Day 37 - Traralgon - Friday 12 October 2012

We arrived home in Traralgon this afternoon at 3:15. This was not part of the plan. During our stay in Forster Tuncurry the weather forecasts for the East Coast of Australia was starting to look a bit ominous and in fact the forecast for Forster was for storms. So at that stage we thought we would start driving south and look for other locations depending on the weather. Early in the afternoon we had bypassed Sydney on the M7 and decided to go to Canberra, on the basis that there was plenty to do if the weather was a bit iffy. About an hour out of Canberra it started to pour and it never really let up so we basically pulled up in a van park in Canberra without unhitching and listened to the rain throughout the night. By this morning it was clear that there was no decent weather to be had anywhere and we decided to head for home - 3 days early. As we came down the Monaro Highway we were literally driving through snow and it was very cold. It didn't really warm up until we came down to sea level at Cann River. However we can't complain. We were away for 5 weeks and in that time enjoyed constant great weather. We had a great re-union with the family in Gympie and also enjoyed Pete and Saskia's and Rob and Cecilia's company again on the Sunshine Coast. Had some great meals, saw a few good movies (can heartily recommend "Mental"), and most of all relaxed like mad.

Day 35 - Forster-Tuncurry (Wed 10 October 2012)

Left Coffs Harbour at 08:30 this morning - once again the sun was shining and the promise of a fine day. We arrived at Forster-Tuncurry about 12:30 and quickly set up camp. This is our third visit here and it is quite a spectacular location and our caravan site is great so we'll stay for a couple of days and try to hang around in the warm sunny weather as long as we can. I took this photo from the back of our caravan.

Day 33 - Coffs Harbour - Mon 8 October 2012

We left Southport at 08:30 this morning with Coffs Harbour as our intended destination. We thought we were doing well time wise until we realised that as soon as we crossed the NSW border it would be an hour later due to daylight savings. One of the little rituals we have enjoyed over the years is morning coffee/lunch at Macadamia Castle located about 10 km north of Ballina where we usually enjoy Mango and Macadamia pancakes - this year was no exception. The place is very popular and it is always quite tricky to find somewhere to park the car and the caravan but somehow we managed. We arrived in Coffs after a pleasant drive and had everything set up by 3:30 on our site at the Clog Barn caravan park. It has a Dutch cafe and souvenir shop on site. This evening around dinner time we had a bit of rain - our first for quite a while - but it only lasted half an hour or so. At this stage the plan is to stay here for two nights before continuing our trek south.

Day 32 - Gold Coast (Sun 7 October 2012)

Our last day on the Gold Coast - tomorrow we start to slowly make our way home. Went for a drive to Sanctuary Cove and had morning coffee there at the Masthead Bakery. There's a cool change expected tonight and during the afternoon gusty winds appeared so we decided to pack the awning and all the outside stuff to avoid the chance of it all getting wet overnight. So, in the morning we just hitch up and leave. We'll be coming down the coast but our stops will be somewhat influenced by weather, we want the fine warm weather to last as long as possible. We will reach Bairnsdale next Sunday afternoon and the caravan is booked in for a service at the Jayco dealer there on Monday morning and so we will be home sometime in the afternoon of Monday 15 October.

Day 31 - Gold Coast - (Sat 6 October 2012)

Our run of great weather continues and a cool change is not expected until tomorrow night which is our last night here on the Gold Coast. After our usual leisurely breakfast we eventually made our way to Broadbeach for lunch and a bit of shopping. The last time we spent some time here - a couple of years ago - there was a lot of new construction going on. Now all this has been completed and the result is a cluster of new and very attractive buildings and lots of cafes and restaurants. Altogether a lot classier than Surfers Paradise. After lunch we spent some time at the Pacific Plaza Shopping Centre before returning to our little home away from home for some serious relaxing.

Day 29 - Gold Coast (Thur 4 October 2012)

A brilliant day, clear skies and 27 degC. The same is expected for the next 4-5 days. After our  usual leisurely breakfast we decided to take a drive to Tambouring Mountain. We come back here every year because it is such an interesting little town high in the mountain hinterland behind the Gold Coast. Lots of interesting little shops and always plenty of people just enjoying the sunshine and the hustle and bustle. Got home around 3:30 pm. Across the road from our caravan park is Cav's Steak House and next to the restaurant is a butcher's shop which sells the products from next door. Picked up a couple of eye fillets to BBQ this evening and enjoy with a nice bottle of red.

Day 27 - Gold Coast ( Tue 2 October, 2012)

It rained throughout the night. Fortunately we had already packed all our stuff, and this morning we only had to retract the awning to depart. Due to the site we were on we required the little tractor again, to extract the caravan ready for hitching to the Pajero. By 10:00 am we were on our way down the Bruce Highway heading for the Gold Coast. As we drove down the skies started clearing and it looks like the next four days or so will be fine. When we arrived at the Broadwater Tourist Park here in Southport it was quite windy and we had to take extra precautions to secure our awning properly. This evening we visited our favourite fish and chippery in Labrador and once again we were delighted. As I write this it is nearly 11 pm. The wind has died down and the skies are clear. Looking forward to a few nice days here on the Gold Coast.

Day 26 - Maroochydore (Mon 1 Oct 2012)

We're still in Maroochydore and the weather has turned a bit showery. We've been busy though - Saturday we saw Looper at the local cineplex followed by dinner at India Today. We visited this restaurant with Peter and Saskia last year and thought then it was the best Indian restaurant we had ever been too. This latest visit confirmed that opinion. The decor in this place is "Maharaja Palace", the service is superb and the food is - simply the best. Yesterday we met Saskia and Peter in Tewantin and once again ate at the Burger Bar which I think I've described before. It was great catching up with them again before we head away from the Sunshine Coast. Tomorrow we move to Southport in the Gold Coast before we commence our trek home on the 8th October. The caravan is booked in for a service at the Jayco dealer in Bairnsdale on 15 October and we should be home later that day.