Rain. With a low pressure system just off the coast, the north-eastern quadrant of NSW is wet, wet, wet. Now, to be fair, it's only since noon that the rain has set in, but still, not very inviting weather for the first night of an eight-week camping trip -- or any camping trip. So we're in a cabin at the caravan park at Murrurundi, thinking the extra $25 was money well spent. Seems like we didn't get far from home on day one, with 4.5 hours driving ... it feels...

We get fish and chips from Windsor Seafoods every Sunday night from the boys. Yesterday Max said to Debbie, "this Sunday night will be the last decent meal I get for eight weeks!"

Having trouble deciding what the kids will sleep on. Lilos we have, but inflating and deflating them is a pain. Self-inflating mattresses would be better, but I'd have to buy them. The camp stretchers are good 'cause you can stick bags under them, but they still need a mattress of some kind on top of them to be warm and comfortable, so that's double the dollars. Tempted to throw the whole lot out and stick with a couple of old-fashioned cheap-arse closed-cell foa...

Seven days until we leave, and I must say the weather in the part of the world we're heading to is looking quite inviting.

Did a bit of packing today, but not too much. Don't wanna bust the boiler. Still got seven days!