We left the house this morning around 9:30. We made it all of 20 feet down the road before we had our first stop. Lesley's friend Trudee was coming up the road, so we had to stop to say hello and get wonderful "Trudee hugs." Trudee is one of the most unique people I have ever met. She is a Buddhist nun and she has the most amazing energy and she can hug. It’s the kind of hug that makes you feel enlightened and special all at once. We chatted for a few minutes and then headed out. We made it a few more blocks and stopped for petrol. It was a bit of a slow start and we had about 250k to travel today.

Most of our drive was on the expressway so we did make good time. Our first stop was Campbelltown to satiate the tea craving of my to Ozzie travel companions. As we were pulling into town we saw "The Big Giraffe" and stopped to take a picture. Next we found a little outdoor café and sat for a while and then wondered through a couple blocks of stores. Not much was happening in Campbelltown so we moved on to Bowral.

The main drag in Bowral is called Bong Bong Street which has a really cute downtown area. We found another nice sidewalk café and ate lunch and then walked around town. They had some great shops here. I finally had to stop myself from spending any more money. I am probably running out of room in my suitcase. After a few hours we drove to the end of town and met up with Lesley’s friend’s Karlene and Michael. They own a Bridgestone Tire shop of all things. We stopped at a market for some fresh fruit and veg and drove out to the country.

Karlene and Michael live about 40 minutes out of town several kilometers down a dirt road. We arrived at their place around 5pm and it is gorgeous. They have several acres tucked into the rolling hills overlooking a canyon. We pulled in and there were a dozen kangaroos in the yard. We stopped for photos and we weren’t even half down the driveway.

We all changed into walking clothes and went out for an evening hike. It rained for a little while in the middle of the day so we could hear the water flowing in the creak and there was definitely waterfalls somewhere close by. We set off into the woods and had a walk about. It was exactly what we all need after a long day in the car.

Karlene and Ray cooked us dinner and we all sat around for hours visiting. Our plan was to build a fire outside and hang out but the rain moved in and it poured for hours. We were hoping to see wombats but the rain kept them away. Once again Lesley has shared amazing people with us. In the blink of an eye it was midnight and time for bed.

You did not miss days 64 and 65. There just wasn’t that much to say. So I decided to take a break from the blog. Lesley and I went to the beach for a few hours on Wednesday and then we went looking for bits and pieces for our fancy dress party. We did go to Ray’s for dinner and he cooked us a wonderful Thai meal. Thursday we mostly ran errands, packed and cleaned and got ready for our road trip.