Day 23 - Maroochydore (Fri 28 September, 2002)

Another beautiful day on the Sunshine Coast. Drove up to Montville (in the Sunshine Coast hinterland) one of our favourite spots. Montville is one of a string of towns located in the hills overlooking the coast and it's about 18 km from our caravan park. Last year we discovered a beautiful restaurant called Poet's Cafe which is located right on the edge of the escarpment and provides incredible views down to the coast. Someone has spent a lot of time and money building and decorating this place to create a very inviting atmosphere - and the food is great too.

After lunch (and coffee and apple strudel) we spent some time wandering through all the interesting little shops in the main street. Very touristy but great fun all the same. My favourite is the German Cuckoo Clock shop. Last year we bought a dome clock but this year we were only looking. The afternoon was spent reading and this evening we are going to see the Bourne Legacy at the Sunshine Plaza Cinema. It's all go around here.

Day 22 - Maroochydore (27 September, 2012)

Yesterday we moved the short distance from Tewantin to Maroochydore. As I mentioned earlier we could not get into our usual caravan park so we are in the Maroochy River Caravan Park just up the road. We got the last site available and when we saw it we could understand why. Getting our van into this spot would have been as difficult as brain surgery but fortunately we knew from a previous stay here that they have a man with a little tractor who can do things you certainly can't with a Pajero. So, after plenty of trial and error we eventually had the Jayco successfully inserted into the site. We are surrounded by permanent residents who are all very friendly and by 8 pm the park is totally quiet. After lunch we did a bit of shopping and then drove the short distance to Moolooloba for afternoon coffee and sweets. The weather continues to be fine and mild to warm so what more could you want. We are here for 6 nights and pull out (with the help of the tractor) on 2 October for our next destination which is Southport on the Gold Coast.

Day 20 - Noosa - Tue 25 Sep 2012

Today is our last day in Tewantin/Noosa. We had a brief but spectacular thunderstorm yesterday afternoon, but this morning the weather was pleasant again with a some overcast. The radar showed no rain within 500 km though and so we decided to take our annual walk through the Noosa National Park. This spectacular walk of around 7.5 km took about 1.5 hours - we always enjoy it a lot and today was no exception. Using the GPS function in my iPhone I recorded our progress and was surprised to find that the walk involves a climb of 188m. I superimposed the data on a Google map and here it is.

We'll probably go out for dinner tonight and then in the morning it is 'up stumps' for our move to Maroochydore which is only about 35 km away.

PS Just got home from Masie's Steak House in Noosaville. Absolutely fabulous meals - a great way to finish off our week here.

Day 18 - Tewantin (Sun 23 September)

Sally and Jake (Peter's daughter and husband) joined us last night for dinner at a local Italian restaurant. Once again the food and the company was outstanding and we had a great night. The weather continues to be warm to hot during the day and lovely and mild at night. This morning Saskia, Peter, Sally and Jake all headed off home leaving us to our own devices here in Tewantin. We still have three nights to go here. We found out the other day that the next weekend is a long weekend up here which is affecting the availability of caravan sites, so this afternoon we drove into Maroochydore to secure a site for next week. Our usual Big4 (Maroochy Palms) was unable to provide one but we eventually found one site (the last one) nearby. So Wednesday morning we relocate to Maroochydore from which we will visit many of the highlights on the Sunshine Coast.

Day 16 - Tewantin (Fri 21 Sep)

Peter and Saskia joined us with their caravan yesterday and will stay until Sunday morning. Last night we all caught up with Cecilia and Rob (who were staying at a caravan park near Caloundra) for dinner at the Burger Bar nearby. We discovered this place last year - fantastic gourmet hamburgers served on a wooden board. You can check out their web site - and download the menu - at www.theburgerbar.com.au
After a short walk we then topped up with gelati which were also fabulous. Today after a relaxing breakfast (see photo) we took a drive into Hasting Street, Noosa. We've been here every year for the past 6 or 7 and I have to say I have never seen it so quiet - I think the impact of the high $A is definitely having an impact here. On the way back we could see a huge storm approaching and this was confirmed by the weather radar. We just made it back to the caravans before the downpour and the thunderstorm started. All this lasted about 40 minutes and by dinner time all was still and dry again. Dinner was at Magic of India which is right next to the Burger Bar - another great meal. Tommorrow we are off to the Eumundi market.

Day 14 - Tewantin

Our time in Gympie has come to an end - we've had a wonderful time. John and Marie left mid morning with Marie trying to rest her leg on the dash - she has to keep it elevated- I think it is going to be a long slow trip home for her and John. We finally left around 11:00 for the short trip (57km) to Tewantin which is adjacent to Noosa Heads. We are spending a week in one of our favourite caravan parks - Bougainvillia Caravan Park. The weather continues to be brilliant. Tomorrow Peter and Saskia will join us for a few day in their caravan and in the evening Rob and Cecilia will join us from Caloundra for dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 13 - Gympie

Cecilia and Rob left today which only leaves John and Marie and us at Saskia and Pete's place. Peace and calm are returning once more. Forgot to mention - a few days ago Marie twisted her ankle while out for a walk and cracked a bone. After a trip to hospital she returned with her leg in plaster and a great deal of pain. Like the trouper she is she continued to participate in all the activities but tomorrow her and John will head for home in Wandiligong.

Day 8 to 12 - Gympie

If you've been following our blog you'll know we've gone missing for the last few days. Since we've arrived at Peter and Saskia's here in Gympie it's been an endless catching up with brothers and sisters, setting up caravans and just sitting around enjoying each others company. John and Marie and Rob and Cecilia are here with their caravans, and Lanie and Luke and Jenny have all flown up for the occasion. To top it all off Peter's daughter Sally and her husband Jake also joined us for the weekend. We've all had a really great time just at home but on Saturday night we had a pretty special night. At 6 pm we caught a heritage train here in Gympie which took us to a little town called Kandanga. There the train stopped outside the local Bowling Club where we had dinner. The entertainment for the evening was a fantastic Elvis impersonator who put on a brilliant show. The train trip home was a hoot as the van der Meulen girls led all the other passengers in a non ending succession of song. Home after midnight and a great night had by all. Luke and Jenny headed home on Sunday and Lanie left this morning. We'll depart here for Noosa on Wednesday where Sas and Peter will join us in their van for a few days. Althogether a great family get together.

Day 7 - Gympie

Left Toowoomba at 09:00 this morning and arrived in Gympie at 1:15. Rob and Cecilia had just arrived and were setting up their caravan and Lanie had flown up and arrived a few days earlier. By the time John and Marie arrive on Friday Saskia's place will look like a caravan park. Anyway, no more driving for a few days and lots of relaxing, lots of chats and a few drinks. The weather is cooperating - mid twenties and blue skies.

Day 6 - Toowoomba

Lazy day in Toowoomba today. After catching up on washing etc we had an early lunch at one of our favourites, Cafe Valetta located just out of the city. It's a beautiful cafe in a beautifully restored grand home across the road from one of the main parks here in town. This was our 4th or 5th visit. It was warm, the sun was shining and we started the day with a glass of bubbly.




We will probably head off to Gympie tomorrow, a day earlier than planned. We are now only 270km from our destination and it will be nice to catch up with Saskia and Pete and whoever else has already arrived.

Day 5 - Toowoomba

We left Goondiwindi just before 8 am this morning for the relatively short trip to Toowoomba (220 km). After an uneventful trip we arrived here around 11 am and checked into our usual place - Garden City Caravan Park. We stayed here last year and to our surprise we were allocated the exact same site. Spent the afternoon catching up on a bit of shopping.

Day 4 - Goondiwindi

Left Dubbo at 7:45 this morning to travel North along the Newell Highway. Stopped in Naribri for lunch in a nice park, and to stretch the legs. As we observed last year the Newell Highway seems to be the main route for caravanners to travel to and from Queensland. We decided to call it a day in Goondiwindi just over the Queensland border. We arrived just before 3 pm and it was so sunny and warm that we enjoyed a drink sitting outside. Tomorrow we will reach Toowoomba where we'll stay of at least a couple of days.

Day 3 - Dubbo NSW

No travelling today as we visited the Dubbo Western Plains Zoo. A very similar layout to the Werribee Zoo but a lot more facilities and the ability to drive your own car from exhibit to exhibit. The total distance is about 6 km. We saw some incredible sights including a hippopotamus that has been trained to hold his mouth open for dental work.




The weather is improving all the time and I noticed it was 25 in Gympie today which is definitely heading in the right direction. Tomorrow is a long day as we will probably try to reach Toowoomba which puts us within 275 km of Gympie.

Day 2 - Cooma to Dubbo

Woke up at 06:00 this morning to the sound of gentle drizzle on the caravan roof. After a quick breakfast it was time to get an early start. Fortunately we had a drive through site which means we were still hitched to the car. All we had to do was disconnect the water and power and we were off. For most of the morning we experienced light rain. Stopped for fuel in the outskirts of Canberra and then on to Yass where we spotted an interesting looking coffee shop. Found somewhere to park the car and van (not always easy) and had one of the best coffees ever. Then we were back on the road with the aim of reaching Dubbo as we want to visit the famous Western Plains Zoo there. We reached our destination around 3 pm and checked into a very nice Big4 park there. By then the rain had stopped and in fact the skies were clear. Found a great steak restaurant this evening The Lions Pride and enjoyed an excellent meal accompanied by a very nice glass of the local Red Earth Shiraz. Tomorrow the zoo.

Day 1 - Traralgon to Cooma

Our first day on the road. Got away this morning at 8:15. Stopped at Stratford for coffee, and to give the van a good check over. Everything was shipshape so we continued on our way with lunch and a fuel stop in Cann River. Lunch at Shorty's Little Pie Shop which we had visited before - great homemade fare. By the time we headed up the Cann Valley Highway the day had turned truly majestic. A brilliant blue sky and a bright green landscape - what a day! We reached Cooma just before 3 pm and checked into the Snowtels Caravan Park. Our kids might remember this park where we stayed around 1982 or so - I remember the apricot trees and the donkey and pony rides.