OzGeomuster 3

We left Tallawong early in the morning and planned to be in Bathurst just after lunch, but things didn't quite go to plan....

Dianne discovered that she didn't really have clothes for colder temperatures and her sister had warned that it could be cold and wet on the coast, so we decide to stop at Mudgee to top up with fuel and do some shopping.  Even wanted to find a geocache, or two....

We did our shopping and I, like Dianne, came away with a few T-shirts, which were dirt cheap at Big W.  We did look for a geocache, but there were too many DNFs on it and we were also running out of time. However, we did NOT fill up with fuel!

It was only at Ilford, at the turn-off to Sofala, that I remembered and had a look at my fuel gauge.  Oh boy!  That did not look good!  We got our mobile phones out to look on the fuel app to find out where the nearest pump was and there wasn't one near.  What to do?  We didn't have much choice and had to take the long way around to Capertree as returning to Mudgee was too far and thus out of the question.  From my fuel history I had roughly calculated that I would probably have fuel for another 12 km and that was stretching it.  Capertree was a mere 28 km away!  We prayed, crossed our fingers, and everything else we could cross, and kept going, and going, and...... finally..... arrived at the pump with a few litres to spare!  I now have a mind to make a little card that I can put on my steering wheel when I plan to get fuel so that I don't forget when I start driving!

Well, after that bit of excitement we needed a coffee!  We also had lunch (the pies were great at the shop) as we found a nice parking lot across the road and then were ready to start again into the direction of Bathurst, albeit with a bit of a detour this time as we were heading for Lithgow rather than Bathurst.

We made it to Vivienne's place mid afternoon and the lovely person she is, she had lunch waiting for us!  Of course, there is always room for more...

We stayed a few days at Viv's.  We went for a walk with her and friend Betty, we did some shopping (shoes come to mind!), Dianne visited her aunt who lives in Bathurst and of course we did some geocaching as well, with and without Viv.

The first cache again is an earth cache, found near where Viv lives.

#1862 - Rock Around the Cemetery

#1863 - 202 Howick

#1864 - Rescue Me

One that I couldn't find last year, but found it very fast this time

#1865 - BACK 'O BINC

#1866 - Ghosts of Machattie

Couldn't find this either last year, but did so this time with the help of Dianne

#1867 - Ol Skool

There were a few more that we looked for together, because I had not been able to find them on my own, but even two pairs of eyes couldn't do it.  Ah well, you can't win them all...

Machattie Park - Bathurst

All in all we had a great time, and I am not saying too much if I tell you I am going to miss Viv's cooking again!  Oh well, I'll miss Viv and the cats Hazel and Audry too..... ;-)

All good things come to an end, so way say goodbye:

And so we are making our way slowly to Morisset, but we're not there yet.  We take the Bells Line of Road through the Blue Mountains and our next stop is Richmond where we stop off at the cemetery, because Dianne wants to find a grave of one of her ancesters.

Lucky for us there is also a (multi)cache (and another one that we couldn't find).

#1868 - Lowlands#9

Since we are close to the RAAF base there are plenty or large planes coming over.

Venturing closer to the Sydney area and the east coast the free camps are few and far between.  We tried to book a spot at the Richmond caravan park, but they were fully booked out because or Easter.

So, our next camp for the night is going to be further down the road at a Student Pickup near Clarendon, opposite the RAAF base.  We also go in search of a nearby cache, but there are many DNFs on it, so we are not suprised that we can't find it.

The following morning we decide to look around at Pitt Town and will then head into the direction of Beecroft.  

In Pitt Town we find a roadside spot to have our lunch and next go in search of a cache while we have time to do so.

view on the hills in Pitt Town

#1869 - Friendship

Next stop is Beecroft, where we are going to meet one of the 5W members (Women Welcome Women World Wide), Lee and her husband Peter.  I had contacted her earlier and asked to meet for coffee or lunch, but see insisted we stay the night and have dinner with them.  It was a great meeting and I hope to repeat this kind of meeting again overseas.

view from bedroom window at Beecroft

Lee, Dianne and me

After a lovely time with Lee and Peter we drive to Gosford, where I will meet granddaughter Mady and Dianne her sister Sharon.

The plan was to stay overnight in the camper when visiting Mady, but the road is on an enormous slope and sleeping in the camper would almost mean standing on my head! As Dianne was invited by Sharon to stay the night they ask me to join them there too.

Sharon came to pick up Dianne and I went to see Mady, her boyfriend Liam and meet his mother Debbie. After coffee Debbie suggests a sightseeing tour around the Gosford area and we visit Woy Woy and Terrigal.  It is as beautiful out there as I have always imagined it to be.

On the way back we have lunch, fish and chips, at a take-away in Gosford and then Debbie goes to work and I return with Mady and Liam.  We watch a few movies to pass the time and later that night I drive to Narara, another part of Gosford, where Sharon and Bruce live.  We have a cuppa and a chat until it's time for bed.

Debbie, Mady, Liam and me (selfies are not easy without a selfie stick!)

And then the day arrives that we can make our way to Morisset and the Mega.  We fill up with fuel at Ourimba and after a short drive we arrive at the Morisset Showground where we will stay until morning morning.