Category Archives: TRIP

Grampians Adventures

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Claire had booked us some cheap last minute accommodation at Hall’s Gap which is right near a section of the Grampians. Although I was disappointing not to be able to camp, I was keen to be able to discover this part of Victoria. Although I lived in Victoria for about 25 years, I didn’t think I had been. If I had, I couldn’t remember it.

Anyway we arrived on Tuesday afternoon and had a look at a few of the nearby lookouts. They were pretty good and it made me really keen for the next day where we would do a 4 hour bushwalk, plus stop by a waterfall and another lookout.

The next day we got up and went to the waterfall. It was nice. It was a little disappointing that swimming was not allowed, but I respected the rules, unlike a lot of hikers.

After that we stopped by a few lookouts before heading towards the main hike. Claire snapped this photo of me checking out the scenery in what I thought was the best lookout that we went to.

The walk took us to “the pinnacle” which was a much higher lookout. It was a lovely short bushwalk, and (unlike most paths in the NT) very well signposted. The view was nice, although probably comparable to the other lookouts that are driveable. I would only recommend the bushwalk if you really like them, which I do.

Not Claire, though 🙂

Paradise Valley 2016

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Every Easter a group of us head down to Paradise Valley for a camping trip. It is so refined now that we take a kitchen sink. It really does make the dishes easier to do. Anyway this trip has been going on before I was born, I really look forward to it each year.

This might be the last year, though we have been saying that for a while. The people who own it are getting older and having trouble putting it on. And so it goes.

Got down there Thursday a bit later than we planned. Claire and I put there tent up and we were right on the river.

Friday & Saturday were gloriously sunny days, we made the most of it. I went for a swim each day except Thursday, which is really rare. Although when we were kids we used to swim for hours at a time, never getting colder.

Very happy after the Kangaroos had a win!

Otherwise it is a lot of food, beers and laughs. “What is like a sheep but black and white” Claire asked in a game of articulate. The answer is cow of course. These are always the longest and most fun trips, but the hardest to write about. The weather really made this trip, it was the first since I moved back to Melbourne. Definitely a lot of fun. Hope we get to do it again.

Long Weekend in Lake Tyres

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So I have officially moved to Victoria. We had a few days off so we asked my parents what their plans were. They were camping at Lake Tyres for several nights, so we decided to head down. I even managed to get my sister and her partner down as well, it was sort of an impromptu family camping trip.

We got down there Saturday and set up. Quite an amusing moment when we realised that we had never set up the outer on our tent before! You don’t really need it when camping in the dry season of Kakadu. Summer in Victoria is a bit different, you never know when it might rain. I have to say the tent looked rather new.

Had some fun on the beach the first day. It has been a long time since I have swum in the surf, something I really love. It was great to be among the waves again.

The next day Dad and I decided to do some land based fishing in the hopes of getting a flathead or two. He used bait, I tried my smaller soft plastics. He got a few bites, but we didn’t get anything. It was a shame we didn’t have more time, as we mostly spent it driving around and finding a few really cool locations.

Fishkill

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Made a plan to hit the high at the barrages at Shady Camp. Mud had warned against it, said there was too much fishkill around. I didn’t have any better plans, or anything that open to my timeframe. Besides, how bad could it be? Also, I really didn’t know what fishkill was.

So off Bruce and I went, on the water at first light. Definitely should have listen to Mud, he has good ideas every now and again.

Fishkill was everywhere, and it really stunk. Without the petrol (or time really) to make to the mouth, we gave it out best shot, but there was zero life around.

We pulled the boat out early. Lesson learnt: give it at least a month after those first rains flush the system out.

When I got back into range I got a text on my phone, 24 hours later it appears the boat is sold.

Got:
Me: nothing
Brucesta: nothing

Snap

Southern Forests of Tasmania

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Friends of ours were getting married in Southern Tasmania, so we used the excuse to get a rental car and explore some of the southern forests. This wasn’t a true outdoor adventure, as it was lacking a 4WD, tent, or boat. But it was fun to get around in our i20 and see some of a state I haven’t really explored.

We were limited to short day walks, but it was still quite enjoyable. The rivers were quite interesting, and the fresh water was coloured a brown/red from all the wood there.

We also went down to their famous “airwalk” which was a pathway in the forest canopy. It was certainly hyped up, and I think a little disappointing. But then, the things you hadn’t heard about, like the small walk among the forests themselves, or the amazing colour of the water were really cool.

We also had a look at a cave system there, which was the best cave system that I have explored.

They also had a thermal swimming pool which I was excited to try as I was struggling a bit having lived in Darwin for the past 4 years. This was perhaps the worst of the Tassie trip. They had turned it into a swimming pool! I have no idea why they would do this, but instead of a totally natural pool like Douglas Hot Springs, or one like Mataranka where it had a bit of work done, it just looked like a normal swimming pool, except the water wasn’t chorinated. I really felt it ruined the natural beauty of where it was.

That being said, I don’t want to sound too negative, with no food poisoning and no broken down cars, it was probably the best holiday of 2015! Except for our wedding of course, which doesn’t seem to count as a holiday.

And of course, the wedding we came for: