The long way round ! 2010-11

Well we made it home safe!!! Lorraine & Jack 37000 km of Travel in total. approx 5000km without the Caravan. 1998 Landcruiser 80 series 40th anniversary edition petrol. Jayco Sterling 20foot inside with one solar panel. we used a stoneguard between Landcruiser and Caravan. We did collect a lot of red dust inside the landcruiser and inside the caravan. Punctures 1 slow leak on Cape York due to a splinter. Accidents NONE. Damage NONE! Repairs NONE apart from puncture. Car service Regular . and we are still talking to each other! would we do it again? Not in one hit, we would only do parts again. The places we liked best in order of visit Bowen Chillagoe Ravenshoe Einasleigh Ravenswood Richmond Gregory Downs Leichhart Falls Devils Marbels Kata Tjuta Kings Canyon Rainbow Valley Banka Banka Mataranka Bitter springs Edith River Litchfield National park Berry Springs Katherine  Lake Argyle P...

just a short drive to Gulmarad we stop at Karl & Ursula's place our friend Bruno from Switzerland is there on visit Karl likes my Snoopy hat! 5 Star caravan park!!! Ursula picking some miniature Beans. Brooms head just near by!  We spend a couple of days relaxing on our last stop!

Along the Pacific HWY we find the turn off to Nambucca heads. Busy windy road and no passing. Quite a lot of traffic Beautiful drive to Nambucca heads. We find an empty spot in the Foreshopre caravan park. only steps to the boatramp and the river. we settle down for a good rest, amazing, still a few empty spots usually only for a night or two. there is the river, good for swimming and boating the view to the river mouth a nice spot  to relax peaceful sunrise looking back to the caravan park a walk along the river to the mouth the head painted rocks all along the wall hard at work in the Kayak the view from the top of the hill the ocean beach at Nambucca head and a pretty sunset to top it off.

From Dubbo  along the Oxley HWY Water in the fields after the rain. Close to the road. To Gilgandra Dunedoo a pretty old township along the Golden HWY for a bit. Our last free camp near Singleton Pothana rest area , a part of the old highway. very quiet now and only one more caravan for the night. along the pacific HWY and the old coast road to Foster Lani's Holiday Island. We were suprised to get in at this time of the year. the quiet waters at the park

The Dish outside of Parkes worth going there We get to Dubbo full moon!! Great drive through Zoo in Dubbo a new friend a young Zebra nice to see the birds in the wild That is the turn off for the Zoo

We decide to go back up to Clare valley  to make our run from there. The front of the cruiser gets a flyscreen, there are a lot of grasshoppers and butterflies. we do not want to block the radiator. we may have to outrun the floods yet. We make it past Mildura. First day is all ok. No water over the road. We stop at lake Benanee for the night. The water level is to the top of some park benches here. A Free camp in a safe position some 5 m above the water level. we stay hitched up with everything aboard. Just in case there is a sudden increase in waterflow. Next Day at Blranald we cross the Murrumbidgee. That water looks very close. Keep going ! the waterlevel comes within 300mm of the road. The low laying land is all flooded. No we won't stop here! we make it past Hay and another rivercrossing. On the Mid Western HWY now. We make Forbes with its brilliant freecamp by the river. It could not get any better, plenty of...

The Panda's are very popular. It is a hot sunny day after heavy rainduring the night. a curious face guarding the family. Our Last day in Adelaide. We prepare for a very long day.

We keep an eye on the flood warnings. Queensland has floods and the  Murray Darling system has rising waters. In the snowy mountains they releasing massive amounts of water. Victoria has flooding bringing more water to the Murray. Our options to get to the east coast have to be evaluated every day. We have many rivers to cross, all have rising water levels. Timing is getting critical. Driving along the Murray is no longer an option. Sturt Highway to Mildura and Hay is still clear. The flods hit Euchuca. Our option now is to take a run on the Sturt and Mid Western HWY.

At Nurioopta C/P 1931 Caravan In top condition. Back to Hahndorf  for lunch Mt.Barker C/P  plenty of room and close to Hahndorf The road down the Adelaide Hills into the fog. Lucky to get into a Caravan Park in Adelaide on the Torrens River  walking distance to the Zoo and the CBD The 12th January a sad day for both of us. We find out that my mother has just died in Switzerland. We walk in the Botanical park and cry a lot. even the weather is sad, we are not driving anywhere on this day. The Lotus Flowers are out we just make it back to the C/P and it starts raining first time in a long time on this trip.