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Ok so I last left you as we left the Stormbird Cruise at Lakes Entrance, it was about 4pm at this stage and our next step was supposed to be finding a spot to camp for the night. So we scooted down to the information centre to get some information on the camping sites available around the Lakes Entrance district.

I have to say that the Information centre at Lakes Entrance is fabulous, and the staff are wonderful. The staff member spent some time over a map pointing out some free camping spots and describing how to get to some of them. But unfortunately it was here that the housemate got a hankering for a tiki tour, all the way to the tip of Victoria along the coast. Again I refer back to his tendency to make a five minute trip to the hardware store an hour long drive to one much further away. So after some discussions with the Information center bloke we were on our way to Mallacoota.


The trip to Mallacoota took a little over 2 ½ hours, it was a lovely drive along the Princes Hwy and we didn’t encounter any traffic issues at all. And the GiPiS was good enough to make sure we got the right turn off to Mallacoota. Any one checking our route will notice that it wasn’t quite a coastal trip, but the information guy said that you can only go so far along the coast anyway and as we had a camping trailer in tow we decided to go the main route. Not that I feel robbed of any views, it was a spectacular trip, even though I was getting a little grumpy by the end of the drive.

In arriving at Mallacoota I was quite amazed at how busy it was, we drove down to the water to find a camping site absolutely bursting at the seams. I took a few photos and looked about the place then we decided to start the drive back to Lakes Entrance. We did consider staying in Mallacoota the night, but then thought of the long trip back home the following day and changed our minds pretty quickly. So although we didn’t stay long, it’s nice to say that we have been to there.


We decided not to have dinner before we left but that we would stop somewhere and have dinner on the way or when we arrived at our camping site for the night. We began to get a bit puckish on our way back just before Mount Raymond, so we headed down the lookout road Tower Road. I am so glad we made that decision, we managed to set up the table and have dinner with a setting sun over a beautiful landscape. Of everything we saw that weekend, that setting sun made the trip worthwhile.

Mount Raymond View
View from Mount Raymond


After our dinner we headed off down back towards Lakes Entrance (the housemate suggested staying where we had dinner, but I was not keen to sleep under a radio tower). Our destination for the night was a free Victorian Parks Campsite down a road off Lake Tyers Road. Now when I say a road I actually mean a bumpy track (remember the bumpy bit for later on) and Lake Tyers Road is a dirt road. The GiPiS was fantastic in finding both roads although our turn off road was not named on the map, but it was shown, and it even knew they were dirt tracks (FYI most of the turn offs to the right down Lake Tyers Road had camping spots). The drive down our turn off track was a fun trip, pottering along hoping nobody would be coming the other way in the dark as it was a single lane road, and we had the odd kangaroo bound across the track just to remind us we were going deep into the bush.

We didn’t reach the camping spot until after 9pm and it was dark, but we could see it had quite a few visitors already set up for the night, but once nice gentleman got up with his torch and waved us through to an empty spot next to them which I thought was fantastic!!. We didn’t stay up that night as we were both pretty tired so we crawled into the camping van and fell asleep pretty much straight away.

Waking up the next morning we saw how beautiful the area was and how close the water was, unfortunately as the area didn’t have any toilets and all the trees were barren of leaves we had to make a dash back out to the road and the nearest rest spot. The housemate was fine, he found a tree to stand behind, but I wasn’t going to take the risk of someone spotting me doing a quick pit stop in the bush. So we packed up quickly and went on our way – this is where the bumpy track came back to haunt me. However we made it safely to Nowa Nowa, where I can tell you the local service station has very clean toilets!

Swans at Lakes Entrance
Swans


After our pit stop we carried onto Lakes Entrance to have a bbq breakfast down near the water and took time out to feed the swans and seagulls our left over bread. Everything was fine until there were a few too many swans and I felt a little intimidated, I am a shorty and the Swans came up to my chin so I was a little worried they would take out my nose if I didn’t feed them, but they were well behaved and once they realised I was out of bread they went off on their merry way to the next person with food for them.

After breakfast we started the journey home, and this is where we will leave the trip, nothing interesting happened on the way home (except my struggle to keep my eyes open). But overall I would have to say that I had a most fantastic birthday weekend!!
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We all know Melbourne is famous for its theatres and coffee culture, but I thought it would be good to explore the slightly more bizarre and quirky side that the city has to offer. What better way that to start off with Bernard’s Magic Shop – the oldest magic shop in Australia, operating since 1937. It is located at 211 Elizabeth St, Melbourne, VIC 3000 and boasts selling anything from fake dog poo to history books on magic. Looks well worth checking out for all you buddy Harry Potters out there!

harry potter


All that magic would certainly stir up a thirst so what better way to quench that than at the 'Croft Institute'. The website describes this place as follows:

The Croft Institute is hidden up a series of laneways, on a site that was previously vacant for some two decades.
Set over three floors, The Croft Institute houses a laboratory on the ground floor. A hospital themed waiting are and bathrooms on the middle lever and a 1930`s styled gymnasium on the top floor.
The bars name The Croft Institute is a not-so-serious play on the pseudo-scientific consumer Institutes used to advertise not-so-scientific consumer products, Croft also being the name of the alleyway where it's situated.

May be well worth checking out! Just make sure you keep your kidneys well clear of the wait staff - you know the Urban Legends that circulate!

Keeping in line with this thinking the next place on the agenda really grabbed my attention. Wunderkammer, or 'The Wonder Chamber', is a place that will drench the enquiring mind.

This Wunderkammer is both a museum and a retail store. The shop specialises in science and natural history. In the collection are antique botanical prints, anatomical models, specimens preserved in vintage glass canisters, fossils, medical instruments, beetles and butterflies in hand blown specimen domes: the scope of Wunderkammer is as broad as the scope of human scientific enquiry.

How does that get the taste buds flowing?! They have a few sections to their shop, each boasting a bizarre and needless to say, interesting collection of items. Ephemera houses a small perfume collection of smells such as breast milk, sex and swamp water. The Natural History section is home to afascinating read, entitled NERVOUS ATMOSPHERES:
PARASCIENTIFIC THEORIES OF THE MIND & HYPNOSIS DURING THE VICTORIAN ERA
by Jonathan Marshall, Ph.D.
. If this interests you I would highly recommend taking the time to read the article! Next is the Instrument Collection. They have the normal lab instruments, as well as a rare collection of unique pieces - it would be quite an eye-opener to step back into that world!

Next is the Insect Collection. For me, personally, I hate seeing insects pinned to boards - it gives me the chills. However, there are very many rare beauties out there and this collection certainly has some interesting ones. The Fossil Section boasts 'woolly mammoth hairs and fossil poo' amongst many other items. This collection is said to change often, however no time is spared in giving a detailed description of the pieces on show. The Medical Section is a vast collection of antique medical items, including 'a pair of rare wax anatomical models from the Dresden Hygiene Museum'. I think a visit here would make any would-be patients feel more at ease about their next hospital visit! And last, but not least, is the maps and prints section. Now this room shows a picture of some rather demonic looking handing x-rays... let`s just say with this place, anything looks possible!

There seem to be a few good bizarre restaurants in Melbourne. Take for example heinz meanz beanz mexican restaurant, which boasts to have every dish incorporated heinz baked beans (I would say stay away from dessert!), or Mojo Weird Pizza`s which offers, amongst other things, dessert pizza`s! However, the most bizarre looked to be 'Witches in Britches' theme restauarant. You are invited into their castle for dinner and a show, the current one entitled 'Desperate Housewitches'. They look as though they put a lot of effort into these shows, the costumes very appealing and feature music from the likes of Prince, Good Charlotte, Cher and Michael Buble. The website offers a great opportunity to browse what they have on offer.

witches in britches


I`m sure there are many more interesting, if not slightly weird things to do in Melbourne. Hopefully this is enough to get you to explore the 'other' side this majestic place has to offer.


Really Long Link
Really Long Link
Really Long Link
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Poetic Skies

November 8th 2007 07:03
Welcome to my hood. On days like today the skies overhead write poetry enough to rival the quill of any great. It has been a while since I have got lost in the lens of my camera. With the glorious weather which we have been having I have been itching to get out there and today could not resist.

Allow me to take you on a journey through my hometown... enjoy the ride and feel free to share any of your own....

trees












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Lady Elliot Island

September 30th 2007 22:52
Lady Elliot Island is a short 40 minute flight from Queensland’s Hervey Bay and one of the first islands which make up the world renowned Great Barrier Reef. It is approximately 100 acres in size and prides itself on its contributions to eco research and marine conservation. A wide variety of birds are found nesting on its shores and from around November to March one may be lucky enough to witness turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs. ‘Lady Elliot’ was the name of the ship aboard which Captain Thomas Stuart was sailing when he discovered the island in 1816. It was named after the wife of the Colonial Governor of India, where the ship was built and hence where the island derived its name. Our decision to visit was a spontaneous one and one which we didn’t regret.

Walking out onto the runway my stomach lurched at the sight of the small plane. Not one for flying at the best of times and having never been on a light aircraft I didn’t quite know what to expect. After a few flicks of the switches and a slight shudder we were off the ground, leaving Hervey Bay behind us and on our way to the island. The day was perfect, the calm blue water below shimmering with the gentle caresses of the suns rays. The pilot had mentioned that sometimes whales were spotted so we kept our eyes searching frantically below, however were not fortunate enough to see any. It certainly took my mind off the fact that I should be biting my nails about now


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Tips for visiting the Gold Coast

September 27th 2007 10:43
The Gold Coast is probably one of the biggest tourist hot spots in Australia. It is also well known by locals for its night life - many travelling from far and wide for the annual Schoolies celebrations to mark the end of their journey through high school. Indy fever hits the streets, roads being shut down and grand stands erected for the enthusiastic crowds to salivate over speed, cars.... and of course the Indy girls. The long stretches of open beaches are absolute heaven for the eager surfer and many Surf Schools have opened to accommodate the willing student. Backapckers and kids alike find themselves amongst a plethora of activities that would keep both groups happy for a lifetime (as well as empty a few wallets in no time at all!).

To be honest none of that really appeals to me and unless a trip to the hinterland is included I can quite honestly skip through its overcrowded streets and skyscraped skies. However, never one to let a wasted opportunity pass by at being somewhere different i could hardly resist the opportunity to jump in the car for a whirlwind overnight visit. Not only did I find out that my patience levels, much to my surprise, have NOT increased, but that I have no ambition whatsoever to become a mother any time soon


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Whale watching

June 22nd 2007 11:54
If you are on the East Coast of Australia now would be the best time to have a peek at the whales that are making their way up north. (Make sure you keep an eye out for Migaloo ('white fella" in Aboriginal language), a very rare albino whale).

Hervey Bay is one of the best places to see these gentle giants from. Leaving humanity far behind you jump on board one of the vessels (Tour Operators will normally pick you up from your accommodation) and head out on the aqua sea, always keeping an eye on the water for any splashes and water spouts or on the shores of Fraser Island for any lurking dingoes


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Today I headed back into Ross which was looking a little chilling, even in the morning light. The clouds were still low in the sky and a fine mist of rain washed over everything. There was no one about the town when I arrived, although it was pretty early and chilly. A church stands at the top of town, looking down over the deserted streets......

The church at the top of the hill

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Bicheno is a small town on the East coast of Tasmania. I was fortunate enough to find a small B 'n' B that overlooked the ocean and woke to a fresh, crisp morning, with the sun rising gently above the calm seas.


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After a very long drive through the farmlands of northeast Tassie I finally found the Bay of Fires, so named because of the red lichen that grows on the rocks. It is such a peaceful part of the country - I never saw another person or car for the entire time I was there. The water was tourquoise and looked very inviting although the chill in the air told otherwise.


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I have made the official decision that the National Animal of Tasmania is to be changed to......ROADKILL!! I have never seen so much roadkill in all my life! It is terrible, all these animals bodies scattered on the roadside.

An early morning flight meant the day stretched ahead and was not to be wasted. It had started to drizzle and was getting rather chilly, but this was not a deterrent for the adventurer. First stop was a rather scary ride on the chairlift at Cataract Gorge in Launceston, which proudly claims to be the


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Atherton Tablelands

January 6th 2007 22:10
Due to serious hangovers and then a day of absolute bliss and relaxation we slept in on the next morning in Cairns. By the time we woke up the sun was high in the sky and our tummies were grumbling loudly. Also due to the aforementioned reasons we had no food in our flat and there was no restaurant so we scratched through the rooms Compendium in order to find out how we could go in search of something to eat.
"Located only 500m around the corner is a store for all your shopping conveniences" or something like that jumped out from one of the pages. Plus they offered free home delivery if you shopped in their store....bonus as the heat was already swirling around outside.
OK, either I am blind and should have read 5000m or in Cairns they measure things a little differently, but after wandering down this endless road the heat began to get to us. Rippling images of a tree-lined oasis began to appear in the distance, the water cool and inviting, the fronds gently swaying in the breeze.....perhaps a slight exaggeration, but you get my drift! NO WAY WAS THAT 500M IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD


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The Great Barrier Reef

January 5th 2007 23:31
The mind boggles at this underwater fantasy land. We set sail from the Cairns harbour on an early morning cruise that would take us to 'Green Island' - a rather commercialised part of the region, however, when time is short you have to do what is necessary!


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Kuranda Skyrail

January 4th 2007 20:53
Day Two of our Cairns adventure started off rather early too, but without the hangover, so already it was way better! We were headed for the Kuranda Skyrail, which was an amazing trip. To get up there you have to jump on the train which meanders its way up the mountainside, exposing breathtaking scenery on its ascent. At times it was rather hairy going over rickety wooden bridges suspended high over rocky cliffs with waterfalls nearly close enough to touch.


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Cairns in December

January 3rd 2007 21:09
December and Cairns are two words that should never be found in the same sentence...EVER! Walking out of the plane felt like walking into a furnace. Oh yes another word should be added here too....hangover.....December, Cairns and hangover are three words that should never be found in the same sentence! After breaking the promise of not going out the night before in Sydney we arrived at the Sydney Airport after two hours sleep in search of coffee and all we found were kids screaming and watching some annoying cartoon on the TV. Oh the pain.....
Flying into Cairns was a shock to the eyes, it was not what I expected at all. When we landed at the airport it reminded me of the small, pondokkie (*see definition at bottom) airport that we have at home. There were no big shops and rushing passengers and planes zooming down and taking off - it was rather refreshing, and very airconditioned....superb!
The trip to our hotel was also an interesting one. I was expecting to see a big built up city, people screaming past in loud cars....nothing like this in sight. Instead it appeared very laid back and calm and relaxing. We were staying about 20 minutes out of the city and our transfer bus took us right to the door....of Cardiac Hill. It was a beautiful apartment block, overlooking the ocean, however the bus could not drop us at the top as there was nowhere for it to turn around so off we got with our bags, hangovers and, by now mild cases of heat stroke and began our trek up Cardiac Hill (this wasn`t the real name by the way!). The views from our balcony were just incredible though, very worth everything we had self-inflicted


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