A short drive south today to Port Pirie, we decide on a cabin for a couple of nights and relax with the cricket on the telly for the avo

The nearby Soloman Beach was great for evening handball and beach footy.

Each morning we heard the gurgling, dulcet tones coming from the river, from who we nick named ‘poh piri pavarotti’ he swam all morning along the winding river mangroves, past the largest lead smelter in aust, singing with gurgles, many old standards like, ‘its a beautiful world’ & ‘ oh what a beautiful morning’ he had the camper crowd watching on from afar……. it was most bizarre…. But made us all SMILE

Now I love a rusty old tractor, but couldn’t go past the one outside the theatre which had special attention. I just love it when people with a talent use it… this town had trees, tractors and table & chairs, covered with knitting… more than I’ve seen before. LOVE IT!

Only a quick drive South to a small National Park – Mt Remarkable, just below Port Augusta.

We found a lovely spot by the Mambray Creek – pulled a can of chickpeas with mortar & pestle out of the kitchen, and before we knew it we had hummus dip for afternoon snack. Max & Leni played in the hollow tree nearby – building a fort.

We setup camp near the Baroota Ruins, another clear moonlight night, still no campfires – but we cooked dinner in the firepit to make it feel more like we had one.

A table full of treasure found around the ruins – glass, tiles, terracotta, wire, metal…. we added a few finds.

Gaz found a scorpion under a rock as we were leaving.

Today we are excited to take a walk through a shady gorge to view the pound. Its a flat scenic walk along side a dry creek bed, So much birdlife, and Max spotted a shingleback beside the track.

The kids are lovin the outdoor classroom

Lunch on a limb, its getting hot now so off to the pool we go.

Sipping on ‘Wil-Pina Colada’s by the pool….

Late afternoon drive to see Sacred Gorge

Camp darts

Our daily ride to the resort pool was fun, passing the kangaroo’s and occasionally an Emu or two.

We like this place so much, we book in for  third night. So Max & Gaz can attempt the 923m high Mt Ohlssen Bagge, overlooking the Wilpena Pound resort.

Gaz has a new mini-me walking buddy, complete with bamboo walking pole from home….

Max gets to down a cold can of cola at the top. Gaz loved the views to Lake Torrens and Lake Frome from the summit.

We have recharged all our batteries & ourselves and leave for a big drive to Flinders Ranges today.

1st stop –  a 30 min drive back into NSW for a ride at Perry Sand dunes. We have packed skate board decks with us for this purpose, but this sand is so soft, they just bury in. Still, it was a fun stop.

Back into Vic to drive to South Australia, after eating up all our fruit & veg in Mildura, we only had our garlic cloves taken off us at the boarder crossing. Unlike the caravanning couple next to us that had a huge pile of food taken off them – hope there are some chickens, behind the quarantine check point. To eat up all the contraband fruit & vegies.

Then lunch stop at Renmark – burger time

We loved the drive to Hawker, and into the Flinders Ranges. The scenery was beautiful, rolling hills blending into the harvested wheat fields. With the horizon to the west dotted with towering wind turbines.

We were staggered by the number of ruins remaining in the paddocks, and ponder why they were abandoned – perhaps the harsh climate. I was excited to see this familiar ruin.  From the Midnight Oil album Diesel & Dust.

The sun was getting lower and the ranges contrasting with the low light and cloud, what a perfect time to be driving into the pound.

The campsite at Wilpena Pound was in a cypress forest. With cool, clear nights, it was easy sleeping after a big driving day.

An easy pack-up this morning and after toast & coffee we head off for Mildura, 108kms of bad bumpy dirt road – the way in from Balranald was much better. We past about 4 semi trailers on this outback road, all slowed and gave us a wave – except the last one – full speed ahead and stones hit our windscreen. After a big sigh from Gaz & I we expected some damage, but we were ok.

Along the way we pulled into a great history of ruins to explore and take pics.

So we arrive in Victoria, kids were beside themselves (again!) to be in a Big4 for 2 nights. They have spent most of the time on the pillow or in the TV room.

Tuesday we rode from 17th Street to 12th Steet to the Mildura Aquatic centre. What a hoot! Wave pool was much fun – and inland tsunami. We all became prune like!

Yummy Mildura Meatloaf for dinner… Thanks Gaz.

I was the tour guide for the day, with the supplied printout for the 150km journey from Balranald to Mungo, at times I had to yell into the PA system due to the road noise from corrugations.   We had 24 information points along the way, all about the pastoral days of past and present.

Cooling off & waiting for the sun to get lower before we drive to the Walls of China Lunette.

Mungo also has a beautiful woolshed, we had our lunch inside, it was at least 10 degrees cooler than out. Even the swallows sitting here on the wires were panting.

It was a hot afternoon, heaps of flys, but found a Mulga tree to camp under for the night.

We enjoyed Salt bush Lamb chops, with Murray River Pink Salt and Yana’s Chilli Sambal……. Sitting under the mozi net so we didn’t have to swat so often. PRICELESS!! When we pulled down the net the top was full of flys – hundreds…. glad we had it though or they would of carried away our dinner!

Gaz & I slept on the rug, under the mozi net (thanx hughsey), under the tree, under the stars….. It was a fab night. Kids were happy in the hike tent.

A long straight drive west today…

We arrive to the Balranald river caravan park – wow lush green grass, this place looks tops there are a few catches though!

Just before dusk the cocktoos go nuts, hundreds of them in the trees along the river. Then the mozzies appear, hundreds, thickest we’ve ever seen. But after dark all seems calm – till 5am the Cocktoos started again – and they didn’t stop for 2 hrs – it was ear piercing.

But we still loved this froggy town.

After an early wake up we drove to the Yanga Homestead and Woolshed, which have been in the hands of the NPWS since 2005.

Yanga Woolshed ploughmans lunch by the river.

After a great lunch on the riverbank we wandered around the beautiful Yanga Woolshed. We had this place to ourselves, Gaz & I loved our childhood memories once we stepped inside. Whilst it was much bigger than the ones we spent our childhood around, the smells were familiar as were the old wool presses and peppercorn trees.

I loved wandering around this character filled place.

The kids were stoked to finally be able to get their hands on an ipad – even though there were no angry birds on there.

We leave the ACT, after what feels like a weekend away, it was great to test everything out for 2 nights there. Today we drive to Yass, then Wagga, where enjoyed a great local sushi lunch – so fresh and cold YUM YUM.

We shopped Wagga looking for hats and finally hit the road to head for Narrandera. After getting some fresh supplies at Big Daves IGA we head out along the river to find a camp for the next few days. After looking around at the MIA 1 & MIA 2 forests, we liked the look of the other side of the river better.

So here we were, at Euroley’s Beach Camp. On a sharp hairpin bend of the Murrumbidgee, water was great, we settle in for 3 nights.

We had all types of weather thrown at us over these 3 days, We spent an afternoon in the tent playing board games, lego and a group hug to pass the time. While the rain fell and the wind blew outside, we had our fingers crossed those gums wouldn’t loose any limbs with all the wind.

Leni got busy in the truck making us all friendship bands. She even taught Max too.

Hot and sunny, cold & windy, thunder storms develop then blow away, then on our 2nd day a freak storm brews, we race around like crazy to batton down the hatches, then the hail hits – then in the blink of an eye its over. So play resumed for beach cricket.

and a bit of fishin….

We donned the gaiters and walked along the Murrumbidgee river to an old cemetery, it was on an elevated side of a hill, with a stone fence circling around the main graves, it was a hot morning so we went to play in the river below us, Leni nearly stepped on a…….

Young red belly, swimming by her feet.

After a busy few days of finishing off work and packing we finally are ready to hit the road. Can’t believe we are really doing it!

Stitching fun at Lake George… Kids are beside themselves!

Max & Leni are so excited to be driving into Canberra, we did a quick drive by Parliament House, I jumped out to take this pic and was asked to take it quickly by the Fed on a pushy, but he did thank me for not standing in the middle of the road!

We found a great campsite listed in the Boiling Billy camping book. This is a lovely shady river campsite with HOT showers too. Happy days – we decide to stay for 2 nights.