Return from Adelaide Hills to Folly Farm - May / June 2018

Well, this post is only about 8 months late, but as they say, better later than never......

Monday 28 May 2018.

I finally got my act together mid morning and set off for Port Augusta, via the South Eastern Freeway then the suburbs of Adelaide on to Port Wakefield, where I stopped for a coffee and a pastie at the Bakery (bad habits live on...).  Then North up the A1 to Port Germein, north of Port Pirie.  I took a break to stretch the legs and have a look at the very long pier disappearing in the distance out into Spencer Gulf.

  Very quiet at Port Germein

 Interesting art installations on
the way out to the lighthouse and 
start of the pier.

  The pier just seems to go on & on into the distance.

From Port Germein, it was an easy drive on to Port Augusta, where I had booked into the Discovery Parks Caravan Park.  Quite a pleasant park and just about full as it is migration time for Grey Nomads heading North up the Stuart Highway to warmer climes....

On Tuesday, I was up early and took the Landcruiser to the local Toyota dealer for its 100,000km service. Had a look around town and then walked back to the caravan park.  It was just a beautiful sunny Winter morning.

 

Clear & calm walking back over the bridge.

 One of the old pubs across the water.

  

 Service was finished early afternoon and I now have no memory of what I did that afternoon, but do remember some interesting artwork painted under the main road bridge that I came across walking back into town.

 A clever artist.  Nice change from dull grey concrete bridgework.

Wednesday 30 May 2018.

I set off reasonably early and towed the van across the top of the Eyre Peninsular heading West.  I stopped at the roadhouse just outside Kimba to refuel and have a small curry and a coffee.  Indian managers at the service station means more interesting food than normal in a small country town. I arrived in Streaky Bay mid afternoon or so and stayed at the new Islands Caravan Park outside town again.  

Drove into town for my favourite travellng through meal at the Streaky Bay pub that evening.  The portion size seems to shrink a little each time (especially the salad) but the King George Whiting is excellent and keeps me coming back (so far anyway).

Thursday I did my washing and had a general catch up around the van, before returning to the road West on Friday morning.  Quite a long drive across South Australia with a few rest stops at Ceduna, Nundroo Roadhouse for fuel and a coffee at Nullarbour Roadhouse.  All very familiar places now.  I camped overnight in the bush just a few kilometres East of Border Village and the Western Australian Quarantine Station. I had done my homework this time and didn't have any fresh fruit or vege items that I needed to declare or for the inspection to find.

Saturday 2 June 2018.

I drove from Border Village to Eucla where the fuel is much cheaper, filled up with diesel and lashed out with a toasted bacon & egg sandwich with a coffee.  Not bad.  Had a fairly  easy steady day on the road, with a refuel at Mundrabilla Roadhouse and a lunch & short nap stop at the top of Madura Pass.

There was a good Bushtracker picture window view of storm clouds brewing at Madura.

Next stop was Caiguna, then I travelled a little further West to the Baxter Rest Area, where I camped overnight in the nearby bush for a bit of quiet and privacy away from the road.

On Sunday 3 June, I drove through to Kalgoorlie, via Balladonia, Norseman and close to Kambalda, where I took the photo below.  Getting there.

I spent a couple of nights in the Kalgoorlie Goldfield Discovery Park to break the journey.  Didn't do a lot that I can remember, but there was quite a change in the weather on Monday evening & by Tuesday morning there were strong and gusty winds with heavy rain due to follow.

As a result I had a reasonably slow and not very pleasant drive with increasingly heavy rain as I continued Westwards.  I decided not to try and make it home with a long stressful drive in difficult conditions and broke my journey again at Westonia, a few kilometres off the Great Eastern Highway to the East of Merredin.  I stayed overnight in the small local Shire owned Caravan Park which is extremely cheap and has excellent facilities.  A very wet and gusty night.

Wednesday 6 June 2018.

It was still pretty wet in the morning, but time to press on a get home.  For a bit of variety, I  turned off the Great Eastern Highway in Merredin and returned home via Nungarin, Trayning, Wyalkatchem, Dowerin, Goomalling and the familiar way home from the edge of Toodyay.  Much less traffic that way, although some of the roads were a little rough in patches.

Arrived home early in the afternoon, and there ends my longest caravan trek so far.  Nearly seven months, with the two flying trips home for funerals.  Hopefully I will summon the enthusiasm to continue the blog with my planned trip in 2019 to parts of Victoria I have not yet explored........