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All aborad for the great 4WD adventure!

Well, I must be worthy of an upgrade again, thanks to the friendly people at AVIS Mt Gambier. In a flight of excitement and desperation to exit the confines of this small city, I arranged car hire late on Friday afternoon to pick up on Sunday. Timing it right, I would use it to commute to work Monday morning, expectant of rainy climes that are known in these parts at this time of year. Some patient told me that Mt Gambier had one third of it's rainfall on Tuesday June 30th, last week. And similar rates throughout the Stae I am told too. So much for having one half of Auckland's rainfall, I am certain it is as wet here as at home!

Backtracking a bit....Saturday was pampering day...long time no pamper, and so booked in for a depp tissue massage at the local 'Fuss' massage and beauty clinic. Fuss they did, and bruised I got - well it feels like it anyway. But this was a pacth on the bodily response to a japanese shiatsu massage from March this year where my lower back swelled up and bruises appeared the following day. It must have been all that flexing and rotating of the spine I think, too much for someone of poor musculoskeletal constitution like me. Very much worth the $60 AUD, although maybe I undid the good pain she inflicted by carrying my groceries on my back home..after trying to get Telstra to confirm some issues with my mobile phone (the customer service itself is worthy of a complaining blog, but keeping this light I will avoid any negativity, which I get plenty of from my patients at present!!)

Sunday the action began with a cycle around the gorgeous Blue Lake, swinging down to Moorak and back to Carinya gardens, near the cemetery. After lunch, the Avis man came to pick me up and take me to the airport for the vehicle collection. This is standard procedure, as Mt G has no offices in town to collect cars, bugger! We started chatting about Mt G and travel outside your own confines or country etc...this place is great if you like rural lifestyles, but I miss the eclectism and diversity of a bigger city. Asked if I was scared to go to eastern Europe, and why I make the effort to cycle around Mt G, all I can say is 'it is here and so has to be done'. You cannot curl up in a ball, read your book and never venture away - I can do that in Auckland anytime, but being here is impetus to explore!

Anyway, the car was a ritzy upgrade, again, to Mitsubishi Outlander 4wd, should I wish to do some sand duning or bush wacking. After being caught at the fruit markets chatting to the orchadist about kiwis in Australia and of all things, travelling to Xian to see the Terracotta Warriors on an Intrepid trip, I finally made tracks towards nelson. Side tracked a bit to hells Hole, one majorly scary sinkhole about 20km from Mt G, where various trampolines, vehicles and rubbish have been thrown in and is the subject of diver exploration with suitable permit. I could not quite stare over the rail, it was so high!!!!

Then onwards to nelson, not as big as the Kiwi version, and more like an estuarine campground with many walks along the Glenelg river, another famous one in Australia. They cruise up and down, but to walk it's picturesque banks and take pictures was enough entertainment for me. After travelling forwards in time, I rewound the clock and returned to SA, stopping at Picanninie Ponds, site of another diver exploration spot, and crystal clear fresh water only meters from the open Southern ocean. Looked like any other swamp area but water clarity suggests it is a little more special than first thought! By now, dark and quiet were falling, and with nobody around, feeling rather vulnerable, I climbed aboard the 4WD tractor again and gaeded to Port MacDonell just in time for a cloudy sunset and wander along the smally weedy but fresh wind promenade. The cafe, Periwinkles, is said to be good, but with companions absent due to dog sitting and neice sitting obligations, I settled for a look at the customs house and sussing out house prices for comparisons, as you do. It seems that $299,000 buys you a modest 3 bedroom beachside abode, or $110000 a tidy section at port MacDonnell. I am not tempted.

So that is it, another gas guzzling but exciting weekend adventure. May the next one - Melbourne to see friends, roll around not too far away....

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