Our last entry we were expecting our car the next day, Wednesday 30 January. RACQ has arranged another night at the Caravan Park and then we should be off, THANK GOODNESS!!!
For those who already know I will give the condensed version:
We got the awaiting call....yes, yes, yes....no, no, noooooooooo. The car was put back together but the engine was still running rough so Mitsubishi had to start pulling the engine apart. The next day we get a call that they found an alloy washer in the engine and luckily it got stuck and hadn't fallen too far into the engine; The head was sent to the recondition ppl to make sure nothing was damaged; Steve contacted Eagers in Brisbane where we had work done before we left, the guy was very apologetic and told us to get another rental car and any other accommodation and the costs will be reimbursed to us. Yeh we were so glad someone finally found the problem and someone has claimed responsibility.
Steve gets us a Ford Escape for a rental to pick up Friday and we are expecting our car early next week.
Friday 1 February we are back in holiday mode. We pick up the rental and we drive out to Ellenborough Falls...for those who may have forgotten....11 days ago, we were heading to Ellenborough Falls when all this started.
The falls is about 70km west of Port and we arrived, it was hot about 31C and had our first look and the falls were worth the drive, there are several viewing platforms of the Falls and a staircase to the base of the Falls of 641 steps down and of course 641 steps up, it was hot, humid and hard work working through the steamy vegetation. Well we did every last one of the steps and my legs felt everyone of those steps for the next three days.
We had a look at the Cowarra Dam and then we had to jump in the car as the rain started again and it poured all the way back to Port.
Back at the caravan park we had long hot showers and drove into town to have fish and chips and drove to Town Beach to eat and soak in the seaside view .... well it started to rain again and it rained, and rained, and rained. We didn't change our plan, we went and watched the board riders in the surf in between the wiper blades sliding back and forth. There was even flash flooding on the roads back to the caravan park the rain was so heavy in the hour we were gone but we got home safely and another day closer to getting our car.
Sunday was a drive north to Kempsey and pies for lunch at Fredo's famous Croc pies, definitely worth a stop for a feed.
Took the back roads to South West Rocks and back.
We've had a couple of windy days and now we are into jumpers and uggies.
Tuesday5 February we expected the car soon but not today. We drive to Old Bar Beach, near Taree, and lunch at the Flows Espresso Bar. Viewed Saltwater and Wallabi Beach with beaut views north and south of the coast and then back to Port
and returned the rental car...again. Car should be ready tomorrow. But we have all heard that one before.
Guess what? A kit was delivered to finish off the work on the car and in the kit 2 seals were missing out of the kit.....arghhhhhhh. We are so over this. The seals were shipped overnight and ...
Finally...
3pm Thursday 7 February the car arrives, the people in the caravan park we starting to doubt if we really had a car but we finally had the proof. We took the car for a drive and all was good, it was back to pack the car, take aways for dinner and ready to leave in the morning.
It has been 19 days in Port Macquarie and we were well and truly ready to leave. Our 5 weeks of driving to Melbourne, visiting friends and family on the way, has now reduced to 2 weeks.
So we had flying visits, one night in Nelson Bay with our friends, John and Cheryl, and a few (10) others for dinner. Had a great night thanks John and Cheryl. Then one night at Candice and Ben's in Wollongong and Ben cooks a mean lamb roast...Mmmmmm. Thanks and we met their friends Tanya and Phil (who we may meet up with in Tassie if our paths cross again).
The 6 of us had brunch at the beachfront and a beautiful morning at the beach very busy with swimmers and nippers etc. We left Wollongong a little later than expected, stopped at the Kiama Blow hole but not very exciting as hole not blowing
and we only made it south of Bateman's Bay so we stopped at Waldon's Swamp Rest Area Free Camp
instead of Bega and it was so cold we had to pull out the jumpers and it was drizzling.
Early start to make up a bit of time today and it was cold (14C) this morning and drizzling rain still, we drove over Brown Mountain on our way to Cooma and it was 2nd gear all the way through pea soup weather.
It has been so lush and green all the way so far and we get to the other side of Brown Mountain and the skies start to clear and everything is brown and dry, such a dramatic change of scenery.
Through the Kosciuszko NP
where the black Saturday fires went through 3 years ago and the scenery changes again...hills of dead trees for as far as you can see
across the Snowy River Scheme and the Tooma Dam
The wildlife was few and far between...wombats, roos , foxes, snake and goanna all lying on their backs with their legs in the air...not the snake of course...he was actually alive and of course he has no legs haha.
We find our next stop called Pigs Point Reserve on the banks of the Mitta Mitta River
and now we have made it to Victoria, where it is hot and dry and ....oh the flys....the cows across the river don't help!!!
But a nice stop for the night none the less.
Really a good one. Thanks for sharing the post.
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