Thursday 22 May 2014

First Two Days

Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd May

On the way at last! We were planning (not that we do that very wel!) to leave shortly after lunch on Wednesday but we finally pulled out the drive at 2.45, hopefully with all that we need on board, if not there are shops on the way and I will surely find patchwork that I need as opposed to want to have anyway!
We have added a couple of extra improvements to the van this year. We have put in a heater run on gas so no more cold nights for us. For those who think we're soft, it really gets cold in the van at night! Also very importantly we have a carbon monoxide sensor fitted so we are very happy to feel safe with that on board.
As solar has become so affordable we have them too so power is never going to be a problem. so now we are truly independent for as many nights as we care to be which is just how we like to travel.
We've also added a table between our recliners, ostensibly to hold our coffee cups, but it seems to be perfect to hold whatever sewing or knitting I am working on at night!
Yesterday we travelled soooo far, actually only to Rutherglen where we stopped at a roadside camp beside the location of the Brown Plains State school. All that remains now after the school closed in 1949 is a plaque. At its peak there was an enrolment of 40 and only 6 when it closed. The school building was  moved to Howlong to become the Anglican Church Hall.
When we awoke this morning we were pleased to see that it was 8am!  Tough call so time to move we decided. Our plan(?) was to go further along the route to Sydney to see Pete, Dawn, Olivia, Lucy and Ellie who is visiting from the USA to help with the girls now that Dawn has returned to work. So we decided to stop in Holbrook for coffee and I was able to do some yellow knitting to help with their project to yarn bomb the Submarine next month with only yellow knitting pieces which have come from all over the world. You can read all about their project on Facebook on Holbrook Yellow Submarine. According to the cafĂ© Staff, they have enough to cover one side at least, and its a biiiig submarine. Can't wait to see the finished effort. Afterwards all the knitting will be donated to animal shelters so none will be wasted. When I looked at the beautiful crocheted piece today it is truly amazing work.
Onwards from Holbrook to our stop tonight beside a lovely waterway in Gunning where we arrived in time to walk through town and enjoy an ale at the pub.
Tomorrow ..... a bit closer and of course at some stage we will have to call in at a lovely patchwork shop at Berrima and Ian will be forced to visit the patisserie, how fortunate for me that there is a cake shop so close to a patchwork shop. It really should be how it is everywhere!
Today's picture is our stop at Gunning.