From Myrtleford we had a solid 5 hour drive to Castlemaine, more specifically Mount Alexander Regional Park, a 15 minute ride from town. The local dog ok caravan park rated poorly on Wikicamps, adding to the appeal of some bush camping. That is...for me at least. Tomoko always requires some convincing. Her main point of argument in these southern climes is that we can't use our small heater. It's starting to cool down with early morning reaching as low as 2 degrees & we go to sleep insulated in a wardrobe of thermals, trakky daks, fleecy jumpers, beanies & in Tomoko's case - even a windbreaker. However, despite her protestations she more often than not acquiesces, even eventually enjoying the experience.
The campground is 350m above the surrounding terrain & is said to be home to koalas, wallabies, kangaroos & echidnas. The landscape's not exactly flat & it took some adjusting to level the caravan, one wheel sitting precariously high. I admit to being a touch nervous with images of the wheel choc dislodging, careening us out of control down the hill. There were just a handful of fellow campers, a couple of cheeky six year old boys among them. They were proud to display to me their expanding vocabulary of swear words though my questions on their meaning were met with quizzical looks. I also suspect they locked all of the cubicles in the mens toilets from the inside before crawling through the narrow entrance under the door...cheeky li'l buggers.
Once the sun has risen & given time to warm the earth it actually becomes quiet pleasant. One sunny afternoon I decided to go on a bush walk in the hope of spotting some koalas. The track I hiked is part of the Great Dividing Trail, a 260km trail that traverses the top of the Great Dividing Range from Bacchus Marsh to Bendigo. The walk began well and within 1/2 hour reached Lang's Lookout, providing a clear view of the surrounding farmlands. From here, things went a little pear shaped as the track I was following gradually disappeared. I ventured on through the forest of gums hoping to relocate it but after another 1/2 hour of walking, consulting my map & checking the compass I accepted defeat. I had been skirting a fence line to avoid becoming completely lost & it helped me eventually find my way back to the path. Coming upon a signpost I realised where I had erred, favouring the road to Bendigo over the campground. So 3 hours later I sauntered back to the caravan, slightly dehydrated and with no koala sightings to my name.
We spent two nights here before edging towards Ballarat, only an hour of so away. Our Garmin however had other ideas, taking us on a scenic route & adding an extra 1/2 hour to the trip. Tomoko began to get angry with it again but I encouraged her to relax & just enjoy the pleasant countryside, after all the most direct route is often the least interesting one. Early afternoon we arrived at the Eureka Stockade Caravan Park in Ballarat. We planned to spend 5 nights here & were happy to be positioned on a grassy site at the edge of the park.
Being the third most populous area in Victoria we decided it would be a good place to get some chores done. It was less than two weeks till our trip to Tasmania & Shaka needed to be treated for the hydatid tapeworm before being allowed in. We booked him in to the vet for this & his yearly vaccinations. We arrived just on time after becoming lost, the Garmin directing us to a different location. Though this time Tomoko had to wear the blame, typing in the wrong address.
Also on the list was work on the Navara. It's been making an awful clunking noise for a month or so now & we thought it overdue to have it looked at. It ended up being a simple job, done & dusted in a couple of hours. The mechanic told me what was wrong but honestly it went in one ear & out the other. I was just thankful the problem was fixed & wasn't not too hard on the wallet either.
Lastly, we needed some replacement parts for the van, a new hand pump for the water tank which has been leaking like a sieve and some new gas struts for the front awning. Despite a good deal of investigation I was unsuccessful with both goals, surprising considering the size of the city.
Ballarat must have the highest number of op shops per capita in Victoria if not Australia. They seemed to be everywhere but maybe thats just because they're on Tomoko's radar who loves rummaging through them. She only ventured into one, coming out with a pair of $3 Steve Madden shoes. I caught up on a couple of movies 'Fast n Furious 7' and Jude Law's 'Black Sea' & we found the best value pizza in Australia @ Rizzo's Pizza's - a $6 supreme & loaded with topping.
Our next stop, one of Australia's premium tourist destinations. Where you may ask? Next time...adios amigos.