Campsite at Snake Lagoon

Kangaroo Island in just the name sets up promise – and particularly so for international visitors. Who wouldn’t want to explore an island overrun by our Aussie national icon.

The idea of ‘island exploration’ inspires a sense of adventure so we were keen to see why this island is so romanced as the jewel in South Australia’s crown and earns the title of the Galapagos of Australia.

We learnt quickly that a visit to this island requires a little forward planning. Our urgent reception at the ferry office had us realising that staff must not often be greeted with latecomers wanting same-day passage. We were offered good advice to stock up in Victor Harbor before boarding as food essentials are in limited supply on the island.

Without research and planning we believe that last-minute tourists might be put off by the high prices of a return ferry journey. In fact a few international tourists we met on the road spoke exactly of this ‘financial deterrent’ to taking themselves and their vehicle across. We were hoping our visit could arm us with all the positive reasons to make the crossing, next time we were asked.

Perfect spot for a stroll on the beach

We were offered a special ferry price on the proviso we spent our first night in the caravan park at the ferry terminal town of Peneshaw. With first impressions known to influence lasting memories we were surprised Kangaroo Island tourism would want to align itself with a tourist park that was short on basic facilities and attractive camping sites. Thankfully it was just a short stay and we left promptly the next morning.

Unfortunately our first understanding of the island’s extensive wildlife was confirmed by the most amazing levels of roadkill. We had the ugly thought that a keen business operator could make a good living from possum and wombat furs – and tourism might be all the better for it, having it cleaned up each day. In any case at least we knew the island did have plentiful wildlife – we were just eager to see the live ones.

This was demonstrated in all its glory upon reaching Seal Bay Conservation Park. Beautiful birds greeted us with song, and in addition to the closest encounters with Australia’s endangered sea lions, it was here we also witnessed the treasured echidna, going about its business, just touching distance away.

Sea Lions (not seals) at Seal Bay

At this point we understood why Kangaroo Island is a destination of international repute – as was entering the natural wonderland of Flinders Chase National Park. What a well catered for and slick operation. Friendly staff showed us photos of the variety of campsites on offer and luckily for us, travelling off-peak, and one day before a busload of school children were expected, we had the pick of campsites at the lovely Snake Lagoon.

This was the perfect base for a variety of walks and got us to the heart of unspoiled bushland and beaches. We chose an easy two hour return walk to the beach from the campsite to witness platypus in the creek bed, distant caves, seabirds soaring overhead, and the roar of the turquoise water against the striking orange-algal-coloured rocks. All this splendour and we were the only ones on the track.

That evening we were glad to hear the scurryings of the real ‘live’ wildlife around the campsite. We were awoken by one of the largest possums we’d ever seen pacing across our table in search of food. Thankfully, thinking ahead, this was all in the car. But it didn’t stop our great source of amusement watching it dive head first into our ‘slinky-like’ collapsible bin in search of leftovers.

At this end of the island you don’t want to miss Remarkable Rocks, Admirals Arch and Cape Willoughby Lighthouse, all adding up to what makes the ferry cost worthwhile.

Taking in the view at Remarkable Rocks

On the way back we took a different route hoping to pick up some of the much talked about seafood treats of marron and oysters. Our visions were that there’d be plenty of direct ‘fresh’ outlets in the main towns, yet we found none. It appears that a few restaurants have them – otherwise you may as well wait until you’re back on the mainland to where they’re shipped.

We cannot argue we are the most well versed travellers on Kangaroo Island, given we spent a total of three days there, but we’ve seen enough to know that we would be back.
The ferry fee is worth it if you drive the two hours across the island to reach Flinders Chase National Park where the host of great natural attractions, wildlife, walks and well-facilitated camping will greet you.

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In the past few years Adelaide (South Australia) has seen a rebirth of the street food culture in and around this great city with food vans that were once confined to events and festivals, now appearing almost ‘guerrilla style’ in CBD laneways like Leigh Street and even on main thoroughfares like Pulteney or Rundle Streets.

Adelaide actually has a long history of celebrating street food with ‘Pie Carts’ being around since the 1860′s. The Pie Cart’s most famous dish is the ‘Pie Floater’ which is an upside down meat pie in a bowl that is covered with green mushy pea soup and lashings of tomato sauce. Probably doesn’t sound too appetising but trust me, in the wee hours of Saturday or Sunday morning after a big night out they are just what you need to keep the hangover at bay.

Left to Right – The Advertiser Newspaper Reporter – Asking Ms Rowena Suthon from New Zealand and Mr Terry Sweeney from England what they think of their first pie floater. (photo taken 3rd of July 2009 at 9.30 pm)

The Pie Cart’s have come and gone and until a few years ago it seemed that street food might be on the way out, being forced to make way for bigger business and new developments, but thankfully that trend has reversed and now there are so many street food vendors popping up that they’ve begun congregating every month or so in an event called ‘Fork On The Road‘ which is really just an excuse to get outside and enjoy some great food in great company. Whereas the street food vans once only supported events, now they ARE an event unto themselves!

Rather than serving junky fast food like many a food van at a sporting event, Adelaide’s Street Food vendors are obsessed with great tasting, high quality food sourced from local growers and producers. For example Burger Theory with their “100% Coorong Angus Beef, ground daily by us and served in a Breadtop bun.”

In the video above, released recently by Tourism SA as one of a series of films made by local film makers and celebrating South Australia, celebrity TV Chef Simon Bryant (The Cook and The Chef) declares that he no longer cares for fancy restaurants and snobby waiters and that quality street food is where it’s at – in fact he goes so far as to declare that “We are the food and wine capital of the Southern Hemisphere”.

He joins an eclectic bunch of vendors including Taco Cat, Sneaky Pickle, Four Seeds, Juice Junkies, Mischief Brew and Burger Theory all of whom have their own unique spin on what quality street food is all about.

There are 10 other videos in the Tourism SA series ‘Through Local Eyes‘, each giving a local’s insight into the laid back lifestyle we enjoy down here in South Australia.

Watch all videos in the series here

Portuguese fish soup is the perfect tasty, speedy recipe to feed a large hungry camping crew.

Done in the pressure cooker with so few ingredients, this colourful, simple meal will be ready in less than 15 minutes. Recipe is compliments Suzanne Gibbs, ‘The Presser Cooker Recipe Book’ that has a range of quick healthy meals, many I’ve found are ideal for camping.

If you don’t yet have a pressure cooker, the recipe works just as well in a regular pot, but in a pressure cooker it’s ready in one third of the time – giving you more time to catch up with friends around the fire. Using a pressure cooker will also preserve your precious gas, unless you decide to cook it on the fire in a camp oven.

The broth is so thick you could also think of it like a light stew. The fish is added towards the end to prevent it becoming overcooked.

Serves 4-6 / prep 15 minutes / cook 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 white onion chopped
2 tomatoes, cut into large dice
good pinch saffron threads
3 potatoes, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup basmati rice
6 cups water or 3 cups fish stock and 3 cups water (water is just fine and easier for camping)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 kg firm-fleshed fish such as barramundi, ling or flathead, skinned and cut into large chunks
extra virgin olive oil for serving
1 bunch coriander, washed, stems and leaves finely chopped

Method

1. Put the olive oil, garlic, onion, tomato, saffron, potato, rice and water (or water and fish stock) into the pressure cooker and season with salt and pepper. Close and lock the lid, then bring the cooker to low pressure over high heat. Once low pressure has been reached, reduce the heat to stabilise the pressure and cook for 8 minutes.
2. Release the pressure using the natural-release method, unlock and remove the lid, and add the fish pieces. Return the cooker to the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Check for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.
3. Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle each serving with a little extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve.

Enjoy!

Buy Angela’s book ‘Camping In Style’ on-line

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Related Post: Why choose a gas lantern for camping?

Buy Angela’s book ‘Camping In Style’ on-line

Camping in Style

Buy NOW online at Booktopia
Facebook: www.facebook.com/campinginstyle
Web: www.campinginstyle.wix.com/campinginstyle
Twitter: @Camping_InStyle

Related Post: Setup and pack down of a gas lantern

Buy Angela’s book ‘Camping In Style’ on-line

Camping in Style

Buy NOW online at Booktopia
Facebook: www.facebook.com/campinginstyle
Web: www.campinginstyle.wix.com/campinginstyle
Twitter: @Camping_InStyle

Like migrating birds chasing the last rays of sun before winter, we have been making this pilgrimage north in autumn for 15 years. Where we once felt unique on our journey, choosing camping as our accommodation, and cycling as our transport – we are now part of a wider flock who land in Rutherglen at a similar time each year to sample the same delights.

Even our special secret campground, Rutherglen Caravan and Tourist Park, has been discovered by greater numbers. (Perhaps reading about it in Camping in Style’s tourist park recommendations).

The park is well priced and ideally located in the heart of town. This is helpful for a weekend getaway as food supplies, pub meals, lattes and bakery treats are just a short stroll away when you need them. It’s also a great central location for launching off to the wineries in the morning.

There must be something about a wine region attracting a nice camping clientele because from our experience you’ll be surrounded by respectful fellow campers – where you’ll be the ones mindful of keeping your jolly laughing to a minimum in the evenings.

Perhaps this respect is due, in part, to the more mature audience travelling at this time. But never underestimate your older neighbours, especially when it comes to fitness. These mild-mannered-grey-nomad-types can completely transform, especially once they don their lycras. As we experienced this year when a group of cyclists, perhaps 30 years our senior, left us in their dust while we were still adjusting to the morning light.

It doesn’t matter what your age or fitness level, cycling around Rutherglen can be enjoyed by everyone – not just lycra-riders – because of its gentle, flat terrain. This year the children joined the tour, turning it in to a fun-family-affair.

You can design an itinerary to suit the age and fitness levels of the people in your group – distance options for serious riders and short rides for the less-fitness-inspired. Aware that the children, with their little-legs on less-than-state-of-the-art bikes prefer a shorter ride, we kept our Saturday itinerary close to town, at a distance under ten kilometres.

Before we even put foot to pedal, a serious instructional talk was delivered to the children about safe road riding. To make sure it was cemented, the message was re-enforced as we left the side streets for the main road. We’re sure the importance was understood as they were never ‘out of line’ all day, riding responsibly in single file. Thankfully there are big gaps before you even see a car, and helpful yells from the back when one is approaching.

We have followed a similar route for many years which begins from the campground at 10am. The first winery is a short ten minute ride, Campbells, followed by Buller Wines then Lake Moodemere Vineyards. Here you can try your luck at winning $1000 worth of wine driving a hole-in-one onto the floating green – not achieved to date.

Next we take a shortcut through a bush track to Pfeiffer Wines where we enjoy our pre-ordered gourmet-picnic-hamper lunch that comes complete with our self-selected bottle of wine – after a good tasting. The joy of picnicing at Pfeiffers is the reserved tables on the bridge over Sunday Creek, pleasantly shaded by umbrellas. The hamper cost is $80 per couple and there’s a children’s picnic box at $12.50.

After lazing on the bridge and watching the turtles below, it’s off to Cofield for the serious wine enthusiasts, then Chambers, the favourite finishing point. Its relaxed vibe, help-yourself tastings, proximity to town and reasonable prices make it a perfect end to Saturday.

Taking it leisurely on Sunday, mindful of the drive back to Melbourne, we included Jones’, St Leonards and All Saints – one of the most picturesque of Rutherglen’s estates with its tree-lined boulevard entrance and historical turreted castle. Here were also samples of some of regional Victorias best cheeses.

With more than 20 wineries in close proximity, the choice of where to go is endless. What might the itinerary look like for your group?

Don’t let the grips of winter take hold just yet, there’s still time to organise your rollicking-Rutherglen-riding tour. Great camping, easy riding, sunshine, fresh country air and the treats of Rutherglen at every stop, should surely make it a regular on your camping calendar.

For those new to camping it’s a perfect opportunity to experiment with Style 1 – Starting Out. All the tips for setting up the most comfortable camping experiences are available in the new book, Camping in Style. Save time and money getting it right from the start. Order your copy online today.

Buy Angela’s book ‘Camping In Style’ on-line

Camping in Style

Buy NOW online at Booktopia
Facebook: www.facebook.com/campinginstyle
Web: www.campinginstyle.wix.com/campinginstyle
Twitter: @Camping_InStyle

Compulsory Third Party Insurance is one of the necessary costs of keeping a car on the road that we all need and often just pay without much thought, but it turns out that two thirds of NSW motorists don’t fully understand the law when it comes to compulsory third party insurance cover and what they need to do.

So the NRMA has created this quick multiple choice video quiz which asks a few simple questions and provides the answers you need to know.

What’s also interesting is that not all CTP insurance policies are created equal so it’s worth doing your homework to make sure you’re getting the best value for money.

If you’re a NSW motorist then invest a couple of minutes in the above quick video quiz and make sure you have all of your ‘ducks in a row’ with your CTP so you can tick that one off of your ‘Things to do before the big road trip’ list.

This is a sponsored post but opinions are my own.

In this video I demonstrate how easy it is to fix a flat tyre using a tyre plug without even taking the tyre off the rim or the wheel off the car. For simple punctures through the tread area this is a quick, cheap and easy fix that anyone can do.

Well folks, the time has come – I have over 200 hours of video from our 16 month trip around Australia and heaps more from other trips and projects since then and while I’m slowly but surely editing the trip video into a documentary series of the experience, I’ve decided to start putting together a web video channel hosted on YouTube.

I’m calling it ‘Expedition Australia TV’ and I’ll be releasing videos on a regular basis covering a range of topics that are interesting to around Australia travellers and Aussie road trippers.

Including:

• Gear Guides
• Trip Preparation
• Destinations
• Q&A’s
• How to’s
• Driving Skills
• Tracks
• Tour & Events

and heaps more!

Broadcasting from the couch in my office/studio or from in the field, each episode will focus on a single subject so you can ‘cherry pick’ the ones you want to watch when you’re looking for an answer to a specific question.

I’ll be using plenty of newly shot material and mixing it with footage from our Big Lap and other trips and will endeavour to keep videos short and sharp.

In the first episode, which is already live, I answer the number one question that people have when planning their trip around Australia – How much will it cost?

Can I ask you to do me a huge favour please – can you subscribe to my channel on YouTube which will help me spread the word further and the more subscribers and video views I get, the more time I can invest in making more videos.

Click here to go to my channel on YouTube and Subscribe

I have a long list of videos in the production queue but I’m very interested in your ideas so if you have a video you’d like me to make then please get in touch and let me know.

Where to find Expedition Australia TV
On YouTube: http://youtube.com/ExpeditionAustralia
URL Shortcut: http://expoz.tv (which will take you to the YouTube channel)

You can also click on the ‘Videos’ link on the right side of the menu.