seaside town called Venus Bay. We thought it was OK but not wow we, so we continued on. We stopped at Murphys Haystack. This is a bunch of rocks that are on top of the hill and have been worn with the water over millions of years, really interesting to see and read about and have photos we see, they are way out in a paddock away from the ocean. We got to Streaky Bay, which is another seaside town but a much nicer one. We are stopping at a caravan park tonight right on the waters edge. Open up the door take 5 steps and you are on the sand and could put your feet in the water. We walked into town about 3kms and had lunch, at the local pub where the bicycle riders had just arrive. About 35 of them riding from Perth to Adelaide for some fund raising scheme. Rob had oysters and I had prawns and salad. It was lovely. Bought a Sudoku book, pencil and rubber today so I could use my brain and do some more. I gave the other book back to John as he is an addict for this game and I think I could easily become one as well. Walked home and then came back to do some shopping and get some more beer. Thanks Roger yours has just run out. Up again and another workday. Its Tuesday the 22nd and we left Streaky Bay 9.20am and I stopped in town to get some knee straps and check our Lotto but got nothing yet again. Very calm morning and quite warm. The roads are long and straight and there is no wind so Rob puts in cruise mode and we just go. What a godsend this cruise control is, it saves Robs hip as he would have to keep his foot on the accelerator for long periods of time. We called into Minnipa on the number one highway to Nullabar to fill up with petrol They ran out of premium after we filled up with 50litres so we had to finish filling up with unleaded reg. Hope we didn’t get any dirt or shit in the tank. We went out to a rock called Pidappa Rock. When we got there after 15 kms of dirt road we both said a mini Ayers Rock. It was great and the sun was on it and it changed colours just like the Rock. We walked up to the top and along the length of it. The knee straps really worked well. Went for a walk this afternoon around the rock twice and up to the top again. Rob went around once then went to “have a chat”. It was a lovely spot and we thought of staying for another night but there were 2 generators, which spoilt the peace and quiet. We had a lovely campfire and watched the stars. We only did 101 kms today. We left here at 9.30am and got a phone call from Jan to tell me Roger was upset as Chippy had to be put down today. What a shame. That’s our firstborn animal grandson. We will miss but not quite as much as Roger and his family. We felt quite sad for the rest of the day. Spoke to Roger and will phone the kids on the weekend when they have time to get over it a little. Had lunch at Iron Knob. Walked to the museum and Rob had a walk around and watched a video on the mine and its working and I went back and got the caravan. I then drove for the rest of the day. Passed through Port Augusta, didn’t need to stop here. Found a stopping place about 50 kms past Port Augusta down a small side road to a place called Chinaman Creek. Again right on the water with some baches just up the road. There was a couple fishing, and not catching anything. Walked down the beach and saw a dolphin although it looked like a shark to us, but the couple fishing said it would be a dolphin. Great nights sleep, no streetlights, generators or loud music. We were up and away at 8.45 am after we did a 45 min run and walk along the beach. We drove to Clare this morning on our way to Adelaide. We stopped here to check our emails, at the library were they let you use internet for nothing for one hour. Lovely town had subway for lunch and went to Martindale Hall. This is a great building where ‘Hanging Rock” movie was filmed. It was huge, and still in great condition, you can stay here at night for about $195 each You stay in the original bedrooms and be waited on by butlers and maids etc if you stay for the weekend. Then you have to solve a murder mystery and you may be the one murdered. It was well worth going to see. It had about 10 bedrooms, 2 storied and built out of sandstone. Stayed the night tonight at Saddleton, just south of Clare, Up early this morning and off to do our country walk. This freedom stop was not in the book but we found it just down off the main road and tucked under some trees and hidden from the main road by some shrubs and trees. Really quite a quiet road after about 7pm.. We were off to the absolutely beautiful city of Adelaide today and hoping we wouldn’t be disappointed. Those who saw the video of our first trip would understand where I am coming from. We settled in the caravan park and did the washing etc, then we heard the netball semi finals against Melbourne and Adelaide were on this evening so we rang up and got tickets. It started at 7.00 and it was a very good game. The goalies where just great, we better watch out there up and coming players are very good. Adelaide won and go to Sydney next week to play in the final. Good to see it live instead of on the TV. The next day was Saturday and we decided to wash the van and the curtains, as they were a pink shade not white due to the red dust we have traveled through lately. Went for a walk around the parks. Walking tracks are great here. We are 3kms from the city center and we don’t have to cross any roads or go on any footpaths its all-walking tracks through the parks and along the river. Next day being Sunday we thought we would go to a live AFL (Aerial ping pong to most of you) and see the Adelaide Crows play Power Port Adelaide. It started at 12.40pm so we left about 9 and went around the beaches, which are beautiful and were going down to the large shopping center to have a walk around and kill some time as it was only about 11o’clock. But we saw all the people and the cars parked way back so decided to park the car and follow the crowd. There were people having BBQ’s drinking wine and playing ball with the kids. They make it a day outing over here. We got to the stand about 1 hour prior to kickoff and watched the pre match activities. Then we both thought 3 hours of this game may be a little too much and we might leave early, how wrong can you be. It was so exciting and each quarter went so fast. The crowd was incredible to watch and being a participant. Adelaide lost and they were the favourites but they should be in the Finals at the end of Sept so we will be watching that game and the ones that lead up to the finals. It was an expensive weekend of sport, $25 for netball and $35 for the AFL. A full day was gone and we went back to the van stuffed. On the Monday the 28th August we walked into the city and went to the Museum and Art Gallery, getting very educated here. We had a lovely lunch then walked but through the park again. On the way back we went to the Wine discovery place. It is where you learn all about wine, how it is made the difference between the different kinds of wine. It was where the university students go to learn, so it was very interesting, even though I don’t drink it. Didn’t cost a dollar so it was a cheaper day. Then we walked through the Botanic gardens. Yes I know my green side is showy more than usual. We were away about 5.1/2 hours and 3 ½ of those we were walking so we getting our exercise. It was a very cold night and we had the heater going and went to bed and watched TV. Haven’t seen it for a while, nothing on, in fact they are behind in a lot of the programs here. Up and off to have a look at a few caravans today, getting ideas, this one is still OK but things are starting to break down on them, such as the TV aerial isn’t right it only works when it feels like it, the new water pump stays on when it isn’t getting used. We went to see quite a few but nothing that we really liked or grabbed us. Then onto the factory outlet shops to buy a pair of boots and some clothes as I have lost quite a bit of weight and need new clothes. Waste of time, all seconds or old stock or odd sizes. Rob got a new pair of sneakers and I got nothing. We went out to diner tonght at the hotel just down the road from the van park. It didn’t look very nice from the front but when you went into the dining room it was very nice and the meal was great. Rob wanted a massage so we found one in another suburb and away we went. Easy driving in this city as its population is only about 200 thousand. Robs massage was at 11am and mine was at 1pm. So I thought he could drop me off at a shopping near the massage place then when he finished he could come back and we could have lunch then I would get my massage. We he dropped me off as planned but the trouble with that was the shopping center was very small and I couldn’t find anything I wanted there so I decide to take the bus to town, as Rob had the truck. A lovely lady told me what bus to catch and said I should sit with her and get off were she did. About 15 minutes later we were in the city center, and she had to show me where to catch the bus back, not only did she tell me we had to walk to the bus stop so that I wouldn’t get the wrong one. Then she took me to the best shopping places in town. A really lovely lady about 65 I suppose and just comes into town for something to do. Well I found some clothes and went to get the but and thought I would catch the one to where Robert was but couldn’t find the stop, even the meter maid couldn’t find it, so I went back the same I had come. Finally Rob rang we on the cell phone and said he would pick me up. His massage went on for longer than it should have. We had lunch then it was my turn to be pushed and pushed and bruised. Boy it was not a very good massage it was to hard, but I do think it did me good. We were both sore so we stayed in tonight. Next day Rob washed the truckand I cleaned all the windows inside and outside on the van. We were both still sore from the massage, if you can call it that, and the bruises were coming out. Went out to a show this evening, Woman in Black, don’t go if it comes there, boring. Had a lovely meal first and I wore my skirt, yes I wore a skirt and boots. It is going to be sad to leave this lovely city, I still think it is the most beautiful city in Australia. But we must move on, upwards and onwards. Rang Jan to being 1st Friday haven’t heard from her for a while, seems I’ve been made redundant, which is a good thing. So we set off for Mount Gambier or there abouts. Followed the coast down after Tailem Bend the farmland was getting better and the farms where nice for a while. Then we got back into the shrub the closer to the coast we got. There were freedom parks around this area when we were ready to stop, but most of them were on the side of the road and we wanted to see the ocean. So we went down this dirt road to a place called the Granites, not far from Kingston S.E. and it turned out you can stay there so we did. It was getting on towards late afternoon and it was time to stop we had done 281kms. The beach was flat and easy to walk on so off we set and about 1 hour or so later we came back. Rob striped off and I stripped down but not completely off and walked in the lovely sun. Freedom at last. (I know on a need to now basis, but remember this is my diary) The ocean was really rough. A little while after we got back several lots of people came and they went fishing. Some went down on the beach with their cars, one had come about 4pm and was staying till 3am said the fishing was great. We never got any put on our doorstep so it can’t have been that great ahy. We had a really nice fire and BBQ tea They lit a big fire on the beach and had dinner and fished all night. Robert (have a chat) was invited down to the fire to have a chat, I didn’t want to go so I stayed back and read a book. The beach was like ninety mile beach and it was called ninety mile beach and they have fishing competitions just like over there. Had a great nights sleep, so peaceful, didn’t even hear the fishermen leave and were parked very near us. Onwards to Mount Gambier through Kingston S E this is where the big Lobster is. Well the place hasn’t changed since we were here last time, 20 odd years ago. You would remember this place Sarah. We didn’t spend much time in Kingston as it wasn’t very inviting. We went onto Robe where we saw two sea lions playing in the surf. Beachport had a really long Jetty, claimed to be a longest in Australia, but we have heard that before. Just can’t believe that there are no fresh fish shops around. We are hanging out for a real good fish diner. As we went on down there was a lot of pine forests reminded us of Tokoroa. Well we finally found a fish shop for what is was worth. The snapper was like rubber that was my meal but Robert had a nice flounder. We arrive at Mt Gambier again late afternoon, booked into the Lake Caravan Park Big 4 it was very tidy and nice. Got a site by ourselves so it was really quiet. Had a great nights sleep after a long hot shower. Caught up on the washing. The next day being Sunday the 3rd September, time seems to be going so fast, we drove around the Lakes and the to the tower up that very steep hill. We went into the town and looked around. It has two sinkholes. These are big holes that have just appeared in the ground due to the cave and water ways under the town. The town people have planted them into beautiful gardens and you can walk right down into them and some people go cave diving in them to. We then went for a ride, if we don’t get enough of the truck, to the coast a place called Carpenters Rock because the rock formation is supposed to look like a saw, however we couldn’t see it. It wasn’t a very warm day. We helped some young guy out of the sand, we had to tow him out, but seen ours was a Toyota it was no sweat. He was bogged right down to his axles he had to shovel a lot of soft sand out of the way. He had a 4WD but didn’t know how to get it out of the soft sand and he wouldn’t let his tyres down because he didn’t have a compressor to pump them up again. His girlfriend was fuming and he said he would get hell when he got home. It was still raining when we got back but Rob washed the van anyway. I caught up a little on this diary. Next day we were up and away again. We took the coastal road not the A1. The scenery was mostly farmland and very pretty to the eyes, volcanic and more pine forests. I don’t know why they planted them on this kind of land. We turned off to go to Petrified Forest just before Portland. It was well worth it. We walked to the Petrifed Forest and then went on for another ½ hour or so around the edge of the cliff. Then we came back and went to the blowholes, so a total of about 1hour or so walk. We had to change our clocks forward ½ hours so we are on the same time as Sharleen so we will be able to phone her at 9.00 now. Telephone calls are cheaper 1c a minute from mobile to mobile after 9pm and before 7am. We looked for somewhere to pull off but down this way they don’t have any pullovers. We got to Warrnambool where it said there was a stop over but when we got there it was right on the main highway, very noisy and closed anyway. We wanted to call in here and see the whales and their babies. We were in luck, we saw 3 sets of whales. The females are so large and to it was great to see them so close to the shore, you got a good look at them just before the waves broke. It was very cold, we had our beanies on and our coats, but it was really worth it. We stayed for quite a while then we thought we had better find a home. We went on for another ½ hour or so and saw turnoff on the GPS (it has come in very handy) that cut down to the coast just before the main Great South Road started and came back onto it a few miles away. So we went down there and stopped on the cliff face at a place called Childers Cove. Very nice and quiet and there were toilets and even had steps down the steep cliff to a lovely sandy beach. Next morning prior to breakfast we went for a long walk around the cliff face. The rock formations were awesome and the water really fierce. We got to the Great Ocean Road and the walks really started. We pulled off at all the sights seeing viewing stations and some of them we had never been before, and it was so interesting. We saw London Bridge to the 12 Apostles (even though there is only 9 left), and all things in between. What a great day we had. The wind had stopped, the rain stayed away and the sun came out right at the right moments. We couldn’t have planned it better if we tried. There is no freedom parking along this stretch on the road because you follow the coastline very closely, so we went just past Apollo Bay towards Lorne. Just before Lorne we spotted a waterfall walk marked so we pulled in and what a nice place to stay. It was raining by this time, so that is what I mean by luck was on our side on the Great Ocean Road. The heavens opened up that night and all next day. We played Skip Bo and I won both games. Wednesday 6th September 06 wet and raining but they need it so bad down here so we no complain. It did spoil the day as far as sight seeing went. We got into Geelong and stayed in a caravan park then went for a drive around the peninsular to Queenscliff. We had lunch at a very nice café on the ocean edge but couldn’t see a thing because of the rain. The foreshore at Geelong is really great, we have to come back here when we come again as we couldn’t really walk and look around to much because of the weather. The camp we are staying in is not the newest by any stretch of the imagination, so we wont’ be coming back to this camp and its right beside the M1 so is very noisy. Went to look at some caravans mainly Jayco and I am not that keen on them they are to flimsily I feel they make to many and there is no quality control. Still there’s no harm in looking. It was overcast and drizzling when we left Geelong today and made our way into Melbourne. Well that is an experience in itself, driving through there. We didn’t have a Melbourne map, just the GPS and our small Atlas map of the city. We were going quite well until we came to a turnoff that said Hume Hwy and when we turned we found ourselves just about to enter the City Link, which is the Hwy you have to pay to go on, so we had to make a quick turn and go to Moodie Ponds a suburb and then try and find our way to this caravan park which was the closest this side to Melbourne. Well tempers were not the best, try towing a caravan in this traffic and rain and a navigator that doesn’t know where she’s going. It was very interesting to say the least. Still we got there and all was well. The caravan park was very nice and we were given a good big site. We rang Sandra and Kaya and they were pleased to hear from us, they thought we might have gone through without calling in. We arranged to have dinner with them in a few days. We went to see one on Les Brownlee’s business acquaintances who has a caravan factory here in Melbourne today. Graham Williams was really nice and he showed us around the factory and explained the steps in the construction of the vans. He builds Regent brand. It was still raining and not a nice day so after we spoke to Graham he told us to go and see Peter and Bruce on the other side of Melbourne and look at a caravan they had there that was exactly what I described to him that I wanted. Well we got over the other side by way of the GPS and we looked at several caravan yards but not theirs. It was so rainy and horrible we turned around and went home. It took us 1 ½ hours to get back, what with the traffic and the distance. The population of Melbourne is only 3 million people or so, so you can see why it is so busy. There is no one road you can get on and go through without paying a toll, there is no toll gate as such and if you go through you only have 24 hours to phone a certain number and pay by credit card. Well that night we went to diner at Sandra and Kaya and it was lovely we caught up with all the news and they both look really well. They had a great 3 month trip to turkey etc we left about 10.30 pm to find our way back to the park. This was easy as it was only a few left turns and the roads were quite empty.