Life in a Humpback

Day 132: Launceston to Hobart

Last night I stayed at the Villas at the Country Club with my friend Vincent and his family while everyone else went home to Hobart. After they left I played basketball with Vincent, and we also went to the pool. We went to The Gorge and rode the chairlift before dinner.

The next day we went to the pool for a quick swim and then we went to Scotch Oakburn for a chess tournament. All the games I played were tricky. I won 5 out of 9 games and New Town Primary won the state championships, which means the team gets to go to Melbourne. The team got a big trophy which got put in our school office.

After we drove home to Hobart. We stopped for MacDonald's for dinner. And it was nice to be home.

Day 131: Devonport to Hobart

Today we woke up at 5:45am to get off the ferry around 6:00am. The first thing we did was drive to a cafe to meet the Sharmans (some of our friends) and Oma for breakfast. I got pancakes with banana, strawberries, and maple syrup. The playground nearby had a really fun piece of equipment where you hold on and go in a circle with your feet off the ground.

Then we stopped at the chocolate factory in Latrobe were Dad and Theo played chess in the caravan and we got hot chocolates for everyone (apart from Theo who got a Good Apple juice).

Next we drove to Launceston to drop Theo off for his chess comp tomorrow. He is staying with Vincent. Then we drove home. On the way we stopped in Campbell Town for lunch and I got Banjos! At home Mum and Dad parked the caravan and I unpacked my stuff. We are finally home!!!

Day 130: Ocean Grove to Geelong

Today was our last day on the mainland. We organised a late checkout from the caravan park so that we did not have to find somewhere to park the van for the day (the ferry check-in wouldn't be open until 4:15pm).

In the extra time that we had in the morning I went for a walk along the Barwon River and then drove out to the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse. Point Lonsdale is at the head of Port Phillip Bay which we would be sailing through later in the evening as we headed back to Tassie. Despite the overcast day it was a nice section of beach, with rock pools to explore, and surfers to watch.

Once we were all packed up we still had some time before we had to be at the ferry, so we drove south to Tourquay to have a look through a few of the surf shops, and check out the waves and surfers off Point Danger.

Finally we headed to Geelong to wait in line to get on the ferry. Once on board the kids played video games once again, while John and I checked out the new Spirit of Tasmania ferry (moored off Geelong until its berth in Devonport is finished being built) as we sailed by.

Day 129: Geelong

John's back was still not up for adventuring today so the kids and I headed into Geelong on our own today to have a wander along the Esplanade. It was fun trying to spot all of the bollard art that was scattered along the shoreline, and to find the hidden rabbits on each one. We walked around the swimming area, past a few playgrounds and had a ride on the old carousel before heading back to camp.

We had a beautiful sunset, the first in a few days that has not been overcast, and it was also the last one on the mainland for this trip. Olivia reckoned the clouds and sunset looked like a dragon was spitting fire.

Day 128: Mount Gambier to Ocean Grove

Today we woke to cloudy by dry skies. We packed up once again and hit the road headed for Geelong. With John's back is still sore I did most of the driving today. We stopped in Warrnambool for lunch and a play in the playground. There were some really good ziplines and a big slide.

Just before dinner we pulled into Riverview Family Caravan Park - our last campground for the trip - in Ocean Grove (just outside Geelong). The place was pretty quiet but we could see why it would fill up in summer with the river and beaches so close by.

Day 127: Mount Gambier (Day 2)

Last night we had quite the thunderstorm blow through camp and woke this morning to gale force winds and rain. Rather than try to drive to Geelong today as originally planned, we opted to stay another night here in Mount Gambier. Letting John's back have a rest day and hopefully for the storm to move past.

Today's weather was the worst we have had all trip. It continued to blow and rain all day. The kids and I escaped the caravan for a bit by going bowling in town and play in the local arcade. On the way home we saw several tree branches on the ground and even a building that had lost part of its roof.

Hopefully the weather improves in the coming days as we continue our journey east.

Day 126: Mount Gambier (Day 1)

This morning was looking like our only chance to have a look around Mount Gambier before the rains were meant to settle in. I headed out early for a run around Blue Lake and a wander around town and Cave Gardens before making my way back to camp. Then we all piled into the car to drive to the trailhead for Observatory Hill. John's sore back had struck again (something about Adelaide seems to set it off!! Both times it coincided with leaving Adelaide) so he walked slowly up the hill while the kids and I waited for him at the top. The view from there was amazing. Since it was located on the edge of an old volcanic cone we were high above the surrounding farmland below.

Our next stop was to Little Blue Lake, which is a water filled sink hole that in warmer weather would make a great swimming hole. There is even a dock to swim from. While we where there, there were two scuba divers in the water - all we could see was their air bubbles coming to the surface.

The next stop we made was at Port MacDonnell on the coast. We drove out to Cape Northumberland to watch the waves roll in and see what was left of the lighthouse (not much!). There were lots of seabirds nesting on the small island off the cape and sea lions swimming in the bays below the cliffs. The cape marks the southern most point in South Australia and according to the sign we were only 770km from Hobart.

Once back at camp the rains started so we stayed close to home for the rest of the day. Popping out to the campground playground and visiting the local alpacas between the showers.

Day 125: Hahndorf to Mount Gambier

Today we packed up and left the Adelaide area for the last time and made our way south to Mount Gambier near the Victorian border. We stopped in Keith to play in the playground between rain showers. This playground had a cool cart you could ride that ran along a rail. It was sort of like a short roller coaster.

By the time we got to Mount Gambier in the afternoon the rain had stopped. We set up camp at the Pine Country Caravan Park and headed into town to visit Umpherston Sinkhole (Balumbul). The sink hole was once part of a station, whose owner turned it into a garden and recreation area for people to come visit. It even used to have a small lake inside it. Now the ground water level has dropped so it is dry and has a beautiful garden that you can walk down into. Afterwards we played on the swings, and with our yo-yos, in the park surrounding the sinkhole before heading back for dinner.

Day 124: Hahndorf (Day 2)

Today we spent the day in the German village of Hahndorf. Olivia and I headed into town in the morning to wander through the shops, eat pretzels, check out the old buildings, learn about the German history of the area in the museum, listen to two different accordion bands playing outside pubs, and even pat a horse. The boys joined us after lunch to go on the mini guinea pig tour - this was the first week that it was partially open (the grand opening is next weekend). They have created a miniature village of Hahndorf's main buildings for the guinea pigs to run around in. It will be very cute once they have it all set up. We all got to pet the guinea pigs and those that wanted to could hold them. We spent the afternoon having a bit more of a wander through the village - including a stop at the German souvenir shop, which had cuckoo clocks, lots of Christmas decorations, toy accordions, and so much more.

In the afternoon we once again hung around camp - playing chess, reading books, and playing with yo-yos. In the evening we got new neighbours that had a dog named Theo. He liked to sit next to Olivia while we did our nightly New York Times puzzles.

Day 123: Hahndorf (Day 1: Olivia)

Today we went to Woodhouse Adventure Park. Woodhouse is a place to camp and has lots of activities to do! We didn't camp there but we got a day pass instead. First we went on the Tube Slide because it closes early. The Tube Slide is where you wait in line for a tube then drag it up the hill. Then slide back down the hill while getting sprayed by sprinklers. I preferred the straight to the curvy slide because it was faster.

Next we did the Challenge Hill, it is where there are lots of obstacles that you can do including, walls to climb over, obstacles to crawl under, obstacles to climb across, and even obstacles to possibly get wet on! There were over 20 obstacles! My favourite obstacle was where you climb from rope to rope over the water! I made it fully across without getting wet but Theo fell in (and got the most wet he possibly could in the process by going for a swim)🤭. My least favorite obstacle was where you had to crawl/slide under a net.

Then we went through the Labyrinth (maze). There were a bunch of riddles to answer at dead ends and even slides, stairs, and fire mans poles throughout the labyrinth.

Last we did the Frisbee Golf🥏⛳. Frisbee golf is a sport where you throw a heavy frisbee into chains and then it falls into a basket. There were 9 holes. Dad came first(🥇), Mum came second (🥈), I came third (🥉) and Theo came last🎖️.