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Day 28: Sat 6 Jan - Kumbia to Home, 252km; total towed: 3,726km; total driven: 4,439km

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21-28 Deg C, a warm night, dry morning, and a wet afternoon and evening We left our Kumbia donation camp a little after 6am; why? Because we were keen to get home. We knew we didn't have far to go however, when you're on the homeward stretch, you just want to get stuck into unpacking, cleaning and washing.  An early mornos was had at Kilkivan. After refuelling the Cruiser, we parked at the oval and brewed up in the van and shared a vanilla slice we had bought from the Murgon bakery. Not the best slice we've ever had; the custard was good, but the icing on the top was so sweet and not very nice at all. Not long after mornos, we were back home. The yard was almost unrecognisable due to the large amount of rain received whilst we were away; Wendy tipped out 183mm from the last four weeks. Whilst not the wettest Dec on our records, it was up there. Our lovely neighbours had mowed around the front entrance to make it look like someone was home, and another mowed the front lawn. ...
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Day 27: Fri 5 Jan - Coonabarabran to Kumbia, 635km; total towed: 3,474km

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18-34 deg C, fine and sunny all day We wanted to get the particularly bad bits of the roads done before we set up camp for the night. So, we were up at sparrow's, and on the road at 6:40am (5:40 QLD time). Mornos was at Narrabri and lunch just north of Goondiwindi. The roads in this region of QLD (welcome to the Sunshine State) are particularly awful, and we averaged about 75km/h. So, 10 hours on the road was not too bad. Greg did an awesome job negotiating the lumps and bumps and avoiding all the vehicles that wanted to overtake the "bloody caravanners". We also had to get well off the road for a few wide loads.  We were aiming to stop at Dalby for the night, however, it was far too early to pull up stumps, especially after picking up an extra hour we lost on the way down. So, onwards it was to Apex Park donation camp at Kumbia (no power nor water). We stayed here in 2021 after our WA trip and it was pouring rain. A different story today, hot and humid, but we're ok ...
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Day 26: Thu 4 Jan - Canberra to Coonabarabran, 553km; total towed: 2,839km

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17-38 deg C! Fine and sunny all day with a slight NE breeze We left Cbr at 7:30am with the aim of making it to Gilgandra for the night. Our first stop was at Boorowa, adjacent the Info Centre, for breakfast/mornos. Mum had made us her famous eggie sandwiches (they were as good as she has ever made or were we veeeery hungry) that we had with a cuppa. We didn't linger very long and were soon on our way northwards again Next stop was for lunch at Wellington. After lunch, we both had a bit of a nana nap before continuing the journey. A straight-forward run through Dubbo, heading for our intended stop for the night, Gilgandra. We had discussed staying at the Windmill Free Camp, however, it was just after 3pm and was still 38 Deg C, and Greg was still alright to drive, so onwards we drove. We arrived at Coonabarabran about 4:15pm and refuelled before we checked into the same van park as on the way down (John Oxley) a little after 4:30pm. By 5:30pm we were eating our dinner - pan fried ch...
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Day 25: Wed 3 Jan - Canberra

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17-34 deg C, sunny and a bit humid, with an evening storm We started the day by riding to Gungahlin to meet up with B&N for breakfast at Lagom. There's no lack of choice for trendy cafes in the area. The coffee was good, but Wendy's meal was just OK. Everyone else enjoyed theirs. Noeleene is not keen on her touring bike, so we rode back to their place to see if it would be a good fit for Wendy. Unfortunately, the bike is an extra small size so was just a tad small for Wendy. It would have been a great bike for taking away in the van. We said farewell until Feb-Mar when we will travel to WA together, and rode over to Kev and Samantha's to say goodbye to them. However, only the kidlets were home.  Back home to the van for a light lunch and a little rest before packing away as much as we could in preparation for our departure tomorrow.  Mum and dad had invited us for a last dinner at theirs, so off we went, a little early so Greg could do a last minute job. Unbeknownst to ...
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Day 24: Tue 2 Jan - Canberra

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17-26 deg C, downright tropical (for Canberra anyway) We awoke to the sound of rain on the van roof, so lay in bed and chatted. Greg said that the rain would finish soon and that we should ride over to mum and dad's for breakfast/mornos. Wendy agreed that it would stop, but said it would start again and we would have to ride home in the rain. Greg was correct in his assessment of the weather, but Wendy drove anyway! We had a good few hours eating and chatting with the folks, and Greg did a few odd jobs before departing. Wendy drove back to the van whilst Greg took the long way home via the Arboretum and Woden area; 60km! Dinner was had at Dale and Suz's and they had steak (for Wendy) and salmon for Greg and the others, both cooked to absolute perfection. A lovely relaxed evening on the deck. We enjoyed the game of skittles (sort of) on the lawn. Greg jagged a win. As some people had to work the next day, about 10pm we retired to the van.  Cork forest Canberra Arboretum Views fr...
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