Kris and Ken's Travels

2018-04-20T17:37:00.001-07:00

TRIP 3

Australia:

New South Wales
South Australia
Northern Territory
Western Australia
Return trip across The Nullabor

Map: Coffs Harbour New South Wales to Coward Springs South Australia

Narrandera NSW

Camping at the Showground

One of the few original pavilions remaining

Mildura NSW

Camping on the Murray River.

Port Augusta SA

Port Augusta

Arid Land Botanical Gardens

The Flinders Ranges SA

Wilpena Pound

Flinders Ranges

Bunyeroo Gorge

Coward Springs Campground SA

Map Coward Springs to Kununurra

Lake Eyre SA

Coober Pedy SA

Nature formed area

Man made underground dwelling being built

Underground Church

The Dog Fence

Alice Springs NT

The Macdonnell Ranges (West) NT

Ellery Creek

Kings Canyon

Ormiston Gorge

Redbank Gorge

Simpsons Gap

The Ochre Pits

Uluru NT

Daly Waters

Mataranka Springs

Snug, Southport, Bruny Island, Hobart

2016-07-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

Found this little treasure of a caravan park in Snug. A discovery park that had a gorgeous outlook of the river and close to Hobart and Bruny Island for day trips.

View from our campsite of the Derwent River

We headed off to Southport for a few days to do a walk to the most southern point of Australia.

It takes about 5 hours to walk there and the return track and some of the track is rough with large rocks but it is so really worth the time and energy. When you get to that southern end it is the most amazing view.

Most Southern Road of Australia

Most Southern Point of Australia

We headed back to Snug for a few more days in that park and ventured into Hobart

First we spent a day at the spectacular Hobart Botanical Gardens

Day Trip to Bruny Island and Jet Boated to the Great Southern Ocean

Salamanca Markets Hobart

For anyone that is into markets this is great to see. We found the best Italian restaurant to have lunch in right near where the Markets were set up.

Salamanca Market Hobart

Mona Art Gallery

This art gallery is not for everyone. It is ultra modern and we found it to be vulgar. Each to his/her own I will let you decide. We did love the structure of the building and the outdoor gardens of grapes and olive trees but the art was just too too extreme for me to be able to recommend it.

The Wall Created by Artist Greg Duncan

2016-07-24T23:52:00.001-07:00

The Wall Tasmania

This is an amazing attraction to visit. It is a gallery that houses the most amazing carved timber works that I have ever seen. It is a work in progress.

Greg Duncan was born in Belgrave, in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges. In 1982, he decided to take up sculpting as a full-time career. Greg moved to Derwent Bridge in Tasmania's high country with his wife Marg in 2003.

There is an entry fee (I think around $15 from memory but please check on this) that you will forget long before you forget this attraction

Click the link below to see the location on the map.

Map: Where is The Wall

15352 Lyell Hwy, Derwent Bridge TAS 7140

Pictures from The Wall website below

I totally recommend that you don't miss this amazing display of workmanship on your travels around Tasmania

Arthur River Tasmania to Strahan to Lake St Claire and Russell Falls Mt Field

2016-07-14T22:32:00.004-07:00

Our next adventure was to take us to Cradle Mountain but on arrival the weather was bad and as our main plan was to walk Dove Lake we decided to continue on South to Stahan and return to Cradle Mountain later in our trip hoping to catch good weather.
Just a tip if you do this trip to pre-book accommodation for Stahan. Even the caravan sites with power along with their many cabins were all booked out and we were lucky to manage to get the last tent site for our Trayon but no power sites available, in the long run this turned out to be a blessing as it encouraged us to try more free camping using our solar panels and pop up shower.

Strahan

The main tourist attraction at Stahan was the river cruise on the Gordon River. Due to bad weather, we decided not to do this cruise but the people we spoke to that did it said it was so scenic and fun.
This is a link to book if you plan to take the cruise.

Gordon River Cruise

We opted instead to go to the Theatre and see 'The Ship That Never Was' a play that has a cast of 2 plus people selected from the audience to take part in the play. It was great and has playing since 1993.Runs from Sept to May each year.

The Ship That Never Was

Lake St Claire

On the South Side of Cradle Mountain

Camped at Lake St Claire it was cold and damp but we stayed nice and warm and dry in

our Trayon.

We stayed 3 nights and did some really good walks here.

Russel Falls Mt Field

More walking tracks to keep us happy :-)

This was a great walk and challenging with a lot of stairs through the walk. Check out the first pic for Russell Falls to see the track.

The link below has good information on this area.

Russell Falls Mt Field National Park

Bright Victoria to Melbourne/Melbourne to Davenport to West Coast Arthur River Tasmania

2016-07-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

Travelled South to Melbourne to stay overnight in the Big 4 Caravan Park It was so crowded in the Caravan Park with people camped so close you could hardly get out your door, it was not enjoyable at all and we were pleased to move on the next morning.for an early Ferry,
.

The Spirit of Tasmania

Boarded the Spirit of Tasmania. We chose to have a sit up seat and not a cabin as the trip was through the day to arrive Davenport around 5pm.
We stayed for 2 nights at a lovely park and were able to get an ensuite site which made it all the more convenient. More on Davenport on the way home.
chttp://www.discoveryholidayparks.com.au/tas/om.au/tas/north_west_coast/devonport

Davenport Tasmania

Took a day trip down the centre of Tassie to lovely little towns Railton - known for its topiary and Sheffield known for its murals.

Railton

Sheffield

We headed across the top of Tasmania through Penguin, Bernie and The Nut

Penguin

Burnie Tasmania Australia

Unfortunately it was raining by the time we got to The Nut so no pics of that :-(

We found a beautiful free camp at Smithton called Tall Timbers. Attached to a Hotel that you can pay to use amenities if you are not self contained or have a meal while stopping over. They also run Wilderness Tours that you will find online if that is what you are looking for.

This was so lovely to stay here. We filled up with groceries and water before heading off to Arthur River and doubled back after Arthur River so had 2 blissful nights here.

Tall Timbers Smithton

With a plan to travel to the north west corner and then Arthur river. Stayed overnight in a National Park at Arthur River ($20 a night). There is plenty of free camping there (if you prefer it) in and around all the sand hills and tracks....it is beautiful and natural. Little bright eyes looking at you everywhere after dark - Pademelons galore!

Tasmanian Pademelon

Take the time to call in at the rangers office as they are so willing to share information and make suggestions on where to go and what to see.
I have to say our 3 months in Tasmania was so fantastic and we saw many beautiful places but for me this untamed West Coast and magnificent forests where definitely my favourite of the whole trip. These pics don't do it justice. We took a boat trip that is run by a family that has handed the business down through the generations, It was informative and fun, the beautiful Arthur River so so wonderful!

Green Point Nth West Corner of Tasmania

Arthur River

They call this 'THE EDGE OF THE WORLD' and that is exactly how it feels!

Edge of the World

Edge of the World - Wild and Untamed

Sydney to Yass/Yass NSW to Bright Victoria

2016-07-12T22:52:00.002-07:00

SYDNEY TO YASS

Day 2:

Sydney was our first stopover as we wanted to spend time with our daughter and her family before heading off on our adventure.
Next we headed West to catch up with some old friends and spend a couple of nights on their sheep property just west of Yass.

On the way to Yass we called into the Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures. What a view!

You can fly on cable spans up to 35 metres above the forest floor with experienced guides. Looks fantastic!

Dropped in on our good friends at Bookham just outside of Yass NSW. This is a lovely sheep property that we really enjoy visiting.

Next we drove just a little west of Yass to stay for a couple of nights with friends on a Sheep property.

We slept in a guest room for 2 nights - not camping. It was great to catch up with them and their children. Thanks

Day 3, 4 & 5

Headed down through Albury to Freeburgh caravan park just outside of Bright, Victoria.

http://www.brightvictoria.com.au/see-do/cycling-mountaing-biking.aspx

http://www.brightvictoria.com.au/district-map.aspx

This is an excellent area for biking as they have converted the old railroad tracks to bike paths so you can ride safely for miles. I have included these links above to give a bit more information on the area.

There is a lot to see in this area Mount Beauty and Falls Creek plus many more.

Falls Creek

NSW, Victoria and Tasmania in Australia - Getting ready

2016-01-01T20:04:00.003-08:00

Our Travels to Tasmania

2015

It took quite a while to plan and organise.
We decided to make it a camping holiday and try not to use caravan parks all the time. That meant setting ourselves up with the right vehicle and camper and camping equipment.
We decided on a Holden Colorado dual cab with a tray back and a Trayon Camper. This meant we didn't have to tow anything (The Trayon just slid on the tray back) so we weren't restricted to where we could go. We know this vehicle and equipment will get plenty of use as we have several other camping trips planned for over the next 5 years. The vehicle doubles as the family car at home and the tray is useful for picking up and carrying garden soil or anything else that needs space and to be transported. It is a handy all rounder and being able to be used for multi-purpose was essential for us. We just didn't want a mobile home sitting in the garage/driveway for most of the year not being used.
While we agreed that the Trayon camper is not for everyone it certainly met all our needs and was extremely comfortable- we love the convenience and easy set-up.
It includes an outdoor shower on the side of the camper and shower tent that folds flat.
We set ourselves up to be as self-sufficient as possible.

List of equipment

Battery
Solar Panel
Gas Bottle
Diesel Heater
1000 watt Inverter
Portable toilet
Dish and TV
Fridge
Coffee Maker (little comforts)
Blender (Smoothies for breakfast)
Gas Stove
Fry Pan
Saucepan
Cooking utensils, plates, cups etc.
Waterproof and warm clothes
Comfortable bedding
Walking Poles/Boots and Back-pack

Day 1:

We drove from Coffs Harbour to Sydney to visit our daughter and her family and then set off from there the following day.

Summary of 6 Month International Trip

2015-08-07T22:27:00.014-07:00

Summary of 6 Months in Canada, New York, UK and Beautiful Europe

After 6 months tripping around across Canada to New York then on to the South of UK all the way to the North The Orkney Islands. Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, France, Austria, and returning to Geneva to catch a flight back to Australia via Singapore.I have blogged our travels in the hope that it will give insight into the different areas we visited and encourage like minded people to do 'that trip' they have dreamed of taking.

Deciding on overseas travel

The decision on where to travel is such a personal one: We are all drawn to different cultures and experiences so think about what you like and what you would like to see.

Some of us like a leisurely relaxed style holiday while others like to be active or perhaps a combination of the two, part leisurely/part active.

Attending travel fairs and expos can help give you ideas and options, internet research is great and there are a lot of websites that have feedback from many who have travelled to different areas of the world.

Enjoy!

_________________________________________

Wrap Up on the 6 Month International Trip

2015-08-07T22:27:00.010-07:00

Summary of 6 Months in Canada, New York, UK and Beautiful Europe

After 6 months tripping around across Canada to New York then on to the South of UK all the way to the North The Orkney Islands. Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, France, Austria, and returning to Geneva to catch a flight back to Australia via Singapore.I have blogged our travels in the hope that it will give insight into the different areas we visited and encourage like minded people to do 'that trip' they have dreamed of taking.

Deciding on overseas travel

The decision on where to travel is such a personal one: We are all drawn to different cultures and experiences so think about what you like and what you would like to see.

Some of us like a leisurely relaxed style holiday while others like to be active or perhaps a combination of the two, part leisurely/part active.

Attending travel fairs and expos can help give you ideas and options, internet research is great and there are a lot of websites that have feedback from many who have travelled to different areas of the world.

Enjoy!

_________________________________________

Chamonix, France - Mt Blanc

2011-06-10T04:37:00.000-07:00

We travelled by cable car up and over Mt Blanc from Chamonix in France and crossed the glacier and the French/Italian border.
The cable car runs above the mountain and across the glazier on the same line as the tunnel passes through the mountain. It was great going up the mountain and even better coming down over the edge.

Singapore

2011-06-05T02:56:00.000-07:00

Geneva Switzerland

2011-06-05T01:50:00.000-07:00

Zermat, Switzerland - The Matterhorn

2011-06-05T01:39:00.000-07:00

Baveno on Lake Maggoire, Italy

2011-06-05T01:21:00.000-07:00

Vienna Austria

2011-06-05T00:56:00.000-07:00

Ah Vienna!

Hope you enjoy and once again larger pics

Budapest Hungary

2011-06-04T23:45:00.000-07:00

What a great time we had in Budapest. Basic accommodation in a central location enabled us to walk to most places we wanted to go. The apartment owner met us when we arrived, took us to a cafe close by and told us a bit about the city
We took one tram trip just to try it out
This is an inexpensive city to visit and just as cheap to eat out as it is to prepare your own meals
The river Danube is said to only look Blue to those that are in love
The buildings and statues were amazing.
Love, Love, Love Budapest

Parliament House

Gragon (maybe)

Tata, Hungary

2011-05-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

What a delight this little town is. Tata just 2 hours from Budapest was a stopover we enjoyed so much.
We pulled off the motorway in a quite area and followed some signs to a motel. We arrived at this incredible resort that is build using the servant quarters of an old castle and stands across the river moat of a castle. This was on the lake 'O'reg - to'. We booked in to our room, had a lovely walk around the lake and then had a great meal in the restaurant. Accommodation 10/10 Staff 10/10 Dinner 10/10 - it was fantastic

Kutna Hora, Czech

2011-05-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

Kutna Hora is a Bohemian city (now Czech republic) outside of Praque in the Central Bohemian region. It was once the most financial city in Czech. The silver mines were there and brought much wealth to the area. All of the Money was minted in Kutna Hora using the silver from the mines . There is a great tour that you can take there that takes you through the old mint and explains what it was like in those days in Kutna Hora and what the paintings are about in the mint. Also on display are some of the original coins that were minted there.
There is a church there that was originaly built in the 1300's by the miners in that district at the time.
As well as the elaborate Cathedral of Our Lady

Looking down on Kutna Hora

Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec which was restored in line with the Baroque taste of the early 18th century

Cathedral of Our Lady

The Jesuits in the1660s, began to build their college in the close vicinity of Our Lady Cathedral.

A street in Kutna Hora

Church of St Barbara built in the 14th century

A miner carrying the silver and sometimes the coins

A statue in memory of the suffering during the Black Plaque

The mint in Kutna Hora

Prague, Czech Republic

2011-05-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

We had a great time in Czech Republic. Rented a little apartment in the Old City area 1 block from the Old Town Square
Must admit I was a little wary on arriving at the apartment and seeing the loft with mattress on the floor but it turned out to be very comfortable (just had to back down the stairs as there was not any hand rails on the loft or staircase - downstairs we had a small kitchen and lounge area with a bathroom as well as a small balcony - was not expensive so was value for money and a great positition to come and go from

Town Hall and clock in the Old Town Square

The powder tower

Prague Museum

Square at the Prague Museum

Statue at the Prague Museum

Concert Hall at Jan Palach Square

Ken with Lion at the Concert Hall at Jan Palach Square

Water Taxi

In the Loch

King Charles Bridge

At the beginning of King Charles Bridge

Prague Air Balloon

Back square of our apartment

The Old Town Square

Statue of King Charles and Kenneth Charles

On King Charles Bridge

The powder tower

Vohenstrasse Bavaria Germany

2011-05-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

We left the Black Forest region in Germany and travelled North East to have a one night stopover. To our suprise we (at random) found a little gem of a town called Vohenstrasse in Bavaria just 30 minutes from the Czech Republic border. The hotel we stayed in was amazing, it was run by a family that could not have made us more welcome - others in the tourist trade could learn from them.
We arrived on a Monday which is the day off for the restaurant but for us the restaurant was especially opened, the owners daughter told us about the different beer and wines before serving up a wonderful meal. The hotel was such a surprise inside with wide staircases, furniture and decor all kept spotless and perfectly maintained.
Unfortunately we only had a couple of hours as we had other bookings in Prague arranged so had to move on the following morning. We can highly recommend a stay here

Our Hotel

A little church

The town

Freiburg in The Black Forest Germany

2011-04-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

We have had our last 2 days of sight seeing in Freiburg in The Black Forest in Germany
The people are wonderful - friendly and helpful, even though our only language we speak is English they did all they could to include us and help us with the language barrier - english is taught in school as a second or third language depending if the student prefers to select French or English as 2nd/3rd language to study
This area is so environmentally friendly with a great recycle systems. Wind powered turbines can be seen on many of the mountain ridges.
Many of the homes in the small villages have solar panels on the roof as do industrial buildings with some industries having their own wind turbines

City of Freiburg

The markets in Frieburg

Wall of the old city of Freiburg

Ken throwing a Euro cent on the crocodile

This church in Freiburg build in the year 1200 -only building in the old town not damaged during the 1944 bombings

Germany's longest loop cable car goes for 3.6kms 1220 mtrs above sea level

1220mtrs above sea level - a misty light rain but you can see the wind turbines on the mountains
Had a great lunch in the restaurant at the top

Rhine River Germany

2011-04-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

We drove from Hausach (pronounced Housa) to Rust (pronounced Ruse) which is takes around 1hr and took a boat trip down the Rhine (the boat was booked prior to the day)We travelled for 8 kms down the river, so peaceful you forget the rest of the world exists
The tour was in German comentary as you will hear on the movie but the guide did a great job in English keeping us up to date with what he was speaking about.
It was a section of the original Rhine prior to the straightening of it and is now a tributary off the Rhine.
Great animal and bird life in what is a protected area.
The Rhine River divides Germany and France

This is the type of boat we had with a Guide pushing it along

Sense of humour

Scene of the Rhine River

Water fowl (black with white face)

Swan

View along the Rhine River

Flat Bottom Boating on the Rhine River

Hiking in Hausach Germany

2011-04-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

We have been working our way through the mapped hikes for this area and yesterday did a 15km hike and reached a height of 790mtrs. The view was spectacular and so worth the effort.
We sat at the highest point at 10kms to catch our breath and rest our tired legs before decending 5 kms plus 3 more to get us back to where we are staying - needless to say we slept well last night!
At the highest point there was a hut with pictures around the walls and a journal to write in to say you were there.
It is so impressive how the parks are looked after here in the Black Forest - Hope you enjoy the photos we took along the way.

At 7kms we were still smiling

View at 7 kms

We came across this beautiful wood carving along the hiking track

The hut 790 Mtrs up

Not smiling so much at 10 Kms up the mountain

The Hut at the highest point

Spectacular view at the highest point

Ken at the highest point

More of that spectacular view at the top

IT WAS A GREAT DAY WE CAN RECOMMEND A HOLIDAY IN THE BLACK FOREST IF YOU ENJOY OUTDOORS

Germany Bavaria - Fussen

2011-04-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

Our time in Fussen and crossing into Austria
Time to make our way back towards Hausach but have decided to first take a look at Fussen and the Austrian Border and then return to Hausach via Ulm and Stuttgart - this took us around 5hours

Between Fussen and the Austrian Border

Streets of Fussen

Fussen

The old wall city of Fussen

Ken in Fussen

Fussen

Fussen streets

Old city wall of Fussen

Between Fussen and Austrian border

Between Fussen and the Austrian Border

700m to Austrian Border

Fussen restaurant 700mtrs from Austrian border

Germany - Bavaria

2011-04-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

We drove from Meersburg to Schwangau the little village at the foot of Neuschwanstein Castle not far from the village of Fussen. The trip was so scenic as we set off from the lake with the Swiss Alps in the distance, we soon lost sight of them, they were replaced by the Austrian Alps almost all of the remainder of the trip. The scenery was amazing.
Booked in to a small family run hotel and then off exploring the small village and the castle
Just 1 night here but we had plenty of time to walk up the hill to the castle (could have taken a horse and cart instead of walking) to ease the guilt of the food and drink we have consumed while holidaying.
We took an english speaking tour of the castle and at the end of the tour decided to go out onto one of the viewing platforms to look at the view.... it began to snow, so beautiful and a magical feeling

Our accommodation

Back of our accommodation with Austrian Alps in the background

Hotel/Restaurant in Schwangau

Horse and buggy up and down to the castle

Ludwig II fantasy castle

View from Ludwigs castle

Views from Ludwigs castle looking towards the lakes near Fussen