THURSDAY 28 JULY     BEACHPORT TO HAMILTON     212kms

The morning was cold, again, but the day cleared to sunny, though it still was not warm.

Had a little accident when packing up camp in the morning. John took the guy ropes off the poles that support the awning roof. The wind suddenly blew a huge gust, picked up the canvas roof and blew it right upwards. We were able to grab it and make a two person job of finishing packing it away, but a fastening bracket had been pulled loose from the van.

As we set off out of Beachport, we decided to just head for home, rather than meandering around any more. Had enough of the cold and damp. I thought, also, that John was worried about his breathing issues, though he wasn’t saying so. My shoulder continued to be quite painful. Caravan life didn’t seem to agree with it, again. As well, we were finding that a rather large, often damp dog and a rather small caravan were not the greatest match – well behaved though the dog was.

Travelled east through Penola, to Casterton and to Hamilton, through attractive country. There was lots of surface water lying about.

We stopped in Penola to eat the lunch I’d packed this morning, and give Couey a walk around. Had we been meandering, would have though strongly about a couple of nights here, to investigate both the interesting history aspects, and the terra rossi red wine country around Coonawarra.

East of Penola, the remnant coastal country was left behind and we were onto the volcanic plains of the Western District again. The big red gums that are a feature of these parts began to appear, as did more pine plantations.

After Casterton, the country was so familiar, from the years lived at Hamilton.

Booked into the Lake Hamilton Caravan Park, where we had stayed before, for one night. En-suite site cost $37.80, after a $4.20 discount. It was adequate.

There was not much setting up for a one night stay, as we were able to remain hitched up.

I left John making a repair to the awning fastening with silicon and other bits from his travelling tool supplies, and took dog walking. There was a very pleasant walk/bike path alongside the Grange Burn creek that was next to the caravan park, so we followed that for some way to the south, then backtracked. I kept Couey firmly on her leash, with the creek nearby.

After a rest back at the caravan park, John decided the grassed area between the park and the walk path would be good for some off lead ball throwing for dog, so we both went and did that. She was too focussed on the ball to show any interest in the water. To date, it seemed that it was only large puddles that interested her, the muddier the better.

I made my old faithful tuna, olives, capers, tomato pasta meal with tinned apricots to follow.

Discussion after dinner centred around returning back through Melbourne on a Friday. Driver definitely not keen, so we decided to wait until Saturday for that. It seemed easiest to stay another night here, if we could, rather than hitch up and go elsewhere for just that time.