Kalgoorlie

May 30, 2017

16th hole at Kambalda Golf Club
Silver Lake Par 4 - 392m

We walked around town - bought a Parks' Pass at the Department of Parks and Wildlife

one of the many pubs to be seen










odometer reading 52,959
kms travelled today 71
kms travelled so far 2,725
campsite Kalgoorlie Discovery Holiday Park

May 31, 2017

We went to the Gold Museum
This is a replica of the Golden Eagle Nugget
We saw huge painted Union banners - kept in a light controlled room, a moveable police station (can run along the railway tracks), learnt about the lady who bought & renovated the historic brothel, read that the super pit will finish in 2021 - mine asking for ideas on what to do with it, saw great photos depicting life in the goldfish days

17th & 18th holes at the Kalgoorlie Golf Course
C Y O"Connor par 4 - 356m
Golden Mile Par 5 - 519m

I think we were better golfers at the end than we were at the beginning & also that we did pretty well having only a wedge & putter each. We lost 1 ball and found 2 - so finished in front!

19th Hole













odometer reading 52,987
kms travelled today 28
kms travelled so far 2,753
campsite Kalgoorlie Discovery Holiday Park

June1, 2017

The Super Pit

We took a side trip to Coolgardie
Glad I found a Coolgardie Safe in Coolgardie
There was a great museum here in a beautifully restored building. It looked like they had the entire contents of a 1900 pharmacy - all the bottles & tins & lotions etc. Coolgardie had been the 3rd largest city in Western Australia at one point.











We had dinner at Paddy's in the Exchange Hotel - pictured earlier - good choice - it was where all the locals were! We walked through the Wild West Saloon - famous for its gorgeous skimpy barmaids.

odometer reading 53,104
kms travelled today 117
kms travelled so far 2,870
campsite Kalgoorlie Discovery Holiday Park

June 2, 2017

Les went on a mine tour - saw lots of BIG things & was told lots of BIG numbers















Highlight of the day was watching Geelong beat Adelaide!!
but we had to be organised to start watching @ 5.30pm
but it was already dark - sunset @ 5pm or so here

odometer reading 53, 118
kms travelled today 14
kms travelled so far 2,884
campsite Kalgoorlie Discovery Holiday Park

The Nullarbor

May 26, 2017

3rd hole: near Penong Roadhouse
Windmills Par 4 - 260m
this is the largest windmill in Australia
part of a windmill museum

a short detour to the coast -
Fowler's Bay - named after Matthew Flinders'
lieutenant - Robert Fowler










4th hole: near Nundroo Roadhouse
Wombat Hole Par 5 - 520m        no Giant Wombat in sight (as promised)

there's a whale in the centre of this photo
camera not as good as the eye can see
this was from the walkway at the Head of the Great Australian Bight









5th hole: near Nullarbor Roadhouse
Dingo's Den Par 5 - 538m           where the crow didn't take our balls :)

what's the saying?
you're taking up too much room if you're not living on the edge?









odometer reading 51,820
kms travelled today 373
kms travelled so far 1,586
campsite Nullarbor/Great Australian Bight

May 27, 2017

6th hole at Border Village Roadhouse
Border Kangaroo Par 3 - 160m (Tee near the Big Roo!)


We disposed of a few veggies & honey here before we crossed through the quarantine gates

mainly saw lots of dead kangaroos - some fresh











7th hole at the Eucla Golf Course (beside the racecourse & in front of the shooting range & only 1 hole)
Nullarbor Nymph Par 4 - 315m









8th hole at Mundrabilla Roadhouse
Watering Hole Par 4 - 330m (they had to move this hole from its original position because too many solar panels were being damaged)

odometer reading 52,110
kms travelled today 290
kms travelled so far 1,876
campsite - a roadside one - there are so many we forget which one this was but it was on the right hand side & we travelled a long way to the back to avoid the littered area at the front - littering not so much the fault of other travellers but the crows spreading rubbish from bins that haven't been emptied.

May 28, 2017

9th hole at Madura Roadhouse
Brumby's Run Par 3 - 125m

10th hole at Cocklebiddy Roadhouse
Eagles Nest Par 4 - 347m

11th hole at Caiguna Roadhouse
90 Mile Straight Par 4 - 310m











odometer reading 52,442
kms travelled today 332
kms travelled so far 2,208
campsite Baxter's Rest Area

May 29, 2017

12th hole at Balladonia Roadhouse
Skylab Par 3 - 175m

Apparently a bit of space junk landed here a while back - what a claim to fame!

13th hole at Fraser Range Sheep Station
Sheep's Back Par 3 - 141m

no sheep here anymore but it is a working cattle station









14th hole at the Norseman Golf Club
Ngadju Par 4 - 354m

15th hole at the Norseman Golf Club
Golden Horse Par 4 - 436m

odometer reading 52,888
kms travelled today 446
kms travelled so far 2,654
campsite Kambalda West 24 hr stop
We gave our Woolies receipt in at the desk of the leisure centre. They like to have proof that the RVs that stay spend money in the town - makes it worth their while to provide the free camping.

Ceduna

May 24, 2017

Ceduna's coastal walking trail winds along the foreshore of beautiful Murat Bay for 3.6km between the Ceduna Sailing Club and the Pinky Point Lookout @ Thevenard.  The trail records the history of Nicholas Baudin and Matthew Flinders encounter and serves as a demonstration of reconciliation with the local Indigenous community, acknowledging their culture and links with the land.

we walked this trail - there & back


odometer reading 51,420
kms travelled today 0
kms travelled so far 1,186
campsite Ceduna Foreshore Caravan Park

May 25, 2017

Nullarbor Links - The World's Longest Golf Course
The Nullarbor Links concept is unique. The 18-hole par 72 course spans 1,365km with one hole in each participating town or roadhouse along the Eyre Highway, from Ceduna to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.
Each hole includes a green and tee and somewhat-rugged, outback-style, natural terrain fairway.

 at the first hole - in an official Links golf shirt!

Hole 1: Oyster Beds Par 5 - 485m

at the second hole

Hole 2: Denial Bay Par 4 - 370m

Ceduna has an oyster festival every October
wrong month but we still found lots of oysters :)














odometer reading 51,447
kms travelled today 27
kms travelled so far 1,213
campsite Ceduna Foreshore Caravan Park

Getting Started

Highton Saturday May 20, 2017
odometer reading 49,831

We're off!!

Painted silos @ Brim

We free camped on the lake @ Hopetoun
These Pelicans were a beautiful sight in the morning.
(Very muddy site - there's been a lot of rain here)









odometer reading 50,234
kms travelled today 403
kms travelled so far 403
campsite Lake Lascelles


May 21, 2017

Painted silos @ Patchewollock - a bonus

The Big Mallee Fowls - but we didn't see any live ones.

South Australian Border

Les threw in a couple of lines in the Muray @ Waikerie - while he watched the footy!
Only carp:(

This free camp not so muddy.








odometer reading 50,608
kms travelled today 374
kms travelled so far 777
campsite Holder Bend Reserve

May 22, 2017

We crossed the Murray by ferry @ Cadell

A great free camp @ Iron Knob
dry site - but it rained overnight :)

did you know?
20% of the steel for the Sydney Harbour Bridge came from Iron Knob!
the other 80% came from England (Shame!)






odometer reading 51,017
kms travelled today 409
kms travelled so far 1,186
campsite Knobbies Caravan & Camping Area


May 23, 2017

Kimba (Corey Enright came from here - we didn't check out his footy ground)
The sign in the background says 1/2 way across Australia
& they have a couple of Big Galahs


there were lots of small towns today to the right of the highway - we stayed on the highway which ran parallel to a water pipeline & a railway line.

it was spot the single car day today - seems everyone is towing something somewhere on this road!

sunset @ Ceduna















odometer reading 51,420
kms travelled today 403
kms travelled so far 1,589
campsite Ceduna Foreshore Caravan Park

Last Shake Down Trip

RACV Resort Inverloch April 19 - 22, 2017








We tried to be fully loaded for this get away - first time both bikes have been for a ride!
Since picking up the van in October:
stability control brakes have been fitted to the van
rotating/sliding table top has been installed
curtains & pelmets have been removed (privacy & blackout blinds in place)
a mattress topper has been resized & added
shelves have been added in wardrobe & cupboards
sullage hoses are stored in tubes fitted underneath
fishing rods are stored in tubes fitted underneath
20lt water container has been fitted at the back
privacy screens for the annex are fitted with twisty ties & ocky straps cut in half, a great system
anti-flaps have been discarded & we throw a strap right across the annex for a full loop tie down
reversing camera has been added
tyre pressure monitors have been added
roof clips have been adjusted so that they lock & unlock without having to adjust annex latch
water supply issues (stuck valves etc) have been overcome
instead of 2 free standing solar panels, we now have 1 panel fixed permanently to the Ranger's roof
plus a couple of handy screws on the triangle & under the back for the water filters

nice to have full use of the resort facilities.

We saw the 'Top of Australia' from the coast near Inverloch - been there/done that?
& after discussion with Cam & Robyn (our companions for this trip) we decided that we were no longer heading north in May .....
(not enough time for that many kms)
We are going West!









Yarram April 22 - 25, 2017

The sand does really squeak underfoot @ Squeaky Beach Wilson's Prom













We visited Tarra Bulga National Park.
Here's Cam on the suspension bridge.

We saw lyrebirds & Les saw a wombat in the wild for the first time.

 

We began Anzac Day in Yarram,

but these are the crocheted poppies on the 

memorial @ Inverloch being admired by Robyn

Danish wind generator      Agnes Falls 

Walhalla April 25 - 27, 2017

         

It was cold & wet in Walhalla - first time we had condensation in the van!

felt sorry for the school kids hiking, white water rafting & tenting in all that rain & mud .....

We went for a ride on the heritage train & made it up hill to the cricket ground

Prologue

November 9, 2016
Lake Elingamite

November 11, 2016
Dartmoor

November 19, 2016
Oxley

December 15, 2016
Anglesea

January 28, 2017
Warragul

February 15, 2017
Panmure

March 2, 2017
Winchelsea

March 23, 2017
Hall's Gap