Day 4 – Wednesday 4th May

Everything is wet.

And…

A KANGAROO ATE MY BREAKFAST!!!!



BASTARD!!

Heh heh… Still can’t stop smiling about it.

I’m late – gotta go – gotta get outta here.

So I do. After a late start – a quick shave, my last set of clean clothes to try and look presentable for hitching and a final ‘seeya fellas’ to the roos – by 11:00am I’m on the road again. I’ve only kind of worked out my plan from here. Ideally to get to the next headland, but it may be tricky getting through Port Macquarie. And the on the other hand – the Highway? North? Further North?

I know the road out of Diamond head is pretty rough and not much traffic so I am resigned to a 2-3 hour trudge (pack is lighter now – less food almost no water) up to Laurieton. So… start trudging. Man it must have rained last night. Road is terrible – muddy and sticky. Within 10 meters I am carrying and extra 2 kg of mud my shoes. Ugh.

Then – a lift. And within 10 minutes. And a lovely lady.



Straight up to Laurieton, where I do some more shopping for fresh supplies and a buy a steak sandwich – then out onto the Pacific Highway. Right, now let’s get North. Pick my corner to set up shop – Have bought a pen for sign-making and start to write out my next destination on my trusty pad. Kempsey.

Then – rain. A northern shower. Bugger. Rush to shelter sit outside newsagent – Read the Herald – excellent! And the lovely woman at the counter even lets me charge my camera battery while I wait the shower out. 20 minutes later: right - let’s go. Assume the position. Sign out ‘Kempsey’ and pow! The biggest, most enormous, 4WD pulls up. Cool! Signs seem to work! Let’s go.

So now I'm travelling with Ray. The dog (Jesse) gets relegated to the back seat, the pack is thrown in the tray (did I mention ute as well) and soon we're cruising along the highway like kings. High above the road in a vehicle that would fit a family of 8.

So. Ray.

Ray

An ex-Vietnam-vet who lives alone and owns 22 Acres on a farm out of Braidwood – raises horses. Off to see a friend further north via tracking down some-one in Kempsey who sold him a dud horse. And here the story starts…

At about this point I stopped writing daily – I guess more into doing than documenting I guess. Or got lazy – whatever.

End of Day 4 – Numbucca Heads Caravan Park – driven the final leg of the journey by the lady and her husband who run the Nambucca heads information kiosk – from the Kiosk right to the caravan park itself – again lovely people.

$20 for a night in the caravan park right next to the beach with YAY!!! Hot showers! Oh the joy.

Gorgeous little river next to the camping grounds

G'day mate! And stay the hell away from my breakfast.

Have a chat to a couple who pull up alongside in their brand new 4WD (SUV) – unload the huge, brand new, 'you beaut', all the extras gas barbie – settle into their brand new, 'you beaut', articulated, reclining camp chairs (complete with drinks holders) and then proceed, from the open doors of their 4WD, to pump bad African soca pop into the gentle night. After a quick chat I realise I don’t like this couple at all, so bid them a friendly goodnight and withdraw to my own campsite. Sit on my stump, boil the billy and stare into the embers of the dying fire.

The pounding surf through the trees.

Goodnight.




continue to day five

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