Tuesday 21 May

Metung to Cann River

Called round to say goodbye to my hosts and make an entry in the visitor’s book.  On the road by 9.30am.  The Princess Highway from Bairnsdale to Orbost passes through some lovely cool temperate rain forest and a national park.  Very pleasant driving.

Arrived at Orbost about 11 and filled up the fuel tank.  Petrol still at $1.47/ltr even this far from the big smoke.  Orbost is a picturesque country town on the shores of the Snowy River.  Turned off the main highway and followed the river down to Marlo on the coast and where the Snowy enters Bass Strait.  Marlo is another coastal holiday town.  Very quiet at this time of year.  Had a pleasant chat with a couple from Canberra who were heading the other way toward Melbourne.

The mouth of the Snowy River

 A really good sealed road follows the coast from Marlo to Cape Conran in the Cape Conran Coastal Park.  The cape is the eastern end of the Ninety Mile Beach.  Interestingly, a fisherman and his family lived here before it became a park.  The day I visited it was cool and windy with threatening rain although the photos may not convince you of this!

Cape Conran & Eastern End of 90 Mile Beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The road then heads back inland and picks up the Princess Highway just west of Cann River.  This town is predominantly a timber town and the main highway junction for the Princess and Monaro Highways.  From here I decided to drive to Pt. Hicks.  That name may ring some bells with you as being the first point on the Australian mainland that Captain Cook saw when he discovered Oz.

Pt Hicks is the headland on the right in the above photo

The road to the coast is sealed for approximately 17ks then is white and red gravel for the last 25 odd ks.  It was badly corrugated in places and I was regretting taking the trailer rather than leaving it at the caravan park at Cann River.  The Deli handled it well especially when I slipped her into high range 4wd which substantially improved road holding.
Pt. Hicks is within the beautiful Croajingolong National Park which starts just east of Cape Conran and extends all the way to VIC/NSW border north of Mallacoota.  There is a nice little camp ground at Thurra River which enters Bass Strait near Pt. Hicks.  I was intending to do the 3k walk to the light house on the point but, remember the threatening rain I mentioned earlier well, it bucketed down!  Pt. Hicks light house is on the revisit list!!

Funny how the drive back over a road you have traversed in one direction is always shorter when you are going back in the other direction.  I was back at Cann River before I knew it.  Lovely little camp ground with hot showers and toilets that needed some tender loving cleaning.  Nice little laundry and at $10 per night “I no complain”  You pay at the lovely old pub across the road.

As I was staying only one night I did not set up the annex and left the trailer connected.  I decided I would face the mess that was sure to await me when I opened the doors given the corrugated road I had just dragged it over.  The Smiff’s (friends who recently toured NZ in a motor home) stories of fish sauce, eggs and flour being addled together due to vehicle movement were upper most in my mind as I gingerly opened the door on the kitchen side.  But hey, no worries!!!  Everything was still in place and still in one piece.  Congratulations to the designer (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).  Similar story on the tool side – all still in one piece.  Both the Deli and the trailer had, however, changed colour!!

As the showers were frequent I found a creative solution to the problem of cooking without the annex which was much admired by the locals.

 

 

Wednesday 22 May

Cann River to Mallacoota

Another lovely drive through rainforest country arriving at Genoa by about 10.00am.  There is a lovely council run free camp spot here but no 240v power and only cold showers.  As I forgot to change the fridge from battery to gas last night and, you guessed it, the battery in the trailer was dead flat this morning and the road journey was not sufficient to recharge it via the dual battery system, I decided to turn off the Princess Highway and head down to Mallacoota.  I was going to stay at this free camp and do day trips into Mallacoota but as fate would have it things conspired to result in a better solution.

I will be breaking my rule of not making posts in quick succession.  So hit me!!! Mallacoota deserves special attention because it is a “special” place.  Will be back soon!!