Fetching Winnie, part 1

posted in: Family, Travel, Winnie | 15

So, who loves a road trip? Open highways, music on the stereo, sharing laughs and making memories? Me!

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I created this scrapbooking layout nearly 10 years ago, with pictures from a my childhood racketing around Australia caravanning with my parents. I was surely lucky, and I have a travel bug that I can never quite shake. One of the hardest things for me to admit with my illness was that my travelling days appeared to be over. When you have chronic headaches, migraines that are triggered by light, motion, vibration, then long car trips are exhausting.

However, an opportunity came up this last long weekend that we just had to grab with both hands. We planned, we packed, and on Friday morning we were off, just *skip* and I.

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Trundling along behind my baby car was our family’s old camping trailer. As old as I am, and still going strong. It has needed some work and money on it lately, but it’s worth it to have some mobile freedom without the expense of a hotel every night.

I thought that I might share with you some of my pictures from the road. A few aren’t the best – phone camera + driving at 100km/h + reflections on windows etc, however they can give you an insight into the incredible space that is Australia.

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The river crossing at Tooleybuc, just on the NSW side of the Victorian border. We stop here every trip for a coffee, a walk, and to look at the magnificent Murray River.

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Extreme knitting – casting on double pointed needles for a sock at 100km/h. I got an entire sock knitted on this trip, in 4 days.

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This is big sky country. Breathtaking clouds.

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Frosty morning at West Wyalong. It was 0.4 when I took this photo, just as the sun was rising.

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Our second night was at Muswellbrook before we turned for home – thick fog through the Hunter Valley and the top of the Great Dividing Range – for about 90kms of driving!

 

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The roads here just seem to go on forever. Sadly I didn’t get any photos of the last day across the Hay Plain, as the car ride finally overcame the pain medication and I went down with the most violent migraine. But we did prove one thing…. I can go away again!! *skip* and I are planning some road tripping holidays with the puppies, as so many caravan parks these days are dog friendly. We saw dogs at both the parks we stayed in.

But, I hear you all asking, why did we drive all that way (1400kms each way) in 4 days? What could possibly be THAT important? You’ll have to come back next week and I will introduce you to Winnie.

Meanwhile, tell me about your favourite road trip – where to, who with, what made it so special?

Happy Crafting - Cassie.

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15 Responses

  1. Janine

    Great photos, Cassie. I would have to say that my favourite road trip is from Adelaide to the Nullabor. My eldest daughter worked there a few years ago, so my younger three kids and I went over to see her, it’s a long drive but with such varying scenery it’s just beautiful. And I lived on the Nullabor in my younger days (before children!). I’ve been lucky enough to live in some gorgeous places, Arkaroola, Marla Bore, Mataranka, Alice Springs, down the south east of SA.
    I’m glad to hear that you managed most of the trip without getting headaches etc till the last day. I wish they could find something to permanently assist you with them Migraines are the worst. Hugs.

    • Cassandra

      Thanks Janine! I would love to head west one day, I’ve only ever been north or east. It’s a dream of mine to head across to WA, maybe now I can travel again it might happen. Funny, but I’ve been to all the places you’ve lived at!

  2. Melissa (minniecat)

    I love your post! Your pictures are great! That looks like an awesome road trip (except for the migraine). I am guessing that Winnie is a new fur baby?? In which case I’m dieing to see pics.

    • Cassandra

      I’m glad you enjoyed them Melissa, I’m always fascinated to see where other people live and what inspires them. My lips are sealed about Winnie, you’ll just have to wait!

  3. Kirsten

    Sounds like a fabulous trip – and I am wondering if “Winnie” is a Winnebago camper?? Anyway, my favourite roadtrip was a few years ago when we drove from where we live in Northern NSW down to Melbourne, then caught the Spirit of Tasmania across to Tassie for a 2 week stay, and then did the Great Ocean Road on our way home. We were away for about 3 weeks altogether and with 3 teenagers in the car it was quite a memorable trip:)

    • Cassandra

      Oh, I love the Great Ocean Road. We did it 9 years ago, think we are due for a revisit. But not with 3 teenagers, that sounds a little loud for me!

  4. Jess @ Scrappy n Happy

    Great pictures Cass! You will have to come up here when you start hitting the road 🙂

  5. Michelle

    I, too, did some great travelling as a kid with my family. My favourite roadtrip was driving half way across America in a motorhome with my family when I was 15! I’ve always wanted to do something similar with my hubby and 4 kids, but living on one income precludes that kind of trip for a while yet!! We will be driving to Melbourne later in the year – our family loves road trips! Thanks for the photos – my hubby comes from Tamworth, so we’ve done the drive from Sydney to Tamworth too many times to recall!!

    • Cassandra

      It’s funny how roads that are new to one person, are all too familiar to another. But a cross US motor home trip sounds completely epic! I’d love to try that one 🙂

  6. Lindy

    Love the photos Cassie. I too have grown up going on road trips with my family all around Australia. We took our kids (5) all over WA. Mostly to do quick build Kingdom Halls, pt Hedland, Tom price, Karratha, Broome and always we have ended up at coral bay for rest and refresh on the way home. Every 2 years we travel there and now our children with the partners and our grandchildren do this. We have a plan to do a family road trip on the gibb river road very soon.

    • Cassandra

      How lovely to have family to travel with. I think it makes it a lot more fun than on your own. We really will have to get over to the West sometime!

  7. Fiona

    When you said Newcastle, I thought “there must be another Newcastle I don’t know about because Cass wouldn’t make it THAT far”. Hooley Dooley, good on ya luvvie!!! So proud of you!!!! Is Bendigo on your radar????? I do miss my travellibg days, one of the hardest decisions for ex-world-traveller me was to not renew my passport.

    • Cassandra

      Bendigo is always on my radar, but I’ve been told that we are going to take it easy over the next few months until my head settles down into a regular pattern again.

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