TUESDAY JULY 16     YOUNG

John slept late. A cold, grey day.

After my breakfast, used the camp’s sink to wash out the extremely yukky frypan.

I did a lot of reading of the local tourist material picked up yesterday. Suggested to John that we abandon the idea of going to the coast and just spend time exploring around this central part of eastern NSW. We have to be home in less than three weeks now, for John’s next medical appointment, so it would be too much of a rush for us to do what had originally been envisaged. John agreed. He decided to extend our stay here for another couple of days, and went up to the office to do that. Whilst there, he negotiated a free night for a week’s stay, so we are now booked in here until next Sunday morning.

John then sat down to check his emails. Was an unpleasant one from his daughter, feeling let down because we hadn’t gone to Broken Hill. Oh well, those who do not respond to phone or email messages do not get visited. Simple as that.

I sent a message to our friend H, saying that we were in the approximate area of their weekender home and could visit them for a night, if wished.

John took the gas bottles to be filled. One was out of date and could not be filled. When he put both the full and empty bottles back and connected them up, there was a strong smell of gas about, and a hissing noise. He fiddled about but no improvement. The gas bottle compartment was a small and difficult area in which to work. He decided to leave the lot turned off. This meant no gas for cooking. He decided that, after we left here on Sunday we would just head off back towards home and get the gas sorted out back in Bendigo.

John messing about with gas bottles

This trip was not going to plan – vague as those plans had been.

After lunch, took Couey to the park for ball game exercise.

With dog suitably tired, and asleep on the back seat of the Terios, drove to the big old former school building that houses the Lambing Flat Folk Museum. Cost us $5 each to enter.

I am not a great fan of museums, generally, but found this one really worthwhile. There were really comprehensive displays – quite an eclectic lot and thus more interesting than many. Had a long chat with the volunteer attendant – but about the share market, rather than the museum. He was working on his laptop and told us he’d just bought shares in a new gold mine and the share price was rising nicely. He really knew his shares!

Spent well over an hour browsing the exhibits before heading back to Bus, via supermarket. I had to slightly revise meal plans, now there was no stove.

Tea was ham steaks, pineapple slices, fried egg, also some sliced potato for John.

I messaged our travelling neighbours to see where they were in SA. I’d recommended that they visit Mt Ive – thought they’d enjoy the station campground, the outback environment and remoteness. And so they had, spending four nights there. Because of rain and track closures, they’d had to go via Iron Knob to leave rather than the more direct way to Minnipa.

Watched Masterchef on TV. John had a couple of other programs he wanted to watch, without disturbance, so it was 11pm before I could go to bed.