Chaffey Bend

Much cooler night so we both had a good sleep. Our Aussie Christmas started with a wake up call from the kookaburras and a kangaroo hopped past us as we walked to the toilet. It was a lovely slow relaxing day, croissants for breakfast with a lovely large pot of coffee for me. We were responding to lots of messages which was lovely too. Next a walk along the river checking out the house boats, the trail is also a biking track so we decided to get the bikes out. It was a great track along the river and we were loving it when Regan got a flat tyre. Of course we were 5.7km from the camp so it was a long walk back in 26 degrees.

Obviously we were rather hot by then so it was good motivation to brace the Murray River for a swim. It went against everything we had been taught about not swimming where you can't see the bottom but it was perfect. The river is a slow moving muddy lifeblood for 2508km of Australia.

Lunch was ham/turkey salad and potatoes. We found some mint next to the camp kitchen which added to the potato pot and gave us a taste of home. We toasted the day with a lovely sparkling Merlot that we had bought at our last orphan Christmas at Albany in WA 3 years ago. It had been squeezed in the car for the trek across the Nullarbor and was very much appreciated with lunch. I rustled up dessert with raspberries, cream and shortbread.

Relaxing afternoon reading, watching families swimming, and another short walk. We finished the day with sandwiches and a nice bottle of wine - pretty perfect. Regan had a bit of drama later in the evening when the shower head fell off and shot hot water over all his clothes so he returned to the camper looking like a drowned rat with everything soaked.Read more