We have spent the last few days in Merimbula where we met up with two couples who had planned their trip so we could come down and catch up with them. They are not seasoned campers, so booked into a motel. We tried to find a caravan park fairly close, and ended up right next door. Also by pure coincidence, the airport was also next door. Our friend, a retired pilot, was very happy.

So we filled the days with lots of conversation, as well as long walks in town, along pristine beaches, on the boardwalk over the mangroves, and over another beach where we found (and collected) mussels growing on the rocks. Had a lovely meal of freshly harvested mussels and oysters that day

We took them to Eden and the Whaling Museum there, and introduced them to Old Tom and the killer whales who worked with the whalers for many years. Fascinating story. And the views in Eden are to die for.

We shared meals, either in restaurants, or home cooked meals of foule (fava beans) and eggs, and one day we made pancakes. As well as the cheese boards in the evenings, with a drink (or two). They soon realised the advantages of caravan parks, where we had access to a camp kitchen and a recreation room. Espaecially useful when the weather turned inclement on the last day.

One couple left on the Saturday morning, so we spent the rest of the day discovering the back streets of Merimbula with the other couple - scouting for houses with water views to consider for holiday house status. At one house there was an open inspection and we decided to have a look, but pulling in to the kerb we realised that the gutters were very deep and very sharp, and actually slashed the side of the front tyre.

It was Saturday at 12.30. After changing the tyre and putting in the spare we discovered that all the tyre shops in Merimbula close on Saturday at 12. They would not re-open until Monday morning. But they had to leave tomorrow (Sunday) to be back at work on Monday. It was a long drive on a space-saver.

Hence started the desperate search for a tyre to be had anywhere. We finally tracked down one man in Lakes Entrance who was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So we organised to meet him there tomorrow morning, then were able to relax for the last evening together.

Georgy's bit

What is not to like in Merimbula on a sunny day? Lucky for us we had a few. One fine day we went on a whale watching cruise and met Roger the red dog whale spotter. When the weather changed we sourced oysters from a Pambula oyster farm and some wild mussels from a rock near a cafe overlooking a beach. In short you can either watch whales on a clear and sunny day or eat until you look like one on a wet and cloudy day.