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Australia, the farewell tour: NSW Coast, Great Ocean Road, Tasmania then SYD-LHR in F

Australia, the farewell tour: NSW Coast, Great Ocean Road, Tasmania then SYD-LHR in F

Old Jan 18, 2015, 8:08 am
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Australia, the farewell tour: NSW Coast, Great Ocean Road, Tasmania then SYD-LHR in F



Australia, the farewell tour: NSW Coast, Great Ocean Road, Tasmania then
SYD-LHR in First with Qantas on the A380

February - March 2014 - matthandy






The Farewell Tour

This Report Features The Following

A trip down the New South Wales Coast

Bulli > Kiama > Gerroa > Nowra > Huskisson > Hyams Beach > Lake Conjola > Depot Beach > Mystery Bay

Melbourne


The Great Ocean Road

Bells Beach > Split Point (Aireys Inlet) > The Twelve Apostles > London Bridge

Hotel > The Best Western Old Maritime Motor Inn, Warrnambool

The Grampians National Park

Flight > Melbourne to Sydney Qantas Domestic Economy


Tasmania

Flight: Sydney to Launceston (Tasmania) Jetstar

Cradle Mountain National Park > Hotel: Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge > Launceston - Cataract Gorge > Hotel: Tidal Waters Resort, St. Helens > Bay of Fires >
Hotel: Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart > Hobart Museum of Old and New Art

Flight: Hobart to Sydney - Jetstar


Farewell Sydney

Various

The Flight Home

Qantas First Class on the A380 SYD>LHR (via DXB)


Background

Welcome to my 27th trip report on Flyertalk!

This report is unique for me in the fact that it contains my first First class flight with Qantas (and on the A380) but the report actually isn't about the flying at all. No, this report is more about my journey back to the UK from Australia, from making the decision to leave to finishing work, moving out of my apartment, doing some travelling and finally saying good bye and stepping onto the plane. It was emotional. Here we go.

Well, it's been over three and a half years since I landed in Sydney to start my new adventure in Australia. At the time I was excited, nervous, apprehensive and quite home sick. I've had such a good time overall but the nagging feeling was always there that it simply wasn't home. Compounding this was the fact that my sister giving birth to two wonderful children who, now that I'm home, finally call me Uncle. I don't think that I could have coped with being away from them as they grow up. They are the most significant reason for returning to the UK and leaving my life in Australia behind.

I'd honestly been pondering a return to the UK for many months. I always knew that my visa would run out in July 2014 but I also knew that there were various options to extend or stay permanently. In fact, many of my new found friends decided to do just that. From the moment that I arrived I just couldn't see myself living in Australia in the long term.

What's the saying, something about a change being as good as something new? Well, I made the decision almost 10 months before I actually left the country, in April. There was no particular trigger as such, it just felt like the right time. The astute amongst you might ask, why did I leave in April when I could have stayed until July? Two reasons, one, I wanted to leave when the weather in Sydney was still reasonably good and return to the UK when the weather should have been picking up again. It also depended on flight availability. I booked my return flight to the UK with Qantas, in First, using AA miles. How did I do this? Well, I didn't actually have an AA account but a good friend let me into a secret, it would be possible for me to sign up, buy the required miles and then book the flight without crediting a single flight to my AA account. As it happened, AA had a promotion and I was able to take advantage of this to score some bonus miles that would get me very close the 80,000 required to book a one way Sydney-London flight on Qantas in First. I was short 5000 miles and a friend was able to help me out by gifting them to me. In the end, my flight cost about 1300 which is an absolute bargain.

So, with my flight booked it was time to start making plans. Work only needed one month's notice but as a courtesy to my boss I decided to give them a bit more notice than that. We agreed that I would stay until the end of January. The immigration department recently changed the rules so that once I had ended my employment I would have 90 days to leave the country. My flight was booked for the 3rd of April so the timing was perfect. I'd have a good couple of months to sort everything out and do a bit of travelling.

Whilst it seemed like the right decision, and looking back, I know that it was, at the time I had major doubts. What was I doing? Why was I throwing away my life in Sydney? Why was I leaving my friends? What would it be like in the UK? What would work be like? What would the weather be like? Would I settle back in easily? In short, was I making a huge mistake?


The Journey

It took me a while to work out what I wanted to do before I left Australia. One thing I knew, I wanted to try to see some things that I hadn't seen before. In 2004 I spent 6 weeks backpacking around Australia so I'd already seen quite a lot of the country. One area that I knew that I definitely wanted to revisit was the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. 10 years ago I went on a day trip from Melbourne which I enjoyed immensely but felt that the trip was quite rushed. I also had good friends in Melbourne so it made sense to combine visiting them with that trip. I had also never been to Tasmania so that was on the list. A colleague helped me out by giving me her itinerary so that was an easy one. I also made a commitment to Mum that I'd spend a couple of weeks with her before I left which involved caravanning down the NSW coast. On top of that, I wanted to visit somewhere outside of Australia which I had visited previously which is where my Fiji trip came from. You can read about that one here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...esort-spa.html

This report starts in NSW and then goes on to Melbourne with the Great Ocean Road and then on to Tasmania before packing up and flying back to the UK in First with Qantas.

Let's begin...

Caravanning down the NSW coast with Mum

I may have said this before, but my mother lives a nomadic life in Australia. She's English, as is her new husband but she decided to move over to Australia about seven years ago to explore a different kind of life. They live everywhere and nowhere, choosing to travel around towing a caravan and settling wherever they feel like it. If they like somewhere then they will stay, if not then they'll move on. My step father is a specialised brick layer and picks up work along the way. Mum runs the home.

They have travelled all around and over Australia although they hadn't spent much time in NSW. Mum told me that they were planning to travel to Sydney around the end of January and this tied in well with my plans although I had already planned my trip to Fiji at the start of February by this point. We worked it out that I would join them a couple of days after I returned from Fiji, having moved out of my apartment. They agreed not to travel too far away so that I wouldn't have far to go to meet up with them.

So, it was a rainy Saturday when I travelled down to Bulli by train. There is a reasonably direct service from Town Hall station so it wasn't difficult for me to make my way there from my friend's place (where I was staying temporarily) in McMahons Point.

I arrived on a very rainy and wet Saturday afternoon. The plan was to stay here just the one night and then head off to Kiama in the morning. I don't remember a huge amount about Bulli and I don't have any photos unfortunately. All I remember is that it was wet!

I suppose that I should probably say something about the accommodation. Mum's caravan is no ordinary caravan. It was custom designed and built to their specifications. In fact, Mum actually did the design for it. It is designed solely around them. In fact, the design is such that the whole back of the caravan is a bedroom. The middle is the bathroom with a fully working, pretty much full size shower then moving further towards the front there is a large kitchen area with fridge/freezer, cooker, hob and even a washing machine. The lounge area takes up the front part of the caravan with a wrap around seating area which can be converted into a bed which I where I slept. In essence, it's a two bedroom, one bathroom mobile home, full of luxuries and creature comforts. We even had satellite TV and the essential air conditioning. The caravan is designed to go off road and has raised suspension and big fat tyres.

So, the accommodation was actually pretty good. Sure it was no Ritz-Carlton but then I don't think that you'd find better places to stay at some of the locations that we travelled to. Sadly, no loyalty scheme was offered, so no points for me .

We headed off towards Kiama in the morning as planned. It always takes a little while to pack up the caravan and similarly it takes a bit longer to get it all out again when arriving at a new destination. By the end of the two weeks I had my assigned role and tasks.

The journey took us about 45 minutes or so. Towing a caravan takes some care and skill and the speed at which you can do and the routes that you can take a more limited compared to a standard car journey. If you've ever been stuck behind a caravan on the road know that they are slow for a reason, not just to annoy you!

We arrived at Kiama and parked up. The main attraction is here is the blow hole. This is where the sea has carved a hole through the cliffs and given the right amount of force, a huge burst of water explodes up through the hole when a wave hits it.

It was still rather wet when we arrived but the blow hole was still drawing a few visitors.
Here are some photos:


The blow hole at Kiama


Looking towards the light house


There she blows!


Next stop, and where we would be spending the night was Gerroa, a small town on the coast which was located next to a huge beach. It only took us 20 minutes to drive down and once there we checked into the 'Big 4' holiday park. I think that Mum gets some sort of discount on these parks, or perhaps she just likes them. We found a spot but it took a little while to get parked as the grounds were so tight it was difficult to reverse the caravan into position.

Once we were hooked up we went exploring. The beach is located a few minutes walk from the park. It was absolutely huge! Unfortunately, whilst it wasn't raining, the weather was still pretty awful, no swimming today. I did take my shoes off and walk through the shallows though.


The river along the beach

I suspect that Big4 parks are geared towards families as there does seem to be a consistent pattern of good facilities for kids. One thing that my step father and I spotted quickly was the 'jumping pillow'. It's a big like a bouncy castle with no sides. Of course it would be very remiss of us not to test it out. We had a great time bouncing around! My mum thought that it was hilarious but unfortunately we couldn't convince her to join us.

We returned to the caravan for dinner. As the weather wasn't up to much it wasn't possible to cook anything outside so we stayed inside in true British caravanning fashion. We spent some time working out where we wanted to go next and agreed that we would continue to make our way south but do so without any real plan. I needed to get to Melbourne in two weeks time (to meet my friends there) and I'd already identified that there was a coach service that pretty much followed our route down the south coast so wherever we stopped I'd be able to join and carry on from there.

In the morning we set off in search of a small park that Mum had found on some Australia caravan website (much like Flyertalk I suspect, CaravanTalk??). It was located next to a wildlife park right on the river near Nowra. There were only four 'powered' sites available (sites with electricity) so we decided to leave reasonably early to try and nab one of these spots.

The route there was fine until we got close to the park itself. The entrance was down a somewhat narrow and steep dirt road. Getting down was easy but we were all a bit concerned about how we would get back up again!

The site was great. Incredibly small and more set up for camping than caravanning. It took us a while to choose a suitable spot. You know there are lots of things to consider, you can't just pitch up where you feel like it. Firstly, the most important factor is whether or not the site is actually level. The caravan must be level and stable, for obvious reasons. My step father has an array of blocks and devices to achieve this. Secondly, it should have access to power and water. Various tubes and extensions are carried for this. Thirdly, the site must have some sort of view or at least not look out over the toilets or something like that. As we were so early we had the pick of the lot so settled on a site overlooking the river which we assumed was positioned such that no one would be able to park in front of us.

It took 30 minutes or so to get all set up. A routine that my Mum and step Father had done many hundreds of times before. Once set up though the place looked very homely and the view was great.


Our view (shame the weather wasn't that good)


Setting up - our home for the next couple of days


Exploring the river


The view across the water

As we settled in we agreed that the plan for the day to do absolutely nothing. My step father wanted to fish and I was happy just sitting and reading a book. We did have to pop out to get some supplies for dinner later. Optimistically we decided to try a BBQ.

The day was great, true nothingness. It could only have been better if the weather had improved and luckily by the evening it did clear up a bit. The 'esky' was dragged out and plugged in (outdoor cool box) and filled with beer, wine and cider. I have learnt that a key element to caravanning is alcohol. It must be on hand at all times.

I took a beer down to my step father and dipped my toes in the water for a bit. My relationship with my mother is not so good that I wanted to spend a whole day talking with her so I took myself off for a bit of a wander and when I returned we started getting dinner started.


Uninvited guests for dinner

The BBQ was largely successful and as we were near to finishing up we were joined by some uninvited guests, a group of peacocks who had returned to roost for the evening. They seemed to enjoy the few bits of bread that we gave them before getting bored and making a quite amazing leap and a flap to their chosen tree branches.

Early bedtime of course, another norm for the caravanning world. I think it was about 8.30 in fact. We watched some TV. Mum has a DVR which she sets up to record various programmes from the satellite TV service so we watched some of that before calling it a night.

In the morning I was greeted with glorious sunshine, at last! It had been a few days since I had seen any.


Glorious morning = time to air some of the bedding

Noticing this Mum decided that it was an opportune moment to give all of the bedding a bit of an airing hence why you can see it in the photo.

We agreed again to do nothing much during the day which was very welcome. I hadn't come on holiday with to go rushing around everywhere. The day was spent enjoying the nice weather, paddling in the river, reading, writing up my Fiji TR and generally doing not a lot. In the evening we decided to have another BBQ and made plans for the following day.


Fishing


Fishing


'Snags on the barbie'


Late evening light


All you need is a ute and a tent - our neighbour

The next day it was time to go off and do a bit of exploring. The destination was Jervis Bay which is a bit of a weekend holiday destination for Sydney locals. I know of a few friends that had been and had found it to be very beautiful. We packed our swimming stuff and headed off. A bit of research led us to 'Hyams Beach' which is to the north of Jervis Bay itself. Wow, I hadn't seen such crystal clear water and bright white sand since the last time that I visited Queensland. I was so surprised and delighted that such a beach existed in NSW. It was spectacular. I'll let the photos do the talking.


Beautiful, but what's around the corner?


Stunning Hyams Beach


Rock pools


Footprints in the sand


More rock pools


Crashing waves


Shallow water


The full view


On the way home we we decided to pop into the local town which was called 'Huskisson'. What an amazing little town with an absolutely stunning view. The town looks right down onto the harbour with it's white sand and crystal blue water.

We stopped here for a while to have a coffee and then take a short walk around the coast line. It really was a spectacular little town and I'm sure that property prices must be incredibly high. You absolutely get what you pay for.

One feature that we particularly enjoyed was the outdoor pool. Councils in Australia seem to have a habit of being able to situate these public pools in outstanding locations. Apart from this one, the pool at Cremorne Point in Sydney springs to mind also.

After this brief detour we returned to the caravan for our final night. We'd decided to move on and down to Lake Conjola in the morning.


Looking down from the shops in Huskisson


The harbour mouth


Swim with a view


Looking down to the shore line


Clever cockatoo gets a drink


Sparkling wine by the river


The evening was great, incredibly relaxing. I spent quite a lot of time just sitting by the river sipping my sparkling wine. I began to understand the appeal of this lifestyle.

The morning greeted us with sunshine, more, glorious sunshine. The river was looking stunning and I made time to take a few photos before we had to get packed up. Packing up takes about as long as unpacking it would seem. Everything has to go back into it's specific place and secured. Once the 'van' was packed up it was time to see if we could get it up the hill that we'd come down to get to the camping spot. What doubt there was quickly evaporated as the V8 in the Land Cruiser effortlessly pulled the van up the hill without even blinking. Hill 0, caravanning 1.


Panorama of the river frontage


Last looks

We made our way towards Lake Conjola which wasn't too far really. The park that Mum had chosen was deliberately completely different to the previous site. This was a 'Big4' family park that had lots of brand new facilities including a swimming pool.

We arrived and got checked in (which involves meticulously choosing the most appropriate and suitable site) and then made our way into the park to get set up. Whilst I was waiting in the car a kangaroo hopped across the road! That's not the first time that I've seen a kangaroo in Australia but it was certainly the most surprising encounter.

Mum had chosen a spot that backed onto the lake. You see, in the caravan world it's all about the position. You want to have the best spot possible which means being as far away from as everyone as you can but still not being too far from the facilities such as the shower block. It's a complicated art that my Mum is well versed in.

Once we got all set up we decided to sort ourselves out with some lunch. As we did so we were loudly introduced to the local wildlife! The local birds (mostly noisy lorikeets) had quickly sussed out that our buffet lunch may well provide them with an easy feast. My step father took a couple of grapes and held them out. Within seconds he had an armful of birds, shortly followed by a hoard of quacking ducks and geese. It was quite a sight. No need to go to a wildlife park here.


Welcome!


Looking for a free feast


Cheeky


The remainder of the day was spent doing not a lot really. We took a wander up to see the pool which actually looked amazing. It was almost like a resort set up. I certainly hadn't imagined that I find such facilities at a caravan park! Aside from the main pool there was also a small water park feature which included fountains and a water dumping bucket which you'll see more of later.

In the evening I offered to cook so we went out to the local supermarket to pick up a few items. I cooked salmon with puy lentils and a tarragon butter. My Mum and step father weren't thrilled with the prospect of the lentils but did admit afterwards that they quite enjoyed them.

After dinner we enjoyed watching the sun go down by the lake, before retiring early to bed (well normal for caravanners).


My salmon


Wine with dinner


Lake Conjola


Lake Conjola


Lake Conjola


I woke to a beautiful sunny morning. Today we'd agree to do not a lot again and wanted to visit the pool area. After an al fresco breakfast and some laundry (the caravan has a built in washing machine) we made our way up to the pool complex for a swim. As previously mentioned, for a caravan park, the pool was pretty amazing. Luckily, it was empty too, perfect. The sun was beating down, I seem to remember it topping 30 degrees that day so sun cream was absolutely essential. Honestly, for those of you that haven't visited Australia previously, do not underestimate the strength of the sun. You can be burnt in 20 minutes.

I generally always seek shade so we chose a couple of loungers underneath the canopy and got to reading my book.


Washing in the sunshine


The pool area


The pool area


The pool area


The 'play' area


The dump bucket in action

After the swim we headed back to the 'van to relax. I decided to work on my Fiji TR as I had just come back from the island prior to starting this trip. This 'work' was of course accompanied with a chilled bottle of cider. The evening was pretty normal. Cooked dinner and then to bed early. We agreed that the next day would be our last day here before moving on to Depot Beach to 'free camp'.

The following day we took it pretty easy. We headed out to pick up some supplies for the next few days. Along the way we stopped off at Mollymook Beach for a look around and an ice cream. This was a typical beach town, with an RSL, bakery etc. We treated ourselves to a nice gelato and then went for a walk along the beach. As beaches go in Australia, an 'average' beach sets a pretty high bar. This was no exception. Like a good majority of beaches there was also a life guard service too.

We returned to the caravan, had a lazy dinner and packed things away before getting some sleep. The plan was to leave relatively early the next morning and besides, we had to be out by 10am anyway.


Trip Report writing with some refreshment


One of the locals paying a visit


Mollymook Beach


Mollymook Beach

In the morning we got up around 8am. I took a quick shower in the caravan before we packed everything up. We topped up the fresh water tanks as there would be no mains water available at the next location.

We were headed to a camping site. It was managed by the National Parks service and was more designed for tents rather than caravans. However, they did confirm that they had a pitch big enough for us. No electricity or mains water were provided so you just had to make do. Toilets were available, as were showers and water was provided by means of a tap, so it was possible to fill containers and then fill up the caravan's tanks by hand.

The drive took about an hour or so and required negotiating some tighter country roads. A few cars built up behind us now and again and we pulled over each time to let them pass.

Depot Beach is famed for it's wild Kangaroo population and when we arrived we found them in abundance just lazy around in the sun. They were tame enough that they allowd people to get pretty close to them.

Once we had our pitch allocated we had work out how to get the van into position. This was not easy. The van is very big and there were several large trees in the way. My step father is adept at such things and after taking the time to work out which direction we should approach from he got it into position first time.

After getting set up we went for a walk down to the beach which was just over the road. The beach was great, shallow water and beautiful fine sand. We actually went straight back to the caravan to get our swimming stuff and body boards.


Driving through the forest to get to Depot Beach


In position


Local kangaroos


Depot Beach


Depot Beach

After a couple of hours trying to body board we headed back to the caravan and set up for a BBQ dinner. A bottle of wine was opened as was standard procedure. It was great being in such a quiet and remote area. Very peaceful.

The next morning we decided to have breakfast down by the beach. Mum has a little camping stove which we took with us. How very British! Unfortunately the weather wasn't as good as the previous day. Still my step father decided to set up his fishing kit and I went for a wander along the beach. The coast line was rather imposing, it almost looked jurassic, with dark, jagged rocks and steep cliffs. I encountered some more furry friends along the way too.

The following day it was time to head off. We had been slowly making our way down the coast towards Mystery Bay, which would be our last stop. The plan was to spend a few days there and then I would get on a bus and head to Melbourne (a 10 hour overnight ordeal) whilst Mum and and my step father would either stay, or carry on heading down the coast and eventually into Victoria.


Nice Pinot with dinner


Enjoying the wine whilst the BBQ warms up - you may notice a few spots on my legs, this was from a bed bug incident a week or so ago at my friend's place, not good!


The evening sun reflecting off the van


Bacon on the beach


Kangaroos on the beach


The coast line


Walking up along the beach


The cliff face


The tree line


Hello!


More furry friends


A friendly kookaburra


A beautiful morning

The journey to Mystery Bay was pretty easy but once we arrived it was clear that we had a lot of decisions to make. The campsite was basically just a large area divided up in a number of open areas. It wasn't flat either and the road ways were lined with trees. There was almost too much choice and because the sites were completely unserviced we could in theory set up anywhere. We scouted around a bit and found a spot that was close to the cliff face. Negotiating the caravan through the trees was a bit tricky but in the end we got there and set everything up. There was no electricity, no water and no drainage so we set up the solar panel to keep the batteries topped up.

No services I suppose is not quite accurate. There were water taps scattered around which meant taking a large container to fill up and then trying to fill up the caravan tanks using a funnel or a siphon. Not really the easiest thing to do, so we rationed the water as best we could. There were also toilets, of sorts. So called 'long drops'. I did venture into one and was disgusted so there was no way that I was going to use those! There was absolutely no electricity however so the daily routine was to keep the solar panel in direct sunlight throughout the day. The generator could be used to top up the batteries if required but it was rather noisy so this was only done when necessary.

Once we got set up we went exploring. This, the most remote location that we'd stayed at on this trip was in fact, the most amazing and the most beautiful. We were right on the edge of the cliff overlooking an amazingly jagged and intimidating coastline. After a 30 second walk we had a full 180 degree vista of the crashing waves and rough seas.


All set up


Getting the fire ready for dinner


The view from the cliff edge


Rock features


Looking towards the bay


Looking towards Mystery Bay itself

It seemed like a few of the locals used the cliff tops to fish from. This wasn't entirely safe and you had to be careful not to go too close to the edge otherwise you could be caught by a rogue wave. My step father spent many mornings and afternoons out on the rocks trying to catch something. I have to say that he wasn't that successful but perhaps that's not really the point. Personally, it's not something that I am interested in but I did enjoy sitting on the rocks and watching the sea in action.


Having a go at fishing


Having a go at fishing


Crashing waves

In the most part we didn't really do much during our few days at Mystery Bay. I spent time sitting on the cliffs reading and in the caravan working on my trip report and generally just relaxing. We cooked all of our meals in the caravan and ate outside every evening. Real al-fresco dining!

One morning we did take a wander to the bays either side of our position. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't that great so no swimming (the sea was too rough) however we did explore the rock pools and the cliff faces. The place was deserted, untouched, such is so much of the NSW coast. If you are looking for somewhere off the beaten track then I can thoroughly recommend it.


Rock pools


Rock pools


Rock pools

On the last day we explored Mystery Bay, had a final meal before heading up the road to meet the coach that would take me to Melbourne. There is a daily service that runs between Sydney and Melbourne. If you stay on for the whole journey it takes a very long time indeed.

My journey, from Mystery Bay to Melbourne was scheduled to take around 10 hours, overnight.



Up Next


10 hours on a coach to Melbourne, catching up with old friends, Melbourne itself and I set off on the Great Ocean Road.

matthandy is offline  
Old Jan 18, 2015, 9:08 am
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
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Just wow.. As a former Canberra resident we headed to Kiama and the south coast often,... often camping.. Miss that coastline!
cyclogenesis is offline  
Old Jan 18, 2015, 10:07 am
  #3  
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I hope you save this story for your sister's children to read when they are older. Lucky children to have an uncle who loves them so much he moves half way around the world to be close.

I loved the picture of the lorrikeets all lined up on the arm.
SanDiego1K is offline  
Old Jan 18, 2015, 10:50 am
  #4  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: UK
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Just what I've been waiting for! It's been too long between reports

Excellent first part. Jervis Bay looks fab, it is on our list and your photos make me more determined to get there soon. Last time I was in Aus me and sis did GOR, it was probably the only 'major' attraction that we hadn't ticked off the list so I look forward to that part.

Thanks for taking the time to write.
ellielovesem is offline  
Old Jan 18, 2015, 10:43 pm
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Brisbane
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Thanks for the report. I spent all my childhood/teenage summers at Huskisson on Jervis Bay. Somewhat of a surprise to see it on FT. I hope all goes well back in the UK.
goback is offline  
Old Jan 19, 2015, 3:13 pm
  #6  
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
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Thanks for the great TR. My wife and I did our first trip to OZ in April 2014. This brings back some great memories. Can't wait for the GOR and Tazzie parts.
jmj9905 is offline  
Old Jan 22, 2015, 7:01 am
  #7  
 
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Well, so nice now to see your TR of places you are visiting before leaving OZ, loving all so far, and the pics are always so fantastic, look forward to the next episode.^
BA5E is offline  
Old Jan 22, 2015, 10:33 am
  #8  
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Originally Posted by cyclogenesis
Just wow.. As a former Canberra resident we headed to Kiama and the south coast often,... often camping.. Miss that coastline!
Thanks cyclogenesis. Hope that the weather at Kiama was better for you than it was for me.

Originally Posted by SanDiego1K
I hope you save this story for your sister's children to read when they are older. Lucky children to have an uncle who loves them so much he moves half way around the world to be close.

I loved the picture of the lorrikeets all lined up on the arm.
Thanks SanDiego1K. Yes, they are lucky really, they got Mickey and Minnie mouse toys from Hong Kong from me only last week.

As for the lorikeets, they actually started fighting with each other so my step father had to wave them off. They are noisy little things.

Originally Posted by ellielovesem
Just what I've been waiting for! It's been too long between reports
I know, I'm about 4 behind now!

Originally Posted by ellielovesem
Excellent first part. Jervis Bay looks fab, it is on our list and your photos make me more determined to get there soon. Last time I was in Aus me and sis did GOR, it was probably the only 'major' attraction that we hadn't ticked off the list so I look forward to that part.
Jervis Bay was great. I can thoroughly recommend it. It's only a 3 or so hour drive from Sydney. Well worth it. I actually did the GOR twice on this trip, once from the top and once from the bottom, so I have it well covered now.

Originally Posted by goback
Thanks for the report. I spent all my childhood/teenage summers at Huskisson on Jervis Bay. Somewhat of a surprise to see it on FT. I hope all goes well back in the UK.
Thank you goback. Huskisson was amazing. What a beautiful place to live. It felt like a proper holiday town.

Originally Posted by jmj9905
Thanks for the great TR. My wife and I did our first trip to OZ in April 2014. This brings back some great memories. Can't wait for the GOR and Tazzie parts.
Thank you jmj9905. Hope that you first trip has encouraged you to return and explore some more.

Originally Posted by BA5E
Well, so nice now to see your TR of places you are visiting before leaving OZ, loving all so far, and the pics are always so fantastic, look forward to the next episode.^
Thanks BA5E. Lots more to come, Tasmania was amazing.
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Old Jan 22, 2015, 11:00 am
  #9  
was thetravelingRedhead
 
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oh wow nice tr! love the outdoor adventure! i want a kangaroo now too
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Old Jan 22, 2015, 12:18 pm
  #10  
 
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Fantastic TR, can't wait to read the rest. We are Aussies living in the US but likely returning to Oz to live next year, so we are thinking a lot of our future trips will be similar to this trip report, minus the caravan.
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Old Jan 22, 2015, 9:31 pm
  #11  
 
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Looking good, I'm interested in seeing what the interior of the custom built caravan looks like

Especially looking forward to the SYD-LHR QF F, doing the same (from MEL) later this year! ^
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Old Jan 23, 2015, 1:19 am
  #12  
 
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Originally Posted by yohoho
Looking good, I'm interested in seeing what the interior of the custom built caravan looks like

Especially looking forward to the SYD-LHR QF F, doing the same (from MEL) later this year! ^
You will love the SYD-LHR trip as long as you have the A380, we have done the F trip albeit LHR-SYD about 6 times, and it was amazing, crew, food, drink, bed all fantastic.^
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Old Jan 25, 2015, 1:11 pm
  #13  
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A very good trip report so far, matthandy - your excellent pictures capture Australia so well.

It was refreshing reading about caravanning on FlyerTalk! I honestly have learnt more about caravanning in this report than I have ever known about that subject before

Looking forward to the next part.
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Old Jan 26, 2015, 7:51 am
  #14  
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Amazing report!

Thank you so much for sharing!
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Old Jan 26, 2015, 9:10 am
  #15  
 
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Lovely photos, thank you for sharing.
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