Day 1545 Wednesday 7^th January

It was kind of a shame that we beat a hasty journey over the Nullarbor, for those that have not crossed it, one only has to travel it once as a tourist in my opinion. Subsequent crossings are a bit of a chore!!! Most of the drivers coming the opposite direction wave with enthusiasm to relieve the monotony of hours of nothingness.

We parked in a great free camp seventy km out of town, lots of trees and well off the highway. It looked as we might be having a wet night, the sky was very dark purple with a yellow setting sun coming through in places making the grain crop shine golden. Fantastic picture taking, including a few ‘arty’ pictures of the long straight road from odd angles. Eating our supper we enjoyed the Maggies calling to each other, and no road noise.

We slept much easier as the temperature had dropped twenty degrees and had stared to RAIN!!

Day 1546 Thursday 8^th January

Due to the state being two and a half hours ahead of W.A. we woke at ‘five’ am, now half two, both of us being very tired from the drive, thankfully we could sleep till ‘civilised’ O’ clock.

Finding a great little roadhouse a few clicks away where we could shower and fill our empty water tank. Creature comforts, how quick one gets used to them. On the bikes we just put up with it and stank!!

At Ceduna library the required insurance declaration for the bikes was filled in and e-mailed back to Dave at Global Shipping, excellent company!! With laundered clothes hanging on our line stung over our bed we made our way to Port Lincoln. Stopping off at a small rural roadhouse Diane went into pay for fuel, the place was heaving with anxious travellers needing to buy their fuel and coffee and head off. There were just three guys, a couple with a small child and a woofer, all very busy. A hectic rush is good for business but strains the nerves. In rural Aussie you have to make the buck as you can.

Cruising our way to Coffin Bay where the promise of sea food recently hauled from the grey murky depths drew us to the yacht club where we parked the RV and cooked food, no sign of a jolly trawler man selling slimy monsters from the ocean.

Day 1547 Friday 9^th January

Stopping at Port Lincoln to buy yummy oysters and fish cakes for our supper over the next two days.

We made it to just outside of Adelaide, a nice free camp well off the highway, with no facilities we were just fine in our fuel guzzling self contained plastic boat like vehicle.

Drifting off to sleep with the sound of steady rainfall on our roof and the smell of hot wet tar and damp leaves and undergrowth wafting in through the windows.

Day 1548 Saturday 10^th January

Needing to redistribute our heavy case on wheels, huge shoulder bag, a food bag and document bag into two backpacks, to be bought this morning, if the rain is not too heavy and the cost of bags not to hectic.

With bags bought, packed and old ones given to a needy home we met up with John, whom we worked with in Wickham. After a beer or two he headed off home and we made ‘camp’ in the car park, another free camp.

Day 1549 Sunday 11^th January

With all our needs for filled we picked up a small, nay tiny car to take us to Sydney via Melbourne to see Dot and Jack on our way east. Arriving early in the evening we had a great time catching up with a few wines and beer.

Day 1550 Monday 12^th January

The day spent recovering from our road trip from Perth to Melbourne and organising vaccinations, changing money and catching up with our wonderful hosts.

Day 1551 Tuesday 13^th January

Driving out ‘early’ at nine thirty to have our inoculations delivered in pouring rain, the highway was awash and the spray transformed the highway into a veil of water. Into which the local drivers hurtled their vehicles into the grey mist. With our fellow drivers heading forth with no lights into oblivion we hugged the left lane until we reached the three car, one truck collision. There we were funnelled from five lanes into to two, nice and slow now…..

All jabbed up I wanted to photograph the apartment block where my fathers late ‘auntie’ lived for numerous years.

With pictures taken we headed to the mall to collect our flight tickets out of Aussie

Felt very strange to be organising our departure after an extra two years and seven months down-under.

Day 1552 Wednesday 14^th January

Went back to the mall to collect our amended tickets as the first were incorrect…. To photo copy our passport pictures and buy a final bottle of wine for our Melbourne farewell.

Day 1553 Thursday 15^th January

Waking at an ungodly hour we were all out of the house before seven, Jack and Dot to head to work, us to drive the eight hundred and fifty km to Sydney.

The day sped past in hours, and the scenery sped passed with rolling hills, pointy ‘mountains’, both covered with greenish grass, sheep and cows.

Dumping the vehicle off at our motel we had a long walk to the bottle shop and back. A little warm in the afternoon sunshine but a much needed exercise.

Though it was not so pleasant to be walking adjacent to the highway. The air was full of exhaust fumes and the sound of the tyres was close to deafening.

We both slept like rocks.

Day 1554 Friday 16^th January

Waking only to the alarm, as we need to be up and rolling. For today is departure day. With vehicle handed back, we accepted the complementary bus ride to the airport.

Although we had five hours till our boarding time it pasted quickly with all of the checks, confiscating of our dangerous toothpaste, and all the other unpleasantness that I associate with air travel. Give me my bike and land boarders any day. If I could ride there I would. For sure.

Arriving nice and early we waited at our given gate of departure for an hour or so making last minute phone calls and munching on a few sushi rolls mistakenly poisoned with Wasabi, Yuk. A few minutes before calling our flight we noticed that there were only a handful of fellow travellers with us, odd. Then a lady rounded the corner and asked if we were hoping to go to Santiago, ‘yes’, ‘si’ we all chorused. ‘Well your gate has been changed. I don’t know why a rep. has not informed you, and you don’t have much time to get to the new gate. And check the notice board as I don’t know!!’ So we all scurried off, thankfully we weren’t late and soon departed Australia. Not looking forward to the twelve hour white sausage voyage (air plane), with the exhaled breath of seven hundred or so fellow passengers. Guess they felt the same!!