Malacoota the last stay in Victoria

We have made a last stand in Victoria - 3 days in Mallacotta. 20 minutes up the road and we hit NSW and that means we are certainly on our way back to Queensland. Nice part of the world Mallacoota well it is for us this time of the year. The information tells us we are camped in the biggest Caravan Park in the Southern Hemisphere over 650 sites and there are 4 other parks in town. The town has a permanent population of around 1500 at the peak tourist season - Boxing Day it is estimated there are around 10,000 people within a 50km radius. Sitting here tonight writing this I really cannot imagine it, the place is so peaceful and I certainly will not be returning on a Boxing Day. We rented a boat and got out on the lakes in the district for a few hours had a fabulous day. Look at the photos of the rocks on the beaches and be glad you were not here then.

Buchan to Marlo via NSW

Moved from Lakes Entrance up to a place called Buchan. On the edge of the Alpine National Park and the Snowy River National Park. We drove up to the bottom end of the Kosciusko National Park. Are you getting a picture here we are in serious mountain territory. We followed this very scary road up around the sides of some very high mountains the pictures do not in anyway show how high we were. We also went down the limestone caves always amazing when the guide starts telling you some of the stalacmites are thousands of years old. Then we wandered down to the coast and saw the Snowy River head out to the ocean at Marlo.

From water to snow in the same day.

What an amazing area to be travelling in during winter. We went from dreaming about sailing on the Gippsland Lakes and living in a house built over the water to driving with chains on in the snow at Mt Hotham. It was just a surreal experience.

Beautiful Port Albert

Free park right on the esplanade Port Albert - Gippsland Coast. With a fabulous days drive up through the Tarra -Bulga National Park some of Victoria's oldest trees live here, Mountain Ash.

Heading East from Melbourne

After leaving Mt Buller we headed back to Bacchus Marsh packed the bus and headed out to the east. Feels a bit like we have turned our noses for home as from now on we only get closer to Brisbane.

Had fun on Phillip Island we didn't hang around for the night parade of penguins but saw some at home in there nests. Then had lots of fun racing slot cars on a replica of the Grand Prix circuit.Headed back along the coast to Cape Liptrap. We have decided not to go down into Wilsons Promontory National Park it would be good to go the most southerly point of the mainland but to actually get to the point is a two day walk for most people so in my case you could probably double that. Took some photos from Cape Liptrap all very gorgeous.
The last two nights have been at a place called Korumburra very pretty - moved this morning to a small former shipping port town of Port Albert. Port Albert now has a well protected marina and is a fishing haven. Some photos tomorrow

Mt Buller

A few photos from Mt Buller Ski Resort. We did have an idea that we might come here for a week so that JIm could get a chance to learn to ski. However the gods have not been on our side (or anyone else's who wants to ski) and there is not much snow and the weather has not been good. We have decided that we can't hang around this side of Victoria any longer waiting for the snow. We have come up to see the mountain just for 2 nights so Jim can get a feel for the place and I can catch up with some old friends. Some of you may not know but before I found my place at the Parliament I was a bit of a gypsy and worked all sorts of seasonal jobs a lot of it based around a 10 year stint at Mt Buller being a ski bunny (not). I am always telling Jim about my life here and really wanted him to get a feel for it.

Here are today's photos hopefully we get a little snow overnight and perhaps just a whisper of sunshine tomorrow to show you all this very beautiful place.