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  • Day 116

    Time to Head Home!

    December 13, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    We got up this morning half expecting it to be pouring but the skies were clear. By the time we moved it was 10am. We kept checking the weather, in particular the radar close to Melbourne and the storm warnings. But we drove mostly in clear conditions.

    We were worried about the DSC fault in the car but other than a warning each time you start the car, and disabling the cruise control, which was annoying for Gadi driving on the freeway, it seemed ok.

    We didn’t stop until Sale, figuring it best to just keep going while the weather was good. We picked up some lunch and ate it in the caravan before continuing our journey. The skies began to darken once we reached Morwell and it finally began to rain.

    By this stage we just wanted to make it home today. We didn’t want to stop another night. We pushed on and the kilometers seemed to melt away as we inched our way home. It felt kind of poignant that we left Melbourne back on August 20 in the pouring rain and that we were returning to Melbourne in similar conditions in the middle of December.

    Our kids know we are on our way home, as does my Mum. We hope to surprise my sister and her family and everyone else in the next few days.

    Getting off the freeway into the Melbourne suburbs felt strange, in particular having to deal with traffic and people everywhere.

    As we neared home Cadbury definitely seemed on alert, whinging softly and watching everything pass by through the window. We know he will find it weird being home after travelling with us for four months. Two years ago he wanted to get straight back in the car as soon as we got home.

    We arrived home and our son was there to greet us. Of course Cadbury went nuts, which was cute to see. He did the same a couple of hours later when he saw our daughter. He was jumping and wriggling and seemed very happy. It was a lovely reunion for all of us.

    It’s always a great but strange feeling to arrive home after being away for a long time. I think we both felt the same. It’s great to see our kids and it will be great to see the rest of the family. But it feels strange to be back in a house and not to be travelling in our little home on wheels.

    Now on to all the unpacking, cleaning up and emptying the car and caravan. Once again we have had an incredible journey, seen some fantastic places, met some lovely people and made some amazing memories.

    It felt like we experienced many holidays all rolled into one journey. The great artesian way (and all the artesian baths we visited), the character-filled outback towns in NSW and Qld, reaching all the way to Karumba on the Gulf, the dry and hot Savannah Way, the magic of the green and lush Atherton Tablelands, sightseeing in Cairns (with Mum and our boy), then many mini beach holidays down the stunning East Coast mixed with some meandering into the spectacular mountains and the lovely Waterfall Way.

    We did a lot, yet still had time to relax with a glass of wine to watch the sunset. We saw so much, yet know there is still so much to explore. We experienced many firsts, but know there will be many more to come.

    Time soon to start thinking about the next journey, whether it’s just a short trip or a lengthier one. Dreaming and planning is always part of the fun!

    After 14.110 km I can finally say good night from my own bed in Melbourne!
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