Day 18: Slow and Steady

Left super late and only made it as far as we’d originally planned to be for lunch, a little city named Lorne.  When we realized we were going to be super late, I called a caravan park and checked for vacancies.  They said they’d have a cabin all ready for us.  When we arrived, the town was totally dead.  Everything was closed but one gas station and a grocery store.  When we pulled into the caravan park, the office was dark.  I rang the number on the door and only got a machine.

So, we thought we’d go have a nice hot dinner somewhere and then drive as far as we could make it and just camp in the cars for the night.  A quick pass through the little town revealed that a nice hot dinner just wasn’t going to happen.  Everywhere was closed.

Back at the grocery store, we picked up a couple of cold chickens, some chips, some fruit, serviettes (napkins) and a knife—and of course a box of tim tams and walked out of the store minutes before they locked the door—at 8:00!  Dinner solved we pulled into the park—consequently the only place with public toilets along the great ocean road are the parks.  Grocery stores, servo’s (gas stations), anywhere you think should have a public toilet, just doesn’t so don’t even try.  (And don’t you just love that an entire nation favors the word ‘toilet’ instead of something less crass?!  It’s so hard to be so vulgar and say, “May I use your toilet?”)

We used the bathrooms to change into pajamas, brush our teeth and get ready for the night, then we ate a cold but fun dinner overlooking the sea—we could tell because the waves were SUPER loud and it was a bit misty.  We couldn’t see a thing however.  It’s crazy how dark this country is!  Sure, in the major cities they have the same light pollution problem we do in the states—but I have NEVER seen stars like this, ever.  Even up the canyon often it’s difficult to discern the milky way—is that it or is that just a cloud?  But here there is no question!  And…I SAW THE SOUTHERN CROSS!!!  It’s so cool!  I could have spent HOURS staring up into the sky—if I didn’t have children. 

Anyway, our little impromptu dinner on the beach was insanely fun.  I can’t get over how much the kids are enjoying the topsy turvey ness of this trip.  They’re super excited to sleep in the cars tonight.  Here’s hoping for warmth!