Friday 13th

Well one should not expect everything to go to plan on Friday the 13th.

The day started well and has ended well. It was the bit in the middle which was a little soggy, with hail thrown in when Mal was walking back from the gate.

We did put up the screen tent for the flies and between showers got a bit of painting done. We did light a fire to bake our sweet corn in but the rain and hail put a stop to that.

We did get a great sunset to finish the day with and Sue cooked up some yummy sausages for tea - so all's well that ends well -

Saturday 14th November

Well not quite.

The neighbours came home about 10pm in their fully worked 4x4 with an exhaust that had never heard the word muffler. Well when they needed music it was inevitable that the volume would be one that the bush creatures would report as louder than any AC/DC concert.

They did some hard won circle work on the wet grass before they roared off into the state forest or where ever and returned maybe an hour or so later on foot having bogged the unit in a creek (so they told us the next morning). Then more music at a slightly lower volume till after Cinderella had gone home missing a slipper.

The stars were out in the wee hours but the clouds had lowered their furrowed brow by the time the sun tried to brighten the sky. All was quiet except for Mal clattering and banging as he packs the trailer and the car to make an early start. Will Sue ever get any rest.

We take the road to Goulburn but soon discover that we need to double back to Oberon for fuel when we reach Black Springs.

In Oberon we are both almost physical sick when we hear of the massive terrorist attack in Paris.

We drive South in a state of shock, oh why is the world full of such sickness.

When we reach the Abercrombie River we stop and camp. It is not even lunchtime but we are very sad and also tired from the late night.

A small white van pulls in with Jane and Bill from the UK. We chat for awhile and they head off to the Wombean Caves to camp for the night.

A fire is lit and we watch the flames late in the day and bake some corn and potatoes. The neighbours tonight are quiet so the evening should be good. We meet Mike and Steve and their families. Steve in particular is an interesting man; came to Australia from South America in 1975 as a lad and learnt karate to defend himself in the streets of Sydney - went on to become a carpenter and is now an avid proponent of the Australian Republic.

The night is quiet except for a tree dropping a branch. There are many down and Steve says a heavy snow fall was one of the major causes.

Sunday 15th November

We pack up and Mal chats with Steve before we warm the car up for the expected climb out of the river valley. Sue clicks away at a crimson rosella that is close by.

We drive through a landscape that ignores the troubles of the world and gleams and shines under a breaking sky. The hills roll under a blanket of rich green grass and the road swoops and sways across small brooks, around hills as curvaceous as a young woman's breast.

Just out of Taralga Sue spots Jane and Bill so we stop. We agree to reconvene in a coffee shop in Gouldburn. It was great to meet this couple taking a look at Australia.

We did the Laundromat thing and washed the sheets and did some food shopping and the cruised down a rather lavish highway to a small town called Canberra. The surprising thing is the internet connection is gold star and the place seems really a lot more lavish than other medium sized rural towns - not sure what the main industry here is but we will see if we can find out and let you know.