WELL AND TRULY ON THE WAY

After spending two nights at Cobram, and getting covered in red dust from the dust storms up there, we headed for home, packed the rest of the stuff in the van, said goodbye to our family and friends, took the van down to the carwash and tried (unsuccesfully) to get the dust off, and headed off into the hills at about 8.30 thursday night. we drove as far as the GrassTree rest area, and spent the night there listening to the trucks coming and going in between snatches of sleep. Driving with a caravan behind you is a totally new experience! The car is managing okay, we go up the hills really, really slowly, but down the hills much faster, and use TWICE as much fuel as normal, but it's doing the job, so we're pretty happy. It's quite interesting (for want of a better word!) when trucks go past you, as they kind of suck you towards them just for a second or two. they obviously break the air currents going round you, and form a kind of vaccuum between you and them. It's a bit disconcerting at times, particularly when it's windy. but we are getting used to it. I even had a drive on Friday. We went as far as Yass on Friday, pulled up at the caravan park, went inside and booked in, came out and car wouldn't start. One very dead battery! Apart from that though, no problems. We arrived at the Entrance Saturday lunchtime, got ourselves set up in this very nice caravan park by the beach, and headed off to see Warren's mum. spent two days with Mum, took her to church etc. Sunday morning. Got there nice and early to pick her up (we forgot it was daylight saving end didn't we). The looks on our faces when she opened the door in her dressinggown must have been priceless. We left The Entrance yesterday morning (Tuesday), having fixed all mum's little jobs that needed doing, and set off for Forster. Getting nearer to Forster it started to rain, and rain and RAIN - the most torrential rain I've seen for ages and ages. There are no water restrictions up here, the guy was hosing down the paths around the camping ground this morning! So we were setting up camp in the rain, not fun. but we got there. the rain stopped just enough for us to get everything unhooked fortunately. Times like this it is so good to have a shower/toilet van!
Weather today (Wednesday) is so much nicer, got the washing dry, dried out everything, and even put up the awning. Went for a drive into Forster and Tuncurry today. It is very pretty, ocean on one side, lake on the other, just like most of the towns on the NSW east coast. So now we are here until Saturday, then head for Nambucca Heads. Catch up with you all later!