Our quest to find new places to explore took on a new focus when we woke to find Daylesford was even colder than the previous few days, if that was even possible. We raced to pack up and leave before the caravan park charged us another $60 for missing the checkout time, then cruised into Castlemaine on our journey north in search of warmer weather. 

Castlemaine was very cosmic, all yoga and holistic healing. There was a huge organic grocery store which was incredibly busy even tradies were going in carrying calico bags or whicker baskets to buy their lunch there, no Greggs sausage rolls for them! It was a beautiful town with a rail line to Melbourne, no wonder it features on Escape from the City so often.

 We pressed on through Bendigo to Lake Meran which was another cheapo camp site in our brilliant Camps Australia atlas, $5 honesty box. The lake was huge and, as usual, we were the only people there. There were bbqs, decent toilets, places for camp fires and it was a few degrees warmer than Daylesford. It actually felt far warmer, there was something about Daylesford that chilled the bones. 

It was a bit drizzly the next day but we decided to stay and take things easy. When we walked around the lake we found there were even better camping spots so we will know for next time. The sky began to look quite ominous so we ducked back into the van.

 Several storms passed overnight but we woke to sunshine and packed up before heading into the nearest town, Kerang. We were fairly off the beaten track so were surprised to find Kerang was massive with a big Woolworths and a very smart visitor centre. So we stocked up with groceries and carried on to our next stop. 

We were planning to visit the Pioneer Settlement in Swan Hill so headed along the Murray Valley Highway passing more huge lakes, Reedy Lake, Lake Charm. Mystic Park Lake, Kangaroo Lake, Lake Boga and many smaller ones. Some, like Lake Charm, were aquatic playgrounds surrounded by caravan parks and motels with a boat or jetski behind every car.

 Our chosen camp was just beyond Swan Hill at Nyah Freedom of Choice Camping which was actually at the trotting track on the river. Very nice, just toilets no showers or power and a donation box. Apparently they sell meals there on a Thursday but not much use to us as we were there on a Monday. 

The next morning was chilly again and we dropped Harvey at the Scooby Doo Pet Resort for the day (only $10) while we visited the Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement. It was great in a beautiful location on the banks of the Murray not as big as Sovereign Hill in Ballarat but an awful lot cheaper and easy to wander around poking about in the old shops and houses. One of my favourite exhibits was a flat packed house sent out from England. Housing was a problem when settlers began to arrive in droves and hundreds of these metal houses were sent out in wooden crates to be assembled on site, the crates they travelled in even formed part of the walls. Swan Hill also had a Big Murray Cod, so my day was complete.

 After a most enjoyable day we picked Harvey up (not sure he had as much fun as us) and drove back to Nyah via the Speewa Ferry. 

Mildura was our next destination, chosen because we were very keen to visit Mungo National Park. Mildura is right on the border between Victoria and New South Wales and the road crosses from one state to another several times, I don't know how road users managed during the height of the pandemic because the state borders were closed. The scenery all around is called Mallee Scrub, it reminded me of the broom scrub around the New Forest. The crops changed to almonds, oranges and olives and mile after mile of vineyards. We had chosen Red Cliffs Golf Club for our overnight stop because it was near the kennels where Harvey was going to stay while we visited the National Park. The golf club was pretty popular with caravanners, $10 a night, toilets and use of the camp kitchen, one of the golfers told me the club was formed in the early 1920s when the area became one of the first large scale irrigation hubs in the world after WW1.

 We dropped Harvey and set off for Mungo National Park. The last 90km of the drive is on red dirt but the road had been recently graded and there had not been any rain, we have driven on far worse. We had a choice between staying in the National Park campground or Mungo Lodge but decided on the Lodge because they had a list of tours available while the National Park staff were not able to tell us if they would have a tour running or not. The camping was at the back of the lodge with showers, toilets and use of the restaurant for $25. 

The tour the following day was excellent, about $50 each for a couple of hours. There was a sheep station there in recent history but Mungo National Park was a lake thousands of years ago and it is where the remains of Mungo Man and Mungo  Woman were found which enabled scientists to date the existence of indigenous Australians back 60,000 years. 

 The sand dunes surrounding what was the lake are spectacular and visitors are only permitted to reach them as part of a tour group. Ancient footprints were found on the bed of the lake and have been cast and laid out by the visitor centre in exactly the pattern they were found. The whole place was extraordinary and the tour guide was marvellous, we really got a sense of the lives that had gone before us. 

 The rain has felt constant over the past couple of years but has got far worse over recent months with some areas flooding for a second time in 2022 already. At the end of June the forecasters started to tell us that worse was yet to come for the whole of July so we decided enough was enough, we would make the most of being retired and just push off until it was over.

The plan was to take our time travelling to Melbourne, spend a week or so with Zoё, Shaun and the boys then explore a bit more of Victoria before slowly heading home. We set off just as the promised rain event began and, by the time we reached Sydney it was like a monsoon so we opted to keep driving until it stopped. 

This was Harvey's first big trip and we had our fingers crossed that he would be a good traveller like Monty always was, we need not have worried we didn't even know he was there. It was dark by the time we came out of the downpour we were just short of Gunning, which is a free overnight camp we know well, so we scooted in to the showground and set up for the night. Gunning is always freezing in the winter and this time it was really windy too so we couldn't face walking in to town for dinner, however it is the done thing to spend some money in the RV friendly towns that offer free camps so we had breakfast in the cafe in town before heading on our way.

The journey down to Melbourne is one we do quite often and we were determined to find some different places to stop and to only drive a couple of hours at a time. It has taken a while to master finding free or donation camps but with the help of our brilliant Camps Australia Atlas and Wikicamps we have got the hang of it and rarely stay in a proper caravan park. Our search unearthed a camp at Wantabadgery on the Murrumbidgee river. 

The journey took us past farms with loads of new lambs and through vineyards. I didn't realise there were vineyards around that area but apparently it is the Gundagai Wine Region. We arrived at the Sandy Beach Reserve and it was gorgeous, right on the banks of the river with a boat ramp, picnic shelters and long drop toilets. We were the only people there, even though it was the beginning of the school holidays so we started to wonder if there was a flood warning we had missed but decided to brave it.

 The weather was beautiful and it was tempting to stay longer but we did have a destination on this part of the trip so we drove for a couple of hours, sunshine all the way to our next new find Jindera Primitive Campground. Now this one was not what we expected, it was hardly primitive as the camping spot was in the middle of a big new sports complex in the centre of town. The campers (only us again) shared the toilets with the brand new skate park and it was perfectly adequate but I felt a bit conspicuous sleeping in such a public spot. We were kept entertained watching people working on a brand new (everything was brand new, the government must have needed to win this seat in the recent election) mobile phone tower pretty much next to where we were camped, again throwing doubt on the primitive aspect of the camping experience. 

 The town was quite interesting, originally built by German settlers around 1870 and there were some beautiful buildings and good historical information boards but I don't think I'll be stopping there again.

The last stop on our wander down to Melbourne was an old favourite, Alexandra Showground. Alexandra is a beautiful town and the showground is really well kept. We splashed out on $20 for the night so we could have a decent hot shower and go and have dinner in town. Sadly the pub which advertises award winning chips was closed again, it is every time we go there, we will keep trying, I am determined to have the chips eventually.

 Zoё and Shaun have just bought a new caravan so while we were there we hatched a plan to take it on the maiden voyage together. We were hoping to head for Daylesford and Ballarat so they tagged along and we booked in to Daylesford Caravan Park. It was a nice place but a bit steep at $40 a night but we wanted to visit the gold mining town, Sovereign Hill, in nearby Ballarat and it was the only option. 

 Daylesford is famously cold in winter and it was absolutely bitter. The town often features on Escape from the City so we were looking forward to seeing what it had to offer. In the end it was so cold we just bought gloves there and tried to keep out of the wind, maybe it is more appropriate for a summer visit. 

 Sovereign Hill is a recreation of the gold mining town in Ballarat. It was fantastic, pricey at $60 a head then extra for the mine tour but it was a full day out and a lot of fun. There were actors wandering around as characters of the time and fake snow blowing along the streets. There was also a light show in the evening but the kids had been good all day and we didn't want to risk pushing our luck. 

Back at the caravan park there was a big log fire in one of the old buildings so we gathered in there with some other cold campers and enjoyed our last evening with Zoё and Shaun. After waving them off the following morning we went to reception to pay for an extra night, they charged us $60 as it was a Friday! So we left Daylesford with renewed resolve to

a) find more free camps 

b) head somewhere warmer.

  After what felt like weeks of rain and storms, the day dawned bright and sunny as we set off for Christmas in Victoria. That soon changed as a big storm chased us through Sydney all the way to our regular first stop in Gunning. The rain eased as we arrived but the fields were flooded all around and creeks that had been dry for decades were now gushing torrents. When we got to the pub for dinner the locals were all talking about how they had been trapped in their homes by floodwater the previous day. At the time of writing (end of February) towns in Queensland and Northern New South Wales are suffering terrible flooding, our experience was nothing compared to theirs. 

The sun was shining the next morning and we drove in blue skies, listening to the Ashes first test, into Victoria. Everything became less green and more brown as we sped along, usually it is the opposite but La Nina has given the east coast its second consecutive very wet summer. We headed for Warby-Ovens National Park and set up in the Wenhams Campground. National Park campgrounds are quite basic, this had no water and drop toilets but they are usually well looked after. The areas for camping were very small so ok for our little van but not suitable for anything larger.

 Apart from a group of birdwatchers we were the only people staying. It was a beautiful spot with various walks marked out and warnings about pythons. I have become quite Australian in my attitude towards snakes and, as long as they are not the deadly ones, they don't worry me so pythons are ok. 

The birdwatchers packed up and left the following morning so we had the place to ourselves. We selected the Friends walking track which was flagged up as quite difficult and they weren't kidding! It was very up hill and down dale but fabulous with wild flowers and butterflies everywhere, grass trees too which we are used to seeing at home but don't come across in too many other places. We also saw evidence of wombats, cube shaped poo and diggings, but sadly didn't spot any. During a particularly strenuous section climbing up rocks a young couple jogged past looking as fresh as daisies as we puffed and wheezed our way to the summit, that didn't make us feel too great.

 The next morning dawned hot and sunny again so we decided we must have outrun the weather at last so we packed up and pressed on. We took a look at the riverside camping for future reference but it wasn't for me. No toilets even within driving distance and a very lumpy road in and out. Ian was up for it but I prefer a little bit more comfort these days. 

On then to Alexandra which has become a bit of a favourite for us. We stayed there last trip but it was raining and Covid was forcing us to hurry back across the border so we didn't get much chance to look around. We were not disappointed. The showground was good, $25 for a powered site, it does not take many vans so can be difficult to get in. It was only a few minutes stroll into town where we found a Christmas Tree Festival, a charity event where local businesses and schools had all decorated a tree and the public voted for their favourites, it was better than it sounds.

 Christmas with Zoe, Shaun and the boys was fun as usual and we decided to try yet another route back. It was more difficult to find somewhere to stop than we expected, we had planned to stay in Rubicon State Forest but found the Kendalls Camp Ground completely full. We could probably have squeezed in but I didn't fancy sharing a toilet with 150 other people with the way Covid was taking off at that time so we carried on to Benalla Showground. 

Benalla was ok for one night but no longer so we took the Silo Art Trail to Narrandera. We stopped to take photos of the silos in the tiny towns of Goorambat and Devenish. They were sensational and well worth the detour. The highlight of the return journey was Narrandera though, where we free camped at the Brewery Flat rest area. it was a great spot with public toilets and we will definitely stay there again. Narrandera was also on the silo trail and boasted a silo with a Frill Necked Lizard beautiful buildings and a visitor centre with a Big Playable Guitar. They also have a thriving koala population and we saw 5 on a walk by the river so they are doing much better than the koalas at home.

 After Narrandera we headed home along the Golden Highway. The road takes us through Dunedoo which has always appeared to be a town absolutely on its knees. This time however, Dunedoo had transformed and all thanks to the Silo Art Trail. The town is in between some very prosperous looking racehourse studs but has never seemed to reap any benefit, however, the silos had now been painted which had put the little place on the map. There were visitors with cameras everywhere, the cafes had reopened and there was a new little park, brilliant to see what a simple initiative like the Silo Art Trail could do for a town.