A super-short day today, but we've decided to still get away in good time and get to town by lunch (a bought lunch today - which we are very much looking forward to!). The Guidebook describes the Northcliffe Forest Park that as "a jewel": we should have plenty of time to spend time exploring as requested. It will be very interesting to finally experience Roundtu-It Holiday Park: It doesn't get rave reviews in the Track Log Book.

Day 35 Google Earth Track

Was up early this morning to hopefully get some nice sunrise photos across the dam. I wasn't disappointed, and in fact it finished the camera battery ~100 photos all before breakfast!

Sandi wrote:

Well rather a crazy restless night. A very loud squealing noise woke us up at some stage and then we had a funny night thereafter, but woke in time for the most gorgeous dawn chorus and then sunrise. Simply gorgeous watching the changes across the dam and the ducks cavorting. Fabulous start to a relaxing set out.

Perry wrote:

Couldn't believe the sunrise -- even better than the gorgeous sunset the night before with the moon. Couldn't drag my chilling body away from the side of the dam where we'd pitched the tent. In fact, used up my camera battery!

Schafer Northcliffe

Sandi wrote:

We went through some wonderful flowers, a small pink one we hadn't seen before.

Sandi wrote:

Then onto a wide sandy area, quite different and a swampy area that we had to bypass, not to wade. Then onto some roads; 1st Lechanaultia growing in patches, then as we got closer to farms and town, the white bell bulbs in full proliferation. road walking always a spot tedious.

Sandi wrote:

Northcliffe forest park wasn't quite what I expected and then we were here and the caravan park is practically empty. One strange old bloke here and the owners away until 12:30pm. So we had morning tea, did a load of camp clothes through the wash (old twin tub, no fee, no dryer) and then headed into town.

	Distance			Time		Hours			Speed
	Section	Daily	Total	Arrive	Depart	H:M	Daily	Total	Km/h	Daily	Total
Schafer Campsite	0.0				7:49 AM	0:00			0.0
Lane Poole Road	2.9	2.9	657.5	8:30 AM		0:41	0:41	184.2	4.2	4.2	3.6
Middleton Road	6.2	9.1	663.7	9:55 AM		1:25	2:06	185.6	4.4	4.3	3.6
Roundtu-It Holiday Park	4.4	13.5	668.1	10:45 AM		0:50	2:56	186.5	5.3	4.6	3.6

Sandi wrote:

I was starving and it seemed a long way. Lots of people in the cafe, we sussed the pub (good dinners, no lunches) and General Store (lots of options), then went back to the cafe and had to have fish and chips and salad as they'd run out of steak. However when it finally came it was delicious, as were the scones and an apple crumble slice to follow. Good pot of tea too and staff much better once stress off. Very nice sitting in the sun though P seems out of sorts and not communicating.

During lunch we realised that if you look closely you can see that the Hollowbutt Cafe had replaced its "Internet" with a "Toilet". During our wander around town we found the iconic sign:

		Food		Room		Service
Restaurant / Cafe	Total	S	P	S	P	S	P
Hollowbutt Cafe	3.6	5	4	4	3	4	3

Sandi wrote:

Did our shopping after that and were able to get everything we needed and mossie back up to Camp Ground. Met the [holiday park] owner and he was very pleasant, his wife currently having chemo. How hard is that? got walk clothes washed, still a good wind though sun of a gorgeous day almost gone from drying areas. Lovely spot for a tent (though a bit wet under foot).

Perry wrote:

The day was cloudless all day, though we were walking under canopy for the morning. Got to caravan park @10:45 and walked to town where the FUSE was put away. Came out again after lunch for the walk home. Chased sun @camp.

Unpacked and sorted our food parcel: excited to see all the things we'd forgotten were in there waiting for us! Charged batteries via mains and cooked our funny dinner: sometimes the meals we're able to make up from these country town IGAs are a little odd; but they are always enjoyable. Even though the showers didn't rate highly, it was wonderful again to have long hot showers.

Another family staying here loaned us some identikit books, and the snakes we'd been seeing are definitely Tiger Snakes. The dining / activity area here at RoundTu-It is a little odd, but is pretty much in keeping with the rest of the park.

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