WEDNESDAY 14 JANUARY     BALLARAT

Slept in again. The hot weather has continued – this is more like summer! We seem to now be having a heatwave. There have been more fires, including one this side of Geelong. Up till now this western area has been about the one part of the state without bushfires.

Cycled once around the Lake in the morning – 10kms. Called at the shops for rolls for lunch.

Did some shopping at Wendouree centre: a packet of paper for the printer, and got keys cut for John.

Apart from that, had a quiet day “in”. Read, did some writing. John messed about on his computer.

Went to a nearby hotel for a counter tea with friends G and D. Pleasant meal and company. The meal and drinks cost us $33 – not cheap!

TUESDAY 13 JANUARY     BALLARAT

We slept in a bit. There was really only time to breakfast and pack up the cold left over pizza for our picnic lunch, and then meet my friends over by the Lake. We walked there.

Spent until 5.30 with them – S and M and their three children. It was great to meet up again – it is some years since I have seen S. We were very impressed with their three home-schooled children, the oldest of whom is 12; very well behaved, articulate and confident children.

We all found plenty to talk about – computers, travels, other activities, schooling issues and trends. We declined the offer to go flying with M tomorrow – his latest activity.

It was quite humid through the day, and thunderstorms developed again in the afternoon. There was one gigantic and frightening clap of thunder straight over the Rotunda where we were sheltering.

After parting with the friends, we went bike riding – twice around the Lake again, doing 16.5kms. My bottom was sore!

Tea was spaghetti carbonara, followed by fresh fruit.

Thunder grumbles continued through the evening.

MONDAY 12 JANUARY     BALLARAT

It has already been a week since we left! So, today we went back!

We were up early and set off after breakfast to go home, and take a crate of books, maps and some other oddments, home, and pick up the things we forgot. We also took the non-functioning video machine home.

It was a hot day, for once, and so was hot travelling.

We reached home about 11am. K was home and doing some clean up work about the place, which looks alright, still. Well, we have only been gone a week! It was good to see the dog and the cats too. Poor dog was so happy to see us.

P came home for lunch, so we saw her too.

John arranged to sell his old bowls to a club member, for $180 – an unexpected bonus.

John could not find his caravan keys. We will have to get some cut for him.

After a couple of hours, left again. Felt mean leaving dog behind again.

Called in to deliver said bowls, and also had to visit our solicitor in Mooroolbark – we left our wills and some other important documents with him. He had received $74 from VicRoads: the refund on my Barina registration, as we decided to unregister it for the duration, rather than waste the money.

It was a hot trip back. Thunderclouds were building up in the distance.

Booked into the Park for another week, and paid. There is still lots to do here, and the regular bike riding is good for John. Having the Gardens and the Lake across the road makes this easy to do. Having no deadlines for the trip allows us to linger and make it up as we go. I suspect it will continue this way.

I cooked pizzas for tea, using the van oven for the first time. Seems to work well. We had fruit for dessert, including some ripe figs brought back from home.

It started to rain about tea time; there was a really heavy downpour during the night, with thunder.

SUNDAY 11 JANUARY     BALLARAT

After breakfast, we washed the Truck, which took quite a while, because it has some fiddly corners. I did the washing – cost $4 for two loads.

John wanted to go to a computer expo/swap show that was on in the Old Gaol Building at the School of Mines. It cost $3 each to get in and was rather disappointing. I did not find it at all interesting – probably because of being very much a novice with computers. John did buy some games discs, though.

Went grocery shopping at Safeway – food for a couple of meals, and some toiletries.

I filled a focaccia loaf for a late lunch, then felt like a siesta for a while. This really is a change of lifestyle!

I had picked in the dry washing, and John did the necessary ironing, in the Park laundry, but using our own iron.

In the late afternoon, went for a bike ride. John decided to go twice round the Lake. Being a weekend day, there were more people about in the Gardens, to dodge. We rode 15kms. So by the time we finished it was a little late to cook the planned dinner. The late lunch meant that we were not that hungry anyway. So we had a cup of soup each, some salad, and fruit.

John has developed a bad sore throat, through the day. Think he is getting my cold.

There are major floods along the north Qld coast, with Townsville being particularly badly affected. Hope this does not adversely affect our Qld travels later in the year.

SATURDAY 10 JANUARY     BALLARAT

We had a little sleep in on a cool, grey morning.

After breakfast, we rode around the Lake, then to the shops for lunch rolls and the weekend papers. 10.3kms cycled.

After lunch, John went off to bowls.

Our very first camp – all set up

I made phone calls – both to former work colleagues who now live in the area. Arranged to meet S and M and their children at the Gardens for a picnic lunch on Tuesday.  GB came round for a while, later in the afternoon, with a friend. G said we should not drink the local water in Beaufort or Daylesford – neither is of an acceptable standard; through her current work she knows such things. We will have a counter tea on Wednesday with G and husband.

After the visitors left, I read the papers.

We had an early tea – salad and tinned fish. Another tin gone!

Went for a walk in the Botanic Gardens until dusk – really pleasant.

Somehow, Truck did 24kms today.

THURSDAY 8 JANUARY     BALLARAT

I was feeling somewhat better this morning.

After breakfast, we rode the Lake circuit – in the opposite direction, this time, just for some variety.

John went off to bowl at the Wendouree Club at 1pm, after an earlier than usual lunch.

I walked to the town centre to hand in our rented telephone handsets at the GPO. We’d discovered, just as we were about to leave on Monday, that we were paying rental on these, at $7 a month. No point in continuing to do that – but finding out anything to do with Telstra in Ballarat has not been easy.

On the way back, saw the Sovereign Needlework shop and went in for a browse. Now that I am no longer working, will have time for some of the handcrafts that I’ve long wanted to do. The challenge will be to find something compatible with caravan life. The shop had a great collection of tapestry and hardanger materials, cottons, wools, frames and the like. It took great strength not to buy anything, but was food for thought, there.

It seemed a long walk back, via the Botanic Gardens. My legs were very tired by then, and it was a warm afternoon. We had cycled 12.3kms this morning and I walked about 10kms this afternoon!

Had brought a lot of travel guides and books with me  – too many, now that we are reducing what we carry. Began to sort them into a “keep” pile and a “return home” pile. Then John came back and wanted me to go practice bowls. It was easier to go than argue, but I was certainly  stiff and sore by the time we returned at 6.30pm.

On the way back from bowls we drove out to Sebastopol to buy some supermarket special beer and wine at the Safeway there.

I abandoned the planned spag bol for tea – it was too late to cook a decent sauce. Had the pasta with some bottled pesto instead, and the rest of the strawberries after. I froze the mince I’d bought this morning.

Finished sorting the books, after tea, and my map collection too! Reduced the quantity by about 40%.

I was really stiffening up and we went for a little stroll around the park. At the phone box, rang and left a message for son, saying we were staying on here for a few more days.

John watched a Chinese film on SBS. I had a superb, hot shower  on my tired muscles, and went to bed.

Tallied up another 23kms on Truck today.

WEDNESDAY 7 JANUARY     BALLARAT

After another good night’s sleep, woke at 7am with a stuffed-up head from the cold. Took some Panadol and went back to sleep till 9.

Went through the same morning routine as yesterday – to the shop for paper, then breakfast.

We cycled 11.25kms round the Lake this morning – took a couple of longer road sections than yesterday. Then to the shops for rolls and fruit, but I also bought some groceries, mostly for tea tonight. They went into the small backpack I wear, and it was quite heavy.

It was raining very lightly while we rode, but set in to a steady drizzle while we had lunch.

Drove out to the caravan centre to get a little wheel to put on the top of the van door, so it will slide easily and with no tearing if it touches the annexe roof. It may not have been the greatest idea to visit a shop with lots of good gear for sale! We bought a solar shower bag and a portable toilet seat on legs – like a folding stool – anticipating eventual nights in the bush. Bought some spare light globes for the van lights. Had a wander around the ordinary caravans that were on display, realizing how flimsy and light they are by comparison with ours.

Drove to the city centre and walked around the Mall area, after trying to find a Telstra shop so we could hand in our phone handsets from home (P and K having their own). Finally, we were advised to do this at the Post Office – a job for tomorrow, now.

I bought a couple of books at A&R with my Xmas book vouchers from my boss. John treated himself to some liquorice and a set of bike clips.

Back at the van, John attached the little roller wheel to the door.

Cooked chops for tea, using the park’s free electric barbeque, which was horribly slow. Had pasta with those and a Greek salad, with strawberries to follow.

All this leisure is tiring – we are going earlier to bed each night!

We only drove 22kms today.