Author: Rob

7.32 AM

Actually had a sleep straight through, after about 10PM. Had a coffee then warmed the engine, drove to Yarralumla shops to bin waste, then driving past my spot, still dark, a car had reverse parked like I had in the very same place. Strange.

Then came here to Kings Park and thankfully the toilets were open.

Very tired, though.

Realised again this morning the terrible feeling of being an outcast, a fugitive having to move on well before dawn.

2.35 PM

At Lake Ginnindera. Spent a lot of time and expensive petrol going out to BBQGalore at Belconnen- the worst most idiotic designed place ever. Then same trying to find a park. No, they don’t do gas, but Anaconda at Gungahlin does. I xalled to check.

Then idiotic Belconnen coupled with idiotic Google maps failed me, and I’m swinging out wide through the outer suburbs. Got back to a main road, got gas, got petrol, got groceries.

Then here. I’ll try the night. Good Friday tomorrow, could be bad tonight but would be anywhere, so what can I do. It’s as good as any.

It is lush and green. Those 2.30AM sprinklers!

7.30 PM

Beautiful evening sunset, surrounded by lush trees – and no worries about a monster mongrel motorhome bruising in crowding me out. So good.

Left Lake Ginnindera quite happily and somewhat confused. It’s luscious in parts, healthy water, friendly people, nice desugn. And very strange at night.

Took a long while to shower. Came to the lake (Burley Griffin) and got 3 buckets of water. Drove around, spots taken until I remembered the best. Fabulous shower.

Then did nothing. Went nowhere. One spot to another, around the lake. Wasting petrol and saving it at the same time.

Thought about kayaking, about painting. Too tired for either.

Superb day, hotter than expected.

Can’t kayak in this lake anyway: algae and disease.

Now 3 PM and shooting for a bit of energy.

7 PM

Through the van window.

5 35 PM

I’m at Lake Ginnindera with food cooked and an anxious feeling while I try out this new stopover spot. Locals are lovely but the toilets nearby get shut at either 8 PM or 10 and I might get in trouble. Night locals might be different: nearby are hoon burnout marks.

Left Mawson early in the dark so as not to cause a problem. Had a good sleep there.

Showered at Weston Park. Then explored Scrivener Dam, and Black Mountain Peninsula where I had to sleep being tired again.

Woolies at Belconnen. Mongrel big shopping complexes. Then to here.

Met a muso who went to Lyneham. Knew The Mourners and others I knew. Great rapport, lovely terrific bloke.

A different Canberra day, visiting sites of my youth and places I had wanted to see.

Photos show morning at Weston Park, Scrivener Dam, views from Black Mtn Peninsula and Lake Ginnindera (where I’m hoping to sleep).

8 35 PM

So far so good. At least 3 other cars here, probably overnighting.

From sunset:

9.05 PM

Flashing orange lights stopped, bloke with a torch at the toilets, no contact with anyone. Drove off. Might be in the clear for the night re authorities.

Stressful, the first one in a place.

How it panned out:

Weird. Cars drove in and back out. Locals, it felt like, checking out who’s in. A couple of cars a bit rowdy.

I woke up several times, every time because of a car. Sometimes people walked nearby. Hard to get used to because it was hard to know what was going on. It’s like a project you’re in.

At 2.30 a mechanical noise flared up and then noisy sprinklers. Often, again, O thought I was hallucinating from half asleep.

Sprinklers ran for about 20 minutes. None wet the carpark.

Flashing orange lights again from council workers, in the dark. Attending to something in front of the carpark but not bothering us (3 other vehicles) including when a worker went beside the van to the bin.

Very strange place. Trippy.

Arrived Weston Park to have a second coffee and not spook Mawson locals. Slept all the way through Action Man must have left sometime, don’t know when.

Fog around. Lovely.

Drove at about 9 to civic pool but couldn’t get a park, do drove all the way back. Had a shower overlooking the lake where I’ve showered before. Fabulous.

Ironed another shirt – inverter going perfectly – then to barton lakeside then to parliament house for Question Time. Uneventful.

4.30 PM

Cooking dinner in the Athlon side carpark at Mawson as had to get groceries. Intend to stay here. See how it goes.

7.50 PM

So far so good. In this Athlon carpark spot, all to myself now, for now. Athlon Rd is noisy non stop but so long as no one comes in beside me, engine going, music playing, I can handle traffic.

The 7 eleven (i think) service station that I’m behind has run out of petrol. Long day, I filled up there in the dark this morning, thought I should take it while I could. Glad I did.