This Adventurous Age

Adventures travelling and working around Australia.

Monthly Archives: July 2017


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1999 Travels September 30

THURSDAY 30 SEPTEMBER     HEALESVILLE

We set out today to take care of a number of things that needed doing.

Our first stop was at a manufacturing jeweller in Croydon, who had been recommended to us. He really knows gemstones – we were impressed. We ordered a ring each to be made using two of the cut zircons from Mud Tank.

Drove into the city, to Radio Parts, where John bought some new bits for the TV aerial. The quest to get a TV picture that he is happy with is a never-ending crusade for John!

Since we were not too far away, we went to Station Pier, checking out the route we would be taking the van on, to the ferry. We walked around the pier, checking that out.

Returned in the direction of home via the former SE Freeway – it was very slow travel.

We detoured to take the Chescold fridge to Electrolux in Waverley, for repair of the gas workings that failed in the Simpson Desert.

My face was very swollen and seemed infected, so it was back to the dentist. He checked other teeth and found them alright, so I was put on a course of penicillin. I was cross and unhappy.

Tea was soup for me. John had fries, bacon and eggs too.


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1999 Travels September 28

TUESDAY 28 SEPTEMBER     HEALESVILLE

We had late morning appointments with our dentist. He did some more work on John’s tooth.

Then it was my turn. What was to be a filling replacement turned into an extraction, because the whole tooth was cracked. My dentist had a ’97 record of this being so, but it hadn’t been mentioned by the man who did the root canal filling on it in Cairns! I felt cheated, because the root canal was therefore always doomed to failure, so I paid a lot of money for a poor service. Because of the cracks, the tooth came out in pieces, and it was not pleasant!

We drove to Ringwood so John could take the video machine in for repairs. Then we went back to the van, getting fuel in Lilydale for 73cpl.

After four hours, my gum was still bleeding. I phoned the dentist and we had to drive back there so he could stitch the wound – yet more anaesthetic. The bleeding was due to the aspirin I take each day. Not expecting to have the tooth out, I hadn’t stopped taking this – and hadn’t even thought to tell him, in the shock of finding out the tooth had to come out. But I was amazed that the aspirin has such a pronounced effect.

I finished the day feeling extremely sorry for myself.

Tea was just soup!


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1999 Travels September 25

SATURDAY 25 SEPTEMBER   PAKENHAM TO HEALESVILLE   54kms

We were up, packed and away by 9.30. We really hadn’t had a chance to fully set up camp at Pakenham, which made it easier.

Our route to Healesville went via Cockatoo and Woori Yallock. This time, we did not have the towing dramas of the early days when we travelled part of this route!

Because it was school holidays and the Badger Creek Caravan Park was heavily booked – it is a family holiday venue – we were put on a site where a permanent van had just been removed. It was not a very big site, but it had the great benefit of being away from the hordes of rather horrible and badly behaved children that were running wild in the “tourist” section of the park. I think we preferred it amongst the regulars and the cabins!

We also had to pay the holiday rate of $20 per night, but the seventh night was free. When the holidays end, next weekend, it would revert to the normal $17 a night rate.

John did a very quick, basic, set up, then rushed off to bowls at Lilydale – a social game.

I read, knitted, walked around the extremely attractive grounds for a while, and had the football Grand Final on in the background. Carlton lost, which would disappoint John – however he came home happy that he’d bowled well, and that offset the disappointment over Carlton.

For tea, I made up a version of the Italian chicken that we’d had at H’s – John really wanted me to try to reproduce this. I rolled up ham and mozzarella inside flattened chicken breasts (I pounded these with the little rolling pin). Cooked the rolls by simmering in the electric frypan, in a tomato, onion, garlic type sauce, with mozzarella slices on top, garnished with capers and black olives. They were yummy!

I phoned K and left a message that we’d relocated again.

John played computer games until nearly dawn.


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1999 Travels September 24

FRIDAY 24 SEPTEMBER     PAKENHAM

Today was John’s 59th birthday.

We went to work at the Electoral Office at 9am. Finished at 2pm – all done. It suddenly seemed to come together, so will not extend into next week. Damn – we could have used some more employment money!

So we had a quiet afternoon, resting – we were really tired.

There is no longer any need to stay around these parts, so I phoned Healesville and managed to get us in there.

Tea was soup and John’s choice – frankfurts. High cuisine! We had a bottle of sparkling burgundy to mark the birthday.


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1999 Travels 23 September

THURSDAY 23 SEPTEMBER   MORNINGTON TO PAKENHAM   60kms

We packed up the van after an early breakfast, and moved it to Pakenham.

The Pakenham Caravan Park cost $15 per night. It is adequate. It seems more of a park for longer term stayers, rather than tourists, given its proximity to this growth area of Melbourne. However, we did not feel out of place.

We went to “work” at 12.30, but it didn’t start until 1.30 – more inept organization – so we walked around the shops for an hour.

We worked until 9pm. Had fish and chips for tea – again!

It was so good not to have to commute all the way back to Mornington.

Phoned H and R and took rain checks on meals with them that had been planned for tomorrow and Saturday.


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1999 Travels September 22

WEDNESDAY 22 SEPTEMBER      MORNINGTON

Another early start. We had to have Truck at the Frankston dealership by 8am.

We were lent a Discovery and were at Pakenham by 9am.

We worked on counting votes. Some of the work involved checking some of the counts done in local booths on Saturday, but a lot was sorting and counting absentee votes. The place seemed very disorganized, with people floating about doing bits here and there.

We had a thirty minute lunch break and got sandwiches at the local shops, then quickly went and checked out the local caravan park.

John had to leave at 4.15 to go back to Frankston for Truck. I could not go as we had intended, because I was part way through trying to sort out a very mixed-up vote count. Not surprising, in the muddle of the place!

So John went to Frankston, collected Truck, then came back and we worked until 11pm. It meant extra money, as we were paid by the hour, but was very tiring.

We had a tea break and bought fish and chips.

Then it was the long drive back to Mornington – and in fog.

We had already decided to move the van to Pakenham tomorrow, because this vote counting may last into next week.

The new roof rack was put on Truck, at the dealer’s. It is much better than the original one, because it has a mesh floor, rather than just cross members. This is going to make it much easier to pack.


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1999 Travels September 21

TUESDAY 21 SEPTEMBER     MORNINGTON

We were both rather down today. I think there is an element of boredom setting in, though in John’s case, he is probably reacting to all that has happened in the past couple of weeks.

I drove to the shops and picked up the photo reprints, got them organized and mailed off.

I made soup for tea.

We were phoned in the late afternoon and asked if we wanted to go work, counting votes, at the Pakenham electoral office. We said yes – provided we could work around the Truck service that is scheduled for tomorrow. The man said that was alright.

More money – excellent!