Sydney to Melbourne

Tuesday 24th February – 1030km to Melbourne

Eventually picked up car from Europcar at the Mercure hotel, had to go and have breakfast as car wasn't ready, then set off without a map or much help. Nice new car but very poor organisation. However, made it out of Sydney without much fuss and proceeded southwards, past Botany bay to Wollongong. Stopped to buy provisions just south, then drove onwards beneath the lowering scarp of Illawarra to the sleepy little town of Kiama to look at a blow-hole in columnar basalt which, as it was low tide, wasn't blowing. In compensation, though, an albatross wheeled past, the first we had seen. The Tourist Information centre recommended the Kiama Ocean View Motor Inn, which provided us with a comfortable clean room for the night.

The trick to this seems to be to stop and an Information Centre soon after 4pm because they close at 5pm. They recommend local motels that are of a decent standard and all is well.


Wednesday 25th February - 900km to Melbourne.

High tide when we left, and the blow-hole was blowing spray to the height of about 5 metres, even with the moderate swell.

Drove further south, stopping at Batemans Bay for coffee, then the pretty town of Narooma for pic-nic lunch and a swim in a small bay protected by a net. The sun was hot, the water was cold but with masks and snorkels we could see the waters were alive with fish. Unsettlingly one of the first I saw was a jellyfish, but it swam off whilst I was watching it. In some places it was like swimming in an aquarium, fish everywhere.

Driving as far as Batemans Bay was frustrating because of incessant low speed limits. It was like driving in slow motion. Afterwards the limit was mainly 100 kph which although not fast at least meant we could travel at similar speeds as in New Zealand.

Then stopped for the night at Merimbula. The Info centre recommended the Black Dolphin Motel which provided a magnificent room with its verandah looking out over Lake Merimbula to the sunset. Staggeringly beautiful. Parakeets squabbling noisily in the palm trees, egrets stalking the shallows for fish, the odd pelican mooching around and mountains in the distance. A glass of chilled white wine, a few olives and a temperature of about 23 degrees C on the verandah as the sun goes down. Am I making anyone jealous?

Thursday 26th February – 575 km from Melbourne

Drove southwards again, spotting our first kangaroo browsing in a field by the side of the road, and later on metre high termite mounds. Decided to postpone filling up with petrol until the town of Genoa. It was only after we had passed through it that we realised we hadn't seen a petrol station. The next town was 83km further, which we weren't going to make, so we retraced our route back to Genoa, and found a shop with a petrol pump outside it. Unfortunately it had a faded paper notice on it reading 'No petrol, nearest pump Mallacoota 23km'. Luckily, although the indicator was on empty by the time we got there 23km of twisty roads later, we were able to fill up. Taught us that towns on the map can't be relied on to have petrol and to always keep at least 100km range in the tank.

It was raining at Mallacoota so we decided to press on. The weather gradually improved as we drove through miles and miles of fairly similar eucalyptus forest and we reached our objective, Lakes Entrance at lunchtime.

Lakes Entrance is a funny place, a tourist town with few tourists that closes at 5pm. The Information Centre recommended a lovely motel, the Sand Bar Motel, where not only do you get a spacious room, but cooked breakfast too – all for $AU85 per night.

Went walking and met a man walking his dog on the beach. Christine asked him if the many jellyfish we saw stranded on the sand were dangerous. He said they didn't have stingers and then asked her to observe his dog. It was a German Shepherd without a tail. He said that one night, high on drugs and alcohol, he had fetched hi axe and chopped off the dog's tail. Christine looked aghast, he went on ' well the Pom's eat oxtail soup, we eat kangaroo tail, so I just wanted something for my shepherd's pie'. Christine then realised she had been well wound up and laughed.

Later we found a restaurant boat moored in the middle of the fishing fleet – claimed to be the largest fleet in the Southern ocean. Although we only intended to drink a couple of beers as the sun went down, we ended up staying to dine on a seafood platter for two. This was a combination of hot and cold fish and seafood with chips and salad, all on a huge plate. The oysters and scallops were the best we had ever tasted. Also included were what i think were called Moreton Bay Bugs, which looked a bit like crayfish but tasted more like crab,

Friday 27th February – 315km to Melbourne

Hired a day boat and chugged up and down the lakes. Not only did the boat not have neutral or reverse (except an oar), it didn't have a starter either (just a hand cranked starting handle). To change speed involved putting your hand into the engine compartment and manually adjusting the carburettor.

First we sailed up the North Arm to a little jetty at the top of the lake where we moored and walked up the hill to the Wyanga Park winery. Met the very personable white bearded owner, Henry. He said that he always commended northern folk of any country for the warmth of their friendship, and that he always followed this commendation with the comment 'and the looseness of their women'. At this point he seemed to loose half his audience too but his wine was excellent.

As we entered the second lake, the sky became overcast and the wind started to blow. We decided not to go all the way to the end but to turn around at the end of a sand island. The lakes are formed by waters landlocked by the Ninety Mile Beach sand spit. As we turned, the motor faltered. I looked over the stern to see whether the propeller was fouled., and was surprised to see that not only were we not moving, but there wasn't sufficient depth of water to float in. We had inadvertently grounded on a submerged sand bank. Luckily a few pushes with the oar and we were free, but it was a desolate spot to get stranded.

Back on terra firma a game of mini-golf completed a very 'holiday' sort of day. We won't reveal the result save to say it was closer than the last game.

Saturday 28th February – to Melbourne

Drove westward stopping at the Dandenong National park where white and pink cockatoos flitted around the entrance. As we walked down a tree fern lined path under the canopy of high eucalyptus trees, Christine spotted a movement in the undergrowth. It was a Lyre bird scratching for food amongst the forest litter.

Finding our apartment 'Metro at Bank Place' in the very centre of Melbourne was a nightmare due to the combination of one way roads and trams with the rule that when you want to turn right, you have to stop on the left of the street and then turn right across the lines when the lights change to amber. I was glad to park the car safely in a multi-story car park where I hope to leave it until we leave.

The four star apartment is very comfortable, includes a washing machine and a dishwasher and is in a converted Victorian building with high ceilings.