South Aus.....almost like another country.

The fruit and veg check point at Yamba was no problem, a quick look in the fridge and all was well...soon we were to see many fruit stalls on the side of the road so a bag of new season manderines were irrestible  and a bag of 10 butternut pumpkins for $7..yum, pumpkin soups etc..although they all need to be gone by the WA border.

If anyone is looking for a nice holiday destination I think Renmark and surrounds are lovely.   Murray river houseboats, wineries and olive and nut plantations to visit, nice shopping centre.
In half an hour of arriving in town we had a car check up booked for 3.30 that day, washing on at a nearby laundromat and then out of town about 6 km to a river camping area on the Murray once again.

washing at the dog wash?? Renmark.
 



I dislike traveling in cooler climes too many clothes to wash.


            

Serene camp at Morgan Conservation Park, an old rusted barge on the far bank.

Near Morgan beautiful old dray with boat, weather worn, had to stop and touch!

 

A 24/7 ferry service across the Murray at Morgan.

 

The huge pump station at Morgan on the Murray supplies water via a huge pipeline to most of SA...a great engineering feat commenced back in the 1940's.
 

21st April.......it is about to happen FREEDOM....

 Sat 20th..Just as we were getting over the realestate thing I noticed a little cottage near where we we used to live had come on the market...a quick dash into town from Whorouly, inspection..no go! PHEW!!
Sunday, footy in Myrtleford to watch Hayden be a budding ruckman and cheerios to Micks brother Max, the Daws' at Gapsted and another brother Col and Betty, in Whorouly.
Teary farewells at 4pm..bye to Trent and Linda the 3 grandies and a few other kids were there too..Poppy Specials (peppermints) for everyone!
Dinner at my sis Wendys' always nice to be around her.
Monday, side steps for me on the Colorado and a wirng check, lunch with the Nugents at 'The Tavern' and a few other visits in town. Bye to the Coyles in the evening....

AND SO WE ARE OFF...TUESDAY...PLAN A.
within 20 mins and a visit to Pete and Lucy's near Glenrowan, we were onto Plan B..decision for them to spend a week with us, so we decided Gunbower is where they would meet up with us the next day...we kept smiling all the way to Shepp..life is good.

Micks' sister Jean was not home but nearby my Uncle Kevin was so a quick chat with him and back on the road.



There are many of these painted cows in the Shepparton area, this one was at Undera, our late lunch stop.

Wills camp west of Echuca, on the Murray, no fish but I had a chew on the sap of the acasia, said to be sweet, pretty bland  I thought. Nice place to camp and 3 others there as well.



At Gunbower we caught up with Ric who kindly drove us around the camp sites along the Murray, it was truly fantastic of him, he knew lots about the area and this loggers hut on the bank of the Murray, in days past timber cutters lived here and supplied wood to the steam boats moving supplies along the river.

Later in the week Ric bought us out some wood and we met again in the 'Gunny Pub' on Saturday evening.

 

Thanks to Peter Molik for recommending
a great ihone app for fellow travelers.. 'Wikicamps'  cost is $2.99, more camps than  'the book' shows directions and there are comments and photos added by travelers .Tonight the 14th May our 3rd week out and we are in our first paid site in Ceduna..Doug and Jean Hawke are catching up with us here and we will travel together on and off to and into the west/north

High from the Murray river bank Lucy and I watched as Mick and Pete caught 2 good yellow belly, Petes yella was 56cm..    and Mick a cod.

The weather was warm and we managed to walk a few times a day, chatting, planning and  designing a vest we both decided to knit.

Til we meet again somewhere in the Kimberleys at this stage. Pete about to retire.













The cod...it was worth the effort of putting the boat in..'little bulldog folding boat trailer' came in handy, it travels on the back bumper of the van.


 






In Kerang, a visit to the Hawkes to check travel plans, unfortunately we did not manage to catch up with Mick's cousin Anne Chandler (Greer), her daughter Sandy was due to have here first child and they were in Bendigo..fun chat with Ivan tho!

Thanks to wikicamps we had a pleasant stop at Nyah at the rec reserve, onto Mildura and a coffee with Frank and Trish  Roper River friends and Frank is the great artist..

Traveling thru the area along the Murray, we noted lots of the orange trees being pulled out, many farms for sale, large vineyards everywhere and many almond and olive plantations.

Cullulleraine, at lock 9 on the Murray was a night stop over, we had stayed there many years ago.

some more this' n 'that while in the North east.

All this is new to me and so trial and error...
While 'homeless' but in our home-base area we lived between the Wang caravan parks, and out at Whorouly..one of our favourite places as we get to spend some quality time with Trent, Linda and the 3 grandkids, Hayden now 11, Amber, 9 and Ebony 7. It is a very busy and social household to be a part of and it is nice to be able to be around for some child activities..like basketball games in Myrtleford for Hayden and Amber and as for Ebony she is an amazing domestic godess!!! so much fun to be with, hard to leave but we must all walk our own paths.....technology is great and the kids are allowed to BUMP, so free text conversations and photo exchanges happpen some weekends.

Our 7 year old Nissan had served us well, a new Holden Colorado ,dual cab chasis, auto vehicle was purchased. A back canopy was built in Shepparton and as usual nothing is perfect, after market springs were required and for all us short leg persons, side steps were also needed, time and patience to get all this right and legal for towing kept Mick busy. On the road we are around the 6 ton mark so we are attempting to keep within the legal limits, and this year I do not need to carry a 10 week supply of food, which is a relief.

The work horse.



Christmas in Feb, at Gary and Pam Daws'  

Geoff & Chris instigators of the Christmas do

Fishing at Lake Buffalo out of Myrtleford.


 1,2,3,4,5, ........little finger on the right!

and that is all that was caught.

Myrtleford and District Fishing Club family weekend at Lake Buffalo.

Saturday kids comp, great prizes, Sunday a dash for cash.

The club has a site here and we were all able to stay the weekend.

It was also Trent's 40 something birthday...

 
 EASTER..us saving the spot....
where else but at 'the Punt' Bundalong.

A devastating tornado had been thru nearby areas but missed this area, Lower Ovens Reserve.

We also caught up with Barb and Dennis Woodward while they had their annual week in Yarrawonga...pizza and red wine dinner, nice.

Our Kim, flew down from Byron Bay to spend time with family over Easter..bit busy...20 something kids and 50+ around the fire on the Saturday night...tis life.

What I enjoyed most was all the girls and some of the boys, under Kim's tuition, weaving friendship bracelets, age range from 6-12yrs and lots of my scrap wool was well used.
I would step out of the van and there would be someone quietly sitting on the ground knotting away..others were out canoeing or fishing or we would go for a walk and see where the fox had dug up turtle eggs..such a nice time, we look forward to it each year.

 After Easter we stayed on and friends from Wang Rob and Lyn White came out with their van and stayed 5 nights..the men caught some nice yellow belly.

The bridge here is a private one but one day the local farmer bought his sheep across, imagine the pitter patter across the bridge is was quite unique, 300 sheep sounded like a heap of tap dancers!








In all 6 months in the north east saw home sold, me, Marg minus a gal bladder and 2 cataracts, my servicing done.  New specs were ordered  in Wyalla,  to be picked up in Kalgoorlie.

Mick, new glasses and 2 hearing aides and a new vehicle.

My mum who lives in Wang had a spontaneous fracture of her hip in March, all repaired and back to her independant living..one very independant lady.

I have 2 new great neices Ruby and lillian, via the daughters of my sister Wendy, and lots of other stuff happened!

So from here on in the blog will be about our Freedom lifestyle..I think...ahh this looks messy!!

 

Wilson's Prom, summer in our home state...

 
30th January..a sad day in Shepp as we attended the funeral of my Uncle Geoffery, an 81 yr old man who lived a disabled life, well cared for by my dad's family..so proud of them all.




These Shepp 'Moove-it' persons twisted our arms and made us eat scones and cream....nice.

Same day another family catch up in Broadford, mum's brother Graham and his wife Jan and cousin Penny, always a cheery visit and good to see them, Jan is my funny email supplier!!



Overnight at Red Parrot Creek near Flowerdale

 31st Jan for a week...Yanakie near Wilson's Prom, homebase of fellow travellers Jimmy and Meliada,

touristing, eating, drinking, talking, planning and some fishing



Tidal River Wilson's Prom



The largest southern most plantation of mangroves, Wilsons Prom

 Early morning fishing trip at Yanakie in Jimmy's boat.

 Phil and Liz also fellow travelers from Frankston and Yanakie were there too..these blokes have boats for all types of fishing, big boats, little boats, one here, one there!!

The start of it all...

The planning for this year commenced when we arrived back in Wang mid October last year to a very well cared for home thanks to our housesitter Liz, who also lived there in the February/March when we were in SA.
Purchased in 2008 22 Templeton is a conveniently located house in Wang but around 120 days a year in residence...hmmm, more renos if we were to live there 'forever' ...hmmm, advice and discussions from various family, friends and professionals..decision made, sell and downsize later.

The idea was to sell after Christmas, BUT  it sold privately before Christmas all done and dusted in a day or so...during the next 3 weeks we packed some treasures we wanted to keep and are grateful for the storage shelves at Trent and Linda's shed. I had a fun few weeks selling furnishings etc...it was so so easy and some of the furniture I can still see in friends' homes!!!
            


The avocado tree.. we miss this tree it was truly spectacular.

            So that was how our so called
 'Freedom Lifestyle' started for this year,
             our 13th year of being
                  the nomadnewts...
    Mick well retired and traveling well,
       me I can now admit RETIRED!
    
 although there may be something exciting 
     to do somewhere along the way...