Melbourne Ferry Terminal to Kurth Kiln Park, Gembrook
Distance Travelled - 95.7 km
Had a somewhat disruptive night although the sailing seemed smooth enough. There was however, a regular vibration and thuddy noise go right through my cabin and bunk from the engine, waking me up several times. The ferry got in about 6.30 am and my car was on the last garage section to be unloaded so it was close to 7.30 am by time I departed the terminal.
Drove through horrible early morning traffic in Melbourne and started the drive out to Kurth Kiln Park near Gembrook. The kiln was used to make charcoal as a fuel for cars during the war when petrol was being rationed. After the war when it was no longer needed the area became a base for forestry operations and then a picnic and camping area in recent years. There are some of the old forestry houses and the kiln with a couple of associated buildings left on the site.
I found a Maccas on the way to post the blog and then continued on to the park, arriving around 10ish. I then spent the rest of the day relaxing by reading my book out in the sun, listening to some tunes, catching up on a bit of sleep and taking a few photos of birds and the old buildings. There are a few other people here and I had a chat with a couple of them. One of the older couples had a link with Ghooli - a small town about 13km east of Southern Cross - where her dad had worked and then married in Southern Cross. I will have to look up the name when I get back and see if there is any connection to my dad's grandfather who was also out and about that way years ago.
There are a few things on the 'to do' list tomorrow with a couple of short walks available and potentially more photography and lots more relaxing. Saturday I start back to Melbourne to catch up with Lindsay, Heather and Deanne and then become homeward bound on Sunday.
Blue Fairy Wren at the campsite
Fairy wren? at the campsite
Day 37 - 30th October
Kurth Kiln Park
Distance Travelled - 0 km
I don't know exactly, but I would guess there were at least 3 kookaburras singing to the morning sun that roused me from my slumber. Glancing at my watch I acknowledged that it was 5 am and went back to sleep soon after, eventually rising at about 8.30 am.
Relaxing and doing very little was on the agenda today so after having breakfast I settled into my chair and just sat in the sun watching the rest of the morning unfold before me. I enjoyed listening to the many birds in the forest even though I could not see where any of them were. After an hour or so I went and got my book and the camera from the car and sat down again. I read for a while taking the occasional photo if anything came close enough and didn't require me getting off my chair.
About 11.30 am I went for a walk along one of the tracks for half an hour or so and returned to enjoy more sun in my chair before organising some lunch just after 1 pm. Having finished lunch I decided it was time for an afternoon snooze so entered the tent with the ipod and spent the next hour and a half dozing and listening to tunes when i wasn't asleep.
Rising form my nap I spent the rest of the afternoon reading and waiting patiently for birds or animals to come into my photo zone, however none were particularly cooperative. Throughout the later part of the afternoon a steady stream of vehicles came into the park towing a variety of contraptions behind them. Caravans, camper trailers, boats, box trailers, motor bikes and the like all arrived. I think it is a long weekend here and it is good to see lots of people getting out and camping etc although I was a little disappointed with the noise form the trail bikes shattering the previously silent and tranquil surroundings.
Went for another half hour walk about 7 pm and returned to have tea and get ready for the night. Researched a few things on the GPS, planning the trip back to Adelaide and starting to think about whether to do it over 2 days or push through and do it in one. At the moment I am leaning towards 2 days, making each day a relatively easy one. Once I leave Adelaide there will be a few big days of driving so I think it might be good to make the most of a couple of easier days before it.
After finishing with the GPS I started on the blog before sorting the few meagre photos from today, after which it will pretty much be time to enter the tent and start settling down for the night. Tomorrow will hopefully be a slowish start (dependent on the other campers and their noise, I feel) before heading back towards Melbourne and Lindsay and Heather's place in Southbank. We are meeting in time to go to tea about 6.30 ish so I will have plenty of time to relax in the morning before beginning to mosey back in via a few op shops to hunt out a couple of books for the trip back seeing as I have finished the one I bought Tuesday thanks to some solid time to read over the last day or so.
Birds around the campsite
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