Back to Newcastle

Going slowly trying to make the trip last as long as possible but getting ever closer to our starting point.

Coffs Harbour - 'The Big Banana'. Australia's first big thing and the last big thing on our lap. Built in 1964 for 1200 pounds and based upon the best looking banana they could find, which was then cut into 40 pieces in order to develop the plans from which the builders could construct the worlds largest banana.

Taylors Arm - 'The Pub With No Beer' named after the song of the same name by Gordon Parsons, aka the Yodelling Bushman, written at this Pub, and sung by his mate Slim Dusty. The song relates to the time the pub was cut off by a flooding Kempsey river and no beer could get through. Luckily there was beer when we turned up.

Harrington - Fleur and Ellie mucking around on the go carts. This was a return to the site of our very first caravan trip, before our big lap, where we were evacuated due to a bush fire. No such problem this time.

Crowdy Head Lighthouse on the Mid North Coast was built in 1879. Looking north you can see beyond Diamond Head and the Three Brothers mountains (south, middle and north) which were named by Captain Cook in 1770 as he sailed up the East Coast. To the south you can see as far as Seal Rocks. A cold but clear day.

Diamond Head in the Crowdy Bay National Park overlooking the empty beach, another cold but clear day, Fleur and Ellie rugged up against the chill wind.

The red line on the caravan map tells the story - back to where we started from. The big lap is nearly complete, only Sydney left to go.

The Gold Coast and into New South Wales

Still moving south along the East Coast from the Gold Coast with the theme parks and crossing into New South Wales and the along the NSW North Coast.

Movie World on the Gold Coast and Ellie queuing for the families favourite ride 'Scooby Doo' a roller coaster where the cars go up in lifts, run backwards and then spin around 180 degrees all in the darkness ZOINKS! 

At SeaWorld Fleur and Ellie with Sponge Bob Square Pants and his side kick (not sure of her name).

Crossing the boarder from Queensland into New South Wales. The boarder runs down the middle of Dixon Street and separates Tweed Heads in NSW on the left with it's twin town of Coolangatta in Queensland on the right. Due to the fact that NSW observes daylight savings and Queensland does not you can change time zones – even celebrate New Year twice within an hour – simply by crossing the street, a north south move and not as you may suspect an east west move. Only in Australia?   

Bryon Bay Lighthouse at Point Byron which was named by Captain Cook after his navigator who happened to be the grandfather of the poet Lord Byron. It is the most easterly point on the Australian mainland. We were invited to go to the top of the lighthouse for a viewing, why they choose us and no one else not sure, but there was a very good view of the bay and out to sea. We have now been to the most Easterly town in Australia and the most westerly town, Denham, only 5000km between the two places on the shortest route although our route was a bit longer. 

The town of Bexhill in the hills behind Ballina, not much to see here other than the open air cathedral on the hill over looking the town. The main reason for the visit was to see how it compared to my home town of Bexhill on Sea in England, and we can report its nothing like it, there were no old people walking along the sea front in the Australian version.

Ballina - The Big Prawn' is another of Australia's iconic big things. Built in 1989, but without a tail, the Big Prawn underwent a major makeover and was reopened in July 2013. It stands 9m high and weighs 35 tonne. The restoration cost to add a tail and give the prawn a much needed make over cost Bunnings (a shop just like B&Q) $400,000 and it now sits proudly in their car park.

Bundaberg to The Sunshine Coast

Travelling south toward Brisbane past any number of big things and the Sunshine Coast.

The 'Big Ned Kelly' standing outside of the Ned Kelly Motel in Maryborough. We were unsure as to why he was here and after extensive investigation we were unable to find out the link as Ned Kelly never went to Queensland. Apparently local folk lore has it that perhaps he had some relatives in the area.

A winters day on the beach at The Great Sandy National Park north of Noosa. A long bike ride and short ferry crossing from Noosa to a deserted beach on a lovely warm day.

The 'Big Pelican' at Noosa. Noosa encompasses three zones: Noosa Heads, Noosaville and Noosa Junction and has an amazing number of roundabouts. Noosa proved to be a very nice place to stay and hang out for a while.

The Taste of Ginger Tour at the Buderim Ginger Factory which has been around for 40 years. The tour shows the full ginger story from planting through processing to final use. It is the world's largest operating ginger factory within a themed tourist park that promotes ginger and associated products.

The Big Pineapple at Woombye. It is 16 metres high and is claimed to be the world's largest pineapple, gaining this title after a large pineapple-shaped water tower in Hawaii was dismantled in 1993. This leg of the trip has had the highest number of big things running at a rather impressive 1 big things per 50km travelled.

"Crikey" Fleur and Ellie at Steve Irwin's Australian Zoo. More than just a zoo with many hands-on, close up animal experiences and entertaining shows. No sight of Bindi, she must have been away at school. Nice in the day but this was, however, one of our coldest night time camping experiences so far, but then it is winter!

Aussie World - the only theme park on the Sunshine Coast and a warm up for the bigger more extreme theme parks to come on the Gold Coast. Fleur and Ellie happy to be here for the day.

Redcliffe - The place where the Bee Gees started out on their musical careers in the late 1950s signing their first record on the kitchen table before moving to America to conker the world. Fleur and Ellie on the Bee Gees wall of fame on Bee Gees Way which was opened by Barry in February 2013.

200 Days

Saturday 28 June 2014 was the 200th day of our big lap.

Location - Noosa, Queensland

Some statistics so far:

     Overall distance travelled - 23,388 km (14,538 miles)

     Route distance travelled (big lap) - 18,644 km (11,584 miles)

     Total fuel used - 4849 L (1,066 gallons)

     Average fuel Price - $1.70 L (93p/L)

     Number of different places stayed overnight - 75

     State/Territory boarders crossed - 7 (only one more to go)

     Amount of rain on lap - far too much since hitting the east coast

     Hottest day - 46 degrees South Australia

     Coldest night - 4 degrees Queensland

     Number of caravan wheels lost - 1 (somewhere between Rockhampton and Gladstone at speed).