1 July, 2025 07:17

Wet before the forecast deluge. Sheltering in Batemans Bay, early, before deciding what to do. Might also go for a cold shower (unless they’ve gotten their act together) at the aquatic centre, since the gas shower today and tomorrow, at least, isn’t an option.

At 7.30AM. Worse up north.

U⁶PDATE 8.50AM

In a matter of the minutes needed to pack a bag for the short drive to the aquatic centre, wind noticeably increased. After a bit of toss up, I put away the bag and car keys.

It would be okay to go, but the risk is losing this protective spot under the bridge, which is primarily why I came here since the entirety of Moruya is hopelessly exposed.

I need to keep the van and solar panels safe. On the latter, the downside to this spot is the panels are out of action. With such heavy cloud, there’s no real benefit being exposed above anyway. I can also run the engine to address the fridge and insulin if needed.

So, playing it safe. I’ll wash somehow later in the day.

10.15AM

This is called a “vigorous coastal low” not an eas coast low: different structure and moves earlier.

Copy pasting this from phone notes:

9.25am 1st July 2025. White pulsating flashes in my left eye for a few seconds. Disorienting, disconcerting. Am quite cold and had been in the wind and rain, filling water bottles (at The Boatshed, bbay.) The eye sporadically has been irritating last few days, most recent this morning early.

2.20PM

More like a basic cold, wet southerly, this. To worsen, they say, variously, this afternoon, tonight, tomorrow.

5PM

Shit day. I was hoping it might be exhilarating in the manner and memory of Turner, who loves storms as I do. But it was just shitty. Cold, windy, wet.

I’m protected here; even so, looking downriver out to sea there are whitecaps heading crossrivper, northwards, but you get that without these incessant major warnings.

The nomenclature doesn’t help. Different agencies and media outlets have different regions for “south coast”. Up north, in Jervis Bay, for instance, it’s horrific- also referred to as south coast.

We’re pretty forgotten down here.

I got out of the van a few times, but don’t want to risk getting wet, freezing, then sick. There is another day and two nights of this, worse, they reckon.

So just being an old homeless guy in a van trying to get out of the weather, perhaps to some in the guise of a traveller. More down and out, though, than anything else.

Quite dark now after a comparatively dark afternoon. Dinner is cooked. This spot is a haunt, so we’ll see how it goes settling into a cold wet windy night.

8.40PM

P-plate pains in the arse. Hooning up the street lacking car control skills, banging car doors now about 150 times, whatever that’s about, doof doof brainless music and aggro inanity. Fuckwits.