The Final Leg

Day Forty | 24 Jan 2013:

On the road from Yamba to the Sunshine Coast, we are greeted by the rain, which continues all the way to our destination, Caloundra.  The Sunshine Coast is anything but sunny.  

Over the next two days, we sit and listen to reports about the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone ‘Oswald’, as it dumps it’s payload from the top end of the Queensland coast, right down to the bottom (and even into NSW), causing major flooding.  It appears we have rounded off our tour of natural disasters fairly competently, first fires, then earthquakes…. now flooding!

A Chinese dinner on our last night in Caloundra sees Lachy making his first attempt with chopsticks... so cute!

Day Forty Two | 26 Jan 2013:

Happy Birthday Australia… and happy birthday dad!  We spend Australia Day on the road, bound for Roma.  We have to detour way out west in order to avoid flooding and road closures, but it’s well worth it to ensure we make it home safely and in time for the kids to make day one of school!  

Fortunately an incident free day of travelling, albeit a wet one.  Small pleasures are sometimes the best ones, but I just loooove travelling in the rain, so I am more than happy to be on the road today.

We are pleasantly surprised when we decide to dine in the motel restaurant for dinner.  Wow!  An award winning little al a carte spot with the most awesome lighting.  I take a bit of an interest in these amazing light shades.  Cool huh?  Oh, and the food was incredible... roast chicken and vegetables has never looked so good!  So glad we dined in-house!!

One more sleep and the adventure is over!  :(

Day Forty Three | 27 Jan 2013:

It rains heavily all night and we are concerned about the state of the roads and crossings.  Our luck seems to have run out when we reach Rolleston however, when we discover the road to Springsure is closed due to flooding.

 After waiting for an hour and a half with no change, we decide to try an alternate route via dirt roads.  A soggy, but successful option in the end.

Home Sweet Home! :)

Sooo, after:

… forty three days away from home, no less than 7,000 kilometres travelled, a gazillion litres of fuel consumed, nine different beds slept in, two dead camper batteries, one exploded car engine, countless spectacularly beautiful scenes, an immeasurable number of memories and some of the best times that we have had as a family, ever!  Oh, and six very happy campers…

  

... we pull back into our driveway with that bittersweet feeling that the holiday is over, yet we have returned to everything that is homely, comfortable and familiar.  And Gus is of course super excited to see us!

With no time for reflection or contemplation, it doesn't take long before the organisational board (that I would be completely lost without) is covered with timetables, schedules and planners... evidence that six busy little bodies are cranking up their activities and getting into the swing of the new school/work year!

{sigh} ... I need another holiday!!  ;)

Thanks so much for coming along for the ride. I hope you have enjoyed (or tolerated) the temporary deviation of my blogging content and, whilst I seriously underestimated how busy our trip was going to be ... and consequently how little time was going to be left over for all things creative... I am committed to completing and sharing my travel journal!!  Watch this space...  :)

Cheers,

Jules

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