Ferg and I celebrate 10 years of marriage in 2012. As we weren't able to take time off in February to do a special trip, we decided to do a road trip during the Christmas Holidays. We hired a camper trailer, packed up our dog Beau and managed to drive over 5000 kilometres in 2 weeks ... a massive and fantastic trip.
We left Sydney, New South Wales and made our way to Glenrown in Victoria on Christmas Day. We drove along the whole Great Ocean Road from Torquay to Warnnambool and stayed a couple of nights in Apollo Bay ... this trek is an absolute must see ... the beautiful blue coastline, the Twelve Apostles, Cape Ottway with hundreds of wild Koalas in the trees, London Bridge ... fabulous. Next stop South Australia and the Coonawarra wine region, then onto one of Australia's most famous wine areas the Barossa Valley. Still in South Australia, New Year's Eve was spent with friends in Port Hughes on the hottest day (over 40 degrees) in over 40 years!
On New Year's Day we started our trek across the outback to the Gold Coast in Queensland. There's nothing funny about diving into a pool in Broken Hill that feels like a bath and you need to wait 15 minutes for the cold water in the shower to run cold! The outback is amazing, emu's, kangaroos and goats!! on the side of the the longest straightest road we've ever driven on. The heat playing tricks with your eyes, dry creek beds, twirling winds and red dusty sand everywhere. Our dog Beau got in a tussle with 4 dusty country Kelpies in Wilcannia and we had air conditioned comfort for a night in a cabin in Gilgandra. Our last stop was visiting family on the Gold Coast in Coomera.
It was so fantastic to see some of the beautiful places Australia has to offer and you get to see so much more when you drive ...
On the road to Victoria ... warnings.
My boys and our camper trailer set up for the first time in Glenrowan.
The place of Ned Kelly's last stand.
View from the Great Ocean Road.
Sunset at Apollo Bay.
The spectacular Twelve Apostles.
London Bridge.
Wynns Coonawarra cellar door ... the winery that made the region famous and one of our favourites.
Jacob's Creek Barossa Valley ... a cellar door must see.
Ferg's aunt Dolores and Pat in Adelaide.
A boat is no place for an Australian Working Kelpie, Beau looks forlornly at land (and Ferg snorkeling) in Port Hughes ... he also manages to get seasick! Poor baby!
Red Dust Twirly Winds in the outback.
Emus on the side of the road ... they look like brush trees until they lift up their heads.
Sculptures in the Living Desert Broken Hill.
The never ending stretch of outback roads.
You feel free in Australia. There is great relief in the atmosphere - a relief from tension, from pressure, an absence of control of will or form. The Skies open above you and the areas open around you.
~D.H Lawrence~
