Internet and phone service is patchy in Far North Queensland and non-existent in the Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation. Hooray. Does absence make the heart grow fonder? I’m not sure: a break from constant contact is like a breath of fresh air. More conversational time spent in communal kitchens with world travellers, and more time to indulge in lazy afternoon reading.
Local fruit for breakfast
This month’s In My Kitchen post comes directly from Cape Tribulation and then Cowley beach, south of Cairns. I hope it provides a touch of tropical warmth to Celia’s Fig Jam and Lime Cordial monthly round up.
campervan kitchenChilli stall at Mossman market.Camp Kitchen Cape Tribulation, Far North Queensland
The internet service is so erratic that most of my story has been lost. Pictures will speak where words have failed. Imagine the text!
Mildura is situated on the banks of the slow winding Murray river in the far North-West corner of Victoria, Australia. It calls like a sunny siren from its distant post, attracting many travellers in winter and early spring, those who wish to experience big, blue skies and sunny days. The land is flat but very productive, given that 80% of Victoria’s wine grapes come from this area, along with crops of oranges, avocados, and other vegetables. The architecture is modern and bland, with a touch of Spanish Mission here and there. It is an odd town but still very appealing, with broad city streets lined with palm trees and ornamental vines, one famous hotel and some very good art galleries.
We have stopped here for the night on our journey to the outback. First stop is lunch at Trentham Estate winery, then an overnight camp along the banks of the Murray River, followed by a morning visit to the Sunraysia Farmers’ Market.
View from the outdoor tables on the verandah
Lunch at Trentham Estate Restaurant.
I started with a leek and potato soup, which came with some surprising little extras on the side, a dollop of house made tapenade with a touch of lemon zest, some crisps, and small wedges of roasted zucchini. Small, but very satisfying, especially with the tapenade swirled through the soup.
Mr Tranquillo opted for a main course only, although I knew that he would devour half my dolce. A substantial fish pie, containing Murray Cod, smoked salmon, and prawns, this dish was well executed and I was extremely jealous. I scored a few forkfuls!
seafood pie, creamy and substantial.
I opted for another entrée, this time a tart of roasted beetroot, creamy fetta and caramelised onion. The puff pastry overwhelmed this dish and I felt that the dish was too dry.
Next came a dessert of quince tarte tatin, served with ice cream and hazlenut. This little treat stole the show, and as predicted, Mr T developed a taste for half.
The other pleasure to be found at Trentham is the wine tasting room with its glorious view and pleasant staff. We purchased the Nebbiolo. This Italian variety is hard to find in Melbourne. Trentham’s vintage did not disappoint.
Behold the edge! A trip down the Great Ocean Road is a rewarding experience with glorious views of the edge of Victoria, Australia, all the way from Lorne to Port Campbell. It is a roller coaster ride and the best road trip to do if you are visiting this state.
The edge of Victoria looks gnawed by the sea at the 12 Apostles, near Port Campbell. These stacks, arches, caves and stumps look dramatic at any time of the year and slowly change over time. One day an arch, the next day two stumps. Visit Ailsa’s Travel Theme: Edge this week at Where’s My Backpack.
There are some compelling reasons to choose the month of May for a road trip around New Zealand, despite the fact that winter is looming.
All the major hire car companies drastically reduce the daily cost of renting large motor homes (RVs) from the beginning of May. The daily cost of a 7.2 metre self contained motor home reduces to around AU $30.00 per day. We have rented vans from Britz and Apollo companies over the last two years. The vehicle layout, insurance liability and excess, and other features differ slightly from company to company but the price is the same. More about this below.* These vans come equipped with a cooktop stove and microwave, sink and fridge, shower and toilet, heater, large bed, linen, DVD player, kettle, toaster and kitchen utensils.
Travelling from Melbourne to Auckland in May is often economical as Jetstar annually cuts the return fares to around AU$ 200 pp ( walk on 10 kilo hand luggage, no extras). We hope this trend continues.
The camping grounds are often empty, allowing you to choose the best spots overlooking glistening bays dotted with islands, yachts and distant promontories. The price is reduced slightly as off-season rates apply. The facilities are clean and empty.
Freedom camping is alive and well in New Zealand and some ‘choice’ spots can be found overlooking inlets and bays, or along green verges. Camping for free reduces the average daily cost. The van DC batteries are designed to last 2 or so days without plugging in. We ran the lights, DVD player and the water pump and used gas for cooking in these situations.
The weather in the North Island is perfect for travelling. The mornings are sunny and warm, around 20-22c, the afternoons can be the same but with an intermittent shower, followed by chilly evenings, making for comfortable van sleeping.
The fitouts of the vans vary from model to model.This year we rented our vehicle from Apollo. The fitout was cumbersome, with wasted spaces and unusable features, obviously designed by someone who had never camped. Last year’s fitout ( Britz) was sensational. You could attempt to hassle the companies regarding your preferred fitout but on the whole, these companies don’t promise much. It was hard enough to get Apollo to agree to an automatic transmission.
Despite having researched credit cards which provide insurance excess on these vehicles, some insurance slug will be necessary. Car hire companies make money from insurance products, interest transactions and add ons, such as rental of outside chairs and tables. The latter can be negotiated.
These vans have Mercedes engines and run very economically on deisel fuel. Factor in the cost of a tax for Pay Road User Tax, around $10 per 100 kilomteres. This tax is collected by the hire company, who pay it on your behalf.
The Britz hire company provides a ‘recycling’ corner where travellers may leave left over, non- perishable provisions after their journey. In 2013, I picked up EV olive oil, spreads, soy sauce, plastic wrap and tinfoil, coffee, salt and pepper, flour, toilet paper and more. Then on returning the vehicle, I knew that I had some lovely offerings to leave on the shelf. Sadly, Apollo doesn’t provide this service. I had to hunt around for someone in a camping ground to take my little pile of yummy, useful things. I hate waste!
Paid camping in New Zealand is not cheap. Prices vary from NZ$32- $50.00. Prices are related to the star rating of the facilities and the location within the camp, seafront often requiring a surcharge, despite the absence of customers in May.The other odd feature of NZ camping is that hot showers are not included in the price, often requiring a 50 cent coin. These showers have a habit of running out without warning, requiring a dash OUTSIDE the cubicle to feed the coin vending machine. In the flashier camping grounds, showers are free but the overall fee ( particularly those in the TOP 10 Holiday Park chain) is excessive. These franchises are often equipped with playgrounds, silly giant chess pieces and other unnecessary geegaws. On the up side, all camping grounds come with functional indoor kitchens, BBQs and TV rooms, providing a break from cooking in cramped conditions, especially when fish is on the menu. The overall weekly cost of camping is reduced dramatically when interspersed with freedom camping. See 4 above.
More on the food and wine of New Zealand next time.
Internet and phone service is patchy in Far North Queensland and non-existent in the Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation. Hooray. Does absence make the heart grow fonder? I’m not sure: a break from constant contact is like a breath of fresh air. More conversational time spent in communal kitchens with world travellers, and more time to indulge in lazy afternoon reading.
ALMOST ITALIAN 
