Wander-lost

I’ve attempted this blog entry more than a few times. Having covered 4 states in just over 3 weeks,  I found myself getting lost in all the highlights – memories and places getting mixed up with one another like the endings of my favourite childhood movies. But the challenge really started once I finally got things straight in my mind. How could I possibly mention just a few of the amazing places we’d seen? How would I choose between the trillions of photos? Luckily I’ve been able to quickly share some photos on Instagram, but that didn’t made the job of choosing these ones any easier.

The diversity of our adventures these last few weeks also made my head spin a little – from rainforests to red dust, rivers to coastlines and vineyards to valleys, I felt like we’d seen it all. And at times, it was hard to get our bearings (we found ourselves lost on more than one occasion). I’ve come to the conclusion we could all benefit from getting a bit lost every now and then – there’s nothing quite like taking a detour to help you figure out where want to be. But more on that later.

We pulled up at Port Campbell on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road yesterday, and I’m in love. Our campsite is a short stroll through a creek to the beach. The warmer weather might have something to do with it (we’ve been enduring winter-like weather for 2 weeks), but there’s something about this cute little seaside town full of cafes and eateries, and the way the turquoise ocean calls me in that has me hooked.

Just 24 hours in, we’ve already seen the stunning 12 Apostles (although not all 12 are actually visible) and Loch Ard Gorge. Yet there’s so much more planned – with London Bridge, the fairy penguins coming to shore at night, and the amazing culinary delights that await us in Timboon. I can already feel it becoming one of my favourite places.

We’d come from the Grampians National Park, which we nearly skipped altogether (sadly, we’ve needed to make constant trade-offs due to our tight schedule). But we made the time, and I’m so glad we did. Driving into the Grampians, you’re immediately struck by its beauty – the imposing red and green mountains, the thin windy roads and thick green bushland. I found myself spellbound by the unusual rock formations – how they sat like giant monsters against the horizon (and at strange angles) telling of massive seismic shifts hundreds of thousands of years ago. I was transported back to the days this was all volcanic land with very little life – now teeming with birds, wildlife (and these days, humans).

So far, there’s been no shortage of life in Victoria – both the gorgeous Blue Lake at Mount Gambier and it’s fascinating ‘sink hole’ garden rich in plant life and animals. In Portland, the family shared our first ever glimpse of both a seal colony and a Koala in the wild on the same day!! In Dartmoor, we stayed at my favourite free camp yet – a huge patch of green land with towering blue gums and a stream. Despite the cold weather (think the coldest of Sydney Winter nights!), we kept ourselves warm and entertained by making a fire in the pits provided.

South Australia was equally amazing – but for very different reasons. On arrival, we bored the kids stupid with multiple cellar door visits as we ventured through Clare Valley, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek and Coonawarra. Many of the wineries in SA were laid back and kid friendly, and Winey Kids helped us pick out some of the best. This made their time at the wineries equally enjoyable in the end. My highlight was lunch at Beach Road winery, where we had delicious woodfired pizza with a glass of ‘matched’ Montepulciano. We were nicely cosy as we sat by the fire overlooking the vineyard, even though it blew a cold gale outside.

The South Australian Coast blew us away (quite literally). In Victor Harbor, we decided to pack down our Camper trailer for a night after warnings of gale force winds. We splurged on a stay at a surprise town called Old Reynella (just North of McLaren Vale) and slept soundly (in real beds) as the winds whipped and howled around us.  We collected our trailer the next day and heard stories of surviving the winds from the few campers that had braved them. ‘Smart move’ they said, as we told them about our planned detour.

Enjoying a great pizza and even better glass of red at Beach Road Wines

The sun rising over the vineyards at Langhorne Creek, South Australia

The beach felt like a lifetime away from outback New South Wales, where we’d been just a couple of weeks before. This part of our journey saw us visit the famous Tilpa Pub (with its charming old hardwood tables, scattered pieces of memorabilia, and just a few draught beers on offer). This would have been one of busiest outback pubs in the height of the lucrative wool trade. But the Darling River now ran dry out the back, leaving a feeling that all the money and prosperity evaporated with it.

Lake Bellfield at an ungoldy morning hour, The Grampians Victoria

The lilac hues of Encounter Bay in Victor Harbour, South Australia

On the Darling River Run, we also stayed at another of my favourite outback camps at Gundabooka National Park. This camp was (literally) outback of Bourke, and we found ourselves alone in the heat and red dust (apart from a few kangaroos, snakes, spiders and a couple of million bull ants). I hated the tough spiky plants, but loved the solitude (and the fact I could take bush shower without worrying  who might see!).

It turned out the SatNav didn’t like this part of the outback much. A couple of times we were led down a road that wasn’t the easiest to travel on (or was actually taking us the long way). When we realised the SatNav had absolutely no idea out here (and less than we did), we decided to follow our instincts and the odd road sign to stay on track. Petrol costs had already been a killer!

When you’re lost in the outback, you feel a little isolation and a lot of helplessness. What would happen if you broke down? Or had a sudden medical emergency? Or hit a Kangaroo? You realise you’re at the mercy of just two things – the land and your vehicle. The best you can do is head in the right general direction and hope you come out the other side.

We eventually made it to Wilcannia (then Broken Hill) where red dirt had covered everything – the buildings, the roads and us. The recent dust storm had penetrated every crevice and brick in town (as well as our campervan). It’s since proven impossible to get rid of, leaving orange stains on our white canvas.

The Kangaroos’ were out in force at Wilcannia

Meet Maverick the Emu, one of the residents at the wildlife sanctuary at Woodstock Wines, South Australia.

Now back in the ‘land of the living’ (or should I say, the more widely trodden path), I find myself longing for the thrill of discovery and uncertainty we had in the outback. We’ll continue to seek out the smaller towns where we can (and they do exist – even here), but it’s a fairly straight forward path from here.

And despite the odd detour along the way, we always managed to get where we needed to be. It’s just that instead of another quite night at Victor Harbour, we discovered that Old Reynella had the most amazing local cheese selection to offer (which we would never have found except for a windstorm). And escaping the bog on the beach gave me the greatest sense of relief and gratitude I’ve felt in a long time. So on top of everything else, the last few weeks has shown that it’s the detours in life (and getting occasionally lost) that make getting back on track that much sweeter.