Back to the Begining 19 - 20 November 2013

We heard the other day that the 'up' at the end of so many place names in WA  is an aboriginal term implying 'close to water'. I'm not buying it though. Why would they come up with a special suffix for something so common? There is water everywhere in southern WA, so why the need to add the up? Now something to indicate poison water, or no water would make sense. I'm sticking to my theory that the traditional custodians have been having a quiet laugh at the ignorant newcomers for the last hundred and fifty years or so ;-)

Anyway, From Padthaway we headed for Victoria via Penola and even more vines full of Coonawarra goodness. Once a gain no stopping allowed, but we definitely have some places to come back to soon.

The only stop of any significance was Nigretta Falls which while not as huge or possibly spectacular as some we have seen in NT and WA, it did not involve any rock climbing, river crossings, or slogs through the desert to get to. All very civilized really.

Our last night was spent in sunny (NOT!! - more like freezing cold, windy as anything and threatening to rain) Ballarat. Found a great Thai resuarant for our last supper. I had a jungle curry that was so spicy it did not let me forget it for two days. Fantastic :) Next morning it was a slightly damp and slow final pack up before hitting the patchwork shops (the things we do for love...) then on to Ballan for a fantastic lunch to payback for all the fat quater drooling earlier. I think we both got a good deal.
After lunch we waddled back to the trusty truck and headed home. It felt slightly unreal pulling in to the driveway.

Our epic journey was done, but the memories will remain. What a terrific time we have had. What amazing places we have been, and what incredible sights we have seen. We have driven 19,877 kilometers over nearly four months, paid up to $2.25 for a litre of fuel and $54 a night for a caravan site, but it was worth every bone shaking corrugation and every wallet lightening cent.

There is no place like home, and that's a wonderful thing. Otherwise there ould be no excuse to recharge the leave and bank ballances so we can do it all again!

Incase you haven't been paying attention, we've been everywhere man. We've been to:

Adelaide River           Anbangbang        Ballarat                      Batchelor          Bridgewater
Aileron                       Annaburroo         Barkly Homestead    Beagal Bay        Broome
Alice Springs             Arckaringa           Barn Hill                   Beladoonia        Bunbury
Amalia Gorge            Ballan                  Barrow Creek           Border Village   Bungle Bungles
                               
Burra                           Cape Crawford    Casterton                   Cervantes           Coleraine
Busselton                    Cape Leveque      Caversham                 Charlton            Commodore
Cadney Park                Cape Naturaliste  Ceduna                       Clare                  Cooinda
Caiguna                       Carnarvon             Central Greenough   Cocklebiddy      Coomandook
                               
Copley                          Daly Waters         Denham                     Dumosa             Ella Gorge
Coral Bay                     Darwin                 Denmark                   Dunkeld             Erldunda
Coward Springs           Daytrap Corner    Derby                        Dunsborough     Esperance
Crystal Brook              De Grey River      Dongara                    El Questro         Eucla
                               
Exmouth                      Gaudju                 Gulnare                     Humpty Doo     Jabiru
Florence Falls              Gawler                 Hallett                       Inglewood         Jurien Bay
Francois Perron N.P.   Geraldton             Hamilton                  Iron Knob          Kalbarri
Fremantle                    Glenthompson      Hawker                     Ivanhoe              Karijini
                               
Katherine                     Kimba                   Kununurra                Lyndhurst          Manning Gorge
Keep River                  Kooljaman            Lake Bolac               Lynton                Marble Bar
Keith                            Kulgera                 Leigh Creek             Madura               Margaret River
Ki Ki                            Kungara                Litchfield                 Malaga               Marla
                               
Marree                         Minilya                  Mornington              Murray Bridge   Northhampton
Mataranka                   Mintaro                  Mount Barnett         Nanutarra           Nourlangie
Maylands                    Monkey Mia           Mundrabilla             Naracoorte         Nullarbor
Mildura                       Morgan                  Munjina                    Norseman          Nullawil
                               
Nundroo                     Ouyen                     Paraburdoo              Penola                Pintumba
Oenpelli                      Overlander             Parachina                 Perth                   Plane Henge
Oodnadatta                 Padthaway              Pardoo                     Peterborough     Poochera
Orroroo                      Palmerston             Pennywortham         Pine Creek         Port Augusta
                               
Port Denison              Purnulu                  Red Cliffs                Sandy Creek       Skipton
Port Gregory              Quinco                   Renmark                   Scarsdale           South Headland
Port Headland            Quobba Station      Roebuck Plains       Sea Lake            Springfield
Port Pirie                   Ravensthorpe          Sand Fire                 Sevenhill           Tailem Bend
                               
Tennant Creek           Ti-Tree                     Victoria River         Wauchope          Williamstown
Three Ways                Tom Price               Walpole                    Wedderburn       Wilson
Timber Creek            Tunnel Creek          Wangi Falls               ickliffe               Windjana Gorge
Tintinara                    Twin Falls               Wannon                    William Creek   Witchcliffe
                               
Wudinna                    Yacka                       
Wycheproof               Yalata                       
Wycliffe Well            Yamba                       
Wyndham                  Yardie Creek                       
                               
                               
And then there were all the 'Ups':                               
                               
Amelup                      Dalyup                   Milyeannup             Neerabup             Pingerup
Beedleup                    Firenup                  Munglinup              Nornalup             Takinup
Coomalbidgup          Jerramungup          Nannup                   Nowergup            Toolbrunup
Cowaramup              Joondalup               Needilup                 Peerabeelup         Wilyabrup
                               
Yallingup and Yellanup.

But we haven't been to Woolongong, so there are still challenges to be had.