Langley's trip around Oz

Hi there, I am currently travelling around Australia with my wife and 2 kids. My wife and I are 33 and our daughter is 6 and son is shortly 3. Touring in a 2008 Nissan Patrol and towing a Coromal Corvair Pioneer 545. Here are some of our highlights and favourite spots that we will certainly visit again. We always try and search for the areas where the chances of seeing crowds will be low.
We are currently in Perth and will be doing the Canning Stock Route shortly. This write up is only till Tasmania. I will post more shortly. Hope you enjoy the reading.
Departed Brisbane last August and made our way to Central Queensland, around the Carnarvon Gorge National Park. Our highlight of this area is the Salavator Rosa section of the National Park. This area is much more remote and a lot less people then the camp grounds at the Gorge section. It’s quite a long drive in but well worth it and good fresh water from the river.


Currawinya National park was our next major camping destination. Camping right on the Paroo river. Terrific spot located right on the border of NSW/QLD. Good access for putting the tinny in the river. Did rain quite a bit whilst here and had to delay our departure till the track dried out.

After our muddy departure from Currawinya we made our way down to Bourke and then to Dubbo. The zoo and the Gaol are well worth a visit with the kids.

Forbes, Abercrombie caves and Wee Jasper were our next camp spots. Wee Jasper is definitely a must camp place. The Goodradigbee River has numerous camp spots in Reserve areas at quite reasonable prices.


The National capital was our next destination and a week was spent here visiting usual tourist destinations. The highlight and probably one of our Nations most memorable places is the War Museum in Canberra. Two full days were spent here and the kids learnt so much. Our 6 year old daughter, Sarah, is home schooled whilst we travel so this was a very good place to learn some valuable things about Australia.
Our next destination and one of our favourite National Parks is Deua National Park. We visited the Western side first at Wyanbene Caves which has a pretty amazing cave to explore, if you’re game. This is a free camping spot and also very quiet. It’s only a short 10 minutes to the cave.



The South Coast of NSW was to be our next and first coastal visit of the trip. Batemans Bay and Broulee Beach were two destinations worth visiting and staying a few days.
We then returned to Deua National Park with our destination being the Bendethera camp ground. Recommend spending at least a week here as it is quite a long drive in. I don't think anything without low range 4wd could access this camp ground as the track is very steep in parts and reaches almost 1200 metres at times. We towed our caravan in to this location without any real hassles, although I would have second thoughts if on a long weekend or peak times as I imagine it would get quite busy. The van has quite a large departure angle on the rear and without this I would not have attempted the track. At least 3 to 4 hours was required to arrive at Bendethera and about 20kms out of the 50kms from Moruya is low range very slow crawling up steep tracks.




The camp spots at Bendethera are nice and grassy and the Deua river has crystal clear water. There are literally thousands of camp spots here and it would be hard pressed to not find a location with good privacy. The 8km return walk to the Bendethera caves is well worth the trek. My daughter and I undertook this trek and I was knackered by the half way point, where as my daughter didn't stop talking the whole time and she could have done it twice.
We departed Deua NP and headed back to Narooma, Bermagui, Wallaga Lake and Gillards Beach on the NSW South Coast. Gillards Beach is located in Mimosa National Park and has beautiful camp spots behind the dunes. Easy access for caravans.


Our next destinations were Pambula Beach, Bittangabee Bay at Ben Boyd National Park and Mallacoota (finally into Victoria). Bittangabee Bay is absolutely beautiful but the flathead fishing at Mallacoota beckoned and we weren't to be disappointed.

The caravan park at Mallacoota is terrific and is located directly on the water with some van spots having their own boat moorings which suited us perfectly. The flathead fishing here is fantastic and we got our fair share for a few nights dinner. Definitely will be returning again. Our next destination was Lakes Entrance which was nice but we wish we had have stayed longer at Mallacoota instead. Oh well, we know better for next time.


Our plan was to visit Omeo and leave the caravan at the caravan park here and visit some areas of the Victorian High Country. Upon arrival at the Omeo caravan park we were greeted by the very friendly owners Sandi and Lou. Highly recommend this Caravan park. We used this Caravan park as a base to explore the High Country. We offloaded the boat and van and embarked with the tent and swags to Mt Hotham and along the Wonnangatta Track, Dargo High Plains road into Dargo itself. The Billy Goat Bluff Track was the track we need to take to get to the Horseyard Flat camping area where we planned to camp. The time spent in the High Country was when the East Coast was experiencing horrific flooding rain and it wasn't too different up in the mountains. It poured. The Zeka Spur track was to be our route and upon exiting the track the Wonnangatta river was flowing at a rate of knots. We are adventurous but not silly so we had to return back along the Zeka Spur track and managed to find a Hut to camp in the night. We were later to hear that a 4WD drive attempted crossing the river and its occupants died.



One of the most memorable nights of our trip was the night spent in 'Kellys Hut'. Amazing history to be dreamt of whilst swagging it in the Victorian High Country. Be prepared whilst camping in this location as this was early November and it was still snowing on top of Mt Wellington.




We returned to the Caravan at Omeo and spent one night here before exploring the Eastern side of the Vic High Country. We were hoping to drive the Davies Plain Track but it was still closed as it had copped a hiding with the storms. We attempted the Wild Boar Track south of Corryong which eventually leads across to Tom Groggin but after a distance this was washed away with landslides. We had checked with the NP office in Omeo before embarking and the only advice was regarding the Davies Plain Track.

Spent a night camped at Tom Groggin and then took the Snowy River track through the Little River falls which took us over McKillop bridge. From here the track deviates onto the Deddick Trail and Bowen Tracks. The Deddick trail is very slow going (10kph average). Camped 1 night on the Deddick trail. Very limited camp sites available so be prepared to push on to nearly the end before any decent camp sites are found.
After departing the Victorian High Country our next highlight destination was the Grampians. The Grampians is very beautiful and very popular. South of the Grampians are numerous free camping spots worthy of nights spent there. Smiths Mill campground, Wannon Falls, Narrawong and the Fitzroy River. The Fitzroy river is a great spot and worthy of at least a few days.

From the Fitzroy river was across the Great ocean Rd and across to Melbourne and then to Tasmania for 2 months. Tasmania was 2 months of rain and not a lot else which put a bit of a dampener on our thoughts of Tasmania. Highlights of Tasmania for us were Jetty Beach on South Bruny Island, Port Arthur, Policemens Point at Ansons Bay, Binalong Bay, Ben Lomond NP. South Bruny Island has an amazing coastline, great fishing and Beaut camping. The history of Port Arthur speaks for itself and Ben Lomond NP doesn’t seem to get the reviews we think it should. Incredible rock formations and the road that leads to the top (Tasmanian snow field location) is very steep and windy.


The Wild West coast of Tasmania is definitely called that for a reason and we experienced some rough conditions in the Arthur Pieman Conservation area. We camped at the Sundown Point camp area and had the whole place to ourselves. Well worth a trip to this area for the avid 4wders amongst us. A winch is definitely a good idea as there is some very deep bog holes around this area.

great trip so far
nice rig
very simmilar to mine
99 GU 4.2 td lots of mods
04 Coramal Corvair 544 lifted with 15"bfg all terains and mods
Alan

Great trip report and photos there, looks like you all are having a great time.
I hope that you are not planning on taking the van on the Canning, if you are I would recommend that you don't as you will not get it though there.

Nah mate, no van for the Canning. Swags and tent will do us for this one. Can't wait!

Mate what a smashing trip report & what a fantastic way to see Oz. Love the pics & you have a beautiful family there mate.

Best wishes to you all & I look forward to reading your update.

All the best
Paul

ok so i have a qick question seeing that you are only in the 30's i think i read there, how do you fund the trip ? do you find work when you need to ? was just wondering

We are fortunate that my wife and I earn reasonable money. I am a builder and my wife does computer programming for large corporations on contract rates.

My wife recently completed an 8 week contract in Perth whilst I played daddy day care with the kids, which I really enjoyed just one on one time with the kids.

Something I'd like to mention is how difficult it was for at least the first 3-4 months after leaving work adjusting to the fact of not actually working. I couldn't imagine how difficult it could be for some retirees letting go, but I actually missed work for a few months. More the general banter and carryon on building sites than the actual missing work.

Maybe it was harder for us, more me then my wife because it felt wrong to not actually be working. I think we have this programmed into us from a young age to be Always working. Right or wrong? I don't know???

is work hrd to find out there

Its easier for my wife to find work in the capital cities of Brisbane, Sydney, Melebourne and Canberra. Some work in Perth available for her. I havn't really looked for any work as yet so I can't really comment. It's pure economics for us, my wife earns more than what I do.

it will be some time before we can do anything like you're doing, if at all, i'm in my mid fifties and not blessed with good health at the moment,,, but we try to get away at least once a year for a few weeks at a time,,,our next trip is to tassie in september, i have a hilux twin cab 4wd but don't do a lot of hard core 4wheeling and a camper trailer at the moment seems to do us for the time being,, i think over time it will be more shortish trips throught out the year and have home as a base of operations,, that seems to be best for us at the moment,,, i wish you safe travels

Mate, try and get to Policemens Point and Bruny Island when your there. Both beautiful places and good fishing at both places . Australian salmon and flathead on Bruny and big bream at Policemens point.

thanks i'll check those places out,,, taking plenty of fishing gear
cheers
tony

Hey Langley
Understand your comment re not working. Bride and I retire in April 2012. I've been working since I was 15 - now 66. The work ethic is deeply engrained. The challenge for us is to find thought provoking, useful things to fill in that 8 hours of productive time ie other than walking, gardening, reading, fishing etc, most of us do these things while working and just for relaxation. Looking after young kids can be very time consuming and productive. In a way I envy you both because you are giving your kids an education they will never get in school.
On our journeys we have run into a few young families taking their kids around Aust the long way. In most cases, they had made arrangements with schools for lesson plans etc. In one case both Mum and Dad were teachers.

The kids are having a ball out and about experiencing so many places. Our 6 old daughters favourite destination has been the Simpson Desert.

We have no problem getting her into her school. We do this via the home schooling method. We did some investigation prior to starting our journey and decided the distance education method was going to be too time consuming, not so much with the one on one learning part but with the constant posting and receiving of documents.

What a great report on your trip, I'm sure the children will talk about their adventures for many years to come, keep safe,
keithnann