I travelled back from Robe to Adelaide where I did the final pack, said farewell to my darling friend Lynn and Charlie!  I’ll be back!

Lynn spoilt me with the most incredible bubble bath with a glass of red of course!

Headed east towards NSW on the 25th November 2012.  First stop in Naracoorte for a couple of days with Ros & Jock Virgo and family for a fantastic catch up and remembering  just some of the mischief we used to get up to as teenagers.

Went to the caves and spent almost a whole day there.  The paleantology work they are doing in association with Flinders University is amazing and needs to be experienced to be believed. The Naracoorte caves are The South Australian World Heritage Fossil Mammal site. The prehistoric mega fauna bones from 500,000 years ago they are digging up are amazing, they have even found the Tassie Tiger and this other animal which I have now forgotten the name.  You can even go adventure caving there if you want to crawl through caves.

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What an amazing experience.

From there it was off through Mount Gambier, on to Point Londsdale via the Great Ocean Road – thought I would do it in a day, but it is a bloody long way.  Ended up exhausted and staying with ocean views at Apollo Bay.  Just as well I had a big sleep as the road ahead clung to the coast line and was a very windy one, thankfully a number of vintage cars were going towards SA so not caught behind them.   So good to see Sue Hill at Point Lonsdale.  Her home is really lovely with memories of Crawf everywhere.  Sue has found hidden artistic talents, producing some really great paintings. One of magpies outside my bedroom window captured my imagination – very clever girl.   We had lots of fun with a bottle of wine or two, walks and barbecue beachside and doing pilates.

Whilst staying with Sue I managed to spend a lovely day with Andy & Andy in Geelong (who I met at the cinema in Robe).  A beautiful lunch in their home followed by a walk along the foreshore with the dogs.  A great day!

Then early on the 30th November set off for NSW via the car ferry to Sorento and a long drive through Gippsland.  Thought I would stay over night at Lakes Entrance and Batemans Bay on the way.  However when I arrived at the Lakes it was about 4.30pm and feeling okay kept driving until I reached Eden about 7.00pm.

After 12 hours driving, was far too tired to look for a meal anywhere so pulled from the boot a crystal glass (never travel without one – you never know when the need arises), some red wine, bikkies and cheese – dinner!!  Quite spectacular looking out to a storm brewing over the water, with bolt lightening and thunder!! Then the heavens opened and cleaned my car – excellent!!   So tired I fell asleep in the car.   Woke feeling very stiff – wont be doing that to my body again.

Another long drive along the Princes Highway – mostly dense forests all the way to Bowral – another 9 hours!   There was so much I didn’t see, however they are just places and scenery unless you know someone there!  Observed this is really a very big country – and you don’t realize it until you drive it and I have only done a tiny bit!.