Australia here we come!

13/11/12

We packed up this morning and were on the road by 9.10am. We drove through some wonderful country and were not bothered by huge amounts of traffic until we arrived at Gilgandra. We went to the Visitor Information Centre where Karen asked if there were any caravan repair places in town. The answer was NO but we were advised to ask the NRMA before we left town. Luckily the NRMA office was not far away and we went there. We were told again there were no caravan repairers in town but we were given the phone numbers of two local plumbers that may be able to look at our leaking hot water system.

It was near lunch time so we went to Hunter Park and had lunch under shady trees. After eating, Karen rang a plumber. He must have been close by because he came to the park within 10 minutes. He had a quick look at the hot water system and told us he had no idea how to fix it. Feeling a little despondent we drove to the Gilgandra Rotary Caravan Park and booked two sites for the night. The caravan park has lots of large grassy sites and plenty of shady trees. This was just what we needed today with the 38 degree temperature.

In the afternoon Karen and Mary-Anne walked to town and did a small shop and Mary-Anne even had a haircut. I stayed at the caravan park and guarded the vans. It was so hot today that it generated the first thunder storm of the season. The sky to the west became black late in the afternoon and thunder could be heard in the distance. It didn't take long and the storm was on us. One close lightning flash took out the power in the caravan park and the accompanying loud thunder clap almost gave Karen kittens as she was walking back from the toilet block in the dark. The storm didn't last too long but it did lower the temperature. After about an hour the power was restored and we could finish cooking tea.