Around Oz the First Time - Chapter 3 - Smiths Lake to Port Macquarie

Day 1 of the trip proper. We took the morning finalising the loading with no idea what we really needed. All we knew was that all the bits and pieces we thought we needed would never fit!. That was until we started to think about it. Even then it seemed as every trip from either the wardrobe or the kitchen to the van would certainly overflow any potential storage facility. But fill them we did and, in all honesty if we use, eat or wear everything we packed we will have done very well.

It’s a crap day. The wind is howling from the west. The day prior to departure a tree branch from an adjacent tree fell while I was doing some work at the front of the van and it landed no more than a metre from me requiring a change of underwear.

Sunday (departure day) is no better. We had planned on Woolgoolga the first night making our second a short jaunt to meet up with the other vans on this trip. That is about a 4-hour trip on a normal day but with the wind and as I was to find out tomorrow an imbalance issue, the van is all over the road. The entire trip is a fight with the wind.

Knowing one of the other van owners is a Port Macquarie local, a quick call for a suggested van park and we are settled into the Breakwater Park, nestled at the end of the breakwater (obviously) where we could bunker in of the night and meet up a day earlier with the others than we had planned.

Driving into Port the brakes start to scream at us. Not understanding the idiosyncrasies of the modern vehicle, we are alarmed somewhat but the Cruiser and the van seem to stop OK. The Port local in the group is not far away and comes to take a look and the battery system for the electric brakes has dropped charge, namely because we have had it off the mains power for three days. A night on full charge in the caravan park should fix it – and it did, we found out the next day.

A walk around the town centre adjacent to the park we found a statue of Edmund Barton, arguably the father of federation in this country, sitting and looking towards the setting sun.

Port is an interesting place. It has a population that is aging by the moment with the influx of retirees. Massive amounts of development and from what we could see a town centre that was growing with the times. Streets were paved in places to accommodate both vehicle and pedestrian traffic, lots of modern shops and several resort type hotels. One wonders if retirement will keep this town’s growth skyrocketing or will it become a decrepit repository for the aged, forgotten by their families except on holidays.

Not in the mood for dinner in a big way although the smells from the restaurants we passed on our walk were enticing, we break out some smoked trout and bikkies, add some blue cheese and this passes for an evening repast washed down with sparkling mineral water.

Aren’t we good – one day in and we are yet to resort to alcohol! The wind is dying down, there is a brief shower of rain. We turn in early ready to hit the road to Lennox Head in the morning.

One of the issues we have had with the van is the inability to keep blankets on the bed and this night is no different. Can’t wait until we get where it is too warm for blankets and we can dispense with them. Both of us have midnight toilet calls which because we are close to the amenities we rug up and head out rather than soil the still unused toilet in the ensuite in the van.

Today we had done only 145km, but the wind had made it tough. The driving, when you are fighting the vehicle all the time, is tiring. Hopefully tomorrow is a little easier.