The Last Leg

Only when you are doing a trip of this scale doest the last 2000km seem like just a hop skip and a jump! We made the most of it, ensuring we got maximum experience of the far, and saving the near for another trip. A week in the Finders Ranges was awesome, but faced with extreme hot weather and a gazillion flies, we ended up doing more 4WDing and less walking than we had planned.
Melrose and the Clare Valley was great - would love to return here for a Mountain Bike Event.
As hort stay in Brighton Beach and Adelaide and then down to Victor Harbour, a few waves and then across to Kangaroo Island.
With a full week on KI, we made the most with a couple nights each staying on the South, West and North Coasts of the Island. The wildlife experiences were some of the best anywhere in the country.
Back to the mainland and we drove through the Coorong to Robe, then Mt Gambier and the Grampians. The walking was awesome and deserving of a longer visit with backpacks and boots. We knew we were back over east when a 'major rainfall event' covered most of Victoria and we fled north to Tumut. Thankfully a stunning site on the Tumut River and a playful Platypus helped us get over the hailstorm and torrential downpour. Climbing up to the Snowys, we drove in to the Long Plain and Coolamine Homestead and Blue Pools for some final wilderness walks. I had trekked in there before so we found some caves and took the girls adventure caving - it gave them an underground experience without guides, walkways or signs!

After all that it was nigh to rejoin with family in Canberra, Bowral and Austinmer before back to Sydney and school.

West Coast South Australia - video blog

From Cape Le Grand and Esperance we headed across the Nullabor, spending a could of nights free camping in the middle of nowhere. You know when you have arrived when its 40 degrees, blowing a gale and there is a gazillion flies swarming all over you.
Thankfully at the other side there are great waves and adventures to be had. Some Great waves around Cactus were worth putting up with the flies and dust. Further south on the Eyre Peninsula Streak Bay and Coffin Bay were pretty special. However on of the great highlights of the whole trip was swimming with Sea Lions out of Port Lincoln. A charter boat took us to to some remote islands and sheltered back beach where the Sea lions like to hang out. Cold water and warm sun combined with perfect visibility for a truly exceptional experience.