Day 32 – Emerald Beach to Home (via Nabiac)

Thank goodness we opted for the cabin stay as it rained almost all night. Packing up a wet tent would have really been awful, especially on our last day. I left Clare, E and Harps to sleep in while I snuck out for a few laps in the heated pool to freshen up…

After a relaxed breakfast and pack up, we left Emerald Beach just after 9am with a plan to meet Clare’s dad for lunch at 12pm in Nabiac. Unfortunately we struck endless roadworks on the way, as well as some treacherous rain which caused traffic to crawl almost to a complete stop due to visibility being down to a few metres only.

We arrived at Nabiac right on 1pm and had a beautiful lunch at Greenhouse Cottage. Harper enjoyed seeing ‘Pa’ and having a crawl around on the timber floors. Suitably replenished and with just a few hours separating us from home, we bid farewell and continued south.

The unusually cooperative traffic of Pennant Hills Road allowed us to make good time of the journey. We dropped Ethan off at his dads, before travelling the handfull of kms towards home. Something that had slipped our mind however, was the fact our pillows and doona were still packed up in the tent. With the rain falling, the temperature having dropped to 16deg and Harper at the end of her tether, we needed to find somewhere under cover to open the tent…and fast!! – Woolah, the undercover carpark of Domain just off Mulgoa Road proved our saviour. Having closed some hours prior, we had a clear carpark to perfome the snappiest of tent unfolding…

In record time, Clare was crawling inside the partially open tent and literally throwing the bed clothes out the small opening. They were promptly tossed unceremoniously into the space vacated by Ethan moments prior, the camper re-folded and we were on our way home…Feeling a touch melancholly, I guided the Prado into our street, officially signalling the end of our holiday at 6:30pm….

Once inside, we were greeted with fresh flowers and numerous ‘Welcome Home’ signs placed throughout the house by Mum and Dad. A fresh tea bun and milk in the fridge a welcome touch also…After over 9300kms and 155hrs in the car, we had all returned home, safe and in one piece…just!!!

Thanks for taking the time to read, and I hope you have enjoyed following our little adventure…Stay tuned as in the coming days, each traveller will provide their individual highlights, lowlights, Thank goodness I packed…, Why did I pack that…, I’d like to re-visit…, With more time I’d wish I had…

Some Interesting Facts:

– We travelled 9,307kms from door to door

– We were in the Prado for approximately 155 hours

– Our recorded fuel expenditure was $2722.06 (although we think we lost a docket or two somewhere along the way

– Our most expensive fuel (with a receipt we can find) was at Musgrave Roadhouse @ $1.84 per litre – Nb: Petrol @ Bramwell Junction was in excess of $2.70 and I know we filled up there…

– The Prado fuel economy averaged 21 litres per 100km towing the camper…

– It took 4hrs to clean just the outside of the camper trailer prior to its return.

– There’s one St Dominics baseball hat floating around Bamaga Airport or on a Skytrans plane somewhere…

– Zippers and Velcro in a camper are not condusive to a sleeping baby…

– Red dust gets into everything, even this laptop – which is squeaking as I type this…

Places we stayed:

Nabiac, Lennox Head, Big4 Hervey Bay, Big4 Rockhampton, Big4 Townsville, Big4 Cairns (Coconut), Musgrave Roadhouse, Bramwell Station, Seisia Holiday Resort, Weipa Caravan Park, Eliot Falls, Lakeland Caravan Park, Big4 Mission Beach, Big4 Airlie Beach, Southside Village Rockhampton, Mooloolaba, Big4 Emerald Beach

Before:

After:

Stripped of her ‘toughness’, cleaned and ready for return to school duties…