We keep going until we hit Bendigo. It's been a massive drive today. This city looks positively European with all of it's old buildings, and tram down the middle.
Got up, went to the local pool. The hotel has a pool membership. Gary the owner says that it's a lot cheaper than building and maintaining their own one. Louis went on the slippery slide. That was awesome. We went into town for some Japanese. The boys stayed in the room, while me and Marie went to the Bendigo Pottery. There was a glass model maker, a soap maker, and some locally done chocolate, so we picked up some of that as well as some bowls etc.
Went to the night market, and bought some Bendigo alco fizz pops for home.
Left: camels at the night market.
20th - it was very hot, we left early. First stop Benalla, Main St cafe, no vego option bar a salad turkish sandwich. Stopped to get 3kg of cherries just before Shepparton, no stopping there as it looked kinda borin.
Dropped in on Lib, Hugh, Cam, Row, Ben and Angus. It was about 40deg C so we stayed indoors, pulled out some beer, alco fizz pops (Spritzer) that we bought in Bendigo, boys went nuts, we played 500 once again. The girls beat the pants off the boys. They scored a free stray cat that is very cool. They tried to find the owners via Facebook announcements and the local pound, but no takers, so she's staying there. She has no name except for Miao Miao. Always a pleasure. Good feed, good conversation, good wine, good swing, kids were v entertained.
Finally rolling at 11am, and we've got a long way to go! Lunch was fast at Gundagai - some pies, then back on the drive. As we get closer, clicking into the notification about the fire in the Southwest says the Hume Highway is closed. Is that right? Is it current? The winds are strong. It's hot and dry. The fire is out of control. Google maps agrees - the highway is closed. We're off down to Wollongong to get around it. There's a smash on the Macquarie Pass, so we have to go even further around - via Jamberoo. Heading to Robertson, fire trucks speed past, in the direction we're travelling. Smoke is thick. Are we heading into a fire? We listen intently to ABC radio, people ringing in to pinpoint where the multiple fires have reached. One guy says the flames are about 50m away from his house. Anyone who thinks climate change is not real either has their head in a bucket, or are being wilfully ignorant. They will get converted one disaster at a time.
Picture right: welcome home! Once you get into the traffic, it's like you never left.
Eight hours later (should've been 6) we arrived where Vonne and family live. My brothers and sisters are in Perth but we've just been there, so it didn't make sense to go, then have to drive 4000kms back. Doing the last 1500 odd has been tough enough.
We sent her an SMS selfie of us out the front of their house. Holly saw it and yells 'Ted and Marie are outside our front door'. Vonne yells 'Outside our house??' then they all come out to see us. What a surprise!
It's nice to be home. We went to see our house, which is just an endless stress. Let's not talk about it. Other chores include shopping for gifts, food etc. We've been cleaning Evonne's house down for the Christmas get together. Today is Christmas! The boys were pretty stoked with their goodies - Lou got Zombicide, a board game, and Ollie got a laptop.
Long story short - that's the end of the trip folks!
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