FRIDAY 15 DECEMBER   HEALESVILLE TO HOME   36kms

We took our time getting away in the morning, clearing the park just by the 10am checkout time. We had the day to fill in, in order to allow K to get clear and the carpet cleaners to do their job.

We had a leisurely browse around the Healesville shops and bought some lunch there.

Drove down to Lilydale and went for a walk around the Lake.

Eventually we headed for home, getting there at 2.30pm.

The carpets had been done – they must have been early – and everyone was gone. The carpets were still damp, obviously.

The house was fine inside, as we expected. But the gardens were a dreadful mess, also as we expected, but worse. It was hard to believe they had been allowed to get that bad.

The vegetable garden was a wilderness, with blackberries over two metres tall.

Once was the vegetable garden

However, K had made an effort and the lawns were freshly and neatly mowed.

The pool was bright green, with large scummy clumps floating on it.

We would certainly not be short of things to do in the coming weeks and months! This was not the way we’d have chosen for the travel time to end.

John discovered that the shed guttering/drains had been blocked, so water had come in onto the floor of the shed and wet some of the things that V had stored there, including a mattress and base that would now only be good for the tip.

The cats were very pleased to see us.

Cat rediscovering bed – this is more like it!

After we’d had a quick look around, we backed the van into its parking area and unhitched Truck – for the last time for some time, we guessed.

Resting place for ? long……..

Tomorrow would begin the tasks of unpacking our house belongings back into place, emptying and cleaning the van – that would be a sad process!

When the house was more or less in order, then the gardens could be tackled.

It seemed really strange to be in a house sized residence again, instead of the very small van that had been our home for three years. The rooms that were empty of furniture echoed!

Most of our house is in this room!

John went and bought fish and chips for tea.

At least, with our bed permanently made up in our room, all we had to do was clear things off it and we could fall into bed.

To work, tomorrow. Tomorrow is also my birthday……..

The trip was 1076 days long – almost 154 weeks. The decision to take early retirement and do this was the best decision we have ever made!

THE STATISTICS FOR 2000   (those for 99 & 98 in (  ) for comparison)

Note that our 2000 travel was 16 days short of a full year.

Kms travelled for the year:  36,129       (32,450     29,845)

Kms towed:                             16,587       (10,827      8220)

Cost of diesel:                        $4291.91   ($3061       $2532.21)

Average fuel consumption:      8.1kms per litre   (8.1   8.3)  Approx 12L per 100kms

Dearest diesel:     $1.35cpl – Kalumburu  ($1.15 Mt Dare    93 Seisia)

Cheapest diesel:     .76cpl – Claremont  (.56 Toowoomba    .63 Charters Towers)

Accommodation cost:   $5263.70     ($4757.35     $4845.10 )

Dearest accommodation per night:  $33 – Middle Lagoon  ($26 Yulara  $19 Toowoomba)

Cheapest paid accommodation per night:  $2 – Opalton  ($5 National Parks  $10 Boulia)

Average cost fuel and accomm per week: $191  ($150.36  $141.87) Budgeted for $200

Number of different places stayed at:  58    (56   46)

Longest stay in one place:  40 nights-Hobart (over 99/2000) (26- Healesville   35- Atherton)

Number of times moved camp:  66   (60   53)

The introduction of the GST in mid 2000 did have an effect on our travel costs.

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SUNDAY 10 DECEMBER     COFFIN BAY

In the morning, we worked on Xmas card making, and I cooked some chicken pieces for tomorrow.

After lunch, went to bowls. There were few people, due to there being a couple of large parties on today. So we just had practice with another man. It was a good practice.

Storm clouds built up during the afternoon, and there were a few drops of rain.

Fuelled up Truck – $1.03cpl.

Back at camp, we packed up much of the stuff around the van and the inside.

Then we went on the Oyster Walk, around to the jetty.

Paddling hard – young Pacific Gulls

Due to the clouds, the sunset was superb, and the reflections on the water were brilliant. Of course, I did not have the camera with me.

The sunset was a nice “goodbye” from here – and, essentially, the end of the trip. It really does feel like this is the end, as what is left is only a few days of driving and overnight stops.

For tea, I cooked John whiting, I had a tin of tuna and we had salad.