Canberra ACT, Nimmitabel, Bredbo, Christmas shop

Well, today (yesterday actually, but why spoil a god story with facts) is the day unfortunately. No more extending, no more procrastinating. It’s time to go home.

One last walk on the beach, one last breakfast in the sunshine, a round of goodbyes and then that was that. All over for another year.

Our track today is up through Bega, Bemboka and a stop at Nimmitabel for coffee and a yummy snack. We pulled in behind another old Viscount van, this one covered in paintings of volcanos and trees and vines and the like. And it’s door was glass with a carved timber frame around it. The two proud owners were taking their coffee at the outdoor table and chairs on the footpath right next to it, ready to bail-up anyone silly enough (like us) to stop and look and point at it. They eagerly launched into their story of how the van once belonged to RM Williams and that they bought it from a bloke who bought it from Williams. When they got it, it was covered in ropes designs and was fitted out with lots of coat hanger hooks on the inside and how the shower had no floor. They repainted it themselves and the fellow made the door claiming he was a cabinet maker and artist. They further went on to tell us that they had contacted the Williams’ family and they confirmed that the van provenance probably was as they claimed, but then went on to state that they wanted no further connection with or anything to do with anything that was related to their late father. Why they chose to tell us all of this family gossip I really don't know. lets just say it’s ‘colour’. I’m certain that I've seen this van somewhere before in the last year or two. It may have even been in Nimmitabel or at the old caravan show in Canberra last year.

Anyhow, we took our leave and took to the road before they did, just in case. We flew through Cooma and in no time were pulling up in front of the Christmas Shop in Bredbo where we spent an hour browsing through the worlds biggest collection of Christmas ‘stuff’.Soon enough however, we were back into the environs of Canberra and then pulling up in front of our very own home, and so yet another grand tour of Australia comes to an end.

Some trivial things for those interested: 

• We left on 1st June and got back on 15th September.
• The van covered 11040 km, the car covered 20,000 km
• We had a great time, but probably wont travel north to south again at that time of year, it’s just too cold. The new car behaved itself perfectly; it has a few idiosyncrasies and is quirky in the instruments and information displays, but it went well, is comfortable, and when i figured out how to elect 6th gear manually, wasn't too thirsty, and was serviced twice, for free!!! The van only developed one small problem when the pantry cupboard began coming apart, more of a design oversight on my behalf when i replaced the original slide out pantry which fell apart last year, and which i rectified easily enough with a bit of aluminium strip and some small screws from Bunnings.
• Most disappointing: The pub at Mandorah was closed forever
• Most inspirational: the three little echidna crossing the road nose-to-tail in the forest somewhere in the south east of Victoria.

Anyhow, that’s it for this trip. Thanks for viewing!Brian & Judy

Judy still trying to catch that elusive fish. They were on holidays, it seems. Tathra NSW

Judy in her most favourite shop outside of Millers, The Christmas  shop in Bredbo NSW