21st April.......it is about to happen FREEDOM....

 Sat 20th..Just as we were getting over the realestate thing I noticed a little cottage near where we we used to live had come on the market...a quick dash into town from Whorouly, inspection..no go! PHEW!!
Sunday, footy in Myrtleford to watch Hayden be a budding ruckman and cheerios to Micks brother Max, the Daws' at Gapsted and another brother Col and Betty, in Whorouly.
Teary farewells at 4pm..bye to Trent and Linda the 3 grandies and a few other kids were there too..Poppy Specials (peppermints) for everyone!
Dinner at my sis Wendys' always nice to be around her.
Monday, side steps for me on the Colorado and a wirng check, lunch with the Nugents at 'The Tavern' and a few other visits in town. Bye to the Coyles in the evening....

AND SO WE ARE OFF...TUESDAY...PLAN A.
within 20 mins and a visit to Pete and Lucy's near Glenrowan, we were onto Plan B..decision for them to spend a week with us, so we decided Gunbower is where they would meet up with us the next day...we kept smiling all the way to Shepp..life is good.

Micks' sister Jean was not home but nearby my Uncle Kevin was so a quick chat with him and back on the road.



There are many of these painted cows in the Shepparton area, this one was at Undera, our late lunch stop.

Wills camp west of Echuca, on the Murray, no fish but I had a chew on the sap of the acasia, said to be sweet, pretty bland  I thought. Nice place to camp and 3 others there as well.



At Gunbower we caught up with Ric who kindly drove us around the camp sites along the Murray, it was truly fantastic of him, he knew lots about the area and this loggers hut on the bank of the Murray, in days past timber cutters lived here and supplied wood to the steam boats moving supplies along the river.

Later in the week Ric bought us out some wood and we met again in the 'Gunny Pub' on Saturday evening.

 

Thanks to Peter Molik for recommending
a great ihone app for fellow travelers.. 'Wikicamps'  cost is $2.99, more camps than  'the book' shows directions and there are comments and photos added by travelers .Tonight the 14th May our 3rd week out and we are in our first paid site in Ceduna..Doug and Jean Hawke are catching up with us here and we will travel together on and off to and into the west/north

High from the Murray river bank Lucy and I watched as Mick and Pete caught 2 good yellow belly, Petes yella was 56cm..    and Mick a cod.

The weather was warm and we managed to walk a few times a day, chatting, planning and  designing a vest we both decided to knit.

Til we meet again somewhere in the Kimberleys at this stage. Pete about to retire.













The cod...it was worth the effort of putting the boat in..'little bulldog folding boat trailer' came in handy, it travels on the back bumper of the van.


 






In Kerang, a visit to the Hawkes to check travel plans, unfortunately we did not manage to catch up with Mick's cousin Anne Chandler (Greer), her daughter Sandy was due to have here first child and they were in Bendigo..fun chat with Ivan tho!

Thanks to wikicamps we had a pleasant stop at Nyah at the rec reserve, onto Mildura and a coffee with Frank and Trish  Roper River friends and Frank is the great artist..

Traveling thru the area along the Murray, we noted lots of the orange trees being pulled out, many farms for sale, large vineyards everywhere and many almond and olive plantations.

Cullulleraine, at lock 9 on the Murray was a night stop over, we had stayed there many years ago.