Home.
We made it!
We woke this morning and it was freezing. Well, maybe not literally freezing, but another 4 degrees and it would have been literally freezing.
The Ikea thermometer said that it was 8 degrees inside Percy, but Elsie said otherwise. 4 degrees.
Brrr.
One of those cold mornings where – when you move you foot around in bed – you find another cold spot that makes you shiver all over again.
I should have worn bed-socks last night 🙁
And because we were off the grid again, there was no opportunity to plug in an electric heater.
We were carrying excess water that we wouldn’t need for our final day, and we didn’t want to haul it home if we didn’t have to. So we both used the opportunity for a hot shower to start the day, and get some feeling back into our extremities.
We were all plugged in and leaving the camping area about 7.20am. Not exactly a podium finish, but not bad anyway for a couple of retirees.
I have to say that our national highways are a disgrace. Bumpy, uneven, potholed, narrow, poorly engineered corners … and those are the positive things that I can think of! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again … when you are towing a van you get to experience every bump twice.
Once when Elsie hits it, and a second time when Percy hits it and sends a shockwave through your spine.
I’d hate to be having an Xray or surgery anytime soon, as I’m sure that most of my internal organs have been reorganised. Although I could probably get a job in a freak show.
“Come and look at this freak whose brain is in his left buttock, and his kidneys are up in his right shoulder.”
The other thing that we have noticed on the trip home is that – the closer we get to civilisation – the less civilised everyone is.
Language on UHF40 is foul and childish. Trucks sit right up your clacker at 100km/h meaning that if we have to stop in a hurry, I’ll be pulling parts of his bullbar out of the back of my head.
And when they go roaring past you, the shockwave of wind that they are pushing in front of them nearly blows you off the road.
Only a relatively short run today – just under 450km but much of that is increasingly complex due to more traffic and busier roads. And less tolerant drivers.
And getting tired.
Unlike other days (eg in the NT) when we have driven all day and not seen any sign of life, today was very different because we were going through small townships.
Speed up, slow down, speed up again.
Places like Gin Gin, Apple Tree Creek, Childers, Duckinwilla, Aldershot, skirt Maryborough, Glenorchy, Owanyilla, Tiara, Gunalda, Curra, and Gympie.
Then through the Sunny Coast and onto the widest and smoothest and fastest road that I have seen in a looooong time.
We were home just after lunch and started the cleanup.
As luck would have it, our neighbours – who have also been on an extended road trip – also arrived home yesterday about an hour before we did, so there was a bit of jostling on the street for position so we could both get our vans in and start the cleaning process.
We got everything out of Percy and MBW did a few loads of washing, but the real cleanup will start tomorrow. Wash Elsie and Percy, put everything away … the list goes on.
Here are the vital stats for the trip:
- Total km travelled (Elsie): 10,990km
- Total km travelled (Percy): 8,896km
- Longest driving/travelling day: 647km (Day 31: Churchill’s Head – WWII Airfield Free Camp)
- Shortest driving/travelling day: 72km (Day 43: Fishery Falls – Paronella Park)
- Total fuel cost: $4,153.15 ($88.36/day)
Yikes. Experience tells me – and I’m sure that my mate Jack Reacher would agree – that it’s never good to ask a question if you don’t want to know the answer 🙁
We had fun. But it’s nice to be home again.
Ciao
#Retirement2024
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