The day started early with the local corellas greeting the sunrise with a cacophony of parrot screeches….no need for an alarm clock here!

While cooking bacon and eggs Dave noticed his nuts had gone missing…Branch holding the last remaining one in the vain attempt to avert the loss of all nuts…

We had planned to visit the Blue Lake first this morning so, only needing 2 cars, we jumped into ours and the Weiss’s Landcruiser – a slight hiccup when Gordie decided he had to tie down his awning prior to leaving in case a wind got up – he had reminded us all earlier but had inadvertently not done his own…a 2 minute job and we were on our way.

The Blue Lake was less than 5 minutes away so we drove there and parked to do the 3.6km walk around its circumference. The Blue Lake is a volcanic crater and is one of the youngest volcanoes in Australia. It is an explosive structure called a maar which consists of a rim of ejected basalt and ash resting directly on the pre-eruption landsurface. The Blue Lake is used as Mt Gambier’s water supply and the water quality is very good. It is replenished by infiltration of local rainfall and stormwater together with lateral groundwater flow, through the limestone aquifer. The lake is flat bottomed with an average depth of 70m.

During December to March, the lake turns to a vibrant cobalt blue colour, returning to a colder steel grey colour for April to November. The exact cause of this phenomenon is still a matter of conjecture, but likely it involves the warming of the surface layers of the lake during the summer to around 20 °C (68 °F), causing calcium carbonate to precipitate out of the solution and enabling microcrystallites of calcium carbonate to form. This results in scatter of the blue wavelengths of sunlight.

The view of the lake was spectacular and the surrounding countryside was beautiful. Mt Gambier was clearly visible in the backdrop – not as big as I imagined at all!

Our next stop was Umpherston Sinkhole which was located in the town of Mt Gambier as well. The gardens and park are a remnant of a late 19^th century garden developed by James Umpherston with the sinkhole as a feature. The sinkhole was once a typical limestone cave that formed by the corrosion of limestone rocks by seawater waves and the sinkhole was naturally created when the chamber’s roof collapsed.

The gardens in the sinkhole had some interesting features with huge hanging curtains of ivy – and beehives formed in the holes in the limestone.

We continued on and went to the small cave garden in the centre of town which was fairly unremarkable and overgrown. Across the road was a café – Sorrentos – where we had lunch.

We had planned to go the Engelbrecht Cave that afternoon but when we arrived the last tour was already underway so we changed tack, went and did some groceries then home for happy hour….

Trev, Klaus and I went back briefly to the Blue Lake where Trev put up the drone for a few aerial shots – only a brief fly as the batteries were half empty – enough to get some shots and a nervous fly back to home!

We sat around enjoying happy hour but as soon as the sun went down it was so cold we escaped inside to the comfort of the vans.

After hitching up the vans and farewelling Dave and Barb we left Wentworth and headed west toward the border along the Sturt Highway.

The area though well supplied with water from the Murray still looked arid in parts although there was extensive farming as well with fruit orchards, vineyards and potato farms just to name a few.

We stopped before the South Australian border to unload any fresh fruit and veg at the quarantine bins with Kerry hastily eating the last of her tomatoes and then headed to the Quarantine Station for inspection. The officers were fairly casual although Rose must have looked suspicious as they went through the Pearl and the Snowy with a fine-toothed comb even looking under the bed!

As we drove into South Australia the farmland continued along the banks of the Murray. We headed south to Loxton where we stopped for morning tea at a bakery and scored some freshly baked hot cross buns. Masks are still mandatory indoors in South Australia which took us a bit by surprise but fortunately we all still had some.

We continued the journey south and Trev realised that we were potentially cutting it fine on fuel to get to Bordertown – a quick inspection of the map revealed NO service stations until Bordertown. Trev hugged the rear end of a Jayco driven by a grey nomad at 90KM per hr – which improved our fuel economy…and just before we arrived we were delayed by a long goods train…..we got to the servo with 20km left in the tank….a close call! That was not the only close call on the journey – the Pearl was very eager not to get left behind and so jumped the gun at a few intersections (or was that a red light later in Mt Gambier??) just to make sure she remained close to the convoy!

Bordertown had a lovely park near the main entrance to the town so we stopped there to eat lunch before heading south towards Naracoorte.

The changing landscape kept the drive interesting -from sandy hills with vegetation growing out of them, to beef and sheep farms, vege, almond and fruit farms.

Further south the vegetation increased to larger gums and then pine forests. We drove though the Coonawarra wine region with multiple different vineyards beautifully arranged with plants such as roses lining the edges.

We arrived at Pine Country Caravan Park in Mt Gambier and caught up with Klaus and Beryl who had arrived earlier that day. After setting up and a BBQ dinner together everyone relaxed in the very fresh evening air (actually very cold and crisp)….and then hopped into bed.

The day started out with a visit from Branch to the Loveday van – the screen door on the van would not separate from the main door – and McGyver Loveday commenced working on what initially was thought to be a fairly simple fix……

Not so – the shaft inside was sheared off, the door handle lock and mechanism proved a huge challenge to disassemble and despite numerous Google searches and u-tube videos even Branch did not come up with the goods.

While the door situation unfolded Gordie noticed the Pearl was looking a bit shabby so gave it a polish for Dave.

Dave proved useful finding the small grub screw that fell off into the gravel – why is it always the smallest part that falls??? The job became prolonged and Gordie got out some of his tools to assist…..Anyway it was clear that we needed a replacement handle and so as the plan was to go in and have a look around Mildura Trev rang ahead and found one in a caravan parts shop.

We drove into Mildura and the girls opted to be left a Woodsies Gem Shop to browse while the men went in to town looking for parts.

Woodsies Gem Shop had the most extensive range of precious and semiprecious gems on display as well as a huge range of jewellery crafted on site. It was not difficult to find something to purchase – Rose found a gorgeous Rose Quartz necklace and earrings, Kerry a sapphire necklace to match her engagement ring – and (having left home with no earrings at all!!) I bought a pair of amethyst earrings.

We finished just in time for the guys to pick us up to meet Dave and Barb at the Nash Lane Café where we had booked in to shout them for lunch. Trev did not buy the part for the caravan as he needed to be able to get the lock off so he decided to try again in the afternoon and if successful would go back and buy the new one.

The food at Nash Lane was fantastic – tasty healthy and fresh and Reuben our waiter was very attentive.

After lunch we did a walk along the Murray River in Mildura – the town has been landscaping and developing the area along the river with a water park, sculptures and interactive gardens.

We filled up on fuel and bought a gift for Barb – an ornamental chilli and pot – to thank her for her hospitality.

We returned to Dave and Barbs and Trev got to working on the van handle again. Unfortunately we went into the van together, the wind blew the door shut and we were locked inside unable to open the door!! Trev called Kerry on the phone – she came to our rescue but could not open the door from the outside either!!! Trev then climbed out the bedroom window and was able to release the door.

Branch was in his element as things became more difficult but finally Trev did get the lock off and decided to go back and buy the part. He drove back into Mildura while we had coffee and relaxed….he arrived back 1 hr later and started working on the handle…and then discovered that they had sold him a left hand opening door handle – and we needed a right handed one!!! It was the last one they had in the store so no point even contemplating swapping it…. So Trev resolved to reassemble the old handle and hopefully get it all back so we could at least shut and lock the door…..

Barb had cooked a banquet of curries and by this time dinner was ready so we all went inside and met John and Lyn another couple who were friends of Dave and Barbs passing through. Poor Trev had to continue to work on the door to get it sorted as the sun was setting and the mozzies were outrageous…

We started dinner and Trev eventually made it after finally successfully putting the handle back together. Barb’s meal was gourmet – and we had a very enjoyable evening with Trev sharing from John 19 15-17.

Dave T then challenged everyone to a game of Bible Trivia – 2 teams girls vs guys – very evenly matched although Gordie kept trying to play for both teams…

After great nights sleep we grabbed our cameras, cossies etc for a day on the “Ebenezer”, Dave and Barbs houseboat. The plan was to cruise up the Darling to the Murray River and then along the Murray to a place where we could moor the boat and have lunch.

The Darling River was very muddy and swiftly flowing, but with only a light breeze it was not difficult for Dave to manoeuvre the boat away from the shore with the able assistance of 2 deckhands…

We cruised up the Darling enjoying the sights – riverside homes, houseboats and bushland…relaxing on the back of the boat was made easier with the custom made “deck chairs” …

The interior of the boat was also very comfortable with lounges at the front and up top – places to get out of the wind inside if need be or areas to sit and enjoy the fresh air…

The junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers is very distinctive – the milky brown water of the Darling intersecting with the darker Murray was obvious as we approached it.

We turned up the Murray and made our way up to Dave’s mooring spot – a bushland area with built-in humpy and fire pit!

First activity was to play a game of bush bocce – and everyone was up for the challenge. Rosie exhibited great style straddling available logs to launch her balls, while Trev preferred a lob from the rear. Some very competitive natures came to light as the randomness of playing in bushland meant the balls were flying in unexpected directions despite the accurate aim of some….Other styles were fairly unique however the winner by 3 points was Dave T…. followed closely by Dave W and me on 7 points….

Barb served up a wonderful lunch with a variety of filings for wraps – we were all very appreciative of her culinary and hospitality skills!

After lunch Trev and Gordie and a swim and kayak while others relaxed, talked, and watched the wildlife go by including an echidna meandering around on the bank. The 2 Daves were exhausted after the bocce and so caught some zzz’s (was that a few snores??).

We had planned to cook a BBQ over an open fire for dinner but everyone was so full after the salubrious lunch, we just sat around the fire for a short while then made our way back to the house and cooked on the boat once we arrived back. It was a lovely end to a peaceful and relaxing day enjoying good company and God’s creation.

We awoke to a rainy morning and after a quick breakfast and fuel stop we were on the road. It seemed the rain had followed us from the coast and while I am sure the farmers were grateful, we were really longing to see some sunshine….

Once we passed through Narrandera the sun came out as we travelled along the Hay Plain towards Hay. Pulling in at Hay to have some lunch, Rose and Dave noticed to their dismay that the bike covers they had bought in Goulburn were also not robust enough!!

After lunch Dave bought some extra tape and straps to do a repair of sorts and then we continued on our journey. There were some beautifully painted water towers in Hay – a tribute to local people who had served in the war.

As we continued on along the Hay Plain, the landscape was barren in some places and in others extensively farmed with wide irrigation channels and many differing crops of veges. We had let Gordon and Kerry lead from Hay as our next stop was Wentworth and their friends Dave and Barb’s place on the Darling River. Somewhere between Hay and Balranald we saw something fly off the top of the Lotus and so radioed Gordie to stop. After a brief inspection of the van, he discovered that the outer skin of his rear skylight had blown off. Not surprising in some way as the skylight was already cracked and crazed (a manufacturers fault awaiting warranty repair). There was no point going back to try and find it as it had already cracked in several places so we continued on.

One slight detour when Kerry’s GPS led us up a backroad through some vineyards at Euston…..

then we reached Wentworth at about 530 pm. Barb and Dave were well organised even down to where to locate each van so we could plug in safely to power.

Barb had prepared us a delicious dinner of peri-peri chicken which we ate on their houseboat moored out the back on the Darling River.

The 30 year old houseboat was beautifully renovated with 3 bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, and several lounge areas. Up top was a BBQ area, great place to eat and another lounge area. The boat was tastefully decorated with sculptures and artwork collected from all over the globe.

After dinner we all had a soak in Dave’s huge spa – a great way to end the day!

The torrential weather that had been plaguing the East Coast of NSW had made preparing for our third Wild Adventure pretty challenging….with a few things not going quite to plan due to wet conditions. A pre-trip check last night revealed a few glitches requiring a solar controller reboot and then a surprise visit by Branch to assist the late night installation of the famous “metal” 12 pin plug in response to a non-functional left blinker on the van.

A few hiccups with the changeover of the 12-pin plug in the pouring rain saw us in bed just after midnight.

We woke to continual rain and dense fog – a quick call from the Hunters who had already arrived at the meeting place at Bulli Tops – the fog was too dense to safely stop so we decided to meet at Goulburn . This suited the Wells to a tee as they had rung to say that they were delayed – the new bike rack installed on the front of the van for their luxurious e-bikes had nearly taken out the back of their car as they drove out so Dave had to stop and reverse the bracket to prevent any damage to the Pearl!

Driving conditions were horrendous but we made it safely to Goulburn and sat in the Tucker’s Bakery enjoying coffee waiting for the Wells to arrive.

Gordie was showing us the new water system for his recently purchased Lotus van – designed to empty Jerry cans of water using the in-house pump to fill the onboard water tanks – ingenious except for 1 minor detail. He realised that in his rush to get away today he forgot to fill his water tanks at all!! This actually proved in some ways to be a benefit as the decreased weight meant he saved fuel carrying 180kg less weight – not that the Titan would have noticed the weight difference.

The Hunters then shared their pre-trip preparations involving Gordie’s slip on soggy flowers by the pool giving him a large painful lump on his hip and an unexpected dip in the pool. Driving out this morning saw them create havoc during peak hour by nearly taking the side of the Lotus out on the power pole on the corner of Wheatley Road – three attempts reversing back and forth, a few colourful words of abuse hurled at them by the peak hour drivers and they managed to get around the corner unscathed!

As we drank coffee and chatted Rose called us to let us know they were arriving in Goulburn – we looked out the window of the bakery and saw the Pearl coming in hot around the corner with streamers in full display waving from the bike rack. Gordon identified the steamers as being the remains of the brand new $70 bike covers Rosie had purchased to protect their bikes on the journey. On inspection the bike covers had been completely destroyed in the drive from Sydney to Goulburn – Rose contacted the place where she bought them but they were less than helpful – no apology or refund!

After coffee and the Wells quick purchase of a new cover from a motor bike shop we continued on towards our first stop for the night – Ardlethan. Rosie found it so much more relaxing following Gordon and Kerry this time as Gordon had kindly sprayed his Jerry cans silver to match the Lotus – far better than the old red and yellow from last trip.

A quick stop at Harden for lunch at Jackson’s Bakery and Café where Trev was excited to find they sold scorched peanut bars! We passed an amazing painted silo and shed – a huge work of art but such detail.

We arrived in Ardethan at around 430pm and set up in the free RV campsite which was really great. Free water and $2 to connect to power – the town had done a lovely job of landscaping the area with lovely trees and gardens.

We walked around the streets of the town and found the manse that I had lived in with Mum and Dad when I was 2 as well as the church where Dad was the minister back in the early 60’s. The town was very small with the one main street and a few small shops but neat and well kept.

Branch helped Trev to sort out our fridge issue – the late-night repair the previous evening has caused a connection to come loose in the Anderson plug – easily fixed.

It was great to finally see some sun and we walked down to the London Pub for dinner – a traditional country pub bistro feed which was lovely. The locals were very friendly – the publican and his wife were from Sydney and had bought the pub in retirement to get away from the big smoke.

We were all looking forward to a good nights sleep in preparation for the journey to Wentworth tomorrow….