Day 112 - 2nd August

Macclesfield

Distance Travelled - 33 km

Slept in until about 8.30 am, very much enjoying being in a bed inside rather than in the tent. Whilst I have very much enjoyed the time away being in the tent so much is beginning to lose its novelty. Had a yummy breakfast of bacon and eggs with Aunty Jan and Uncle John before heading off to the hardware store in Strathalbyn to get some methylated spirits for the camp stove. I had pretty much run out and will need some for the trip back across the Nullabor.

Spent most of the rest of the day bumming around procrastinating about packing the car but after reading for a while, posting the blog, chatting and having lunch finally decided that I should do it. Filled up the water bottles and packed things away in the car making room for a few things from here that have to go back and tidying up from my laziness of the past week or so in regards to putting things back where they belong in the car.

During the afternoon I got a call from one of the local CFS (Country Fire Service) guys who is with the Macclesfield brigade and as a result went down to the station a few km away and chatted to them for a while. It appears the local network is alive here. I went to the station yesterday and could not find anyone there (not unusual for volunteer stations) or a number to contact anyone so went to the pub and asked the lady behind the bar if she knew of anyone in the brigade. She said she would try and find someone but it might take a while so she took my number and off I went. Well apparently she did more than try because today i got the call. Went to the station and chatted for half an hour or so with a couple of the guys from the brigade and had a quick look through the station. The trend of being warmly welcomed by fellow brigades has continued.

Coming back from the station I spent some time cleaning some very soot covered cooking pans and then chilled out in front of the fire in the main house until tea time. Aunty Jan once again provided a magnificent meal of roast chicken and veges followed by chocolate pudding. YUMMY!

After tea I made a few phone calls and sorted the last things ready for departure tomorrow and wrote the blog. No photography again today. Tomorrow I will look at leaving relatively early (well by 8 am anyway) and get to Streaky Bay for the night. Then it will be off towards Eucla on Tuesday, Norseman on Wednesday and into Southern Cross on Thursday all things being equal but it is still only a tentative plan and will depend on weather and driving conditions.