well I parked the kenworth, shut down and put away the header, packed up little blue and headed south, by nightfall we were just over the border about halfway between gambier and portland in a great little camp, we raced along the great ocean road in two days, free camping in the otways, hit melbourne at 6.30 a.m crazy bloody place that is, paid their tolls, missed a couple so I guess the bill is in the mail, who cares, I just wanted OUT OF THERE!! still heading roughly east, the dragon asked me a couple of times "where are we heading" I just said " we are going for a drive as far away from that bloody header and semi as I can get"  after 12 - 16 hour days and seven day weeks for close to 3 months, I just wanted to GET OUT!!!

evening found us just outside lakes entrance in a great little campsite enjoying a lobster and seafood that we bought down by the beach at wonthaggi, watching the poor young buggers in a tent just a few yards away eating baked beans, we invited them over and gave them a couple of prawns, and a bit of lobster, along with a beer, great kids, backpacking around australia, my mind strayed but was quickly brought back by the dragon with a " if you think I'm staying in a tent backpacking around australia. you got another think coming" we stayed the night there, then headed back to bairnsdale and toured the great alpine road, didnt have enough time to do it justice, absolutely fantastic, didnt see half of the off shoots

we then shot across  from albury to echuca and home via the mighty murray, free camping along the murray, listening and watching the paddle wheelers and the murray princess, we arrived home last night just on ten o'clock, tired but with a smile as big as texas on my face, and the dragon absolutely beaming from ear to ear, 4,200 kilometres in seven days, I'm still puffing, but would do it again in a heartbeat. the dragon looks at me funny now when I say "I'm going for a drive, wont be long" might go see the kimberleys next weekend HAH!!

what a break, we will do it again but will allow more time next time, maybe two weeks LOL!!

fuel cost "high" accomodation cost "zilch'  breakfast, coffee, dinner, nibbles and croisants cost "ENORMOUS"  enjoyment factor "EXTREME"

anyway gary, you can take the van through the alpine road, steep in places yes, tight in places yes, absolutely amazing in places, but doable, watch the trucks, as usual they think they own the road, all in all I would not hesitate in recommending this trip to anyone, thats what we did last week, how bout you!!!

I think I have caught up with all your emails, I'm still working through the private messages, please give me time, I will in due course answer all, I promise, if I have missed any of your emails please forgive me and resend them and I promise I will get back to you, thanks to all who wish myself and the dragon well and I assure you we are in almost peak health, we just went for a drive, 

I notice with sorrow a few absentees from the forum, I know the circumstances of most and my heart and best wishes go out to them in these trying times, life will continue, albeit a little different, the forum members would also send their best wishes, I am sure, if they knew, please dont hesitate to contact ANY member about ANYTHING that is troubling you, a problem shared is a problem halved, no need to "go it alone" talk about it, 

I take this oppurtunity to welcome all the "newbies" I hope you find us a freindly and helpfull bunch, any questions, just ask, there is a lot of knowledge in here as well as a lot of laughs

also well done to peter on his article in the wanderer, very informative and a good read, also the great photo in the calender, more power to you!!  well done indeed!!

I also see a couple of posts from ROWDY!!! well done mate keep them coming, we dont allow shyness in here!!!



-- Edited by dave06 at 14:09, 2008-12-06

Sounds like you had a great time and thanks for the update on the alpine way.
I was reading a travel blog sometime ago where this person listed the expenses for the trip, it turned out that over the 3 months away they spent more on coffee and cake stops than the whole food bill for the trip. amazing.

Anyway glad you had a good trip.

Nice to have you back!!!!!

Hey dave.......Gary missed you ..well others too, good to see you both had a good trip.I'm heading East Melbourne for Xmas/New Year



Dave

Gary I agree that we really must watch our spending on the nibbles, we spent just over $460 on coffee and pastys and croisants and oh o.k. just plain rubbish!!! actual real edible food cost was $395 fuel just a tad under $600 as I stated accomodation $0 (most rewarding) drinky poo's $320 (4 x scotch whiskey smoooootttthhhh!!!) WHO CARE'S!!!! I worked my insides out for it, and I'll decide where I throw it!! not a cheap week by any stretch, I usually spend an average of $100 a day, not an average of $253.50 so we sort of well blew the budget a bit!!! and yes Dave I did notice that out of 861 members I was missed by only 1, bloody niiiiice!!! isnt it!!! and thanks for highlighting that for me! really apreciate that. you wait till I'm super guru why I'll, I'll, well I dont know what I'll do but by hell just watch out!!!

I would call that more than a drive! We had a similar backpacker experience when in Carnavon WA a young english couple camped beside us were making a brew of baked beans and boiled rice and we had just picked up some large fresh prawns and a couple of bottles of red. We invited them over for a drink and food they were so grateful. We spent a few days camping there gave them our address said call in and stay and they did for 3 days it was great I fed them up they were rather skinny by the time they got to us and off they went. I dont think I could do australia on boiled rice and baked beans. Being backpackers they didn't get paid much to work here. In Carnavon it the heat they got around $5.00 an hour picking tomatoes. So many of them come over here and know there is work to be had on their journey I don't think they realise they may be taken advantage of by some employers and be financially prepared to survive it.  cheryl

great to hear from you again cheryl, and I'll bet those poor bloody backpackers went away with a paunch and a half, great times and so easily passed by, just a word and an instant freind is made, shame there are people out there only interested in money and are willing to forego human decency to achieve it

Hey, Dave, what Scotch are you drinking at $80 a bottle? I hope we meet up on the road some day! Cheers, Tony

it's actually an old batch that the feller in the melbourne wine store had stored away, 

vintage scotch whiskey from the highlands, pure stream water and all that, absolutely devine and definately not to be shared, he had a full crate and I really wish I could have bought the lot, but four had to do I also bought a couple of bottles of white for the dragon  as well as a bit of soft drink, I dont know what it cost per bottle

mate love to meet up some day, damn sure we will!!

-- Edited by dave06 at 08:54, 2008-12-09