Day 1 Torquay, Vic to Narcoorte, SA

And……..They’re off! After many hectic days packing, organising and cleaning the house for the arrival of the house sitters, we hitch up the Prado and are on the road about 9:00AM. We are travelling in our Toyota Prado and living in a Coromal Caravan. The van is about 6 meters long with a queen bed at one end, kitchen and table in the middle and three bunk beds at the back. It’s a bit bigger than we wanted to tow but, with three kids, it suits us perfectly. As with most caravans and boats these days, the designers have maximised storage space by ensuring every possible nook and cranny is accessible and equipped with shelves and a door. However, and this is a big however, the van weighs about 1,500kgs empty and the maximum weight is about 1,900kgs. So, 5 people, 3 of whom are female,- two adults and three kids, going away for 3 months. 400kgs of stuff….. Let’s just say we might possibly be a tiny bit overloaded. The Prado strains under the weight and the fuel gauge decreases at a remarkable rate. When we refuel I calculate that we are using approximately 1 litre for every 100 metres we travel, at least it seems that way. Maybe my maths needs work. Anyway, 13,000 kms may put a dent in the bank balance. The day’s drive takes about 6 hours and we arrive at Narcoorte about 3:00PM.

Narcoorte is a lovely town of about 10,000 just over the border into SA. It lies at the southern end of the Coonewarra Valley, one of the premier wine producing regions in Australia. We stay at a park on the banks of a small river that is home to numerous geese and ducks. The park owner is in the process of renovating the park and is hosting drinks for the workers around the communal fire. I’m invited over for a few beers and get plenty of advice for things to see and do in the area- as well as plenty of other advice that isn’t quite as useful! A nice start to the trip. Early to bed for an early start on a big drive tomorrow.