| 48-Eden to Melbourne |
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12th February 2009. Eden:We made an overnight stop at Eden, but as it was cold and raining and there wasn't much to keep us there, we decided to head south to Gippsland and the Lakes. The Lakes Area:13th February - Lakes Entrance is the northern most part of the Lakes area and where the Lakes meet the sea. You gotta see the WW2 sculptures carved out of trees on the foreshore of The Lakes. They're amazing with the back drop of the fishing fleets that dominate the area. Leaving Lakes Entrance, we then headed south to Sale and then coast bound again to the southern end of the Lakes area. Came across Paradise Beach, WOW. Free camping all along the beach for miles and the sea is just on the other side of the sand dunes, awesome. Unfortunately for us, it was still raining and the wind was blowing a gale and there was no point in staying there as we wouldn't have been able to enjoy it. Walhalla:15th February - Walhalla is a must see small, picturesque and historic mountain township up in the Baw Baw Ranges. As the road up is quite steep and winding, it's not really suitable for caravans although we did pass two struggling on the way up. The town and it's historic buildings are not the only attractions, so make sure you take in some of the 4WD tracks that abound in the area, they're awesome. Wilson's Promontory:Next headed to Wilson's Promontory, the most southerly tip of Australia. Unfortunately, on our way there, a fire had started and within hours the whole area was closed down, bugger. We had visited all the other extremities of Australia so decided we'd have to come back later when the fire was under control. Phillip Island:GP Circuit: 17th February - Being a motor racing fanatic and having watched so many GP races there on TV, we had to visit one of the most famous tracks in the world. It was smaller than I expected, but what an experience. It lived up to and exceeded our expectations. As the first round of the 2009 World Super bike round was coming up, the track itself was closed as the Aprilia team was testing so we were restricted to the Visitors Centre with views over the track plus the museum.Couldn't even do a Hot Lap, "sorry track is closed for the next few weeks" Only ever thought of Phillip Island as the best GP racing circuit in the world, but hey, there's lost more to see there: Penguin Parade: After researching on their website, we were very disappointed to find out that filming and cameras were not allowed at The Penguin Parade. After a few weeks of negotiating, we must say thanks to Nicoletta for granting us a special license to film the cute Little Penguins. This is definitely a must see experience and your best bet is the "3 Parks Pass" at $34.00 per adult which covers The Penguin Parade, Churchill Island and the Koala Conservation Centre and don't forget Nobbies which is free. Nobbies Centre: Right out there on the eastern tip of Phillip Island is Nobbies centre, where there is an abundance of birds and a bit further out on the next island, all the seals. You can't see them by eye, but there's TVs where you can view them up close. Some Time Out in Melbourne:We met a lovely couple from Melbourne in Esperance and then again in Bremmer Bay in May last year as they were doing a quick trip around WA and we've kept in touch ever since, so had to catch up with them while in Melbourne. Rob and Jenny are nutters just like us so we got on well and had a ball with them while there. On our second night, they took us to The Castle for dinner. Now I must explain, The Castle is a B&B owned by Pat and Ian (Jenny's sister and hubby) and WOW, what a place. The photos tell the story, but what an awesome B&B if you're ever in Melbourne. They even introduced me to this wierd machine called a "pokie" where you put money in and if you're lucky like we were on a few nights, it gives you lots more in return. Marlene had already been introduced in Yamba by Noreen. Dandenong Ranges:Heard a lot about Mt Dandenong and some of it's attractions, so gotta go there inspite of the fire threats. William Ricketts's Sanctuary is amazing. All the sculptures hidden in the gardens and surprises around every corner. SkyHigh at the top offers brilliant views across the city, Don't know how, but Marlene got dragged into a hen's party and I was ordered to produce a documentary and take photos, so did what I was told, how could I resist. Most upset that I didn't get an invite though:) Echuca:1st March - Rob and Jenny took us to Echuca, approx 3 hours north of Melbourne to see the historic port town on the Murray River. What a nice relaxing town that is filled with so much history, paddle steamers and holiday houseboats. Besides the paddle steamers and shops, you gotta see the showman with the Corella (a sort of parrot). Unbelievable the way the bird flops over and plays dead as he does on que. Jayco Factory:Whether you have a Jayco caravan or not, a visit to their factory is an eye opener on how mass production has increased the output of caravans. Once again, no photos or filming allowed, but for us and owning a Jayco Sterling, it was well worth the visit to see just what goes into producing our van. Whilst on the subject of caravans, we had a major service on our van while here and Jayco recommended Darts Mobile Caravan Services. As you've probably noticed, I don't usually recommend suppliers unless they provide exceptional quality and service and these guys did, (0450 785 464 or email them at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) Life On The Road:4th March - Unfortunately, it's time to leave Melbourne, Jenny and Rob and head south to the Great Ocean Road. There's so much we wanted to see and do around Melbourne but the fires restricted us and many of the places and icons that we had planned to visit have been destroyed forever. It was a very emotional time for us and people the world over, but time to move on and look to the future as all the Melbournians are doing :) Travelling Oz homepage
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