20-1-2010 (Wedensday)
Wow that was the first night in our campervan, we all slept pretty good. The caravan park where we are staying is called San Remi Caravan park and costs $ 25,- per night.
Today is our Philip Island day, but first off to the local playground. We will publish a book on best playground in Australia when we are back.
In San Remo, next to the bridge to Philip Island, we watched a whole bunch of Pelicans. Our first wildlife of the day.
Around noon we headed for the Island stopping at the Information Office. We bought a pass for the three highlights of the Island: Old farm, Koala park and Penguin parade.
The farm was the first stop. We really find it fantastic that we bring our house (campervan) everywhere. The farm was nice, we could hold baby ducks and rabbits and see a lot of farm animals like cows, sheep and horses.
Sharai is afraid of most animals and when she held a baby Rabbit (Nijntje) and the little one started to climb, she screamed and loud as she’s able to. From that moment on, she didn’t want to hold nothing no more.
We also saw a chicken with here chicks, she enjoyed the idea that mummy chicken was taking care of here babies (the next morning she talked about it).
Next we drove up to the Koala park, we had the most amazing encounter with a Koala. We where standing less than a meter from a Koala. We have good pictures of that. We also saw a baby Koala. Zeb thinks babies are cute. Koala’s were brought to the island some 100 years ago. The Island belonged to a former mayor of Melbourne, Mister Samuel Ames.
Around 4 we drove to a beach called Red Rocks next to the main village of Philip Island, Cowes. Driving up there Ruben saw a Kangaroo crossing the road.
The beach was a quite isolated beach, really beautiful. The way we hope to encounter more beaches.
After digging a ‘swimming pool’ in the sand and a small swim we got back to the campervan. We bbqed at the beach. In Australia they have electrical BBQ everywhere and you can use these for free. This to prevent bush fires.
Ruben prepared the best hotdogs, the whole family loved.
At 7 we went to the Penguin parade, hoping the kids would sleep for a couple of hours till the Penguins would come ashore. They didn’t, so we went in early.
This was really one of the most amazing things we have ever witnessed:
On a kind of stand set up in the dunes we saw almost 200 Penguins come back from a day fishing to feed their wives and Chicks. Then we saw them wondering around in the dunes looking for their burrows. The Penguins here are called little Penguins and they are, about 30-40 centimeters high.
Sharai fell asleep during the Penguin parade, Zeb stayed awake till they end, around 11. One penguin wasn’t able to find his home (burrow) and Zeb was really sad about it. The morning after he asked Sharon if everything went well after all. Sharon told him that he came home safe and sound.
We drove our home back to the caravan park and had a good night sleep.
GREAT CHOICE WE WENT TO PHILIP ISLAND!
21-1-2010 (Thursday)
Early wake up, we tend to rise earlier in the campervan then we did in the hotels. Ruben did some morning shopping and we had a nice breakfast in front of the campervan.
We decided to drive to Lake Entrance today, a 3,5 hour drive (250KM). We had a few choices from the big campsite book. The first we called from the car had vacancy.
We arrived at around 5 in Wateredge park ( a big4 park: big4 is a kind of chain.)
The park is nice, we had our bbq. At the central bbq place you meet other people cooking. Some daily talk about the bbq, the cricket, where we are from and some advice for next place to visit for us.
Posts tonen met het label philip island. Alle posts tonen
Posts tonen met het label philip island. Alle posts tonen
donderdag 21 januari 2010
woensdag 20 januari 2010
Troostwijk goes camping
19-1-2010 (Tuesday)
We gave the rental car back in CBD Melbourne and took a taxi to KEA Camper Depot.
There she was right at the depot: our house for the next month. Troostwijk Family goes camping and we’re excited, slightly nervous.
First some paperwork and the a quick tour in and around the campervan, expect the cleaning of the toilet container, everything looks ok and good to handle for us first time campers.
Sharon brings little experience from her sailing holidays with the family and Ruben did some camping back in the days in Israel, but this is a whole new experience.
The nice lady at KEA set us up with a campsite at Philip Island south east of Melbourne, well known for its penguins.
At around 2 we drove away and all we could think is:”wow what a huge car”. Now we know how a truck driver feels. WE ARE KING OF THE ROAD. Ruben suddenly has a lot of respect for all the bus drivers in the world but he himself did a pretty good job, driving this enormous house on wheels, as if he never had done anything else in his life.
It’s a 2 ½ hour drive to Philip Island. We arrived at 4:30, in a real 2nd tier camping site. Our van is the biggest and nicest of the whole place. But it’s good to start at the bottom. At least the toilets and showers are clean….At least cleaner then our own toilet on our campervan.
Sharon stuffed our clothes away in all the small compartments and she’s really happy ‘bout the fact that she pact very well back home. Ruben and Zeb went shopping. Steak and sausages for our first outside BBQ.
Before dinner, Sharon went to the playground with the kids and Ruben set up the fold in table, chairs and the sunscreen. Putting back the sunscreen later at night was a nightmare, did not pay enough attention at KEA. Actually, the woman helping us out in Melbourne, probably thought we were experienced campers, cause she ran over all the important stuff. Now we needed help from two local campers, who were hardly understandable with their accents and looked like they’re smoking 24/7. Again new friends. Really camping is better then facebook.
We had our first outdoor dinner, and the steaks were great. Own made marinade, thanks to local bought Ketjap Manis from Conimex.
Tonight’s dilemma; shall we wash the dishes in the van, meaning we lose water we have to collect later, or to do it in the central washing place. Sharon did the later, but this is an example of the difficult choices we are facing these days.
The kids are sleeping together on top of the driving area and had a bath in one of the showers of the campsite together. We will sleep in the back, in the living room. Neither one has a clue how to set up the bed, but we’’ll find out.
Today was a GREAT adventure, but it seems to be the start of a wonderful month camping.
We gave the rental car back in CBD Melbourne and took a taxi to KEA Camper Depot.
There she was right at the depot: our house for the next month. Troostwijk Family goes camping and we’re excited, slightly nervous.
First some paperwork and the a quick tour in and around the campervan, expect the cleaning of the toilet container, everything looks ok and good to handle for us first time campers.
Sharon brings little experience from her sailing holidays with the family and Ruben did some camping back in the days in Israel, but this is a whole new experience.
The nice lady at KEA set us up with a campsite at Philip Island south east of Melbourne, well known for its penguins.
At around 2 we drove away and all we could think is:”wow what a huge car”. Now we know how a truck driver feels. WE ARE KING OF THE ROAD. Ruben suddenly has a lot of respect for all the bus drivers in the world but he himself did a pretty good job, driving this enormous house on wheels, as if he never had done anything else in his life.
It’s a 2 ½ hour drive to Philip Island. We arrived at 4:30, in a real 2nd tier camping site. Our van is the biggest and nicest of the whole place. But it’s good to start at the bottom. At least the toilets and showers are clean….At least cleaner then our own toilet on our campervan.
Sharon stuffed our clothes away in all the small compartments and she’s really happy ‘bout the fact that she pact very well back home. Ruben and Zeb went shopping. Steak and sausages for our first outside BBQ.
Before dinner, Sharon went to the playground with the kids and Ruben set up the fold in table, chairs and the sunscreen. Putting back the sunscreen later at night was a nightmare, did not pay enough attention at KEA. Actually, the woman helping us out in Melbourne, probably thought we were experienced campers, cause she ran over all the important stuff. Now we needed help from two local campers, who were hardly understandable with their accents and looked like they’re smoking 24/7. Again new friends. Really camping is better then facebook.
We had our first outdoor dinner, and the steaks were great. Own made marinade, thanks to local bought Ketjap Manis from Conimex.
Tonight’s dilemma; shall we wash the dishes in the van, meaning we lose water we have to collect later, or to do it in the central washing place. Sharon did the later, but this is an example of the difficult choices we are facing these days.
The kids are sleeping together on top of the driving area and had a bath in one of the showers of the campsite together. We will sleep in the back, in the living room. Neither one has a clue how to set up the bed, but we’’ll find out.
Today was a GREAT adventure, but it seems to be the start of a wonderful month camping.
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