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This is the first post on my blog and I will start off by giving you a quick run down of what has been happening since we left Melbourne on the 30th of September.
I was very optimistic thinking we could drive down Maysia St. at 7.00 am; however it was 9.30 before we hit the road. This camping life will take some getting use to. Our 1999 Toyota Landcruiser GXL has a roofrack, but we were unable to pack it, while still in the carport, due to the height. The Camper had been in the garden for a week and with heavy rain (it never rains in Melbourne); we had to use the winch just to get it out of the garden and onto the concrete.
After lunch with my grandmother in Kyabram we continued 5½ hours to Mildura, a total of 8 hours driving time on our first day.
The Victorian country side is beautiful with all the gum trees, but it was very disturbing seeing so many totally dried out lakes. Our GPS would show us a lake and is would be completely empty. Lake Boga near Swan Hill was such a sight. A caravan park and a motel with what used to be water frontage, was now deserted. Very very sad.
Mildura is a town right on the beautiful Murray River - and it still has water. Besides spending time with my relatives, who we hadn't seen for many years and therefore really enjoyed, we went for a walk along the River - may the river continue to run always….
The day we left Mildura it hammered down with rain (and it never rains in Mildura) - packing up the camper was a bit of an effort. Paul got absolutely drenched.
For the last couple of days we have been staying at a caravan park in Belair National Park, ½ hour from Adelaide CBD. The weather has been dry but quite cool. I went for a morning run in the national park which was great. Before leaving Melbourne, I was running 3x9km per week and I would really like to keep it up, but I think it will be quite difficult the warmer it gets and the more remote places we head towards. Anyway, we met up with my 2nd cousin, her husband and 3 children last night, as they happened to be holidaying in Adelaide, which was very nice.
Today we went swimming with the dolphins. Our biggest reason for visiting Adelaide was the dolphin experience - 100% success or your money back guarantee. And we did see dolphins, not as many and as close as we had hoped to.
It was a 3½ hours sail and every time dolphins were spotted we slid into the water holding on to a rope. There were two ropes on either side of the sailing boat - we had to stay in the middle. There was a shark shield at the end of the ropes, which basically was electronic shark deterrents that created a unique protecitve electrical field around the swimmers - very comforting J
The swimmers were all at the back of the boat and most of the dolphins seemed to stay in front of the boat, which was very unfortunate. Everybody got to see the dolphins but no close encounter, which was what we all expected. Because of the low dolphin activity we were all offered to join the next 1½ hour watch cruise free of charge. Thomas and I decided to go along and we saw many dolphins, which made up for the morning swim disapointment.
Tomorrow morning we head off to Wilminton, which is a small town in the lower Flinders and very close to Alligator Gorge in Mount Remarkable National Park. We hope to do a few minor hikes, so hopefully the weather will be good.
Here comes the Danish version:
Dette er det første indlæg på min blog, så jeg vil starte med at give en hurtig opsumering af, hvad der er sket, siden vi forlod Melbourne d. 30. september.
Det var meget optimistisk at tro, vi kunne forlade Maysia St. kl 7:00, men den blev 9,30, før vi kom af sted. Campinglivet kræver vist lidt tilvænning. På taget af vores 1999 Toyota Landcruiser GXL skal vi have ekstra hjul, ekstra benzindunke og en canvas pose til borde og stole, men vi var ikke i stand til at pakke den, mens bilen stadig var i carporten, på grund af højden. Da vores Camper havde været i haven i en uge og kraftig regn (det regner ellers aldrig i Melbourne), var vi nødt til at bruge "spillet", foran på bilen, for at hive den ud af haven og hen på betonen.
Vi spiste frokost hos min mormor i Kyabram og fortsatte derefter 5 ½ time til Mildura, i alt 8 timers kørsel på vores første dag.
Landskabet i staten Victoria er meget smukt med alle eukulyptustræerne, men det var meget foruroligende at se så mange helt udtørret søer. Vores GPS viste os en sø, men den var helt tør, pga. 10 års tørke. Lake Boga nær Swan Hill var sådan et syn. En campingplads og et motel, der engang havde udsigt over vandet, var nu helt forladt.Meget meget trist.
Mildura er en by lige på den smukke Murray River - den naturlige grænse mellem 2 stater og floden har heldigvis stadig masser af vand. Ud over at tilbringe tid sammen med min familie, som vi ikke havde set i mange år, gik vi en lang tur langs floden.
Den dag vi forlod Mildura hamrede det ned med regn (og det regner aldrig i Mildura) - det gjorde det ret besværligt at pakke sammen.
I de sidste par dage har vi boet på en campingplads i Belair National Park, ½ times kørsel fra Adelaide centrum. Vejret har været tørt, men ret køligt. Jeg tog en morgen løbetur i nationalparken. Før du forlod Melbourne, løb jeg 3x9km pr. ugen, og jeg vil virkelig gerne holde det ved lige, men jeg tror det bliver vanskeligt jo varmere det bliver, og jo mere fjerntliggende steder, vi bevæger os hen. Om aftenen var vi ude at spise med min grandkusine, hendes mand og 3 børn, da de tilfældigvis var på ferie i Adelaide.
I dag har vi været ude at svømme med delfiner. Årsagen til vi skulle til Adelaide, var delfin oplevelsen - 100% succes eller pengene tilbage. Og vi så også delfiner, men ikke så mange og så tæt som vi havde håbet på.
Det var en 3 ½ timers sejltur og hver gang der blev spottet delfiner, skulle vi glide ned i vandet bag båden og holde fast i et reb. Der var to reb, et på hver side af båden - vi skulle blive i midten af disse. Der var tilsluttet et haj skjold for enden af disse reb, som udsendte nogle haj-skræmmende lyde og udsendte et elektrisk felt omkring svømmerne - meget betryggende.
Samtlige svømmere befandt sig på bagsiden af båden, mens de fleste delfiner opholdte sigforan båden, hvilket var ret uheldigt. Alle fik set delfiner, men ingen nærkontakt, som var det, vi alle havde håbet på. På grund af den ringe delfin aktivitet, blev vi alle tilbudt at deltage i den efterfølgende 1 ½ times sejltur gratis. Thomas og jeg besluttede at tage imod tilbuddet og vi så mange delfiner.
I morgen tidligt kører vi videre til Wilminton, som er en lille by i den nedre del af bjergkæden Flinders og meget tæt på Alligator Gorgen i Mount Remarkable National Park. Vi håber at komme ud at vandrer en smule, så forhåbentlig bliver vejret godt.
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