I left Janelle's on the 23rd April and spent the night at daughter Lee's place so I could see her and get my Derek fix - I miss him so much. He went crazy when he saw me :)
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| Derek da Dawg xx |
I got up early the next day and took Dezza for a walk and then set off for Ballina NSW to double check on a Van issue but all is well. It was a gorgeous day and the drive was only about 3 hours but it was a "good to be alive" day.
This feeling was challenged severely when I stopped at a lay by rest stop for a coffee and then went to use the "long drop" toilet. MY GOD!! I nearly passed out from the smell. Never again. I'll risk going bush and sitting on a snake rather than use one of those again.
I headed off again, my final destination being Adelaide, South Australia but I had some days up my sleeve. It started to get a bit hairy as I was heading West and there were lots of big hills and winding roads and then the weather turned nasty with heavy rain and mist. I decided to head for Armidale NSW and stay the night......no point in driving in that weather. I came around one bend and a semi trailer was parked precariously on the side of the road with a big drop on one side and blocking off half the road on the other. At first I thought he had had an accident but a couple of other cars were also stopped. Then I saw it.....right in front of me and on a sharp bend was a cow...in the middle of the road. The poor thing had fallen off the back off the cattle truck!!!! It had a broken back leg.
Because of the tight bend I couldn't risk going around him and I was a bit scared it might charge Snowball. Of course there was no mobile service so someone went off to the local Police Station to get someone to come shoot the poor thing. The bloody driver had done nothing and blamed the cow for jumping out. No way could that have happened with high sides on the truck and the number of animals squashed in. I think he just didn't close the door properly.
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| Hard to see but this is the broken cow |
25 April
Note to self......shut the lock on the bloody fridge before hitting the road!! A bit of a food fight on the floor.
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| Autumn colours in Bendemeer |
The sky got darker and darker and the rain came down heavier and heavier. The semi trailers drove on as if it was a fine summer day. Dickheads!!
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| This was the BEST it looked all day |
My plan was to get to Forbes NSW but by 4 pm it was absolutely belting down. I came to a small town called Peak Hill and saw a Caravan Park sign so I drove in. What a pleasant surprise. The owners were welcoming and friendly and all the conveniences were clean and not smelly :) The next morning Mr Owner went round a cleaned everyones windscreens. The local RSL had a Chinese Restaurant (lol) in it so I went and got a $10 schnitzel. Talk about a culture mash up! It was also Anzac Day and there were a lot of people in the RSL who had been there a loooong time and a very doubtful Elvis impersonator was holding court.
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| So Nice |
Mrs Owner then called out to say there is a free pancake breakfast in the camp kitchen. Love this place and the people.
Snowball's twin was parked next to me so I had a long chat with the other van's owners and learned a lot. They have been EVERYWHERE!
26 April
Quite a long drive to Balranald NSW in the cold and wet. The midday temperature was 11C and that dropped to 5C over night. I think it's twice that cold when you are sleeping in a tin can. I booked in for two nights as its a nice park but needed to nuke my wheat bags during the night to keep me warm.
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| Cold wet day in Balranald so snuggled up with coffee and old movies |
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| Me waking up freezing in Balranald. Thank God for "my precious" wheat bags and microwave. |
27 April
I started to pack Snowball up to continue my trip and I was getting very hot and clammy - even though it was so cold. Once I got going I was fine and I only travelled a couple of hours to Mildura Vic where I planned to stay the night. I went to Coles for groceries and was getting hot and clammy again and very tight in the chest. Returning to the Park my pulse was racing and I really got quite concerned. Result - ambulance and a night in Mildura Base Hospital. Lots of tests because I DO have an irregular heart beat. Upshot - all is well and I will see the specialist when I return to Brisbane. This has happened before and its annoying because deep down I know it's probably an anxiety/panic attack but at 65 you can't take that chance. When the Dr does the ECG and sees the irregular beat they treat it like a heart attack until they know for sure what it is. It's the first one I've had for a while so I will take care to get more R & R days along the way. I spent the next few days in Mildura just to make sure all was well. The people there were wonderful and fellow park residents did some shopping and washing for me. I felt a bit embarrassed but the doctor says I did the right thing. Breathe Lesley Breathe :) The Caravan park is right on the river so I went for some lovely walks.
2 May
I drove the 5 hours to Adelaide to start my housesit at Rosalie's house. All went well and I was very relaxed. Over the last week I've taken a few walks along the beach at Brighton - a place I love and two longer walks in Hallett Cove Conservation Park. One was tough and one was bloody horrendous and I was so glad when it was over but I was so glad I did it. The scenery was spectacular and the walk was 11 kms round trip. These photos say it all. It was very hard to climb into Snowball when I got back and I am feeling it today. Although it was tough it was really enjoyable. Secret - when I got to the 5.5 km mark I called an Uber to take me back to the car. I gave myself a talking to, cancelled the Uber and made my way back. It might be a while before I do this again but it was a glorious day with a beautiful coast line. The sea was clear and there were many fishing boats out. Wonderful. Was good for the soul.
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| See those steps aagh |
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| There are several lots of these stairs |
I've had a good week .... caught up with Vicki for a beach walk and coffee which has become our norm when I am in Adelaide. Vicki and I have been friends since 1977 and it's great to be able to renew that friendship when in Adelaide. I also went to the movies..... "Get Out". One to forget but the Choc Top and Popcorn were good.
10 May
Rosalie returns from her "holiday" in Vanuatu today. This was supposed to be a restful holiday in a tropical paradise but they were hit with a cyclone so it ended up wet and windy and stuck in their hotel room and lots of reading. She'll be glad to get home.
I'm booked into Brighton Caravan Park for a few days after today and tomorrow. I have a few personal things to take care of but then I'll be at my beautiful Brighton Beach until the 16th when I start a housesit for Kaye and Kelvin at Hallett Cove. I suppose I will attempt that bloody walk again....or maybe I'll pray for rain lol
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