Friday, we woke to yet another fabulous day and I was reminded of the endless clear skies we experienced on our travels in more northern parts of the country last year. While Victoria invites a lifetime of sightseeing all by itself, it also offers the variety of weather I have lived with in New Zealand most of my life.
Chris had not been feeling himself over the past few days and had agreed that if he were no better this morning, he would see a doctor. Now, if you, the reader, are a woman of maturity, you will understand that such a decision by one’s husband (father, brother or whatever) should be acted upon before they change their mind. Men generally have an aversion to doctors as most of us have to dentists, so one should strike while the iron is hot. We quickly packed up after breakfast and made our way back into Sale where we eventually found a Medical Centre, although telephoning would have made that exercise a whole lot easier, but who am I to say anything?
It was well after midday when appointments and tests were all complete, so we decided to head back out to Marley Point and resume our travel itinerary, such as it is, today. Obviously our spot was taken by other motorhomes who had arrived but the atmosphere was the same convivial rally camaraderie, a rarity in our lives these days. And needless to say, the gulls, pelicans, swifts, butcher birds and other birds about in this perfect space were as welcoming as they had been the afternoon before.
We slept late this morning, partly due to the fact that I had sat up late watching a mindless chick-flick on the television and partly due to the fact that Marley Point has to be one of the most peaceful spots visited for some time. I had expected weekend fishermen to be out at the lake soon after dawn, however there were few vehicles and trailers in the car park when I peered out the blinds. Obviously this was all out of respect for the cauliflower campers in the region due to the annual CMCA rally.
Despite this lazy start to the day, we left the point before 10 am, back on to the Princes Highway and heading in an easterly direction. Soon we came to Stratford situated on the Avon River, which in turn flows into Lake Wellington. We paused here to explore the town, which is well promoted in the brochures, but found it to be disappointingly small. There is a small pretty park in the main street, a lolly shop (so many of these throughout Victoria!), an old grocery shop selling furnishings and knickknacks of the exotic Middle East, a model train shop, an IGA superette, a chemist, a café, a bakery, but not much more, or at least nothing further to catch our attention.
Stratford does hold an annual Shakespeare Festival within a month or so and I imagine that would be the time to come and stay. We however will be long gone from the area by then.
Bairnsdale is just forty nine kilometres further east and was our destination for the day. We found our way to this caravan park, checked in for at least three days, set up and attacked the mountains of laundry that have accumulated over the past twelve days or so, neglected because of the bad weather and busy touring activity. Apart from popping back down to the town centre to fill the diesel tanks, we stayed in camp, watching the sun shine on the washing and doing little else. The forecast is for continuing good weather and we have several days of side trips planned.
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