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Australia 24 Kingston till Mt Gambier and turn to Grampians

Kingston till Mt Gambier and turn to Grampians

Robe+11 – Beachport – Millicent – Tantanoola 88I continue by the main road B101, with back wind, through fields, crops, and groups of trees, thuyas and laurel. On right in the distance I see lakes. In fact the road is generally bordered by trees, with time to time windows on the country side. There is a picnic area, a table, 25 km after Robe.
At the cross I turn way to Beachport, but the wind is strong, so I don’t go till the town. Just 500m after the cross, along the sea, there is a picnic area with toilet and table, and with a beautiful lookout on Beachport peninsula. I stop here to lunch. I see there is an outside shower for the swimmers, so I take a shower and wash my clothes.
Then I continue by the main road to Millicent, through the same country side. There is a picnic area, a table, 10 km after Beachport. And in Rendelsham there is a sport field, oval, here and a picnic area with water, roof, toilet and table. I discover there was a train between Beachport and Mt Gambier, to bring the crops, potatoes and chicory. Millicent is a small town with all services and a good tourist office.
I continue by the main road, which joins the B1 highway here. I scared the traffic, but there is not so much and there is a shoulder. 5 km after Millicent there is a large picnic area, with table. 15 km after Millicent the road enters in the plantation forest, with pine trees, and there is the cross to Tantanoola. But I decide to continue by the main road, hoping a picnic area 7 km ahead, at the caves. In fact I pass 5 km ahead a short cut to Tantanoola, and 2 km later a tourist information for the forest, on right. As there are tables, I stop and decide to camp. It was the good idea, as it starts showers with heavy rain and cold wind. But I am under big trees, quercus, which protects me from the rain.
Tantanoola – Mount Gambier – Nelson 75
I awake late, and it is sunny again, with back wind. I follow the main road till Mount Gambier, through fields and pine plantation forest, a bit hilly. There are some trucks, but yet there is a shoulder. There is a bad picnic area, just a table, in front a petrol station, 3 km ahead, and then the cave is 5 km ahead, but it is closed. And if very necessary, as there is nowhere to camp in Mount Gambier, I saw a park, but without facilities and along the main road, about 10 km before Mount Gambier.
Mount Gambier is a big town, noisy and with traffic. I pass the cave, closed too, well I would be the only one visitor. I go to the library for internet, and then I do some food shopping. Then I go to the lookout on the lakes, well one is small, and the other is blue, very blue, inside a large hole. But there is no place to sit, no table to eat, nothing.
So I run away, and take the road to Nelson. It goes through fields, with scattered farms and groups of trees, rather hilly. As first I go south, I have side wind, but after 15 km I go east again, with back wind. The sky becomes cloudy. There are 2 picnic areas, with a table, one 15 km after Mount Gambier, and the other 12 km before Nelson.
Nelson is a village, with a fishing harbour, a good tourist office, a basic store, hotel and caravan park, and a huge picnic area, along the river and along the harbour. I camp here, under a roof, and it is raining with cold wind. The best are 2 lookouts, one on the mouth of the river just before the village, and other on the river from the bridge. The river is a bit in a gorge, with trees along, and boat houses.
Nelson – Winnap – Dartmoor – Digby 78
As I had so much back wind, I have 7 days to spend. So I decide to visit the Grampian National Park.
It is sunny again today, and nearly no wind. The road goes mostly through forests, native forest with eucalyptus, cedars, acacias and laurel, or eucalyptus and pine plantations. Sometimes it crosses scattered farms with fields. Till Dartmoor it is flat to undulating. From Dartmoor till Digby it is steep hilly.
There are a picnic area, with a table, just at the cross to Winnap, 14 km after Nelson, and a lookout, where it is possible to camp 14 km after the cross. 2km before, and 3 km inside the bush there is a national park campsite. Well from Nelson I could take a gravel road which follows the river, but I didn’t know.
Then in Winnap there is a store with petrol and a table, but no place to camp. I have to go till Dartmoor, 5 km on left by the highway A1. In Dartmoor there is a store with petrol, and a little ahead a recreation reserve along the river, very nice. I stayed there a while, relaxing in the hammock. Well I would prefer not to camp here, but in the children park just before.
Then I go 2km back, before the bridge, to turn on left way to Hamilton. And in Digpy, which is a village with a store, 500m way to Casterton, there is the Memorial House, and back a picnic area where I camp.

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