Follow us as we do the big lap of australia in our caravan

After a night of thunderstorms (it was somewhat enjoyable lying in the van and listening to it), we left Sea Lake at 9:00am with the intention of reaching Renmark just after 1:00pm, meeting up with Chris and Vicki, Hannah and Harry.

We decided to take a small detour and visit the Pink Lakes in the Murray Sunset National Park. Ray said it was on his bucket list so we indulged him and suffered through 15kms of corrugated unmade road to see Lake Hardy. Even though our Windsor Rapid Expanda (both ends) Caravan is not an off road van, she travelled well and nothing fell, broke or was damaged.

The lakes appear pink because the bed of the lakes is solid salt and a species of red algae (Dunaliella Saluna) gives the lakes their characteristic pink colouring. The intensity of the colour varies throughout the year and is strongest after rains wash in fresh nutrients, triggering increased growth of the algae. I sound very knowledgeable I know but I got all this information from the sign on the side of the road.

We headed onto Pinaroo (stopping to discard about $30 worth of fresh fruit and vegetables at the border). At Pinaroo we visited the cemetery and I located the graves of Aunty Bet and Uncle Burt.

I took 3 photos of what I think was their house where we spent some holidays when we were little kids. It was so long ago, about 35 years, and I managed to remember where it was in the town. (Well, one of three houses anyway). From there we struggled against between 40 and 80 km/ph cross winds to Renmark. What was a 110km per hour stretch of the Sturt Hwy, saw us doing between 60 and 70 km/ph. It just wasn’t safe to go any faster. The wind kept blowing through the door of the van and popping open the window opposite so that finally Ray decided to masking tape it shut to stop us having to pull over every 15km or so.

Finally…Renmark. A lovely reunion with our travelling family – Chris, Vicki, Hannah, and Harry. It was so good to see them again and compare our travels in our little houses on wheels, so far. Even though we are just 2 days in. It’s a long weekend in South Australia so we will stop here for 3 nights at the caravan park, enjoy the Grand Final (Go Hawks) and really begin our 12 month holiday.