Cabin with an EV charger

September 15 - 20: Our home for the week: a cabin 15 minutes walk from the beach, complete with an EV charger in the carport. Our visiting (now local) daughter Erin, and her friends Keke and Sienna kept the pace lively. Ingenia Holiday Parks Byron Bay has cabins, powered sites, camping, camp kitchen, cafe (coffee!) pool, in a beautiful setting of grass and subtropical trees. The staff are friendly, offering to replenish any supplies as they zip around on their service buggies, which are fully electric, with a noticeable absence of noise and fumes as they move around the park. At least one of the staff, I suspect the manager, has a n EV. It’s a black Tesla labeled “Lola”, often parked at reception. The reception parking area includes two EV charging spots with destination chargers.

Please turn off your engine while parked

On the trip up to Byron Bay, we ordered ahead groceries from Woolworths. We followed Woollies’ instructions, which ask us to park in the “Direct to Boot” bays, turn off our engine and message to say “I’m here”. The car park is underground, and mostly sealed, so exhaust fumes have few escape routes, including the lungs of shoppers and staff. We waited quite a while, which is fine – I’m just grateful that they bring the shopping to our boot – a godsend after a long drive. The big SUV in the waiting bay next to us just kept their engine running. Eventually, I put on my best friendly voice and asked them to turn off their engine. I pointed out that Woollies asks us to do that, and all their exhaust was just filling the confined area, including going back through their own car’s open hatch to their child in the back seat. They gave some mumbled acknowledgement “oh yeah”, hopped back into the car, closed the hatch, but kept their #%£* engine running. I just don’t understand how oblivious…

Banana fritter and a Tesla test drive

We’ve passed The Big Banana many times, but this was the first time I’ve stopped there. It’s grown over the years to include a toboggan ride, water slides, ice skating, laser tag and a lot more. But we’re far too sophisticated for all that 😉. All I could think about in the drive up was getting a banana split, which changed to a banana fritter and banana smoothie when we reached the important decision at the counter of Bananas Cafe. In the car park, I noticed a Tesla Model 3 and Y with a QR code on the side, and a label “Self-Serve Test Drive”. It seems that you can just walk up to it, scan the bar code, and take the EV for a test drive. Clever idea, since I guess many people see the EVs parked at the superchargers and wonder what it would be like to drive one. Years ago, I think we first saw EVs charging at the chargers behind Olivers in Gundagai and wondered the same. A couple of years later we took a Tesla for a test drive, and were so impressed that we ordered one on the spot.

Valla Beach and The Big Thong

Checking out The Big Thong at Valla Beach. As you might expect, there is actually a pair of “thongs”, but different designs. I wonder if “Big Thong” actually refers to the shape of the inlet/lagoon. Enticing blue water, with a strong current in places. We sat for a while to chill, but didn’t dare get out any snacks, given the kookaburra warnings, backed up by a keen eyed feathered hunter who followed us around. Last night we stayed at nearby “The Bungalow”, a converted garage. Beautifully done, backing onto a nature reserve, which sometimes has kangaroos, but not today.

Just plug in, because you never know.

Nearing the end of today’s driving, we pulled off the highway to visit the town of Urunga. A walk along the waterfront to the iconic boardwalk. We have walked it before, but not today. Bellies beckoned, so I grabbed some “emergency shoes” from the frunk so we could get into the local pub for dinner. We did our usual trick of ordering one meal to share, and were glad we did when we saw the size of it. And, of course, the pub cat found Francis.

Over 200 km streak self driving, all the way to charger carpark

Solar shade canopy charges the car

Raymond Terrace has become a favourite stop on our trips north. Plenty of amenities such as food outlets, and plenty of Tesla superchargers. The parking spots are nicely shaded, and that shade is from solar panels that of course help to charge the cars. It seems like such as simple solution to fuel up and provide shade at the same time. After having some lunch in the shopping centre, we returned to the car, to do some work and admin on our laptops, plugged into the car’s USB ports, indirectly charging from the solar panels. Did I mention the solar panels?

Norah Head Lighthouse

Heading off from Norah Head, our accommodation for the past three nights. Beautiful flat in a home, complete with an electric Weber BBQ like ours at home. Lunch yesterday with Mum at the Cessnock Leagues Club, after doing a conga line at the front steps. Nice place, but the Keno (?) announcements are too noisy for conversations. Brekky at Norah Head Beach Haus, followed by a photo with the lighthouse. Car packed with a portable cot for our new grandbaby, at our next stop in Thornton, near Newcastle. We noticed that the Hexham bypass is finished – looking good.

Northern Central Coast

Hopping between Tuggerah, Budgewoi and our accommodation in Norah Head. Great to see Amber and her new (used) Tesla Model Y.

Bankstown Superchargers

Quick stop in Bankstown to use the amenities. Then on towards the Hunter Valley, passing an all electric Woolworths delivery truck and an all electric Porsch Taycan. Opposite ends of the vehicle spectrum coming together.

Bargain motel in Marulan

For an overnight stop on a road trip, it’s hard to beat a motel. We won’t be staying long enough to take in the sights. We just need a clean room, comfy bed and a warm shower. Marulan Motor Inn delivered all that for $103. Friendly staff. Walk across to the restaurant for dinner, or next door for fast food like KFC (I resisted). The sink did fail the tall water bottle tap test, however 😉. I didn’t notice, until after I parked, the sign requesting guests park front in. I suspect that’s to prevent rooms filling with exhaust fumes, which of course our EV doesn’t do. Next morning, I assigned some work tasks to Claude AI on my laptop, and left it running on the backseat in the car, plugged into USB power, as we ventured out again along the highway.

Yass Superchargers, in search of services

Our Tesla was planning for us to stop next in Goulburn, but we weren’t going to make it. Unfortunately, the trip planner doesn’t factor in the human bladder. We told it to stop in Yass, at the Tesla Superchargers. There doesn’t seem to be a nearby public toilet, so we ducked into the pub next door. EV chargers don’t generally have services like windscreen squeegees or air hoses, which is a shame. Fortunately, we carry both with us, so we cleared a layer of bugs off the windshield. Back on the road, past the wind turbines that gave us the power.

Bright to Holbrook, with FSD interventions

We don’t really plan our day’s trip ahead. We hopped in the car this morning in Bright, entered our destination for tomorrow as Budgewoi, and let the car decide the route. It decided that we’d stop at Holbrook and (I think) Goulburn, to charge along the way. The route seemed picturesque on the map, so we followed along. The views did not disappoint, but no photos of the scenery this time through, sorry. Parked the car at Holbrook. Our windscreen shade got its first use this warming season. I have the car set to keep the car at below 35°C so the snacks don’t perish. And the fridge in the sub-trunk keeps the cold food chilled. Lunch a block away at The Ten Mile Cafe.

Bye bye Bright

Laundry packed into the frunk. Great to see electric service vehicles in the BIG4 Tasman Holiday Park. No noise and smell. Heading north again, probably stopping in Holbrook for lunch.

EV charging is getting cheaper, while petrol prices increase

After a picturesque day exploring Mount Buffalo, I picked up dinner from Mimi’s Tuck Shop in Bright. While parked, I plugged the car in to charge, opportunistically. I happened to glance at my iPhone to see that my EV charging is now cheaper, while oil prices continue to increase. The price to charge at the Tesla supercharger is now 43c/kWh. I recall it being above 60c/kWh. So, it has dropped significantly in the past year. The price of wholesale electricity in general has dropped, due to renewables in the grid. I know that first hand since my energy retailer, Amber Electric, passes on wholesale pricing for my home electricity. Of course, at home, I charge mainly from free solar hitting my roof, but that’s another story.

Bright to Mount Buffalo

We climbed Mount Buffalo today, electrically assisted of course. Plenty of great lookouts along the way. I think it’s over a 1 km climb in altitude. The snow has melted, but it was still 4°C in the late afternoon. Barely any cars around, apart from us.

Bright idea for a road trip

And we’re off again. Heading north to see family strewn from NSW Central Coast to Byron Bay. Driving straight up the Hume Highway is easy, but a bit boring, so we took the back roads along the Black Spur to Alexandra, with packed lunch (thank you Krissy) by the creek, then followed another spur through Tolmie, with a photo op next to a random Tardis.

Mid day drive to nearby Selby.

Watching Puffing Billy cross the Selby Trestle Bridge, showering Francis in steam (harmless) as she sat on the hill, waving to excited tourists. Brunch earlier at Selby General Store & Café. Basic menu offerings, including the best egg and bacon roll we’ve eaten. We were welcomed by the hosts, cute dogs, turtles and fish who were as keen to watch us and we were to watch them.

Day trip to Torquay and Queenscliff

We left our home in Emerald, crossing the mist-ical Puffing Billy Railway for a two hour drive to an appointment in Torquay. What to do after a long drive with a few hours to kill? Let’s take a drive, along the coast, from Torquay to Queenscliff, stopping at a few lookouts along the way. Oh, and a few stops for lunch (The Salty Dog Cafe Torquay), coffee, coffee and dinner (Pholklore).

Between the sun and moon, on Gippsland Lakes

The shortest path between two points is usually mundane. So, we tapped a random lookout on the way home, and asked the navigation to add it to our trip. The self driving car took us all the way there, and back to our accommodation, except for a couple of abrupt interventions by me to avoid potholes.

Everybody loves Raymond Island

With the promise of seeing koalas, we headed over to Raymond Island, in the Gippsland Lakes. We opted to leave our Tesla on the mainland, in Paynesville, and caught the ferry across as pedestrians. The ferry runs every twenty minutes, free for pedestrians, $15 for cars. On the other side, we hired a four person bike for $50, for one hour. It turned out that we created more emissions pedalling the bike around than we would have if we’d taken the car. I blame strained digestive systems fuelled by the coffee and cake from the cafe van. The koalas were sleepy and elusive, but we managed to find a few.

Metung, Winter Festival

Soup, souvlaki, juggler, chainsaw (electric and fueled) wood carving and a fun collection of outlets for locals and visitors. Happy end to another lazy day.

Up Swifts Creek, along the Great Alpine Road

Beautiful sunny winter’s day in East Gippsland. Perfect for a half day trip from Metung, along the Great Alpine Road. We only drove as far as Swifts Creek, this time, having previously traveled all the way to Bright and beyond. Swifts Creek is a charmingly quiet small town, where I attempted to blend in with a couple of the locals (see photo). The Great Alpine Gallery’s Winter Festival Exhibition was somewhat oversold, but interesting nonetheless. Bakery for lunch, coffee, a thermos of tea, and packed snacks. Then back south, taking any chance along the way for a detour and a photo.

Right on the tip of Metung

Lazy morning, followed by a lazy drive around Metung, and down to the tip of the peninsula. Beautiful bayside town. Plenty of boats and accommodation along the foreshore. Lunch at Aroma Metung, where I demonstrated my precision road trip meal dissection skills, giving Krissy exactly one quarter of my burger.

Packing our chef and barista, for the road trip

Off on another road trip. This time to Metung, Gippsland Lakes, about 300 km away from home. We picked up our passengers, Tim and Krissy, at Alkira, in Emerald, and made use of the large luggage space of our Model Y. Bringing along our own chef and barista is a little indulgent, I agree. But their professional standards apparently necessitated them packing their own cooking and caffeinating equipment. One onlooker came over to assist with our “engine trouble” because I had the frunk open to pack more in. Archie, our cat, supervised the morning packing. We grabbed what has become our ritual road trip brekky, at Over the Road cafe in Emerald.

Our last gas appliance

Our Smeg 90cm oven and cooktop. We’re replacing it with a Westinghouse 90cm oven and induction cooktop, from The Good Guys. Then we can finally get off the gas.

The almost-daily drive to Alkira

Beautiful almost daily drive lately to nearby Alkira Eco-Glamping Retreat.

Goodbye gas — disconnecting the ducted heating

Goodbye gas! I finally organised disconnecting the ducted gas heating at our home. If only we could see the burnt gas pouring into the air, all the time, and not just when the condensation highlights it (as in the photos). Pumping carcinogens and greenhouse gases into the air that we breathe. It’s nuts. It was costing us up to $528 per month to run the heating in winter. Our replacement air conditioning will be closer to free, thanks to our solar and battery. We recently also replaced our gas hot water with a heat pump. Our one remaining gas appliance is our stove top. Once that’s gone, we will save $35 per month just for the connection fee. And no more gas! We’re replacing the gas heating with some split air conditioners. For those who might say “what about in a blackout”? Note the power point connection on the old gas heating. Our old gas hot water heat pump had one too. They both needed electricity to run. In fact, in addition the gas consumed, the heating used about 1kW of…

First Tesla service call: a new wheel

First service call for our Tesla Model Y. Replacing our loaner wheel with a new wheel. As you can see in our posts from a few weeks ago, we hit a pothole, damaging our left rear wheel. At the time, we only knew that we had a slow leak. We logged the problem in the Tesla app. They arranged for roadside assistance to come to us, in about an hour, to install a loaner wheel, and take ours away to diagnose. Today, Tesla replaced the loan wheel with a new wheel, costing a whopping $1319. I asked them to clean the damaged wheel and put it in the back of the car. In the photos, you can see the buckle and crack. I am wondering if it is fixable. When I booked this service in the app, I also asked them to fix the water in the light bar, and some issues with the steering wheel buttons. They replaced both. I’ll discuss the steering wheel buttons in a separate post. All covered under warranty. I had a bit of trouble figuring out where to leave the car. Several after me also mistakenly parked in…

Bonang Road brought back my motorcycle days

Harkening back to my motorcycle days, enjoying the endless curves along the Bonang Road from Tubbut to Orbost, Victoria, leaving the Snowy Mountains. The Tesla handled the drive beautifully. FSD off, for some driving fun. I had to watch out for quite a few sharp dips, barely marked with crayon width paint on the road. This road has stopping spaces specifically for motorcycles (pictured). Yesterday, I grabbed some groceries in Bombala and noticed the "Welcomes Motorcyclists" sign. Before we bought our first EV in 2022, we did a lot of motorcycle road trips. As you can see from the photos from a decade ago, we haven't aged at all! 😉. I'd love to see some "Welcomes EVs" signs in regional places. My stay last night in Tubbut was thanks, in part, to the simple EV changer provided by Gippsland Climate Change Network. They are on to something!

Misty drive from Tubbut to Orbost

Heading south, out of the Snowy Mountains, from my overnight camp near Tubbut, towards Orbost. Beautiful mist topped mountains, after last night’s rain. After about 20km of dirt road, I spotted tar, and another sign warning that there’s no petrol around here.

Creekside car camping in the Snowy Mountains

Car camping in my Tesla, beside a creek, off the beaten track in the Snowy Mountains. It took me a while to find the site. Earlier, in my search, I pulled off onto two tracks that ended up in someone’s property. At least it gave some local kids an excuse to run outside to see what the UFO sound was I did a three point just outside their gate. I waved and grinned. A cup of tea and a snack from my Teraglide drawer, sitting in my camp chair, watching the bush life. Until the bush life started eating me (just a few bugs), signaling time for bed. I again wished I had remembered to pack a collapsible stool, to help climb into the back of the car. Followed by the commando crawl to get on top of the Snuuzu mattress and Teraglide platform. This is the highest sleeping option, which gives lots of storage space and a very comfortable bed. The only down side is requiring more effort getting in and out. Once I’m in, it’s great with plenty of room to move. Please forgive the “Tesla Tripping – after…

The best rest stop in the middle of nowhere

Wow, possibly the best amenities for a road trip, at this spot in the middle of nowhere (in the Snowy Mountains). Seats and tables, beautiful location, playground, water, toilets, WiFi. Even has a shower and laundry tubs. Oh, and a pizza oven. Hard to beat! Gotta love the various signs on the amenities (see photos). Thanks to Gippsland Climate Change Network and Chargefox for the destination EV charger here. It’s probably the only public fuel source (of and kind) for over 100km. There are no shops or food outlets here. Fortunately, I grabbed some supplies when passing through Bombala and Cooma, over the past few days. Instant kitchen: pop the Tesla tailgate, pull out the Teraglide drawer and table, flip up the lid to reveal the fridge in the sub trunk. After a couple of hours to eat and chill, off to find a campsite for the night, nearby along the river. I’ll come back in the morning to use the shower.

A creekside lunch in Delegate

Creekside stop in Delegate. Pop the tailgate, pull out the kitchen drawer and dining table, grab some sustenance from the fridge. Chilling in the shade, on my collapsible camp chair. Nice. Right next to a camp site, complete with amenities. I need to find a campsite for tonight, but I’ll go further south west.

Across the high plains of the Snowy Mountains

Heading further across the high plains in the Snowy Mountains. Not a lot of trees around, but a few wind turbines and windmills, not bothering the livestock or mobs of kangaroos.

No petrol in Dalgety, but plenty of power points

No petrol, no worries. The small town of Dalgety has no working petrol station. The last working bowser I passed yesterday was about 50km away in Cooma, along with the nearest fast EV charger. But Dalgety does have hundreds of power points, including the powered camp sites at Snowy River Holiday Park. I could have used any one of them to fill up my car. It’s a beautiful spot. I car camped there last night. This morning, I pushed the Teraglide kitchen drawer back in, pressed the Deflate button on my Snuuzu mattress, flipped back the top (pictured), and moved the drivers seat back into my preferred position by hitting the Restore button in the Tesla. Super quick transformation, ready to drive on to the next camp site today.

A laundry line in the Tesla's frunk

DIY laundry line, in the Tesla’s “frunk”. After my morning shower, the sun started to blaze near the front of the car. Perfect opportunity to set up a laundry line. A couple of suction cups have been very versatile, for quick adaptations, like this. I also washed off the previous day’s bugs from the windscreen, using the small squeegee that lives in the subtrunk.

I wish my Model Y had V2L

I wish my Tesla Model Y had a power point, where I could plug in my induction stove to make breakfast 😞. What I need is “V2L”, which stands for “vehicle to load”. Unfortunately, my Tesla Model Y RWD does not have it. This omission almost made us switch to BYD, Kia, Xpeng or one of the many other EV car brands that provide V2L. Tesla’s CyberTruck, new Model YL, and Model Y Performance all reportedly now provide V2L. The Cybertruck has built in power points. The other two require an adapter plugged into the charge port. I can only hope that in the near future Tesla offers some retrofit option for my car. In the mean time, I just have to find a power point, in order to cook. If I had booked a powered site at this location, that would work fine. This morning, I just used the camp kitchen. My car’s massive (by camping standards) 60kWh battery provided air conditioning all night, and has run my camp fridge non stop, via the 16V outlet. It powers other mod cons, such as the lights, wireless…

Breakfast routine, Tesla-style

Good morning! Time for breakfast, after a great night’s sleep in the Tesla. “Siri, open Tesla boot”. The tailgate opens to reveal a beautiful day, beyond my bare feet. Breakfast mode: 1. Pull out the Teraglide drawer and table. 2. Flip open the Teraglide rear lid. It’s assisted by gas struts, so it’s easy to lift and stays up, even with bedding on top of it. 3. Open the fridge in the subtrunk to get brekky supplies. This morning, that’s eggs, butter and milk. 4. Use the kitchen drawer bits to crack and whisk the eggs, add milk, soak some bread, ready to make French toast. 5. Stroll over to the camp kitchen. Fry the toast and boil some water for my thermos. Return to the Tesla. Enjoy my French toast, with a cuppa tea, overlooking the Snowy River. Nice.

Photo op in Bredbo, campsite hunt in Cooma

Photo op in Bredbo, before stopping in Cooma to figure out where to camp tonight. On the way, I used the Tesla’s navigation to search for “campground” and similar. One option was The NRMA park in Jindabyne. I tapped the phone icon, to make a call. Handy to do it all from the car’s controls. Unfortunately, all their powered and unpowered sites were booked for tonight. This looked like a job for WikiCamps. Since Tesla doesn’t support Apple CarPlay, I needed to pull over to use my phone. Whenever parking, I aim to charge, so I don’t lose any time. So, I pulled into the new-ish Tesla Superchargers in Cooma. This is the second site in Cooma, with more chargers and faster speed. But the only service nearby seemed to be KFC (again 🤔). No matter, I just wanted time to access my phone. Snowy River Holiday Park looks great. I rang them, gave them my ETA, entered it into the navigation, added Cooma Coles as the first destination, so I could grab some supplies. Cooma Coles also has Tesla…

Sleeping in the Tesla — does it fit?

Sleeping in the Tesla, on a Snuuzu mattress, on a Teraglide platform. The obvious question: can I fit? Short answer: plenty of room to sleep, rollover, look at the sky, out the window, or my phone. I never banged into the glass or support arch. But, getting in is a bit tight. I had to shuffle through, like a recruit in a commando course. I also forgot to pack a collapsible stool, to step onto, high enough at the back to crawl in. The Snuuzu mattress is super comfortable. It has a few layers of foam, supported by an inflatable layer. With the back seats down, the Tesla floor slopes down towards the back, with a kink where the seats hinge. This makes sleeping uncomfortable, and slides the occupants slowly down to the boot. One way to rectify this is to add a slightly elevated floor, that is truly horizontal. That’s where the Teraglide platform comes in. Teraglide also has a basic model, without the drawer, that isn’t as high as ours. And there are car mattresses that aren’t as thick as…

Dinner by the Snowy River

Dinner next to the Snowy River. I grabbed soup and butter from the fridge in the sub trunk. Heated the soup and toasted bread at the camp kitchen. Enjoyed the simple meal as the sun set, listening to the river. Happy place. My 35L Kings fridge is in the sub trunk. It’s powered by the car’s 16V supply, with an outlet available in the boot and driver’s console. The 16V in turn is powered by the car’s massive 60kWh battery. No need to run an engine, with noise and fumes, to keep it going.

Setting up the Teraglide bed in the Model Y

Setting up the Teraglide platform and Snuuzu mattress in the Tesla Model Y. Steps: 1. Folded back seats down, using the buttons in the Tesla. 2. Slid the interleaved top of the Teraglide platform onto the folded down rear seats. 3. Moved the front seats forward. 4. Unfolded the top hinged bit of the Teraglide. 5. Clipped on the side supports of the Terglide, near the doors. 6. Placed the Snuuzu mattress bag on the Teraglide platform. 7. Unzipped the bag, unrolled the Snuuzu mattress. Unclipped the mattress and opened it up flat. 8. Pressed the `Inflate` button on the mattress. Waited a minute for it to finish, then turned it off. 9. Added bed linen, blanket and pillow. Gotchas: 1. Teraglide (the business) had warned me, after seeing earlier photos of my installation a few months ago, that I had neglected to strap down the front of the Teraglide. With this in mind, I brought along the supplied straps, but I hadn’t yet installed them. When I fully extended the kitchen drawer without…

Just me, the Tesla, and brown snakes

Just me, the Tesla, and some brown snakes, along Lake George, near Canberra, on the way to The Snowy Mountains.

A KFC craving, and the missing mash

KFC’s eleven secret herbs and spices craving kicked in, as it does about one every six months. Don’t judge me – I had vegan breakfast and dinner 😉. This is probably the busiest time of the year for places like this. The car park was littered with overflowing rubbish. KFC was packed and “Fast” food took a long time. I ordered a snack combo box from the kiosk screen, and dreamed of the carb fest, dipping my bread roll in mash and gravy. Imagine my disappointment when they had substituted the mash with a second small chips. How do I dip a bread roll in that? When I asked, they said they had run out of mash and gravy. Their kiosk ordering system needs an update. The poor staff were stretched to the limit. At the end of the toilet queue was only one functioning cubicle, due to a blocked overflowed urinal stall 😬. Crazy times. Back on the road, it turns out that FLG KFC works well with FSD.

A quick stop at Erina Fair

A quick shop at Erina Fair, on the NSW Central Coast, before heading south to The Snowy Mountains, where I will car camp tonight.

A swim and puppy cuddles on the Central Coast

A quick swim at the beach, while passing through my old stomping ground – The NSW Central Coast. Amber invited me for some delicious meals. She’s house sitting, but she really does it for the puppy cuddles. I can’t imagine where my daughter gets the nomadic influence.

First go at the new West Gosford Superchargers

First time using the new Tesla Superchargers in West Gosford. It’s a bit of a walk to find a toilet or food. Fortunately, all I needed was some time to answer messages. I watched a BYD Shark ute pull up, front first, then switched to rear first, then seemingly gave up. Maybe their first time at a public charger?

A tea break on the Great North Road

Along the Great North Road to Wollombi, driving Mum home to Cessnock. Stopping for a cup of tea and a snack. Instant kitchen and dining, using the Teraglide.

Overnight at Best Western Goulburn

Overnight stay at Best Western Plus Goulburn, to break up my road trip from my home in Emerald Victoria, to hers in Cessnock NSW. Really nice motel and staff. Great breakfast.