The Final Leg for this journey…..

Well hello!

I am typing to you from my home in Repton…. made it back this morning to the ecstatic hugs of my daughter lol, not to mention her three children 🙂 Her hubby brought my beloved Commodore home and it was so strange to get in and drive her after driving the motorhome for more than nine weeks, would you believe its been that long???? Whew, I reckon it will take no more than a week before my feet begin to itch for the adventures of travelling again lol but I think I might have to be patient for a little while so I can rebuild my coffers… been very expensive lol but oh the joy!

Anyway not to dally here too long, for I have to clean from top to bottom to get rid of the damn mould that has taken over my home, clothes and all 🙁 It hasn’t been a very good time up here and, judging by the clouds coming together and the winds that are rising, this eve won’t be much different :s
Ahh well, nose to the grindstone and all that jazz lol :)…

I had a ball with Marie and Colin, as told previously…I think lol don’t quote me in case… Colin was showing me the scenic majesty from Laurieton lookout and scaring the bejesus out of me unknowingly while he did it. Sadly, due to a childhood trauma I get very scared when I am a passenger, particularly in the back seat, on high and/or winding roads and this one was a beaut; not to mention the second of two. I truly thought I was going to faint. Poor Colin was mortified but, as I do not broadcast this ridiculous phobia that rules me instead of the other way around, he was not to know and I reassured him of that fact 🙂

I had to replace the return Diesel hose dang it lol and that took a lot of that last bit of money I had left but it had to be done. I did haggle the guy down, I am learning how to handle those who would love to rort and am no longer an easy mark 😛 The fridge had secondary problems due to the thin and ridiculously placed wiring done by the men whom I paid so much money to have it converted by.. grrrrr they are about to hear from someone and I intend to write an article to be inserted into the Wanderer to warn any other RV/Caravaners to give them a wide berth. I would hate to see others go through the disappointment of being ripped off, not to mention the dangers posed because of it. You know though for every rip off merchant, there seems to be another who willingly helps others, is honest and kind. The owner of the Great Lakes Caravans business in Nabiac, just south of Taree is one such beautiful soul. He took off the cheap and faulty wiring and replaced with thicker safer and more efficient wiring … and he refused to charge me for it, putting his hand on my shoulder and saying ‘What good are we if we cannot do another a good turn?’… Wonderful! If anyone reading this blog needs work done on a motorhome or caravan I highly recommend him. I went to him because he was so fair to Colin, never ripping him off. Little did I know the wonderful blessing that would come of it. I was trying not to worry about how much I was going to have to find… thank you so much Chad you are a wonderful human being!

In the meantime Coline and Marie had gotten their generator by post and, as I so dearly wanted to be there for their first little journey, Josh and I tagged along to the Stroud with them.. their choice lol, inland seems to be their love…

Well now if you don’t know, the Stroud is west of Gloucester and and east of Armidale.. brrrrrrr LOL… It rained all the way up lol.. on a winding, hilly, horrible patched road that I was wishing I had not taken, I kept my speed to seventy k’s, it was shaking everything and I was not keen to sustain any more damage. We pulled over for a cuppa on the way at a magnificent spot known as the Gloucester Lookout… where a wedge-tailed Eagle graced us with his presence, flying a languid circle around us before banking to the east in his search for prey. Happily, he was replaced just as briefly by a beautiful Hawk… ohhhhh I was entranced once again though the wind blew mightily and the rain sheeted down. Who cared when we were so high in the air that the eagle and hawk was flying so close to our heads? 😀 I took some photos of the view; totally forgot to take any pics of our meet and greets lol..

we got back on the road and headed to our destination, stopping only once more to go to the loo in Gloucester. The Stroud is a beautiful place I will grant you, filled with history of the convict days on and surrounded by the majestic Great Divide… however, though I enjoyed my stay and loved genuine enthusiasm of the people, I would be lying if I said I was glad to leave though I have no idea why I feel that way. It was just a weird vibe in the ground there.. sad and depressed… most likely I was picking up on the convicts who were enslaved there.. I can only imagine how hard their lives were.

Anyway, Josh and I slept in a rest area south of Taree, having left late in the afternoon. It was adequate but so noisy I got next to no sleep so have made a mental note, its a day time only kind of stopover lol… the next day we bummed around Laurieton and Dunbogan, enjoying both the sea, the small town vibe, the museum there and the river where we indulged in a lovely barbecue. As the day began to close, I drove us to Lake Cathie.. love it, will be back soon! Josh chose our free camp spot right on the estuary mouth where we would enjoy both the gentleness of said estuary and the sound of the waves a little further out! We didn’t walk to the lake this time for by now I had made a date with my sister to catch up at the famous Fredo’s pies shop in Frederickton. We did however have bacon and eggs cooked on the barbie the next morning after enjoying a beautiful sunrise each in our own way; me with my coffee gazing out the door of the motorhome, Joshua sitting on top of the climbing apparatus in the park nearby.
I think that was the best night for Josh. He just loved being a true child again, I enjoyed listening to his laughter as he played on all the apparatus and Alex sprawled on the grass.. does it sound idyllic? Well I hope so for it was lol.. after we had our bacon and eggs, one piece of bacon less for Joshua thanks to an enterprising Magpie who took advantage of Joshua going for the sauce to snaffle it and fly out of his reach LOLOL… Josh was not impressed but I had to laugh, both at the cheekiness of the maggie and Joshua’s stormy expression.. if looks could kill… LOLOL thank goodness that Magpie could fly or he would not have gotten away with that bacon 😛

We had a lovely day spent in the company of my sister and nephew, stopped into the Clybucca Roadhouse for diesel and a shower and then drove further north till we reached Paddy’s Rest. My intention was to tackle Mqacksville early the next morning, beating holiday traffic that would be delayed by ANZAC Day gatherings … and I did!
I was thinking I would be home by midday but we were back by nine… horrible mould everywhere so after a lovely morning away from it with my daughter, here I am cleaning. We won’t stay tonight, there is still too much here and I am already struggling to breathe so after I finish this, we both have showers etc we are off to spend another night in the motorhome, leaving lots of windows open until we come back and clean some more tomorrow… well its brief for I am needing to get out of here but suffice it to saY I have had the time of my life the last three months and am so grateful to have had the opportunity to do it. If anyone reading my blog is yearning to travel but doesn’t think they can, take my advice.. give it a go, you like me just might surprise yourself and come away with a renewed sense of wonder, confidence and joi de vivre….. seize the day my lovelies! xxx