Home base is Albion Park – which is just south of Wollongong on the fabulous South Coast of NSW. A constant aim when travelling is to avoid routes and places I’ve already been to. I keep paper maps of each state & mark up every trip on them and then use them in planning future trips.
Below is a summary of the trips we have taken the caravan on since we bought it in May 2017. Trips in the Avan were all with my wife Cathy, but since her passing the trips in the Crosstrak have been just me (& of course friends in other vans on most trips)
TRIPS WITH THE JAYCO CROSSTRAK
2024
Flinders Ranges
- Touring with friends – Macquarie Woods, Forbes, Ivanhoe, Broken Hill, Peterborough, Rawnsley Park, Bundaleer North, Palmer, Lake Crosbie, Echuca, The Rock
2025
Koorawatha (1 week with friends)
The Coorong – South Australia (3 weeks)
- Touring with friends – Stockinbingal, Hay, Boort, Ararat, Warrnambool, Portland, Mount Gambier, Wrights Bay, Meningie, Goolwa, Dimboola, Hopetoun, St Arnaud, Colbinabbin, Tungamah, Benalla, Jugiong
Alice Springs & Central Queensland (6 weeks)
- Mainly travelling solo, but one of my sons joined for a week in the West MacDonnell Ranges
- Burra, Alice Springs, West MacDonnell Ranges, MaryKathleen, Cloncurry, Richmond, Hughenden, Winton, Longreach, Muttaburra, Barcaldine, Tambo, Augathella, Charleville, Roma, Chincilla, Warialda
North-Central NSW (2 weeks)
- Touring with friends – Cowra, Dubbo, Lightning Ridge, Warrumbungles, Mudgee, Glen Davis
TRIPS WITH THE AVAN
2017
4 short trips to Yass, Lake Tabourie, Swan Lake & Boorowa all in NSW
Maroochydore, Queensland (2 weeks)
- Joining with friends after touring up the coast & returning via inland route
2018
4 short trips to Wantabadgery, Tuross Heads, Patonga & Bents Basin all in NSW
Sunbury, Victoria (stopping at Gundagai on the way south and Wantabadgery with friends on the way home) (2 weeks)
- Visit family and attend Australian Open Tennis
Myrtleford, Victoria (via Gunning, Adelong, Paddys River & Ebden on the way south) (2 weeks)
- Toured with friends through Southern NSW and Northern Victoria joining up with others at Myrtleford
2019
6 short trips to Dalmeny (twice), Congo National Park, Millthorpe, Young (for Cherry Festival) & Canberra
Riddells Creek, Victoria (via Harden, Berrigan & Rochester) (2 weeks)
- Visit family and attend Australian Open Tennis – toured down through Southern NSW & Central Victoria
Central West & New England Regions, NSW (2 weeks)
- Touring – visiting Capertee, Gilgandra, Warrumbungles, Moree, Inverell, Manila, Willow Tree, Grey Gums
Mildura, Victoria (2 weeks)
- Toured with friends on the Benalla & Central Victoria silo trails (Jugiong, Devenish, Kyabram, Rupanyup, Dimboola, Hopetoun, Mildura) , then houseboating with more friends
2020
2 short trips to Batemans Bay & South Durras
New England – North West Region, NSW (2 weeks)
- Touring – Murrundi, Armidale, Grafton, Casino, Inverell, Coonabarabran, Dubbo, Hill End
Canberra,ACT & Boydtown, NSW (2 weeks)
- Canberra Zoo, then touring – Cooma, Candelo, Boydtown, Kalara, Wallaga Lake
2021
3 short trips to Binalong, Congo National Park & Oberon
Riverina Murray Region, NSW (2 weeks)
- Touring with friends – Gunning, Cowra, Grenfell, Jemalong Weir, Beckom, Wagga Wagga with more friends
2022
3 short trips to Jugiong, Oberon & Boorowa
Cootamundra, Paddy’s River Flats & Blowering Reervoir (2 weeks)
Riverina Murray Region, NSW (2 weeks)
- Touring – Stockinbingal, Griffith, Darlington Point, Lockhart, Leeton, Junee, Jugiong
Congo National Park & Wallaga Lake, NSW (2 weeks)
Northern NSW, Central & Eastern Queensland (7 weeks)
- Tour with friends – Gilgandra, Coonamble, Lightning Ridge, Thallon, St George, Roma, Carnarvon Gorge, Emerald, Rockhampton, Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Kingaroy, Goondiwindi, Mount Kaputar, Cessnock
Mudgee, NSW (2 weeks)
- Glen Davis with friends, Mudgee with even more friends & Sofala with other friends, Carcoar Dam
2023
Tasmania (9 weeks)
- Tour with friends –Devonport, Sheffield, Launceston (, ia Sassafras), Scottsdale, Pyengana, St Helens, Chain of Lagoons, Coles Bay, Triabunna, Dunally, Hobart (via Richmond), Bruny Island (via ferry @ Kettering), Franklin, National Park (Mount Field), Derwent Bridge, Ross, Moles Creek, Cradle Mountain, Queenstown, Strahan, Zeehan, Smithton, Crayfish Creek, Forth, Geelong
Western NSW, Western & Central Queensland, Northern Territory, South Australia, Northern Victoria, Southern NSW (13 weeks)
- Tour with friends –Gunning, Monteagle, Lake Cargelligo, Tullamore, Nyngan, Cobar, Bourke, Cunnamulla, Eulo, Thargominda, Noccundra, Innaminka, Cave Hill Quarry, Eromanga, Quilpi, Windorah, Betoota, Birdsville, Bedourie, Boulia, Middleton, Winton, Julia Creek, Mt Isa, Camooweal, Wonarah Bore, Tennant Creek, Alice Spring, Kings Canyon, Agnus Creek, Coober Pedy, Woomera, Kimba, Mikkira Station (Port Lincoln), Wilpena Pound, Broken Hill, Menindee, Wentworth, Kerang, Oaklands, Junee
1 short trip to Temora, NSW
Gippsland, Vic (3 weeks)
- Candelo, Genoa, Lakes Entrance, Maffra, Tyers, Yarram, Tidal River, Phillip Island, Riddells Creek, Jugiong
Tumut, NSW (1 week with friends)
2024
Koorawatha, NSW (1 week with friends)