Upon arrival in Australia we make our way to Castlemaine, NW of Melbourne, heart of the Gold Rush (1852) country to meet the camper we bought via the internet from Gerda and Franz, an adventurous German couple. They have returned to Germany, but we stay with Christian and Liz for 2 nights while we take care of ownership transfer. It turns out to be a real test of patience, good will, and trust. PayPal, then wire transfer, then debit card, then credit card all fail one by one in their own frustrating ways. Ultimately we write an old-fashioned personal check! Until it clears (one month for international transactions) we’re all in LimboLand as to who really owns the vehicle.
It’s a 1994 Toyota LandCruiser 4wd diesel affectionately known as a Troopy. We are amazed to find that all of our stuff fits with room to spare.And so the Oz Adventure begins. When we go to Bendigo to transfer vehicle title, we learn that there is a rich Chinese heritage there stemming from the Gold Rush days.
In fact, the longest Chinese processional dragon in the world, SunLoong, lives in the Golden Dragon Museum (along with OldLoong, the oldest in the world). SunLoong emerges just once per year for the big parade on Easter Monday. On Easter Day the “Awakening of the Dragon” ceremony takes place with 100,000 firecrackers. We’re right on time to see it all!
Flocks of white cockatoos abound. There are many other colorful birds we’ve never seen before, including this kookaburra (sitting in an old gum tree, where else?).
We head south to travel along the Great Ocean Road, a crashing section of Southern Ocean coast west of Melbourne. We find bizarre limestone formations and lush rainforests. 
At the rate we’re traveling it will take us about ten years to see the country. Australia is BIG.
We quickly discover that Aussies are a remarkably friendly bunch. It seems that every day people invite us to come visit when we’re in their area. Here’s a particularly stimulating collection who shared their picnic lunch with us.
2 comments:
Great to see you back on the blog. Imagine all that technology failing you -- having to fall back on a written check. Hope it all clears in no time. Love the camper. It's amazing what a little organization can do with a small space. Eager to see the next post. Char
Well, this is just ridiculous, frankly. How are we even going to know you when you come back? With your heads full of these views, will you even remember us or your native land? I must say I feel rather lame in comparison. :P
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