NEW BLOG PAGE

Sorry to be a hassle ... but we've moved our blog site to:

http://hitthetrack.wordpress.com

Please click on the link and you can sign up there to receive email updates each time we blog about our travels.

Thanks!

Myrtle Park - Tasmania

Myrtle Park is a lovely council owned camp group around 30km out of Launceston on the way to Scottsdale.  It is pretty much half way.  It's situated on the St Patricks river and boasts to have trout and platypus.

We arrived New Years Eve hoping it to be a peaceful setting.  We were placed in the "overflow" area rather than in the busy by the river spots.  Plenty of people were in the same area as us, but plenty of room was available too - making it the peaceful place we were hoping for.

After packing up, travelling then setting up we were a little tired to participate in New Year celebrations and chose to make it an early one after a couple of rounds of cards.  There were a few expected hoorahs at midnight but other than that quiet in our area.

The next evening we went platypus watching and as mentioned before ... we were delighted with the little creatures appearance.  There was plenty a trout jumping around as well.  We went two nights and both nights watched our little friend float and dive across his little patch of river.  I've popped a little video of him up the top of this blog ... hope it works for you.

A day to Cataract Gorge in Launceston was an unexpected surprise.  We hadn't heard of it before and two locals mentioned it to us.  We stopped on the highway (free parking) and did the 15 minute walk in along the gorge.  It was quite amazing and then at the end was picnic areas, peacocks and a patrolled public swimming pool.  We had our picnic lunch, donned the swimmers and lasted about 10 minutes in the pool.  The wind came up and was FREEZING - the next day was the heat wave of 30 degrees plus!

Overall our time at Myrtle Park was very enjoyable.  They hired fire places and had wood, which we used to bake a cake in our camp oven.  There was amply water, hot showers, flush toilets, BBQ's, camp kitchen, cricket pitch, grass ovals, play park and friendly caretakers all for $6 per night (wood extra).  We'd recommend the place to everyone!

Oh I must share the funny quote of the week:

Natasha is sitting outside the showers waiting her turn ... girl comes along and sits next to her and says:

Girl:  How old are you?

Natasha: 11

Girl:  I'm 14 ... Do you swear?

Natasha: Ummm ... not really.

Girl: Oh I do, like wash your mouth out with soap kind of swearing.

This conversation gave us all a giggle.

Gorgeous HUGE tree

Our camp set ... behind us is the cricket pitch which we used often
making friends with the other campers

Fire places for hire - after a day out we returned to a wood pile at our camp
kindly left by a camper that left.

Chocolate cake, fresh rasberries and cream ... cooked by Lily

"School" resumed on the 1st Jan - doing spelling lists by the fire 

St Patrick River

Our little platypus friend

Cataract Gorge

Cataract Gorge Walk

The show off peacock

Christmas by the beach

It's now the 9th Jan and all Christmas presents have arrived.  I wanted to get the kids all a DVD and ordered some online.  Most came in the time frame and the one I paid extra for and was promised to arrive ... didn't.  Thankfully it was the girls that had to wait and not the younger boys, who may not quite have coped with the idea.  Also a thank you to Auntie Dot who sent some great plastic bag (BPA free) drink "bottles".  Once empty they are light and take up no room.

Our plan was to keep Christmas simple with small gifts and great food.  We bought some prawns from the man at the park, I was after a pork to roast but since the pork at IGA was from the mainland we went for a local chicken with feta, spinach, pine-nuts wrapped in bacon from a local Tasmanian company.  We had tried their bacon before which was the best!

Last year I made my first Christmas pudding which was a HUGE success (gluten free of course).  I wanted to make another one.  The local health food shop had the dried fruit, the grog shop a small bottle of brandy and a few spices at IGA.  Left to soak for a while I steamed it in the camp oven over the fire on Christmas eve while we cooked our roast.

I have to say our Hillbilly camp ovens we've had for many years are fantastic.  Camp cooking is a favourite past time of ours and pulling something amazing out of it brings us much satisfaction.  Christmas eve was no exception.  The roast was sensational, the pudding lovely.

Christmas morning was fun with the kids checking out their little pressies that were deposited the night before in spare pillow cases.  Lollies, chocolates and fudge were consumed before breakfast - the kids bought their Christmas presents for everyone from the local choc-o-lolly shop.

After the sugar fest it was local raspberries and yoghurt for breakfast, a cold lunch of leftover roast, salads and prawns with leftovers with ham and sushi rolls for dinner!  The day was not entirely about food, we took a quick swim and a long stroll up the beach until we feared the tide had come in and maybe our towels and boogie board we had left on the beach may have been washed away.  The quicker paced return trip revealed all was ok :-)

Christmas 2012 was a very different Christmas for us.  We've always spent Christmas with our extended family whom we spoke with over the phone.  We did miss everyone but it was also a lovely day for us.  Quiet, peaceful and full of thankfulness for what Christmas is all about - the birth of Jesus that brought grace and love as never seen before on this earth.  Oh and of course food - we love good food!

Cooking the roast & pudding

The roast!

Sunset Christmas Eve

Christmas lunch spread

Christmas morning

First post of the trip ....

We have finally hit the track and started our big adventure.  We left Sydney on the 8th December heading straight for Melbourne to jump on board the Spirit of Tasmania on the 10th.  Looking back it was such a mammoth, whirlwind effort with one of the few things we never organised before departure was our mobile internet.  All is connected now, hence I can do a blog post :-).

Heading to Port Melbourne had its challenges - a snapped alternator belt along the way.  Thankfully we were on track to arrive 2 1/2 hours early for the boat and with our set back we arrived with 15 minutes to spare - STRESSFUL!  It was such a relief to be on the boat, not only due to the immediate hold up but also the last seven months of saying "we're leaving in roughly 3 weeks time".  It finally has happened, we have finally begun ... seems a little like a dream.

Devonport - first pic of Tasmania!

The wake up call at 6am was so exciting.  I very rarely bounce out of bed ... but this day I did as did everyone else.  Stepped outside and saw Devonport - it smelt so fresh and the air so crisp.  I think I spent about 3 days pinching myself that we really were in Tasmania and we really were on our year trip.

Waterhouse Conservation Area

After planning for a while that we would head to Bay of Fires area first, Stephen says let's check out the top - so up near Bridport to Waterhouse Conservation Area we went.  We were welcomed with a beautiful, private beach camp area, with fire pit and our own walkway to the beach.  The beach - footprintless sand and aqua water with little rock islands - WOW plus the camp fees .... Nil!

After looking at weather reports we decided to head over to the east coast after three nights.  As everyone says, distances are short in Tasmania but travel time long.  We rolled into St Helens in the very late afternoon, checked in at Information and decided on Dianas Basin for our next camp of two or so weeks.  Again we got a great spot, deserted beach, lagoon, great bird life and camp fees of .... Nil!

Highlights of St Helens - the fishing (we had many a meal from our catches), Christmas (that might warrant a separate blog post), Lil's birthday (berry crumble), sampling and cooking local produce.

During our time there it got busier and busier.  The newer group being not quite the type of people we want to be around on New Years Eve as many a night previous they were carrying on as if it was midday well past 2am ... even with the police giving them warnings we decided it was time to make tracks and head to Myrtle Park about 30km out of Launceston.

The platypus!

What a great decision that was - Myrtle Park is a large council run camp ground on a beautiful river with trout and platypus - we've heard of the latter being at many a place, but could we ever spot one ... NO.  We were hoping this would not be the case again ... and to our great delight it wasn't.  Both nights we sat by the river at a spot a previous camper had told us of in St Helens we spotted the cute little fury creature!

That's all for now ... hope you enjoy some of the photos below.

Wood carvings at Scottsdale

Beach at Waterhouse Conservation Area

Pademelon at our camp

Beautiful beaches of St Helens

Campfires before bed

The rainforest walk to St Columbus Falls (near St Helens)

Local grown berries for crumble

Stephen's catch of the day!

Dan's catch of the day!

Christine's catch of the day!

Lily's catch of the day!

Natasha's catch of the day!

A fisherwoman in St Helens catch of the day!

September Update ....

So glad I didn't make any wild statements of promising to blog on a more regular basis!

Hornsby has been the start of our adventure for about four months now .... would we have sold the house when we did if we'd known how long finishing the trailer would take?  Probably not!  But we'd probably be even further behind as Stephen would have to keep working to keep up with mortgage payments etc - so all in all it has all worked out well.

August marked two years since this wild and crazy camper trailer design all began.  Out in the back of Broken Hill discussions started on a design that would suit the six of us, to be fully off road, less canvas than a conventional camper trailer and provide solid beds for us all.  Hand drawings began, which led to engineering designs on the computer and the start of the build in September 2011.  A year after the first weld we are ALMOST finished!  It has been a HUGE effort and AMAZING engineering and creativity from both Stephen and our family friend Bill Carver.

In our first week in Hornsby I managed to be behind the wheel of the vehicle as it overheated and damaged the motor beyond repair  - like how I worded that :-) ?!  Four months later the head has cracked.  Was it dodgy in the first place?   Could it be our turbo, the injectors?  More than likely a dodgy head, but once you fit an after market turbo, which we have had on our vehicle for many years the warranty is void....bummer.  So we are off the road again, have a little canvas work to finish off, a rather large, highly engineered hinge to fit, some minor fit outs and then we can hit the track for our adventure.  Starting close to home at Mount White while we check out everything, pack up all our things and last preparations to get the show on the road.

 

Tool box area

Tool boxes with multiple access doors

Helping Dad

Fitting the arms that hold our beds

one arm with side closed

Before top bunks ... testing the new arms.

Bunks will go about here ....

Top bunks fitted

Canvas over the beds

Frame for the door

Stabilising leg

Side Canvas Bag

The Last Month ...

My blogging regularity is very poor!  I tell myself I'll attempt a weekly blog and then I don't even get a monthly blog in ... so I won't promise anything - you will just have to take them as they come.

Our house is SOLD, settled, cleaned and vacated.  A VERY big step in the beginning of our journey.   Although, when does a journey really begin?  I believe life is one total journey and there aren't any real beginnings - just lots of turns, tracks and paths.  Our family, our businesses, de-cluttering our home, selling is all integrated in being a part of the next phase in our lives.  As is where we are living now ... my parents in Hornsby Heights.

We have been in Hornsby for a month, in a medium sized, three bedroom home.  Eight people co-habitating together and surprisingly or not - quite peacefully!  I have to say I think generational living is how it was meant to be.  Raising a family in the traditional way with hubby at work all day and mum at home with the children can be quite draining, stressful and tiring, but with the help of the grandparents full time it has been so much easier as we share jobs and responsibilities.  It is not only more helpful for me (the mother) but also a great experience for the children, to bond further with their grandparents and enjoy each others company.

Vivid Sydney

What have we been doing this last month?  I've been acquainting myself with Hornsby Westfield (quite a maze of a shopping centre), our eldest with Hornsby Library and the younger three with the park at the top of our street.  We took a trip to Sydney for Vivid Sydney and battled the crowds, we're finishing off reading the Narnia series books so we can take a visit to the Power House Museum for the Narnia Exhibition - trying to make the most of being in Sydney.  

We've also caught up with a few friends up the coast and I should mention here I also managed to totally cook our engine on one of those journeys.  Therefore Stephen as spent his time building our trailer AND fitting a reconditioned engine to the patrol this time adding an "engine watch dog"(keeps an accurate watch on the engine temperature and has an alarm when too hot).  And yes, as everyone has mentioned - better now than later - having it happen while we are out in the sticks somewhere.  I think Stephen would have preferred it didn't happen at all - but we carry on, build on and hopefully SOON we start our new path on our journey and head north to Cape York before the wet season begins.

   

You don't need it all ....

Trailer returning home ...

Well it's been a while ... maybe they've already gone bush some of you maybe thinking.  No - been busy busy busy!

The trailer had the sheet metal work done just before Christmas and is in our back yard with all the intricate work happening to it.  Water tanks fitted, floor mounted, storage boxes over the wheel arches fitted, wiring run through, hoses and fittings being installed.  With Christmas in the middle it probably slowed down a few things - but the ball is definitely rolling at full speed again!

The house will be going on the market in the next week or so.  The MAJOR clearing out has continued - utilising our local freecycle, council clean ups, neighbours bins (hush they don't know), gumtree and passing things onto friends.  I think some of my daughters friends may not be allowed to visit anymore as their children leave with many "new" things to stock up their bedrooms with!

It's been a tiring but rewarding experience.  Finding lost items and most of all actually knowing what is in the house and exactly where it is is such a time saver!!!  The garage is still a work in progress and it didn't help that the real estate agent did suggest that the state of the garage didn't really matter at this point - oh well it will be empty one day!

Something that most of us know but never really try out fully - you really don't need all the "stuff".  I have not missed for anything.  Just two days ago I gave away my rolling pin and boar, which I seldom use.  The next day I decide to make cinnamon scrolls and needed to roll out the dough.  Hmmm no rolling pin - on the bench was a kilo of honey that had just been dropped in by a friend - perfect rolling pin!  You can always make do and really it's not that you "just make do" you actually do completely fine ... it isn't all necessary at all.  As I've started working with Destiny Rescue I notice more and more how precious life, family, health and safety are and not my house or address and what I fill it!  It doesn't really add any lasting value to my life at all.

You can check out the wonderful work of Destiny Rescue on their website here:
http://www.destinyrescue.org/aus/
My roll with them is a jewellery consultant - selling jewellery that is hand made by the girls they rescue to raise money for the running of the safe homes and pay (double the award) to the girls.

small selection of Destiny Rescue jewellery