   No barrel to fill with cold water, in which to immerse the water pump (so English), and no waste water container, just a bucket. 

Of course we have no electric caravan mover, but then this caravan is light enough to push into place   However Walter has found a battery operated jockey wheel mover.   At $240 it is very tempting.

I forgot to mention that the 64 litre water tank is situated behind the caravan wheels, and is the width of the caravan so can keep it filled when travelling.   No worries about an unbalanced caravan.   Although water sloshing around is a bit of a worry.   Will think about this one.

And I know that many of you are wondering how we will manage without a bathroom.   Well we have thought of that.   We will use camping ground facilities most of the time, but for the night time visits, we have a pop up toilet tent, and in there will be a portapotty. And the camping portapotty is meant to be leak free, and it comes with a bag so that it can be transported when we move campsites.   As you can imagine this will be the most interesting aspect to our simpler caravanning life.

 Our lovely dog, Piper, will travel with us, so we will need a list of campsites that welcome pets.

She has lost most of the puppy silliness thank goodness.   She is generally very calm and loving, and is especially adorable when asleep on the outdoor lounge.

Piper waiting at the front window for Walter to return from shopping.   She has flattened the back cushion of the lounge, unfortunately.   We are very indulgent pet owners!

So here we go again on new adventures.