Postcards from the Road - Inland Route

What a difference a day can make. When we went to bed on Monday night it was still hot from the day, with the sun setting into the last of the blue sky. But when we awoke on Tuesday it had turned quite cool (we have a new reference for what is cool!) and the beginning of a storm was rolling in. We were planning on going to Mungo National Park but on route the rains started to come, which meant that the dirt roads into the park would be closed for an indefinite amount of time. I can't lie, we were disappointed about not being able to visit the park - we were looking forward to hiking among some of Australia's oldest rocks and camping under the Outback stars.

But one of the best things about traveling is being able to live in the moment, go with the flow. With our plans thwarted we quickly sprang into action devising a 'plan B'. We decided on Little Desert National Park, which would take us into Victoria. We didn't have much to go on besides the small description in the Lonely Planet guide but were thrilled when we arrived at our final destination - Riverside Host Farm. Our hosts, Sheryl and Dennis, gave us a warm welcome to their beautiful property. Gemma and Ruben were in their element because there were horses to pat and feed, sheep, chickens, guinea pigs and a very special dog named Sam who followed them wherever they went.

The farm is set on the Wimmera River. Sheryl told me that the river had been dry for over five years but this past September it rained enough to fill the river again. Dennis spent his time fiddling with his boat, taking it on periodic trips up and down the river. We had a great day hiking around the property, exploring the local scrub desert and salt lake, and taking the canoes for a paddle along the river - it was beautiful and we had the river all to ourselves.

After a fabulous day relaxing on the farm it was time to continue making our way to the coast of Victoria. One more night of camping inland before we would see the blue water and feel the fresh breezes of the ocean air. We spent the night at another off-the-beaten-track national park, Mount Eccles Park. Again it was only given a small mention in our guide book but as soon as we pulled in we knew we had made a good choice. It is the site of an old volcano, which erupted over 20,000 years ago, now a lake surrounded by farms and Manna Gum forest. It was also an animal mecca - on our walk we spotted two koalas, had a koala in a tree over our tent, and the twilight brought out the wallabies and kangaroos. Although we have seen these animals many times, seeing them in the wild never ceases to be magical.

We have logged well over 2000 kms in the car by now and have spent every waking moment with each other. We feel so lucky to have this time as a family and continue to enjoy being with each other and we have 'heaps' of fun playing and exploring new places together. When asked what they felt, Ruben and Gemma said they "love it, it is super and such a great experience!". What a gift!

Next stop - the Grampians and the Great Ocean Road.
Until then,
love H,D, R and G