A few (very few) have asked me to tell of our recent 13 week adventure..
March 3rd, we left home and traveled to the great free camp at Kimba. The old boy (me) was a bit knackered after 8 hours at the helm but we settled and had a good night of rest.
Then there was Penong.. What a great caravan park. Two young people run the park like a swiss watch. Neat clean and very well managed, the only negative would be its on white sand which tends to get in all over the place. This will be the last spot for water. We took drinking water and full tanks.
The great Australian Bight was our next free camp, a spot called Twiggys Camp right on the cliffs. Spectacular scenery and the waves pounding up on Australia amazing stuff. This camp has zero so being well provided helps.
About 30Ks east of Madura is a free camp called Moordini Bluff just on the escarpment. Another beautiful chunk of this great land. Toilets and lots of fine camp sites. Very well worth the stop.
Next we spent 2 nights at Fraser Range station where water and a lovely rest were available. This is an awesome spot just off the main highway on the southern side. All the wildlife and scenery were spectacular.
One week in Esperance saw the end of our trip across the Nullarbor. This is a great place nobody should miss. We stayed at the Pink Lake caravan park, excellent all around.
We then set out to Perth via South Coast Highway and Albany Highway. Here comes the tongue twisters. First free camp at a site called Lois's Lookout on the Gnowangerup-Jerramungup road (try saying that after a few sherbies). Beautiful peaceful place.
One of the highlights was staying at the Armoin Nature Caravan Park. No Dougwe its not a nuddy camp! Two young people run this amazing place, ask for the free tour of the place, I know you will be just as stunned as we were. Its on the Crossman river just north of Williams on the Albany Highway.
Then we stayed at the Kaninyup Waters Resort Caravan Park. Expensive but a magic place to call home for a week or two. All concrete sites and great people to look after you. They even park your van if you get into strife.
Homeward bound a night in Southern Cross caravan park, Norseman free camp (at the showground), then Baxter free camp (with dump point and one big mess). I know its been said many times before but I do wish people would clean up after themselves.
Then there was Mundrabilla and Nullarbor caravan parks. No water but the food is to die for. Great staff and a sweet stay in the fresh air. The old dirt road runs in the front of the Nullarbor roadhouse, a fact I didnt know before last visit.
Penong again, then 2 weeks at Port Lincoln then Wallaroo where we find ourselves at this time.
Home again at the end of the month. NEXT trip is to Canberra and south central NSW.
The good bits and the bad bits
GOOD
Great country with spectacular scenery. The Nullarbor was anything but boring. Amazing coastlines the rugged and sandy were each special in their own way. We live on a fantastic chunk of rock and dirt, being a nomad is a real special privilege and we love it..
BAD
Dirty free camps and pigs of people (dont get me started on that one). Expensive fuel (Im told its a bit cheaper than a few months ago). Headwins (cant do much about that.. lol)
See ya on the road.
-- Edited by Phil C on Thursday 12th of May 2016 08:23:05 PM
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Ex RAAF, now retired. EX Electrician/Teacher.
Homebase is Murray Bridge Tourist Park (in a cabin). New Horse.. 2020 Ford Everest Titanium, Jayco swan for touring.
Great report of your trip Phil - pity you weren't long in WA, but at least you had some great experiences.
Pity about the garbage (paper, liquid and poo) that travelers seem to be intent on despoiling the country side and anywhere you can pull off the road, let alone free camps and dump point. It seems to be a national problem. IN WA, the toilet paper that's dumped doesn't rot due to the lack of rain, so it dries out. I say to the BOSS when we see it all stuck in the bush, that's its the only time it snows in WA (which is quite true - we due get a few mm of real snow in the mountain tops in south WA). I really cant figure out these people - are they just as dirty and piggish at home?
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
Thanks for the report Phil, only seems like a couple of weeks since you set off. I've added your report to my growing dossier on the Nullabor containing trip reports and advice from rockylizard, Jules, Bruce and Bev among quite a few others. My first crossing will be heading east after I've negotiated some other compass points, namely north, west and south!
Cheers
Joe
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Hino Rainbow motorhome conversion towing a Daihatsu Terios
Armoin Nature Camp...mmmmm. The twins tell me different mate. You seem to forget that the Nulla Nymph is their cousin and they speak a lot.
Good report mate. Make sure you do vist Canberra, great place. Give yourself heaps of time and visit the War Memorial and try to plan your stay while Parliament is sitting. They film kindergarten play time then. Another must is slip up to the mountain/hill that is at the back of the WM looking through to PH, magnificent view at night. Sorry Phil, cant think of the name of the mountain.
Keep Safe on the roads.
Edit......Mount Ainslie lookout is the name, Phil. Just looked at the map. It's actually great to go up during the day then at night.
-- Edited by Dougwe on Friday 13th of May 2016 06:58:52 AM
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Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
Well done Phil........glad you enjoyed WA and had some pleasant experiences where you stayed........and pleased to note you skipped the Acclaim parks in Perth and Norseman.
Enjoy your next adventure..............
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I Remember It ...............All Too Well
Wherever the four winds blow. I'm restless, I'm ready
Thanks guys, we were 4 weeks at Perth but I got a belly bug the first week and Pam had it the week after, so we had to stay close to the thetford. Never mind, we visited our old homes at Bullsbrook and Koongamia and I tried to get on the base but security didn't let me despite me still being in their system.
I guess my message is this, enjoy the trip and take a lot of time to smell the roses. We had 3 stops on the bight on the way back, no whales but the scenery was different at each place.
Dougwe, we will be spending about a week at BS city (Canberra) and I will be spending a lot of time at the memorial, as for the house of ill repute I will pass on that one, I got a lifetime of crap and corruption when I was teaching. The plan isn't in concrete yet but we are contemplating a great trip.
Just on the water issue, we decided that we would shower every 2nd day. Now that sound a bit ponky but every other day we would wipe down with baby wipes, worked a treat as we ran out of tank water by Fraser Range. Power was not an issue, but I had to run the genny for a few hours at Moodini because of the overcast and rain. No big deal I asked the other campers and they were fine, BTW I had a great coffee from my machine and we managed a good shower while the genny was on, no problem with the water pump on battery.
If you ever go across, don't buy coffee at Balledonia, it tastes like kerosine.
Cheers and safe travel folks.
-- Edited by Phil C on Friday 13th of May 2016 11:58:12 AM
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Ex RAAF, now retired. EX Electrician/Teacher.
Homebase is Murray Bridge Tourist Park (in a cabin). New Horse.. 2020 Ford Everest Titanium, Jayco swan for touring.
Armoin Nature Camp...mmmmm. The twins tell me different mate. You seem to forget that the Nulla Nymph is their cousin and they speak a lot.
Good report mate. Make sure you do vist Canberra, great place. Give yourself heaps of time and visit the War Memorial and try to plan your stay while Parliament is sitting. They film kindergarten play time then. Another must is slip up to the mountain/hill that is at the back of the WM looking through to PH, magnificent view at night. Sorry Phil, cant think of the name of the mountain.
Keep Safe on the roads.
Edit......Mount Ainslie lookout is the name, Phil. Just looked at the map. It's actually great to go up during the day then at night.
-- Edited by Dougwe on Friday 13th of May 2016 06:58:52 AM
Me and my Mrs in a nuddy camp? Now that would be a sight for sore eyes Doug, the twins need to go to specsavers mate. As for the nymph, we met a very strange lady at Nundroo and then later at Eucla, very strange and major not too pretty. Maybe the nymph is ageing, not so well.
We will be looking all around the capital, but the park fees are not so cheap and not too many free camps around. Not sure we may stay longer, the war memorial is the main aim, as an ex military man and being in the Air Force during the Vietnam conflict, this place holds special significance for me.. We will visit mt Ainslie for sure.
Take care old mate, looking forward to catching up with you and Plendo one day.
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Ex RAAF, now retired. EX Electrician/Teacher.
Homebase is Murray Bridge Tourist Park (in a cabin). New Horse.. 2020 Ford Everest Titanium, Jayco swan for touring.
Hey Phil. Theres two CPs about 10km on the main Sydney road side of BS city (yep - I think most of us got that - theres always a hot breeze in the house on the hill even if the wind outside is non-existant).
Sorry - cant remember the names. One is behind a pub and deli which looked a bit rough and the other was about another 3 km down the side road which runs parallel with the Canberra Sydney road. Good place, sites are tar sealed, plenty of room to park rig and tug and have them disconnected. Reasonable prices - from memory a week there cost us about $150 (??) - that was last year.
You may find it on wikicamps.....
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
Phil, mate, have a look at YASS CVP. Not far to the big C from there really. Extra fuel used might not balance the books though. Worth a look at this stage anyway.
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Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
Great report, Phil. We'll keep it for reference to the camps when we go across hopefully soon. Last time I crossed the Nullabor was in 1981, a few years ago now but doesn't sound like it's changed much. My main memory is the spectacular sight of the Bight's cliffs.
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