Hooray for Canberra!

Dec 8:  Said our Goodbyes to the North Family and hopped on the M1.  Lunch at Wellington and eventually to Lakes Entrance.  Despite the TV ad that Danny's Dad doesn't like, it is a pleasant seaside village and we stayed in a cheap caravan park facing the river.  Afternoon drinks at the retro-looking RSL, then dinner at the local Thai restaurant.  Very salubrious.  
Dec 9:  Danny remembered a forest drive he went on 20 yrs ago in his Kombi, so we took a detour at Orborst.  It was very windy, but beautiful big trees and leafy ferns.  Came out near Delegate, a cute old town and I had a little slide down a grassy slope.  Tried to find somewhere for lunch and picked a nice spot outside the cemetary, but we had no gas!  So lunch at Bombala once we re-filled the gas bottle and then Canberra.  Let me just say, that I have never professed to be good a maps and am very new to the smart phone ones and their directions.  That said, Keith ended up facing Parliament House about 3 times before we finally got on the correct road to Danny's family.  Not impressed and fair enough...
We arrived at Auntie Jill's and cousin Colleen put on a great BBQ for us to catch up with some of the family. (Danny's cousin Vicky lives round the corner and his Uncle and Auntie two doors up).We hadn't been back since our trip from Tassie 11 yrs ago.   Uncle Norm suggested we park Keith in his big backyard, so we did and the dogs had a secure place to hang out too. 
Dec 10-12:  We spent 3 days parked at Uncle Norm & Auntie Eileen's, and Aunty Jill took us to Spotlight (hooray, new sheets) and then cooked the best roast and desserts, shared with cousin Sharon and Steve. Colleen also made us yummy chicken stew and caramel dumplings the next night...Oh the festival of food!  Uncle Norm loaned us his car and we went and re-visited the wonderful Australian Museum with the grooviest vehicle (see pic above) that was the home for many yeas of a travelling knife / saw sharpener and his family.  We also had a look at the National Art Gallery next door.  On our last day, Danny with the help of Colleen, re-sheeted some of the perspex roof on Jill's sunroom.  A job that even Uncle Ronnie had bawked at, due to the fiddly nature of getting up on the roof etc.
Dec 13: What a great time we had with all the Canberra Gang, but 7:30am and it was time to go.  Easy freeways took us to The Big Merino, Goulburn to re-fuel and by lunchtime we were at our good friends in Umina Beach, NSW.  Michael (with his expert flight attendant training) looked after us very nicely with drinks and nibbles until Russell came home.  Danny and Russ had a walk and I had a lie down (damn migraines!) before dinner of Morrrocan Lamb and Vegetables.  Oh yeah, that man can cook and they have a lovely house in the trees, overlooking the bay.
Dec 14:  Double highway most of the way with lunch at Michael's suggestion, Bulehduleh.  I have stopped there before sometime in my past...I bought Danny his 6th pair of thongs for the journey and we settled for the night at the White Albatross Holiday Park, Nambucca Heads where Danny had stayed for his Auntie Mazza's wedding many years ago.
I love the fact that The Adventures of  Keith has enabled us to re-unite with family and friends across the country.  And now another stage of the adventures was just about to begin...

Documentaries and Videos from The Adventures of Keith

 
In May 2012, we stayed in Malanda, FNQ doing Help Exchange and came across an old mechanic's shop.  An elderly gentlemen, Vince Seres came out of the open doorway and welcomed us into his workshop.  It was like a museum of vehicles, manuals and motoring parts.  We went back a few days later and he told us his story.

Now we are in a new year, we thought this was a good time to revisit Keith's first test drive (after his restoration) shot in Pearl St, Scarborough 2011.

Get Keith to the Greeks (Apollo Bay to Melbourne)

 Nov 30: 
Johanna Bay, free camp at the beach.  Danny went fishing and we listened to Ponting's last test cricket game. (Should have gone while you were on top, Ricky...) We had fresh parrot fish for dinner and chatted to a friendly couple parked next to us from Belgium.

 Dec 1:  We pulled up further along the Great Ocean Road at Apollo Bay.  We settled into a caravan park on a creek and then had a look at the little seaside town.  I bought some Xmas presents and then we just relaxed with Keith for the evening. 
Dec 2:  Not far to Lorne and the caravan parks were full of Schoolies.  We managed to escape the frivolity and had a lovely day buying more presents, walking on the beach with the fur girls and then a few drinks at the Lorne Hotel with cricket on the big screen.

Dec 3:  We arrived at Avondale Heights, Melbourne to stay with our Greek nomad friends, Stella and Angelo (who we met in Karumba).   They really know how to make the most of their house block with a smoke house and substantial vege garden out the back and cellar with bottled goods under the house.
We went for a walk with the dogs along the river and had bass caught by Angelo for dinner with home-made tzatziki, houmous and sweets.  We also met their daughter, who I got on with very well. 
Dec 4:  All of us to the Highpoint Shopping Centre and I spent some of my birthday gift card on shoes, a country cd and a bucket margurita mix for New Years.  Stella bought Indigo and Fuggles bling collars and a red tracksuit.  A big lunch of lamb and chicken from the smoke house with Angelo and Stella's son and his work mate, then left overs for dinner.    
Dec 5:  Aldi - for the first time in about 6 months!  Then we by-passed the city and drove to our friend Cathy's lovely place at The Patch in the Yarra Ranges.  We picked rasberries and plumbs from her trees and walked our girls and her golden retriever, Zoe to the local school for a run. 
Dec 6:  We caught the train into Richmond and had coffee at a bike shop cafe.  I got some extremely discounted undergarments from the Berlei Warehouse shop and Danny bought a much needed laptop (his died in Alice Springs) on sale in the city.  I made my famous meat balls for dinner.
Dec 7:  At home day with Danny on his new computer and me doing paperwork and blog.  Dinner that night with Cathy and her daughter Gabby at a local cafe:  Cook's Corner.  I had the vego pizza, very nice. 

What a great time we had catching up with Stella and Angelo and then Cathy, Gabby and her brother Mike.  But the festival of food was just beginning!

Adelaide & The Great Ocean Road

Trying to catch up on blogs before Christmas, so please forgive this Readers Digest version.  Ok, here we go.  Thursday 22 Nov:  Adelaide.  I had a migraine so we didn't go out that night and see 8 Ball Aitken.  Bummer.
Friday 23:  Walk along the natural creek behind our Caravan Park, then off to the cricket.  I did a split shift and hung out with the fur girls at lunchtime in Keith's aircon.
Saturday 24:  Bus to the city, checked out Museum and I got a great haircut from Edward Scissorhand's oriental cousin.  (RIP Danny's folks mini foxie, Basil 15yrs!)
Sunday 25:  Fueled up in the oldest German town in Australia, Hahndorf, lunch at Meninge (gateway to the Coorong) and found a free camp in Kingston and a big lobster!  We went for a walk and found an antique shop and shed - was an old courthouse and police station.  The owner is a 5th generation blacksmith.  Lovely bloke and the next day he helped us out with a modified oil cap.  Ours was left somewhere...
Noice dinner that night at the local pub.
Monday 26:  Next was Robe for a cooked breakfast, a walk around Beachport and a great camp behind a sand dune at Southend.  We found men's clothes in the bin and Danny scored a fab corderoy coat and some fishing jackets.
Tuesday 27:  On the road to Mount Gambia and breakfast at the Blue Lakes.  A walk around Portland
and then onto a free camp at Fitzroy River Reserve.  Lots of rubbish around, so we didn't stay and instead went on to Port Fairy. 
The first caravan park had a $20 a night special and grass.  I like grass for the girls.  We went for a big walk via the waterfront to town and as usual, we got a bit lost following my directions...lots of cute, old stone buildings. 
Wednesday 28:  Walk into Port Fairy for some supplies, then later on to the very english Caledonian Pub.  The Automobile Club was having it's touring 80th anniversary vintage car rally, so we watched about 30 old beauties go by.  Dinner at the thai restaurant out the back courtyard so the dogs could join us!
Thursday 29:  Breakfast in Warranbool (it's big) and then it was time for my long awaited trip along...
THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD.  Lots of wonderous natural wonders, even if the 12 apostles are really only about 9 or 10 now...
We finished a great week at a free camp:  Johanna Beach Reserve.  Big, beautiful, rough seas. 

American River and Future Posabilites on KI !

 American River, Kangaroo Island is a quiet little fishing village with shanty shacks and great walking tracks along the wetlands and foreshore.

We camped for 4 nights from the 17th Nov @ $15 pn right on the waters edge and Danny caught some King George Whiting which were big and wonderful to eat.  

 

We visited the Feral Cat Man who has a large collection of skins and products.  He doesn't hate cats and actually re-homes the kittens - I bought a couple of fridge magnets.

Danny made lots of pelican and seagull friends with his fishy offal.

 And we found some interesting treasures in the wetlands.

One day, I wrote a song which I had the inspiration for at Lake Hart, past Coober Pedy.  It is called "The Ballad of Salt Pan Sam" and sometime we will record it for youse all.

We went on a big 4 hr walk through the forest to the stone ruins of the Fish Cannery and then back via the beach.

 These old farming machines were in someone's yard who had a long-gone tourist business.

There was a block of land for sale in the Shanty part of AM and we fantasized about living there with Keith and the fur-girls.  But it's funny how the universe works when you put stuff out there, eh?
The next day we went to Tony's place on the hill and met his mate, Dave who owns an eco retreat on another hill.  He was very friendly and envited us over for a look.  Wow - 100acres with it's own private surf beach.
We watched some music videos with him, and he asked if we might like to house sit next year when they close during the winter.  We said Yes and would keep in contact.  So we shall see what happens...  We stayed for the Wednesday  Jam Night, parked at Tony's massive shed and met Dave's wife and Tony's muso mates.

 And Tony even let us drive his big Ford 250 for the day!
Thursday and it was time to leave the island.  We had a cooked breakfast down at ocean front park at Penneshaw and then got on the ferry.  Luckily, it was not a windy day this time and the trip was lovely!