SATURDAY 28 MARCH   QUEANBEYAN TO ANNA BAY   501kms

Managed to leave Queanbeyan just before 9am, after what is becoming a routine pack and hitching up.

Went north to the Hume Highway at Goulburn. At Mittagong, pulled off the freeway for a coffee break. John has become anxious about towing and about the van brakes in particular – feels he can’t get them working as he would like. Then he got concerned about being able to manoeuvre the van around the area where we stopped, and wanted to go back the way we had come in – found it was a No Entry and had to go the way I had suggested. Atmosphere rather chilly!

I was rather anxious too, about smoothly navigating us around Sydney. Despite it being the weekend – deliberate timing on our part – there was still a heap of traffic. I took us around the back of Parramatta, not through the middle of the city. The road lanes seemed very narrow in the built up area, and big trucks very close, as a result. It was a tense time.

We stopped for lunch at a roadhouse area by the Newcastle Freeway. Had manoeuvring problems again, due to cars parked in the caravan/trailer section of the car park. It was very hot by now, too. We ate lunch, quickly, in the car park.

There are some big downhill sections on the freeway north of Sydney. John felt the van was pushing Truck all the time on these, and certainly was not at ease driving. Surely towing cannot be like this for all caravanners? We can’t be doing things the right way. Otherwise, no one would put themselves through this all the time!

Left the Pacific Highway at Raymond Terrace, to go to Anna Bay, to the Top Tourist One Mile Beach Caravan Park. This cost $15.30. They put us on a site with a very narrow access road, with cabins butt up against the road opposite the site. After a couple of attempts to back the van onto the site, John gave up, drove across empty neighbouring sites and parked side on, leaving the van attached to Truck. He’d had enough, today! It has been a very long and hot day and the greatest distance driven in a day, on this trip. It has not  been easy driving, either, with all the traffic and city stuff.

One good aspect of the day has been that John’s leg has not been too painful – there has been a real improvement there.

The caravan park is fairly full with lots of permanent vans  and people. It is close enough to Sydney to be accessible easily at weekends.

After minimal set up, we walked down a track that led onto the beach, had a quick look at that and did not think it was particularly attractive. Did not really linger there – it was quite late in the day.

Tea was steak and salad. I cooked the steak in the electric frypan – as good as a BBQ plate.