Last Thursday night, after watching a dismal weather forecast for the weekend I left it to The Thinker to decide whether we should take our inaugural trip with the Expanda.  In a moment of weakness, he almost decided to stay home.  But then, cursing himself for being so soft, he declared that we would, indeed, be heading to Gippsland the next morning.

I have to admit, a little bit of me was hoping we’d stay home, warm and dry.  In my experience (12+ years of visiting in-laws in Gippsland), if it’s going to rain anywhere in Victoria on a given day it will be there.  So, although a wet weather forecast doesn’t necessarily mean it will rain here at home, it most certainly guarantees a soggy time in Gippsland.

After checking that I had packed all the coats, beanies, scarves and gloves I could find, we excitedly piled in the car on Friday morning and set Mike (our GPS) for Toora.

A little aside:  Our GPS speaks with Mike Myers’ voice (Austin Powers, actually), hence the name.  It says things like “You’ve reached your destination.  Groovy driving, baby” which cracks the kids up no end. Me too.

As expected, it was wet for most of the trip and still wet when we got there.  No downpours, just annoying drizzle.  Fortunately, the Expanda was a dream to set up and thanks to its heater (oooh!!) we were warm in no time.

The Expanda kept us warm & dry

The Toora Tourist Park is easy to find, right on the South Gippsland Highway.  It lies on the shoulder of the Strzelecki’s as they slide down to the coast.  Being 4 star, it has quite a few bells and whistles:

• Indoor heated pool (I purposely didn’t pack the togs – I’m not mad on swimming in cold weather even if it is indoors)
• Well equipped games room
• Jumping pillow (which was very wet or partially under water for most of our stay)
• Beach volleyball
• Trampoline
• Two playgrounds

There's plenty to do around the park

The amenities block was quite small and basic, and not 4 star in my opinion.  Even though most sites are either ensuite sites or cabins I’m not entirely convinced there wouldn’t be a perpetual queue for the toilet and shower during peak times.  No bench in the shower stall also made it difficult to dry and dress the two girls.

I was quite excited that the wind turbines, which were on my list of things to see, were right behind the caravan park.  We could even hear the bearly there “whump, whump, whump” of the blades spinning when the kids stopped yelling.

The wet weather meant we didn’t get to see all the things on my list.  We braved a very grey day to head down to Wilson’s Prom, about 40 minutes away.  I had wanted to do at least two of the shorter walks there, but one was flooded and it was just too wet to stop for the other one.  So we made do with a poke around Tidal River until the wind and rain became too much to bear.

Tidal River at Wilson's Prom

We stopped off at Waratah Bay as the weather cleared, only for our beach walk to be cut short by another downpour.  It looks to be a lovely spot though, and one we’ll probably head back to at some stage.

Our last bit of sightseeing at Port Welshpool was, frankly, a bit of a disappointment.  We did a quick walk around the wharf and that was about it as far as we could see.  Long Jetty has been closed, due to what appears to be its state of disrepair.  Perhaps on a better day we could have walked along the foreshore and found more to enjoy.

Port Welshpool Wharf

The Expanda held up admirably to the rain, the mud and three excited kids.  It was very roomy, despite the five of us spending a lot of time in there.  There were board games on the table, dolls up one end and reading up the other.  The sleeping set up worked very well with the only problem there the girls wriggling out of their sleeping bags during the night.  And the storage – we had cupboards to spare!  It was wonderful just being able to open a cupboard and pull out our clothes, or to find a pot without emptying everything else out first.

Getting dinner ready for the dreampot

Cooking indoors, which usually drives me to yell like a crazy woman at anyone who dares to look my way, was also trouble free.  The extra space makes all the difference in the world.

Despite the weather we had a fun time.  It was great to get away again after almost six months at home.  Now to start planning the next trip.

A little while ago blogged about trying my hand at photographing and writing about our travels around Australia.  I was lucky to find a group called Australian Travel Writing & Photography on Redbubble that offers a great deal of support and advice to people just like me.

As a virtual newbie to doing this type of thing for anyone other than myself I was initially pretty nervous about participating.  However, the members soon made me feel very comfortable, with their supportive comments and helpful advice.  Many of the members are published and are quite willing to share their expertise – invaluable assistance for someone like me.  They’ve answered my (possibly) silly questions and guided me along in the few short months I’ve been a member.  I’ve even had a buzz out of seeing my work featured a couple of times too.

I’ve been writing this blog for about a year and have come across a number of good writing and photography resources already.  However, none of them focused specifically on travel writing and photography and certainly none had the community behind them that Australian Travel Writing & Photography has.   I particularly enjoy learning from other’s comments and work.  Added to that, my list of places to visit keeps growing and growing as they introduce me to more and more of Australia .

Within a few weeks of joining, I came to realise just how hard the group host, Darren Stones, works to foster this wonderful community and to develop opportunities for its members.  His encouragement, liaison and expertise have played a very large part in the success of the group.  A major coup by Darren has been securing a number of sponsors for the group, including Greg Barton, editor of Australian Traveller magazine.

Buoyed by the support of the group, I decided to have a good crack at the inaugural Australian Traveller Travel Writing & Photography challenge held recently.  The opportunity to be published in a major magazine isn’t one that comes along too often to new writers so early on.  I picked my topic, researched, wrote and rewrote.  I scoured my photo library for suitable shots.  Then I edited everything again.  And probably again – I’m not sure, I lost count!  Finally I was happy with what I had.  I shut my eyes and pressed the submit button.

Yesterday, I received the most exciting news I’ve had for a very long time.  I’d won the challenge! My story and photos will be published in Australian Traveller magazine.  I haven’t stopped smiling.  I’m sure their distribution will spike from me buying copies for all my friends and family.

I can’t thank Greg enough for giving me this opportunity (and for the wonderful feedback), Darren for organising it all and the group members for sharing their knowledge.  I’d also like to congratulate the other participants.  I know it can be a nerve-wracking experience putting your writing out there for everyone to see, but it was a pleasure to read all your work.  Well done especially to runners up Sonia Ellem and John Vrieskolk.

With the work that Darren’s doing and the continued passion of the Australian Travel Writing & Photography members, I can see this group flourishing.  I’m so grateful to be a part of it.

Images by Leanne Nelson

Following our few days in Griffith we headed west to Robinvale (actually in Victoria) for the second part of our SW New South Wales trip.  We’d planned to take the Sturt Highway through Hay and Balranald, about 350kms.  I didn’t do much research for this part of the trip.  I’d heard that the country around Hay was very flat and dry with not much to see, so I assumed (wrongly as it turned out) that there wouldn’t be anything worth stopping for.

Heading out of Griffith, we were again reminded what a difference water can make to the countryside.  Crossing to the south side of the Murrumbidgee we went from irrigated to nonirrigated land.  What a vast contrast.  Rows upon rows of orchards and rice fields on one side of the river; dry, grey seeming barren land on the other.

True to what I had heard, the land along the Sturt Highway didn’t provide a lot to look at.  There was the odd woolshed, close to no trees once the river was out of sight and surprisingly very little stock (although we probably shouldn’t have been surprised by that).  In fact, sadly I saw more dead stock than live over most of the trip.

Murray Downs woolshed

Despite our experience with the dust storm, this is where the real effects of the drought hit home for us.  Just how the farmers out there are able to make a living is beyond me.  It was just heart wrenching.  I have absolute admiration for the people that are able to stick it out in those conditions.

I had briefly seen an ad for the Shearers’ Hall of Fame in Hay.  As we’d planned to stop in Hay for lunch I thought we might as well pay it a visit.  The Thinker wasn’t so keen, having wandered through many a crappy country museum in our travels.  After all, how many rusty ploughs can you feign interest in?

Shears through time

How wrong he was!  We could see the enormous front panels of the museum rising up out of the plains as we approached.  It became clear this was a “proper” museum.  There was the Hall of Fame; the Shear Outback exhibition, with static and interactive displays (always fun for the kids); Murray Downs woolshed with shearing demos; and a great sheep yard maze.  Rather than a quick stopover to stretch our legs we ended up spending quite a while there.  I thoroughly recommend paying a visit if you’re passing by.

In fact, my preconceptions of Hay itself were quite off the mark.  Being the administrative centre for the surrounding sheep farming district (one of the largest in the world), it should have been no surprise that it was as large and (in good times) prosperous as it was.   The main street, lined with lovely historic buildings, was busy with locals going about their business.  There were quite a few tourists like us, stopping off for lunch.

Leaving Hay behind us we again followed the Sturt Highway through the dry plains.  As we neared Balranald, the Murrumbidgee and it’s life giving water again started to change the landscape.  As inviting as the riverside shade looked, we were keen to get to our final destination, so we pushed on.  Next time I think we’ll stop for the night though.  The caravan park right by the river and the quintessential small country town looked perfect for relaxing.

Image by Leanne Nelson

In the last week or so you might have noticed a little change on my blog.  Hint:  It’s over there, on the right.  If you’re in a reader you’re just going to have to click through to see what I’m talking about

Over the last few months I’ve been gathering a little portfolio of photographs, which are now offered for sale as cards and prints (matted, laminated, mounted & framed) at Leanne Nelson Photography Australia.  Generally the images are from our travels around the countryside, although there are quite a few from around my home town as well (from the times when we just can’t get away).

It’s my aim to slowly build the portfolio with images that say “Australia” to me.  From the website:

My photographs are all about what catches my eye in the greatest country in the world – Australia. As the country is full of diversity and contrast, so are my images. From outback to beach, towns to farms, minute details to grand scenics; I hope to share my Australia with you.

I hope you have a spare minute to have a look through.  You never know, you might find something for your wall

Images are printed by Redbubble to very high standards (read more here) and delivered directly to you.  Shipping is 5-10 days (express) or 10-15 days (standard) and all work is guaranteed.

Photos by Leanne Nelson

A couple of weeks ago I decided to shut the door on the housework, packed Little Mermaid, a snack and my camera and headed down to the beach for the day.

We were all rugged up as the weather was looking typically winterish. It turned out to be a beautiful day, although there was a little chill in the air.

Little Mermaid and I had a great time exploring some short walks and looking for shells.

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the routine of day to day activities. That makes spontaneous days, like our outing to the beach even more fun and special.

When was the last time you ignored what you “should” be doing and did something fun and spontaneous?

It’s nearly that time of year again.  Can you believe it?  I can’t.

Christmas in July is a bit of fun, especially here in Australia.  Our Christmases are usually hot and dusty.  Not the ideal time to be enjoying traditional Christmas fare, although we still give it a pretty good go

Not only is July an ideal time to get stuck into Christmas hams and puds, it is also a perfect time to start thinking about the real Christmas in December.  I know it seems like forever away, but if you’ve ever been struck with dread a few days before Christmas because you’ve forgotten something important you’ll appreciate the value of a little forward planning.

I’m not suggesting you rush out and buy all your Christmas presents now (keep an eye out at the July sales though – there’s plenty of bargains).  Instead, perhaps start making a list of gifts, card recipients or things to do.  A little bit each week and come Christmas you’ll be cool, calm and collected because you’ve got it all ready to go.

I did a Christmas in July series last year that goes into more detail.  Note that I’m not doing the competition this year (I’ve not been here enough to be that organised ).

A little while ago I blogged about ordering our new caravan, a Jayco Expanda.  We were very pleasantly surprised a couple of weeks back when we got a call to say it was ready to pick up – about three weeks earlier than expected

We took the super excited bunch down to the dealer last week to pick it up.  The Engineer’s job was to watch the handover carefully so he could remind The Thinker and I how everything worked.  The girls got to lounge about on the beds.

My grin, when we were shown the set up/pack up procedure was huge.  Gone is the stretching over grubby canvas to roll up awnings, risking a bang on the head setting up the annexe and winding and tucking everything in.

Instead, we now have a super quick set up that won’t require the kids to be patient little cherubs.  In fact, we can use the van without it being set up, which is a godsend for me when packing our gear.

Our first few nights away is planned for the very near future.  We’ll be travelling down to Toora in South West Gippsland.  From there we’ll do daytrips to Wilson’s Prom, into the Strezleki’s and the coastal towns nearby.

View Larger Map

I can’t wait to get away!  It’s been over six months since we went camping and I have very itchy feet.

Well, the first week of the Simple Savings $21 Challenge has passed. You can read a bit more about the actual challenge here. And although technically I failed because I spent more than $21, I still came out on top.

In total, I spent $55.05 on food items (not including fruit, veg, milk & bread). That’s a whopping saving of over $100 on my normal spend. Wow. Granted, I did have a small stock of meat in the freezer and a few tins in the pantry but not what I’d call a stockpile.

This week’s going to get a bit tougher as I’ve made my way through most of the supplies I already had. That means delving into the Simple Savings Vault to find some great ideas to stretch things out a bit. I think I should still be able to make big savings though.

I did a rushed job through the supermarket just before lunch last week and didn’t have the best attitude. There were a few things I picked up I wouldn’t normally have bought because I figured I was saving so much anyway. Makes no sense at all now, but at the time it seemed logical!

I estimate that I’ll save at least $300 on groceries this month. Oh, what I could spend that on

Unfortunately, I’m not sure that I could sustain these shopping habits over a long time, but for a month it seems to be well worth the effort.  If you’re game to give the $21 Challenge a go, head over to Simple Savings to get all the details and tips you need.

Over the last few months our bank balance has been looking sadder than usual the week before payday. I don’t think it’s because we’ve been spending excessively, rather the cost of everything – especially groceries – has been increasing.

The Thinker has been picking up our fruit and veg at the market each week. This has cut that part of our grocery bill by almost half. I still find it hard to believe that the shopping cart full to the brim he brings home each week only costs $30, absolute maximum.

Nevertheless, the cost of my shopping trolley at the supermarket (Aldi) has increased by around $30 – $40 each week over last year’s prices.  So I’m back on the “cut the grocery bill” bandwagon, trying to rein things in a bit.

I’ve written before about what a big fan of Simple Savings I am.  If you’re unfamiliar with the website, it contains literally thousands of money savings ideas, submitted by real people.  Free membership gives you a monthly newsletter and access to some tools to help with saving.  Or for a yearly fee ($37 at the moment) you get full access to all the hints, a great forum and more savings tools.

The last few days I’ve been delving back into their Savings Vault to get some ideas where I can shave a few dollars from our grocery bill.  It’s the most amazing resource, I have to say.  Some of the hints are, in my opinion, a bit extreme.  I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to traipse out to the supermarket at 10pm just so I can get a discounted BBQ chicken.

But the majority of the ideas are either pretty darn clever or so simple you’ll slap yourself because you’re not doing them already.  I guess sometimes we just need a reminder of what works.

As I was poking around I discovered that in June they’re having a $21 challenge.  Yep, you get to try to spend only $21 per week on groceries.  Sounds near impossible I know, but I’m going to give it a go – if not for the whole month for a couple of weeks at least.

There’s a little bit of leeway.  For instance $21 is based on a family of four, some people include only main meals, some don’t include milk and bread, and so on.  The key is to use what you already have in the house and to think outside the square.  And stay away from the supermarket

The Simple Savings paid membership area will also come in very handy, as in addition to all the usual hints there’s a dedicated thread on the forum to help with ideas and motivation. I’ve also done posts on menu planning and ways to save money on groceries.

I’m not going to include milk, bread, fruit and veg.  Even so, if I can get the rest of our food items for $21 per week I’ll be saving around $150.  Can’t complain about that! (A few weeks saving that much and I might even have enough for a new camera lens )

Who’s game to join me?  You can read more in the most recent Simple Savings Newsletter or go right ahead and join the Savings Vault.

Image by Leanne Nelson

With the lovely gift of a new camera for my birthday and our frequent travels around this great country, some wheels have started turning inside my head.

What if I could learn to take great photos and write great pieces about the places we visit?  What if someone else (namely an editor) also thought these photos and stories were great published them?  What if I actually earned some money (even a little bit) by doing this?

I would be doing something I enjoyed and being paid for it.  How cool would that be?  We could travel more!

So I began investigating.  Overwhelmingly, I have come across three messages:

• Practice, practice, practice
• Read, read, read
• Getting published is very, very difficult

In my searches I also came across Redbubble, a community for artists and writers wishing to showcase and sell their work.  In particular, I found the Australian Travel Writing and Photography group, run by Darren Stones and a trusty band of helpers.  There are some seriously talented people in the group and I’m having a great time learning from them.  The group’s primary goals are to see its members works published and

showcase high quality Australian travel photography and writing to a worldwide audience

Darren has been working very hard at promoting the group via Twitter (@autravel) and over the web in general.  Just recently he revealed that he’s also been doing some seriously awesome behind the scenes liaison, announcing Greg Barton as patron of the Australian Travel Writing and Photography group. Greg is editor of one of my favourite magazines, Australian Traveller (their recent 100 Best Towns in Australia has become our new itinerary ).

The news has just kept getting more exciting for group members.  Remember how hard it is to get published?  This week a challenge was announced where the winners’ works would be published in Australian Traveller.  This is an awesome opportunity and something to be hugely grateful to Darren and Greg for organising.

As I’ve mentioned there is some great talent in the group. I encourage you to check out the beautiful photographs and read the travel stories there – Australia is an amazing country, no doubt.  And of course, if you’re interested in travel writing and photography consider joining the group.  It’s a very supportive community offering some great possibilities.