Postscript

One last word after the last word. We are home again, so thought we would add the following photos (and they did not go in in the intended order):







Sylvia at the Opera House


Both of us back home in our natural habitat.

And me at the Sydney Harbour Bridge

This one is of a Koala (in the zoo - like most Australian animals, Koalas are nocturnal, so we never actually found one in the wild). This is Toronga Zoo, one of the few things in Australia we were disappointed in.

Closing the loop

So, we have turned in the camper van. After 15 weeks, it felt like we owned it, but I suppose we spent more time in it than some cars we have owned. Managed to get it back without any scrapes or dents. The circumnavigation is complete. By the numbers:
A total of 25272 km. Theoretically, you can do the “loop” in 16K more or less. I guess we made some side trips (the jaunt up to Alice Springs was about 3K, and Tasmania added 2K). We had planned for about 20K, so not so far off target.
Time enroute 106 days. All in the van, except for the two nights we spent on the Tassy ferry. We travelled on about 60% of days, and stayed put the balance. So, we averaged less than 400 km per day, on the days we moved.
Fuel cost averaged about $A1.40 per litre – a bit more than the $A1.30 than we planned, but it went up at least that much during our stay. Fuel economy of 11.7 litres/100km
The last markup of the map is attached to show the detailed route.

To cover off the last week or so:
Most of you will recall that I misspent some of my youth working on the Snowy Mountains project, here in New South Wales. So, we returned to the scene of the crime. Our trip through the mountains was great (the weather on the coast remained cloudy, but was very good in the mountains). The birds in the mountains were amazing, with pairs of Crimson Rosellas and Sulphur Crested Cockatoos around every corner. And there were lots of corners. Khancoban, where I lived, was a bit disappointing. The town was built for the project, and was going strong when I lived there – there were 2000 workers in the camp where I lived. Anyway, it is down to about 400 people now with zero economic activity, and has just about dried up and blown away. Too bad, because it is a beautiful area. I did manage to tip a schooner in the pub that was the centrepiece of the town when I lived there (poured more beer than any other pub in Australia for three years running – not sure which ones, but like to think I helped). The bar is only half the length that it used to be – the pokies (slot machines) in the background of the photo occupy the other half. I have a photo of the Murray 2 switchyard that I built nearly single-handedly, if anyone wants to see it. This is a greater accomplishment, if you consider that I was 18 and only there three months.
We spent our last three days, before heading North to Sydney (and the rain) camped on the beach at Huskisson (Jervis Bay). We got in some sun and beach time, and did some visiting with the Roach family, including Brad – one of Julie White’s many admirers. Bob (Brad’s Dad) and Brad took us golfing at their club. We didn’t golf that well, but it was a nice course and a lovely afternoon. As you can see by the photo, the course is overrun by ‘roos. Golfing in December is a bonus, anyway. One really annoying thing was the Kookaburra who seemed to go into his laughing routine whenever I shot. Hard to stay mad at Kookaburras (except at 5 in the morning), ‘though.
I include a shot of 7 Mile Beach just North of Huskisson, and the possum who was scrounging around the campground.
I guess this is the “Last Post” for DSWalkabout, at least the 07 version. Who knows, we may do it again. It has been an incredible experience. And, yes, those who picked Sylvia’s return date in the pool much earlier, will have to pay up. Now the long trip home and then Christmas.

-30-

More beach bums

Here are the photos to go with the earlier post

Beach bums

This time the text was no problem, but the photos failed three times, will try again later.


So, back on the mainland again, dealing with the flies. We did not experience any bushflies or mosquitoes while in Tasmania, so it makes the plague on the mainland even more noticeable. I have been entertaining myself by killing them and feeding them to the ants. We have sort of been puttering our way along the coast since we landed in Melbourne (from Tasmania), and are currently in the middle of at least three days in Eden, NSW (staying in the Garden of Eden Caravan Park – quite a nice place). We are about 500 km South of Sydney, where we have to turn in the van on the 17th. We expect to arrive in Sydney on the 15th (we actually changed our hotel booking to arrive two days earlier, as Bob and Sue from Toowoomba were coming down, but those plans have changed.) However, we will stay with that plan, do some shopping and tourist stuff in Sydney before our planned flight home on the 19th.
As you can see, the trip is kind of winding down – we are in our last two weeks on the road, and starting to think about going home. As much as going home will be nice, and Christmas should be fun, the thought of the cold and snow is a bit disconcerting. We are very much without current plans. We will have at least one more stop before Sydney, may spend a few days in one of the beach areas South of Sydney. We have been considering swinging inland a bit to visit Khancoban, the place I lived in ’65, although there is no real need to do so. That decision may be driven by the weather, and the practicality of us becoming total beach bums. The cloudy, showery weather of the past few days are pleasant enough, but not exactly beach weather. The beach right here is nice enough, although I don’t see anyone swimming.
Many of the people we meet in our wanderings are retired. No big surprise, as who else would have the kind of time required to do this sort of thing. Most of them have Australian accents, of course, but also have significant traces of accent from their original homeland. This is most noticeable in the European immigrants, less so in those from the UK. Many have arrived in their new land since my first trip here in ’65, and seem to have generally prospered in their new lives here. It does remind you that this rather old land is still a very young country – being a country of immigrants much as Canada, but perhaps with more of it recent. I expect the character of Australia to change as this generation passes on and hands off to a generation born in OZ. We ate dinner last night in a place that was hosting a busload of Italo-Australians from Melbourne. We visited with a bunch of them (did the judging for their dance contest) and have a standing invitation to the Australian-Italian Club in Melbourne.
Anyway, to this weeks photos:
The echidna – this critter was wandering through our campsite, so Sylvia hunted him down with a camera. Sort of a cross between an anteater and porcupine in appearance, he is fairly common here, and – being slow-moving, quite often road-kill.
The Christmas parade – we stopped in Sale (Victoria) for gas, and saw this parade forming up, so stayed to watch it. Kind of like a Burns Lake parade, except the Christmas theme. Still a little strange watching a pipe band with full kilt and regalia wearing Christmas hats and playing Waltzing Matilda. We still remark on the strangeness of Christmas preparations in a place where it is so warm. Still not quite as much fun as the little Mexicans singing Christmas Carols (mostly in English) in Cozumel, this time last year.
The parrot – is a wild one, part of a mating pair living in the trees across the way from here. Sylvia was gung ho to get a good photo, and one of the residents brought her out a hand of sunflower seeds, and attracted him/her right in. That is Sylvia’s hand – I actually prefer the photo where you can see the face she is making as the bird walks on her arm.
Sylvia’s shell collection – most from one beach down near Lakes Entrance, where she got a little wet getting some of them. Quite a conversation piece here. The following picture is Sylvia extracting the previous tenant with my needlenose pliers.