Reismee English.

January & February 2016.

After we dropt Ben and Rowie of at the airport we stayed one more day in Camden before we moved on to the coastal area between Sydney and Batemans Bay. There we lingered on a while at Jeanne and Chris James place in Morton.

We did some daytrip to the lovely beaches, with or without family members who live there. We also visited Kees and Ann for a few days just to be with them and to get showed around the nice area where they live.

People are telling us that it has been one of the worst summers in ages and I think it is true because one day it is in the 30 degrees and the next is raining cats and dogs and with a big drop in temps. When the sun comes out again it gets very sticky before is feels nice again.

At the end of January we went with Jeanne and Chris to Lane Cove Park in Sydney for a few days to do some little trip but most important to visit and celebrate the 30^th wedding anniversary from Ucki and Tony in Sydney at their old wedding location. We went with public transport over there and after the party Charlie was so kind to drive us back to Lane Cove.

During our days at Westwinds we had time to clean the caravan and do all the washing so we have a clean and tidy van to do our next long trip with. The car got his service as well and the rear brakes got replaced because when drive over dirt road they start to wear of fast.

During the second week of February we started our drive towards Melbourne and after a couple of stops we decided to stop at a Big4 at Dandenong close to the city but away from the noise. But after a long drive when we got there it was booked solid and so all the other campsites in Melbourne. Why? There was an event going on, the Steptoe.

We decided to drive on to Geelong after we pre-booked there. I don’t mind driving through cities and it was only 150km further anyway. When we called it was just two o’clock but driving through the centre of Melbourne was dramatic and it took us hours to get to the bridge which led us to the road to Geelong. I let Els call them again at ten to six to let them know we were close by, they wanted to wait for us till ten past and we rolled in at seven past.

The next day we spent riding trains up and down to Melbourne but they were packed as well. We got to visit the Victoria Markets, the Victoria Station, did the tram ride and lots more. We also visited our friends from New Zealand, Frank and Gaby for a lovely afternoon and evening.

After four nights in Geelong we moved on with very nice weather towards the Great Ocean Road. Via Apollo Bay, where we stayed two nights and visited the very nice hinterland and forest. We saw a lot of wild Koalas and did a treetop walk in the old rainforest, which I can recommend to anyone to do to. It wasn’t cold but close to a rainforest, it rains a lot.

Finally we got on to the Great Ocean Road and it was dry when we got to the Twelve Apostles it was dry beside a short bit of rainfall. So we got a good change to take photos from the lookouts and from the beaches below. When you there you can see how high the ocean level has been in the past when we didn’t have polar caps. It was about 8 till 10 meters higher. Which figures, because that was at the time Australia had a shallow inland ocean about 300 million years ago. It makes you wonder what happens if the current polar caps keep melting?

Via Port Fairly, where we camped one night, up to Mount Gambier over the Princes Hwy we left Victoria and entered South Australia. Picked up a hitchhiker, German girl Martina, who needed to go to Mount Gambier. After the lunch we moved on to Kingston and the weather became better and better. Along the road a lot of different landscapes, with low bush, high trees, empty p[lanes, or all of a sudden mountains and hills.

Two night was enough there, so we drove over the coastal road to Adelaide where we booked three nights at a Big4. This way we had plenty of time to visit the town where we started our trip in 2010.

We think Adelaide is a town with millions of people but it got the atmosphere of a little village and is very relaxed to drive, walk or just be there. On the second day we parked our car somewhere in a parking garage and when we walked out of there towards the shopping centre we bumped into an old record store. They did not only sell records but also old record players with the speakers in the suitcase, telephones, and radios. Before I knew it I walked out with five albums of Neil Diamond. One of them was the sleeve Shilo and very rare. The question is now, how we keep them in one piece and flat.

From Adelaide to Port Augusta, the last city on the coast for a while as we are going land inwards to visit the red centre. We spent two day refilling all our stocks and for wat we think is necessary for the coming weeks and we enjoyed the swimming pool to cool down after the hot days here. Because it is in the 40 already, today even 44. During this high temps it is not enough to drink a lot so we drink extra vitamins and minerals , when you drink and transpire five liters a day they run out of your body just as fast.

This is the last town we can buy petrol cheap and from now the prices will go up it might even double.

Port Augusta is the town we drove through when we came from the Nullarbor months ago when we were on our way to Sydney to go and see Neil Diamond.

We stay here at port Augusta because this is where the Flinders Range meets the ocean and the country side gets fantastic colors and shapes.

It is almost the end of February and from now on we have to make kilometers if we want to spend enough time in the Red Centre, because we have booked our return tickets to the Netherlands. Yes, we have to go back; our visa runs out at the beginning of May. So we will leave on the 23th of April from Sydney and arrive in Amsterdam on the 24^th.

But for the coming weeks I , we, will keep on boring you all with our travel stories.

About the Red Centre, read it the next time.

Till then my, our, dear followers.