Thursday, April 6th 2023

Heading for Hay NSW

Left home at 9am

On the road and passed the new development in Spring Farm. There's a new road being built to join it to the main road, which will increase the traffic significantly. It's really bad now!

We're heading for our usual spot in Gunning, maybe. If we can wait.

Morning tea and toilet stop at Goulburn Bakery - couldn't wait!

Lunch 1.30pm at Wagga Beach. Some great ducks there!

Very deserted here, as kids are still in school, tomorrow is Friday.

This is a Pacific Black Duck.

They have the most beautiful coloured feathers underneath.

Overnight at Nicholas Royal Motel, Hay,

Check in at midday, which makes a nice change.

Stayed here in 2010, and it's been updated.

The beds felt really hard, but all else was good.

Neighbours were a pain in the....

Their parking spot was outside ours, and our parking spot was outside the utilities room next door. I guess cars have become much bigger since they built this place, so your own car is not outside your room. I can't believe the way the male parent swore at the children in the early hours of the morning!!

Still run by the lovely, aging owners from 2010.

Good Friday, 7th April 2023

Lots of places closed today.

On the road again, lunch stop in Mildura. Made our lunch near to the water.

The Picnic set given to us as a wedding present, just keeps on going! Had to replace a few things over the years.

Heading for Renmark S.A. via Balranald

The silo paintings in Hay NSW were extraordinary.

Bruce took these photos on his morning walk.

Breakfast, then back on the road....

The beds lift for cleaning. We were chatting to the owners as they were already cleaning as we were leaving.

They showed us how they can get the room very clean by lifting the bed upwards.

On the road again!

10.30am Balranald Comfort Stop.

The Information Centres have some great things to buy!

Rows and rows of grapevines.

They look pretty to us non-drinkers.

Morning tea time!

Renmark Motel

Renmark Motor Inn 1:45pm

Booked a ride (before we left home) on the Paddlesteamer tomorrow morning.

Near the highway, near KFC, Maccas and a big shopping centre, but so very quiet as it's a public holiday. We did find a nice hot food shop where we ordered our dinner as was going to be busy, so the guy said.

When Bruce went to collect it, the place was full of people.

P.S. Industry -

the paddle steamer we're on tomorrow morning.

3.30pm 7th April 2023

Saturday, 8th April 2023

On our way to Prospect SA after our cruise, for 4 nights at

the Sombrero Comfort Inn Apartments

Just can't wait to catch up with R & J from WA!

Lots of rose gardens in Renmark.

Looks better on video....

Eerie looking water supply towers here....

Waikerie SA

The silo art here is most impressive.

Silos without artwork look rather naked.

Maynard's Lookout S.A.

The rental we used to own in S.A.

The loungeroom used as a garage!

Hooray! Our besties have arrived!!

Saturday, 9th April 2023

J. trying to figure out how to fix our incorrect Sealink

booking, done by someone else, sigh.

Tanunda SA

We had lunch at Beans & Cream who made a mistake

with our order, but we didn't mind as we were holidaying.

When we paid, the woman gave us 4 huge muffins as a thank you for being patient.

We also visited

Barossa's Old Fashioned for lollies and jam.

Barossa Reservoir's 'Whispering Wall'

Whispered words can be heard from the other end of the dam 140 metres away, despite the incredible distance.

No, it’s not some magical feature. The whispers can be heard thanks to the parabola effect. The wall creates one part of a perfect circle. This causes sound waves that hit it to bounce in a number of jumps to the other end – meaning sound travels really well.

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Sunday, 10th April 2023

on the road again!

Hanhdorf S.A.

Yep, that's Bruce

Being a public holiday, meant that the footpaths were soon

packed and it was hard to put one foot in front of the other!

Someone likes sausages!

Time for a new holiday carry bag.

$18 for one with a full zip closure along the top is a bargain!

Too late!!

A window display

for Easter

Resting after another awesome day!

What a great kitchen!!

Monday, 11th April 2023

Found a new friend at the post office.

Then we went op shop shopping.

New dress up for Miss 6.

...and a Pumpkin Patch coat...

I couldn't work out what this was, there was a box full of them.

I've since found out their pencil cases, large at one end.

Noritake dinner set. Yamaka China Montreal.

I think it may be worth a lot more than $200.

The cafe in Cudlee Creek

as suggested by R. was awesome!

Gumeracha SA 5233

World's Biggest Rocking Horse

B. posing in the centre for our granddaughter.

Lots of wooden toys in the shop.

From tiny cars up to toy ovens and sinks.

Tuesday, 12th April 2023

Our boat doesn't leave until later this afternoon,

so we visited Victor Harbor.

It was a bit cold and wet.

We passed by on a sunny day and there

were lots of people and the rides were very busy.

Lunch at the Causeway Cafe

Victor Harbor

The birds are waiting for us to drop a crumb,

so they can fight over it.

Finally, on Sealink!

Not many people board at 6pm.

It was quite rocky, typical of late afternoon.

A new day!

Wednesday, 13th April 2023

Bruce found some cuteness whilst on his

morning walk.

The Lagoon House

Sapphiretown

Kangaroo Island

Our room on the left, R & J's down the hallway.

The other end of the hallway.

To the left, the entry to the main floor, and to the right, the front door.

Straight ahead is bedroom 3 and the laundry next to it.

One bathroom with toilet for 6 of us was a challenge.

Main bedroom with ensuite is off the kitchen upstairs.

Lounge/Kitchen/Dining

all in one room.

Fabulous views.

The house was not cold at all.

Our rental car. We were only allowed to drive it on

sealed roads, so we didn't see as much as we wanted to.

Not much from the outside, but obviously

built for warmth as it was a lot colder outside on some days.

Morning tea at a lovely little cafe near the water.

Fat Beagle Cafe

Three separate bathrooms!

It must get really busy here at peak season.

Amazing work being done to rebuild this boat!

Bringing the 'Independence' Back to Life!

from https://rebuildindependence.org/

American River is a small town on the north-east coast of Kangaroo Island, South Australia. A peculiar name for a town which is not American and doesn't have a river!

The river is actually an inlet from the sea which branches off Nepean Bay's Eastern Cove and, further south, becomes Pelican Lagoon. The American bit is more complex.

It refers to some American sealers who were here in 1803, barely a year after Kangaroo Island was so named by the British explorer Matthew Flinders during his visit in March 1802. Flinders left the area of Kangaroo Island in early April, 1802 and was bound for Port Jackson (now Sydney, NSW) when, on 8 April, he met the French explorer Nicolas Baudin. Although Britain and France were at war, the two captains decided that they were scientists and above such belligerence so shared much information. In particular, Flinders told Baudin of Kangaroo Island and how he could obtain fresh water and meat there.

Baudin visited in early 1803 when he circumnavigated the island so being the first European to see and name much of the south coast. His crew indulged in some graffiti when they carved information about their visit into a rock at what is now Hog Bay, Penneshaw. Baudin left the island around February 1803 bound for Mauritius. For more information on Baudin and his voyages, see http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/encounter/baudinsvoyage.htm

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, at Stonington, Connecticut, a ship, Union under Captain Isaac Pendleton, was being prepared for despatch on a sealing expedition to the southern hemisphere. In early 1803, Union was in King George Sound near what is now Albany, WA when he met Baudin. Baudin gave Pendleton copies of the charts of Australia which he had made or received from other sources and told Pendleton of the existence of Kangaroo Island (although Baudin had named it Île Borda) and how he could get many seals there. Pendleton arrived at Kangaroo Island in April 1803 and decided to spend the winter there. In addition, he decided to spend the winter fruitfully by building a smaller vessel presumably in order to increase his capacity to carry seal skins. Thus was born Independence.