Riverwood Downs, Barrington Tops - Australia Day 2014

SWAGG headed to Barrington Tops for the final outing before our big trip. Riverwood Downs is a privately owned property covering 750 acres, with camping sites on the river bank. Very nice spot, however it was too crowded - the long weekend may have had something to do with that!

Riverwood Downs also had a restaurant, bar and lots of sporting activities for the kids.

We decided to arrive on Thursday and beat the crowd. This allowed us plenty of room to back into our site without the prying eyes of other campers.

A great weekend and top of with a pie at Heatherbrae on the way home.

Too windy to put up the awning on day one

Sue, Gus, Georgie & Will checking out the river

Georgie & Hannah feeding one of the locals

It got rather crowded by the end of the week!

Updated Itinerary - very basic with lots more to be added...

After a number of discussions with people who have travelled around Australia in the past, we have made a couple of changes and also finalised the route we will take home.

Stage 1:

• Sydney
• Mildurra
• Flinders Rangers
• Ceduna
• Esperence
• Albany
• Bunbury
• Kalbarri National Park (4 nights in a resort!)

Stage 2:

• Kalbarri National Park
• Port Headland (via Karijini National Park)
• Broome
• Fitzroy Crossing
• Kununarra (El Questro Gorge)
• Katherine
• Darwin
• Jabiru
• Katherine

Stage 3:

• Katherine
• Tennant Creek
• Alice Springs
• Kings Canyon
• Uluru
• Coober Pedy
• Port Augusta
• Broken Hill
• Dubbo
• Sydney

The above is the very basic direction we will be travelling, however we will be including as many National Parks, attractions and experiences as possible.

If you have any "must sees" along this route, please let us know.

68 more sleeps!

Gus's Holiday Blog (1)

Hi from Gus...

Will's Holiday Blog (1)

Hi from Will...

Georgia's Holiday Blog (1)

Hi from Georgia...

Itinerary (version 1)

Leaving 31st March 2014

Plan is to arrive back in Sydney 1st week of July 2014

Victoria

• Glenrowan (Ned Kelly)
• Bells Beach & Great Ocean Road

South Australia

• Kangaroo Island
• Adelaide
• Wilpena Pound (Flinders Rangers)
• Port Lincoln (Coffin Bay Oysters)
• Streaky Bay

Western Australia

• Nullabor (Caiguna - Balladonia "90 mile straight")
• Esperance (Cape Le Grand)
• Albany (West Cape Howe National Park & Torndirrup National Park)
• Bunburry (swim with dolphins)
• Margaret River
• Perth
• Nambung National Park (The Pinnacles)
• Kalbarri National Park (4 days at resort - yay!)
• Monkey Mia
• Carnarvon 
• Karijini National Park
• Port Headland
• Broome
• Derby (8 metre tides)
• Gibb River Road
• Fitzroy Crossing
• Wolfe Creek National Park
• Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungle Range)
• El Questro Gorge

Northern Territory

• Katherine
• Darwin (and Litchfield National Park)
• Jabiru (Cahills Crossing)
• Katherine
• Tennant Creek
• Devils Marbles
• Alice Springs
• Kings Canyon
• Uluru

Then back to Sydney...

Option 1 (3943 kms and approx 60 hours drive):

Drive back to Adelaide and then

• Innamincka National Park (Burke & Wills "Dig Tree")
• Lake Binegolly National Park
• Bourke
• Dubbo

Option 2 (4016kms and approx 48 hours drive):

Drive back up to Tennant Creek and then into Queensland and through...

• Camooweal Caves National Park
• Mount Isa
• Longreach
• Bourke
• Dubbo  

Option 3 (2,841kms and approx 32 hours drive):

Straight back to Sydney via 

• Adelaide
• Mildurra
• Wagga Wagga

We would love to know what you think.

Is there anything we have missed?

Or is there anything we should avoid?

Toyota Prado & Jayco Expanda 16.49-2 (with bunk beds)...

Transport for the big trip around Australia has now been purchased.

We bought a Toyota Prado to pull the caravan. It is an older 1998 model, however it has very low km's and is very comfortable. We have had to fit the Prado out with a few extra's...

• Electronic breaks
• DVD for the kids
• 2nd Battery

 

The Jayco Expanda was a little harder to find. We wanted one with bunk beds so we didn't have to put the table up and down every day. Finally tracked one down in Melbourne and picked it up prior to Christmas. The trip back without Electronic Breaks was a bad move, however we made it back in one piece.

 

 



Kosciusko National Park... 30/12/13- 04/01/14

SWAGG's first camping trip to Kosciusko National Park was a huge learning experience.

Great Campsite right next to the river

Some protection from the sun

French Cricket

Positives...

• Graeme learned how to back the caravan without hitting anything
• Beds were very comfortable
• The fridge work a treat and was able to keep beer, wine and bubbles at the perfect temperature

Negatives...

• Forgot to fill the water tank
• Ran out of food
• March flies

We had a great walk up the mountain from Dead Horse Gap, and we were lucky enough to spot some wild brumbies half way up the hill.

The warm weather turned nasty on top of the mountain, and the walk to Mt Kosciusko Lookout was brutal. Although it was only another 3.5km's to the peak, we all decided we had had enough!

Georgia led the way and set a cracking pace. For somebody who hates walking up the hill to school each day, she did a great job.


On the trip home we stopped and had a look at the Snowy Mountains Scheme, a huge achievement constructed between 1949 and 1974. The scheme is the largest engineering project ever undertaken in Australia.

Next trip is already being planned and we be camping at Barrington Tops over the Australia Day long weekend.

We have less than 3 months until the big trip - lot's more to learn!


Some wild Brumbies on our walk up the mountain

"The Walkers" in amongst some incredible Snow Gum Trees

Some of the 225 kms of piping and tunnels which
make up the Snowy Mountains Scheme