Over 50 Aussie female solo traveller USA road trip and beyond

Castlemaine

The inspiration for this road trip from Adelaide was that I wanted to see the town of Castlemaine. This is where the Netflix program The Glitch is filmed and it reminded me of the country towns I should explore in my own country.

The cemetery

The Empyre Hotel

The old police station

Castlemaine Station

The Midland

Just outside of Castlemaine at Moonlight Flats is the Pennyweight Cemetery, the resting place for 200 children who died during the gold rush period of 1852-1857.

The place the first gold was found in the Castlemaine area.

The town of Cressy is the location for Nicole Kidman’s movie The Others

Great Ocean Road

30 December 2018

Last night I was in Port Fairy but there was not one room available (well there was a room for $250 with parking down the road and I cannot justify paying that amount for a motel room and have to leave my car so far away). It was a pretty town but all along the coast to Warnambool,this time of year, is packed with tourists. My preference is to stay in smaller towns with locals and I found the perfect place in Mortlake 35 minutes out of Warnambool, called the Mt Shadwell The Stables Hotel.

Lovely clean accommodation with bluestone walls and dating back to the 1800s. Good pub food, friendly locals and breakfast at the town cafe was delicious. Clarke’s Pies are so delicious even cold.

Driving on the Great Ocean Road you will come across these signs. This road gets so many tourists from around the world this road becomes treacherous when drivers forget what side of the road to drive.

It is surprising how often I have to think what side as well, particularly after the 30,000 kilometres I drove on my USA roadtrip earlier this year.

First stop this morning was The Bay of Islands

The Bay of Martyrs

The Grotto

I picked up my first hitchhiker, Katia from St Petersburg Russia and went to The Arch.

London Bridge

Thunder Cave

12 Apostles

Gibson’s Steps

And I picked up 2 more hitchhikers from Germany.

Penola and Mount Gambier South Australia

29 December 2018

An alternate route from Robe to Mount Gambier takes you through historical Penola in the Coonawarra wine district.

I enjoyed the varied santa displays.

The old lolly shop

Mount Gambier is a lovely town with beautiful old homes.

Umpherston sinkhole magnificent garden dating back to the 1800s.

The Blue Lake is another sinkhole

Coonalpyn/Kingston SE/Robe South Australia

28 December 2018

Coonalpyn silos

Kingston

The home of Larry the Lobster

The Cape Jaffa Lighthouse

There was no accommodation in Kingston so I tried the next town 45 kilometres down the road, Robe.

Robe is a lovely historical fishing village with many heritage listed buildings.

Custom House

Our Lady Star of the Sea Chapel

This Chinese memorial is for the 16,500 Chinese who landed at Robe between 1856 and 1858 and walked 200 miles to the goldfields.

This memorial for local fishermen lost at sea

Found my fourth Geocache

Adelaide and Belair National Park

27 and 28 December 2018

Simon took me to the best Vietnamese restaurant ever in Adelaide, simply named The Vietnam Restaurant.

Next morning Simon showed me where to find koalas in the wild. The Belair National Park has the most koalas I have ever seen in one place. It was so exciting to find them in the trees in their natural habitat.Koala video

The park has a section of 700 cherry trees to commemorate the Allied victory of World War I.

Coffin Bay South Australia

27 December 2018

My last day on the Eyre Peninsula took me to this pretty fishing village.

Explorer Matthew Flinders named the area after a naval officer Isaac Coffin. The bay is famous for the Coffin Bay oyster. The ANZAC Cove scenes of the movie Gallipoli were filmed nearby.

I found my third Geocache here.

Tomorrow Carlos and Elise start their roadtrip back to Sydney as do I and we have separate routes. They are going through Melbourne but I will not, but wonder if we will bump into each other before we get home in either South Australia,Victoria or New South Wales.

Back in Australia

I have now been back home in Sydney for 4 months. After the exciting USA Road trip I have adjusted to some sort of normalcy. Going through withdrawals of adrenaline and endorphins I often wished I was back in the USA. However, as a traveller I understand that enjoying life is to embrace the moment no matter where I am.

My beautiful Sydney has many places which tourists from all over the world come to experience and I have it all in my backyard.

Lunch in Circular Quay.

A 2 hour drive from Sydney is Stockton Where I attended a cheer competition at nearby at Broadmeadow.

Holding a Sydney Fringe Festival concert in my backyard..

Celebrating Halloween at Bingay at the Beresford Hotel.

Cher concert at Sydney Olympic Park.

Pelicans of The Entrance NSW

Chromefest a rock n roll festival at The Entrance 90 minutes north of Sydney

Sculptures by the Sea is an annual art festival which takes you on a walk along some of the most beautiful beaches in the world just 15 minutes from the centre of Sydney.

Introducing my Airbnb guests to the home of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Christmas Bingay. When you make a wrong call at Bingay you have to wear either a hat with penis and testicles or a vagina

Port Lincoln South Australia

I am experiencing a new part of my gorgeous Australia. Staying at my son’s girlfriend’s family home in Spencer Gulf at Port Lincoln and have this magnificent moon rise.

I wake up to this.

This area is considered one of the fishing capitals of the world. With sustainable tuna, mussels, abalone, prawns and kingfish.

This photo is from the plane and the circles are tuna farms.

Walking around Port Lincoln I came across this sign about Razorfish. Never heard of them before.

The shellfish are difficult to see in the water and if you step on the sharp edge which sticks out about an inch it slices your feet similar to oyster shell.

Port Lincoln has a lovely statue of Makybe Diva.

It is a bit of a contentious issue as Makybe Diva hasn’t even been in Port Lincoln but the owner has. The Melboure Cup winner was named after the owner’s office staff.

I don’t understand how this town celebrates the achievement of a horse but there is nothing to remember the Olympic weightlifting achievement of Dean Lukin AOC.

The view from the top of The Mill.

Sea lettuce as opposed to seaweed

The town has a safe enclosed area to swim. The sign states no offal or blood because this area is notorious for great White Sharks.people to swim and paddleboard outside the safe area.

Morton Bay Figs.

This iced coffee is only available in South Australia and outsells Coca Cola in this State.

Magificent fleet of prawns trawlers.

End USA Road trip 2018

13 August 2018

I have come full circle. I started my trip in California on 1 March 2018. I have driven 29,850 kilometres/18548 miles, a cruise from Vancouver to Alaska and completed my goal of visiting all 50 USA states. With a slight detour of a Transatlantic cruise to Barcelona from Florida and a drive through two provinces of Canada to meet up with Canadian cousins.

I have very mixed feelings about my Odyssey ending. The beautiful places I have discovered, the interesting, kind and loving people I have met, the memories I have made, the adrenaline, anxiety, excitement, happiness, wonder, awe, sadness leaving people, I feel privileged to have experienced all this and so much more than words can describe.

To everyone who has been part of my journey with me or through my blog, the people who would talk to me on the phone while I was driving to keep me awake, the people who opened their homes family and hearts to me, the people who encouraged me and made me feel I was doing something special, the people who made me feel special, and the people who supported my sons while I was on my journey, I thank you.

Hope to see you all again soon somewhere in the world. My door in Sydney is always open. Just check I am home first 🙂

To the most important people in my life, my gorgeous sons, Dion, thank you for holding the fort at home and Carlos for encouraging me to write this blog. I love you both, as Carlos would say “a thousand times more than the biggest number”.

Let’s see what adventure home has in store for me.

“Happiness is a journey, not a destination. For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin—real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one”.

ALFRED D. SOUZA writer, philosopher

“Your vibe attracts your tribe”.

“Those who wander are not always lost”. JRR Tolkien

Kings Canyon and Sequoia Forest

9 August 2018

Park rangers recommended these two treasures as Yosemite has wildfires. There is only one road open into Yosemite and visibility is poor due to the smoke. The smoke also affected some of the Sequoia National Forest and Kings Canyon National Park as you will see in some of the photos.

This is my favourite photo for today, Lemon Cove, even though it is quite hazy. This spot is just breathtaking.

General Grant Tree is the 2nd largest tree in the world and also known as “the Nation’s Christmas Tree”.

When I got out of the car to look at this tree I was overwhelmed by the scent of the forest. It smelt like Christmas!! With wildfires raging nearby, temperatures of 40C/104F the pine smell was incredible. The largest tree in the world is also in this forest but I will have to come back as I unfortunately ran out of time.