Monday 17th September 2012. Well, our biggest drive to date (not). Only travelled about 20km or so to Hawkes Nest. Can we help it if we really like the area?? Our plan was to spend 2 nights at Hawkes Nest in a caravan park then head bush for our last 2 nights of this trip. On checking in, the sign on the blackboard taunting us "STAY 4 NIGHTS - PAY FOR 3" . Of course, Bowden means "love a bargain" so it is here at Hawkes Nest where we will see out the end of our journey. The Hawkes Nest Caravan Park has everything we need - hot showers, laundry, beach, river close by, perfect restaurant for that "long lunch" that we have been planning for - and of course, beautiful sunny days. This is the final entry of our trip 'round Oz. I'll leave you with a last poem and some words of wisdom. First, the poem ….. this came about because we had some particularly frustrating (and hungry) nights waiting for the heat beads to get enough heat in them to cook with the camp oven. It was a challenge that David and Lance wouldn't back down from. Anyway, here it is:

The Challenge of the Bush

There's something not really talked about, yet will leave the experienced in doubt.

It's not the recommended pressure of your tyres, or where to gather best wood for your fires.

Not either the size of last week's road kill, as you come over the top of the next real big hill.

There's no chat to be heard, no written word in a book - even on google - go on, have a look.

It's how to get those flamin' heat beads hot, there's only one way, I kid you not.

You'll not learn it here, I'm not saying now, slip us a fifty and we'll tell you how.

Now for those pearls of wisdom: I find myself as passionate about the outback now as I am about our beautiful coast. I think I am a kind of chameleon - able to fit in where ever I am. So for those of you out there who thought I was a Princess (and that includes me), I've proved that I'm not - I can live in the red dust of the outback without flushing toilets and hot showers just as easily as those 5 star hotels in the cities. I guess I just like balance in my life!!

On reflection: What a wonderful experience! I feel such joy and love for my life and wonderful husband. We both had such fun and thoroughly enjoyed our journey. We met some real characters along the way like the French guy and his travelling mate from Czech Republic asking for explanations on our "ockerisms", the old guy who wants to buy a dinghy to put on the roof of his car to cut down wind resistance and therefore decrease his petrol consumption, the giggling Japanese girls, the old Aboriginal women who can pee standing up (very accurately too, I might add) and the old prospector with his metal detector searching for his fortune to name a few. We've heard dingos howling and birds making sounds we'd never heard before. Of course, the free camps around this country are really wonderful but nothing beats the fun you get from watching Darby and Joan park their caravan in the caravan parks. It would test any marriage, I would think - hilarious. Of course there are things I will miss like saying good morning and smiling to at least 10 people on the way to the bathroom first thing in the morning, our morning poetry reading from Lance, the millions of stars so bright, the magnificent colours of the outback and the no-stress way of life. My tip to all would be to travel and see the world but you MUST visit this great country of ours. There is so much out there and to offer. Thanks for following our trip. Your comments and words of encouragement mean a lot.

Our trip has totalled 12,602 km.