Davo’s in the desert 2022

13/08/2022

Day 49 13th Aug
Well that’s it
After just over 5,600kms in 7 weeks, we are back home.
We have had the best time albeit a tad cold and windy on a few days.
Travelled with friends, met up with friends, made some friends but most of all, made lots of great memories.
Too hard to pick a highlight. We do live in the lucky country.
Missed our family but we are lucky we can FaceTime to check in.
Hope you all enjoyed our travels and pictures.
Looking forward to start planning our next one.

13/08/2022

Day 1 & day 49…… not so clean at
The moment.

12/08/2022

Day 48 12th Aug
Second last leg of the tour we travelled to Yass and met up with our Masterpiece Twin Titan.
Christine & Trevor Stevens are on their last leg of their 2 and half year tour around Oz. Lots of pics and notes were taken in readiness for our big lap one day.
The Kiwiroos are selling up and heading back home to NZ. Safe travels and hopefully we can get across the ditch to see you both when you have settled in.

11/08/2022

Lambing Flat Chinese Tribute Garden

11/08/2022

Day 47 11th Aug
A drizzly day in Young today
Visited a couple of site seeing spots but missed out on a couple of museums. Oh well, another reason to come back another time.
Yummy afternoon tea with Apple and Caramilk scones

11/08/2022

Touts Lookout

10/08/2022

Day 45 10th Aug
Finding ways to head home, dodging some flooding and trying to stay ahead of the rain today we went through Junee, Illabo, Bethungra, Cootamundra, Jindalee, Wallendbeen, Wombat and stopping in Young home of the cherry 🍒 orchards. A small drive in the arvo to a lookout with spectacular views.

10/08/2022

Day 44 9th Aug
After waking up to the sad news of Olivia passing away, we moved on from Finley stopping at Jerilderie for fuel and what do you know, they had a bakery. Well this bakery has come in equal 1st on Ray’s rating for the best steak, cheese & bacon pie with Winton QLD. They also did a great vanilla slice.
We also found out that Ned Kelly has history in the town.
I also found a few old FORDS in a shed. How good are the Effie’s?
Onwards through Morundah, Narranderea, Grong Grong, Ganmain & stopping at Coolamon. Ray’s step brother(who passed away nearly 2 years ago) lived here so we went by his place & pub and had a 🍻 for him 💙
Pretty bad placement in the caravan park, parked next to a Roosters 🐔 supporter who happens to live in Umina!

10/08/2022

We are slowly closing the loop….not long before we are back now 😢😢

09/08/2022

Day 43 8th Aug
Fog didn’t lift until 12ish today so we decided to stay another day in this beautiful spot.
A visit to the bakery and another walk around the lake.

08/08/2022

Up to date travel map. Currently in Finley NSW. What a great little town.

08/08/2022

That takes talent to do that 🤣🤣

08/08/2022

Day 42 7th Aug
Officially 6 weeks 😲
After the fog lifted around 11am We went for a small drive around Finley NSW today. A little town that is still surviving. They have an airstrip, golf course, hospital with 5 doctors!, small set of shops, the best IGA that we have been in, bakery, butcher, chemist, Chinese restaurant, 3 pubs, RSL, swimming pool, parks, a lake and caravan park.
Bakery wasn’t open so went took the 1.7km walk around the lake. So beautiful to see so many swans and their babies.
The caravan park owners and Snowy welcomed us to the fire pit in the afternoon and we had Chinese for dinner.

06/08/2022

Day 41 6th Aug
Had bacon and egg roll at the cafe for brekkie before we headed off on a short journey to Finlay NSW
Just out of Strathy is the Bega cheese factory and Cactus 🌵 Country
Cactus lovers would love this place
I know my MIL would. It would be so good to be there when most of them are flowering.
Next stop was at the Big Strawberry 🍓 at Koonoomoo. Had to have strawberry pancakes for morning tea
There was also a small car & moto display which has the infamous GTHO Ford that was stolen and found in the the 70’s 😲 not very good pics as the lights weren’t on 😢
We crossed the mighty Murray River and you know what that means! We are back in NSW 💙 the rain greeted us as we arrived at Finlay Lakeside C’van park but what a lovely surprise from Bernice the manager as she gave us some eggs for breakfast in the morning. Settled in just in time for the South’s game ❤️💚 and then the amazing sunset.

06/08/2022

Day 40 5th Aug
Headed further north and thought we would spend some time in Shepparton but decided to keep going and so glad we decided to stop for the night at Strathmerton or Strathy as the locals say.
Wouldn’t you know it, the bakery and the pub were open 🤣
After our pie for lunch we walked around town. What a great sports park they have.
Oh and some lovely flora 🌼
Stopped in at the pub to rehydrate and found out that ‘Roast of the day’ was Lamb 😋
Back to the van for R & R then back to the pub for dinner.
Do yourselves a favour and stop in at this little town, north of Shepparton, west of Cobram.
Our dinner was to die for and they even put platters of hot party food on the bar for the locals.
What a lovely bunch of locals we sat with until closing time 😜
Talked cars, holidays, stuff about the town, footy and what ever else.

04/08/2022

Day 39 4th Aug
Nothing to report today.
Ray helped out at Masterpiece for the day and I did some washing while the sun was out.
Travelled a short distance north to our stop for the night.

04/08/2022

Day 38 3rd Aug
Headed a little further SE no stops today.
Passed through Ararat, Beaufort, bypassed Ballarat, Ballan, Bacchus Marsh and Melton
Stopped at Campbellfield at Masterpiece Caravans to catch up with Remon before he heads overseas.

02/08/2022

Day 37 2nd Aug
We travelled south East today on the Western Highway and crossed the border into Victoria. That highway was so bad in parts that it felt like we were back on the Birdsville track
Went through a couple of big & little towns Kaniva where they have 50 little sheep each with their own theme and a stunning silo art, Nhill which had a pinball museum, Dimboola which is home to Pink Lake, Horsham we did some shopping, Stawell the home of the Gift and finally ending up at Great Western. Pity I don’t drink bubbles 🤣🍾
Our scenery to the right has changed and we were now seeing the magnificent Grampians

01/08/2022

Day 36 Aug 1st
Well we have come to end of our planned/scheduled events so we will mosey on home.
Today we stopped at Coonalpyn to view the silos. The children that are featured on the silos are students from the local Primary school and they represent hope for the future. The painting took 6 weeks and was completed in 2017.
The mosaic was awesome too.
The tunnel underpass leads to a dog exercise park. The art work was done by the school and art group.
Ray picked up a cheese and bacon pie while I was taking pics and has rated it the second best ever!
Staying at Bordertown for the night and had dinner at the pub down the road. OMG the meals were amazing

01/08/2022

Trip map as of today. Nearly 4,000 k’s covered. Fuel has ranged from a high of $2.95 on the Birdsville track down to $1.98 here in Bordertown SA today. That should save me $100 when I fill up in the morning!

31/07/2022

How bad would this be to see and drive at 150+kms p/h

31/07/2022

Bad crash on the start grid

31/07/2022

Day 35 31st July
Little bit of rain hanging around so we hopped on the shuttle bus to see the other side of the track. There’s a go cart complex and drag strip
Pit area to all cars were all accessible
Bad crash on the start grid for the 1st race
Bad conditions in the 2nd race 🌧☔️

30/07/2022

Sitting in the stand at the 1st corner 👍🏻

30/07/2022

Bit of action in the air

30/07/2022

More action on the track

30/07/2022

Day 34 30th July
Race day at the track and it was bloody freezing 🥶
Well done to rookie Zac Best for his pole position and to hold out SVG for several laps.
Sat there all day in the cold for the wrong result 😢
Back to the van for the Bunnies game
Sat there in the warmth for the wrong result ❤️💚😢

30/07/2022

Gen 3 on the track

30/07/2022

How nice 😍

30/07/2022

29/07/2022

Day 33 29th July
1st day at the track and the bloody wind hasn’t let up and it’s freezing.
Very disappointing day of action on track. A good walk through the pits though.
Back to the van and had a great chat with our neighbors

28/07/2022

Day 32 28th July
Travelled about 20mins down the road to The Bend Big 4 for the V8’s round at Tailem Bend
We were set up in time before the wind and rain came which made it freezing 🥶
Just a short stroll across the road to our Grandstand seats tomorrow
Had another FaceTime chat with Daisy and we compared oodies 😆🥰

27/07/2022

Tailem Bend V8’s transporter parade

27/07/2022

Waterfalls number 2

27/07/2022

Mannum Waterfalls

27/07/2022

Steering the P.S Marion

27/07/2022

Part 2 pics

27/07/2022

Day 31 27th July
Part 1
Packed a lunchbox today and headed to Mannum. What a thriving place this would’ve been. The P.S Marion would’ve been a grand boat back in the day. The town being on the Murray, has been struck by floods on several occasions the biggest in 1956.
Next stop was a lookout with a climb down to a waterfall. The escarpment was amazing.
Made our way to Tailem Bend to see the truck transporters of the V8’s come rolling through town

26/07/2022

Updated trip map as of today.

26/07/2022

This is the Bunyip that the Dreamtime story says it was a man that was very greedy by taking more fish than he could eat. The Elders were very angry with him and his punishment was turning him into a half man, half fish - Mulyawonk, and banished him to the river.
The children were told to never swim alone or take more fish than they could eat
If they did swim alone or catch too many fish, Mulyawonk would get you.
This story teaches the children water safety and respect for the fish of the waterways.