The Trip

Sat 31^st

We set out early to meet the Willetts at the road side stop at Menangle at 6:30.  We were very excited.  First thing was radio check and get on the right channel so we could communicate as we went along.

Our first stop was at the Big Merino at Goulburn for breakfast.  It’s a great place to stop good coffee and great food.  Back on the road again and the weather is not too great a little grey and wet.

Our second stop was Gundgai at a quaint little old style café for morning tea coffee and raisin toast for the willets and I had Banana and Walnut bread.  Then back on the road again and heading for Albury.  The weather got considerably worse and we had quite a bit of rain.  Mr Willett drives a little faster than us so we lost radio contact for a while until we caught up with them at the exit for Albury.  John Lytholis has booked us a lovely caravan park not to far from the pub where we were having dinner.   We were a bit concerned because the owner looked worried at the size of our vans but it was all good it was a lovely park and John came around to meet us and pick up the Kayak we had bought down for him.  After a short nap we were off to dinner at the pub John had organised.  Dinner was great the meals were huge but really good we were all ready for an early night  We had to get up and leave early in the morning and the Willetts had to get up for the Rubgy!!!!.

Sunday  1^st November

Up and packed up early to get on the road we decided not to have breakfast until we were on the road to save time.  We stopped at Wangaratta for breakfast.  Parking was a bit difficult but we eventually found one down a side street and we also found 1 café open.  It was 8:00am Sunday so we were lucky.  Breakfast was really good including a good coffee.  So it was back on the road heading for Jan Juc.  We tried for a morning coffee stop and took the exit into Seymour but we drove through and found no where for coffee so it was back on the highway and on our way.  Although we did stop at  service centre for the toilets.  When we arrived at the caravan park in Jan Juc were very apprehensive about it.  The roads were all gravel and the owner was also a bit gruff.  We drove up and up and up and wound around these gravel roads through many permanent vans until we came to the top of the road where there were 4 drive through sites.  3 were vacant so we took the lower to and after some back and forwarding finally settled.  It turned out the be a great park mainly because it was very quite.  After setting up we made Chicken and salad lunch then cleaned up and set off into Town to have a look around and get some dinner.  The town was quite busy but we found a great Butcher although the men thought the meat was expensive Janelle and I were happy with the look of it.  On the way out of the shop we also bought some cornflake cookies and the most magnificent nougat.

We had the usually happy hour then cooked dinner followed by a game of Articulate and although the men were reluctant we had lots and lots of laughs.

Monday 2^nd November.

Slow start to the day as it was wet and cold and after breakfast inside our van we set out to have a look around.  First stop was the Information centre and the Surf Museum which took us quite some time.  We then had stopped in town for Coffee and cake which both were really good.

We return the the vans and the Willetts set out for a walk along the water front and we took a drive up to Bells beach.   It certainly wasn’t a good day for the beach but it is a spectacular beach all the same.  After a walk down the stairs we were on our way back to the car when we found the Willetts and took some photos of them on the beach as well.  We then parted company again they walked back and we drove into to Town for some small important items like Icecream for dinner.  We have a very quite afternoon have a few G & Ts following champagne at happy hour.  Dinner tonight was sausages and koftas with bread rolls followed by really really good icecream.  We had one quick game of Rummy King and then early to bed as we wanted to get away early in the morning on our way to Apollo Bay.

Tuesday 3^rd November.