Rod's prints are all over Southern Australia....

 Here I am ensconced in my grossly large room and bathroom: I can't see the 36 inch telly as it's so far from the bed. The bed itself is so large I could raise a flock of sheep on it! 

I thought I'd better sit down and figure out where Rod had driven me from Airley's Inlet on Tuesday to Thursday, before dropping me off at Ararat to catch the Overland to Adelaide.

At Airey's Inlet I was treated royally with fab food ( slowly braised beef cheeks, in red wine and creamy mash) and great Aussie wine which I bought whenever I visited the local general store.

Walks along the coast. Initially, a gentle walk with George the dog visiting his favourite smells and then more actively with Rod as we circumnavigated Australia. Rod was constantly pointing out where was  Antarctica and Tasmania just to show me how isolated is this continent. 

That was the Monday - " restful day at Airley's Inlet" - on Tuesday it was into the electric Volvo (with a 280 km range) and a very very long trip. It became clear that this was the first long trip Rod had done in the EV. Little hints ; like not knowing where the indicator switch was or the headlight dimmer which started as being AI assisted but subsequently caused us all sorts of confusion. Rod knew when the temperature had dropped since his steering wheel heated up. I was in charge of switching on the demister and on occasion shouting at Goggle Maps. 

Tuesday saw us at Cape Otway climbing the very ancient lighthouse. There was a man at the top who gave talks about its history and mechanics etc. He did that for three hours and then came down for a piss. It think it was that day we did Melba Gully on the Great Ocean Road in the Great Otway National Park. If you google it the first reference is to the public loos there. The website claims it is accessible for those with mobility issues - really. It was hugely up and down but really magnificent with tree ferns a plenty. We retraced our steps afterwards and visited the Twelve Apostles from a crowded viewing platform. 

Our overnight stay was at the Summers Rest Unit at Port Campbell, I slept in the room with  single and a bunk bed, and ate at a local diner full of screaming families - it's school holidays. Next day, Wednesday we visited The Razorbill and Thunder Cave on the coast and then headed in land to Dunkeld a lovely small town and the Old Bakery and Cafe for lunch while the EV was rapid charged - no range anxiety there. 

Once charged up we and the EV headed to the Grampians. We had passed koala land, but saw none, kangaroos there were loads and a few emus and the air filled with loud squarks from the parrot family. There had been significant forest fires in recent years in the Grampians and the damage was evident. Acres and acres of burnt, scorched trees and grassland. Amazingly, many of the tress were putting on new growth and where the tree cover had gone new life was appearing.

We spent two nights at Halls Gap in a 40 acre site which seriously felt like Bates Motel. Our accommodation was spacious and cold. It had a jacuzzi, but limited hot water and a gas oven with plenty of gas but no spark. The owner allowed Rod to trickle charge the EV overnight. At a charge rate of one electron a minute it was marginally charged when we left on Friday morning. 

On the Thursday we headed for MacKenzie's Falls. With over 200 steps down and 200 hundred up it was a challenge for "This Ol' Heart Of Mine". After such stress our next port of call was Best's Great Western winery where we did a wine tasting with nibbles. This was where in the mists of time Rod's great grandfather had help plant the first block of vines - one of the wines was from that ancient block and Rod bought a pack of six and I bought one bottle for the evening.

That evening we had dinner at the Spirit of the Punjab. It was the most unusual Indian restaurant. Firstly at the entrance outside were lifelike models of an Indian family. Inside you were greeted by a smiling robot trolley which carried the food to the table, while the meal was dished up by most surly Australian you'd ever want to meet. To order you pressed a button on the table and similarly when you wanted to pay the bill.  Otherwise it was super.

We drove from Hall Gap to Ararat, parking up at a rapid charger - range anxiety had kicked in by then and time for a coffee in a pleasant but deserted coffee shop.  All of Ararat was deserted except for the elderly and infirm. There were masses of people, at least 20, waiting as the old diesel pulled in and I was off to Adelaide.

This morning, Saturday I went shopping and visited the botanical gardens and the Australian wine centre where the Block of Best's wines which Rod ancestor helped plant was registered. I then visited the Australian Space Discovery Centre and there as part of an exhibition was the first wholly Australian satellite used for amateur radio enthusiasts, launched in 1970. On my trip with Rod, he told me about designing this all those years ago. Amazing.

Tomorrow the Ghan...