Well, today was fun!

We decided to stop in Port Macquarie to get a few things before heading to the National Park and pulled into a little shopping centre just off the main road. Once we got back to the car we were all set to go and….the car wouldn't start! No problem, we'll just phone the RACQ to come sort us out, but wait…no reception. So we had to run around the car park trying to find the one spot that had some signal so that we could make the call.

When we finally had the NRMA on the phone (different state = different service) the woman had to do loads of checks with the RACQ to make sure we were members etc… and then she couldn't find our location on her screen so she had to phone the local guys to see if they knew where we were.

"Do you mind if I just put you on hold Sir?"

"Well actually my credit is…."

Oh wait, she was gone, so after thirty seconds of being on hold the credit on the phone ran out. So it was back to the car again to get more credit only now the battery was going as well. That's ok, we thought, we'll just charge it in the car. Only of course the car wouldn't charge the phone as the battery was dead and we couldn't get any reception anyway so nobody would be able to phone us back!!

We decided we would wait for an hour because that's how long they normally tell you they will be (we'd experienced this a few times now in old Brucey so we knew the drill) and then we'd find a pay phone somewhere. An hour came and went and it was time to go search out the dreaded Telstra phone booth.

So off I went (as naturally the shopping centre didn't have one!?!?) and I spotted one down the road. So if anyone happened to drive past a guy in boardies and T-shirt trying to run down the road in flip-flops in the rain, well, that was me!! And when I got to the phone to make a call I got an all too cheery guy on the other end saying "yeah mate, you're the next one" and sure enough as soon as I got back to the car (now soaking wet) the NRMA pulls up and thirty seconds later we are jump-started and following him down the road to an Auto Electrician to get our alternator replaced. Always with the alternators!! This is the third one in just over eighteen months, in two different cars!!!

After killing a couple of hours looking around yet another camping shop we were ready to go again with a brand new alternator and a slight pain in the wallet to match. However, it was still raining and beginning to get dark so we decided to stay in Port Macquarie for the night and so headed off in the direction of a caravan park.

We found ourselves a "Big4" park where the receptionist was keen to point out the brilliant facilities like the swimming pool (yes it was huge but it was dark and raining) the free internet (which later turned out not to be working) and the clean amenities (can't fault her on this one but when you've got lots of people walking across flooded campsites to get to them they can only stay clean for so long). All we had to do now was put up our tent on the quagmire and get the tarp up over the top, which proved just a little bit tricky in the wind and rain and when only one of us can reach above the tent!!

Today has been a little trying to say the least, but tomorrow we are off again and hoping for no more car troubles as we head towards either Crowdy Bay or Booti Booti National Parks.