Arrived sometime after 2PM and promptly fell asleep. Saw this new sign that the two blokes in a ute were discussing last time I was here. No doubt meant to impress. Whatever it is.
Geez it was a tough day, from lack of sleep and the mental impact of the murderous ute viper and the pricks last night. Really put me off being on the road.
On the way into yhe shower I met L who is a terrific arts aficionado and could become a friend. Chatted inside the dark theatre for a long time so I was late leaving Batemans Bay. Left 11.37AM.
Chatting animatedly with L helped disperse thoughts of badness in people.
Stopped in at Shoalhaven campground. Not as busy as expected, and there’s a return of permanents. Very shabby all over.
It’s hot up here, as well. But I’m settled in a spot I like, cooking dinner, and looking forward to an evening hopefully without noise.
Early move to Queanbeyan showers and the hospital, tomorrow. Healthy, educated, decent, sane people. How very much I need to be there.
I’m utterly exhausted and unwell. Trying to balance blood sugars after everything being thrown into turmoil.
The renters of this campervan on this date are a danger to the public. I’ve already contacted the company’s stupid chatbot to get it in the system and I’ll be calling and/or writing to them about it.
Best sleep for many months. Quiet. No traffic nearby. Away from the nasty bastard who fantasises about murdering.
The view just now through the window.
9.30 AM
Sitting in the can in the secondary shower spot sth side of the river wondering wtf I’m going to do. Tempted to stay another night at Riverside because it was so pleasant!
Beats the badvibe Waldrens as it was recently as well as the noise of it and Bungendore where I’d be going.
Doctors Canberra Wednesday, so it’s go up today or tomorrow.
Having a shower now. No rush
6.10 PM
Did manage to het some painting done. Not a pleasant day, me rudderless, drove to various places to settle and paint. Ended up at Riverside Park because people using other places.
Just had dinner here at Riverside and one of my fears about staying here fired up at about 6PM. Permanent settlement in humpies playing loud music.
Heard them do it before. Just lucky last night because I’ve heard it too often. There are literally campers here everywhere you look, maybe thirty, and those selfish arseholes couldn’t give a shit.
Some campers, eight vehicles I can see, are within 40m of the pricks.
Depending on how long it goes, I’m going to have to leave. I also don’t want the full sun of the truckstop if the Pests Of Waldrens Swamp are still down.
I’m heading off tomorrow, and really need to leave the Moruya area.
I don’t know how long I can keep up this getting hassled.
7.45 PM
At Waldrens Swamp. No one here with me at the cars section. A truck in the truckstop section – idling so loudly I can hear it where I am.
Windows nearly fully closed and some videos hopefully should see off the truck. No Pests unless they do a late turn up which is possible.
Anyway, it’s highway noisy as ever and people will arrive but it’s better than a selfish prick playing music loudly.
Only concern is the murderous viper turns up, but not likely.
8.10PM
So a hire camper van turns up music blaring three kids half pissed, unload chairs straight onto my side making a fucking racket. Clueless drinking
8.33 PM
So I stick my head out of the window and ask them to go somewhere else if they want to party. Nice kid says sure mate here for a quiet night. I tell them it’s a rest area, I’m here nice and quiet not disturbing anyone, and the place is for getting sleep so I don’t have a head on tomorrow. They got it. Here for a quiet night he said again, I thanked them for listening and wished them a nice night. But quickly they drove off, since a quiet night wasn’t their thing at all.
Peace again, for now anyway. But fuck they were inconsiderate rowdy and, thankfully, realised it.
8.45 PM
A red station wagon drives by with a rooftop – I thought it was a Pest. But it’s a girl on her own I think and quiet as a mouse.
Got headphones in out of consideration and maybe now can watch something and relax.
12.40 AM
The prick kids arrived back about 9.20 PM and I was nearly getting to sleep. Doors sliding and banging, cooked dinner on the gravel, constant crunching, clash banging, doors banging sliding doors screeching and banging, giggles muted by the ringleader menace doors banging, slising door crunching bangingning walking around crunching – nonstop unt 12.10 AM.
With someone right beside them.
My worst night ever.cEver. On the road
I left Moruya for this, I didn’t drive to Canberra for hospital so as to get a good sleep tonight.
Worst ever.
12.47 AM now and it’ll be a long time to get to sleep. I’m so angrey I could baah their vehicle and wake them up!a!
Impacted by the repugnant attitude of The Pests Of Waldrens Swamp it seemed quite natural that the 2AM lout would arrive again in the truckstop section. With a girl in tow, he’s been photographed.
Only did a few burnouts, hung around for three quarters of an hour, and headed north.
Could have been worse. The worry is he smashes up my car.
Lovely rain arrived now, cooler but not cool, and misty gentle precious. Wonderful. 8.50 AM
1.30 PM
More pests. I trundled upstream to the Moruya River spot and was surprised that no cars were there. The scenes were stunning, and I photographed shapes.
Then whoom Four 4WDs pull up, several families, not one person looked with interest at me painting right there in front of them. They had to go around me to park!
Mere metres away the yobbo noises came. Four different electronic pumps, one the loudest I’ve ever heard. Pumping paddle boards and dingies.
Then the bignoting from the yobs. About the gear. About the pumps.
25 minutes later, me still trying to paint in this flesh vibrating noise, I threw my equipment loose in the van and got out of there.
So here I am now at sth side Riverside Park getting attacked by flies as bad as at Quaama. Trying to paint but it is an onslaught.
I really want to be productive after all this pestilence lately.
I don’t know where to go.
7.10 PM
Escaped from Waldrens. A bloke pulled up in a shabby ute outfit who after a while did some work with the bonnet up. Old bloke, wiry thin, taller thsn me unshaven and unkempt. Pn my way to the bin zo say, “I dont know much about them mate but if zi can help you I will.”
“Just changed the pil and put a new filter on “
“Good on you mate, wish I could do that.”
*You stoppin over?”
“Yes I’m staying the night.”
“Me too. I might pull up a bit closer to you if that’s alright.”
“If you can close the gap a bit it’ll stop someone getting in between us and bothering both you and me. Have you stayed here before.”
“No. Batemans Bay is not too far away.”
“You just have to watch for trucks. If they start up in the morning warming the engine you can kiss goodbye your morning.”
“I’m awake at 3 so it don’t bother me.”
Then he told me what does bother him. “If someone stands here, it doesn’t bother me.” He points to the ground adjacent to his ute, right up close beside it. “,If someone stands here it doesn’t bother me. But if someone puts their hand here ” he puts his hand into the ute area, where there’s a tent, “I’ll fucken kill em.”
I was shocked. He meant it. “That’s a bit final ” Isay, trying to lighten it up and he wanted my response.
“So fucken what. I’ll get two weeks. In front of a magistrate I know how to do it too. I’ll get two weeks then I’ll be out and he’ll be dead.”
This bloke might have killed before.
All aggro, he fires up, and he curses me, “I’ve been through things you wouldn’t know nothin about.”
Foolishly, trying to get rapport (I have to sleep twenty feet from him, I say, “I dont know about that.”
And then he’s accusing me fiercely. About putting him down and no one does that. I try to say no not at all, you just did he says, and he’s yelling viciously. Absolutely dangerous unhinged. “I’ve been through more troubles than you’ll ever know.”
Troubles he caused I’m sure.
“I just stopped by to see if you wanted some help.*
“Did I ask?”
I stand my ground and see there’s no cooling him off. I apologise and go to the bins. On the way back I realise there’s no way I can stay near this mentally deranged nasty battle axe.
I start the car and get out of there.
I go down river to the boatramp, but it’s still light and no one is there, there were many before, so maybe the ranger had come.
Then I drive back to Riverside Park and write this. Feeling since that the world is full of threats. What if he comes looking for me?
LESSON LEARNED FROM THE DERANGED BLOKE.
On the road, the rules of engagement are different. Keep everything surface. Relating is totally different. No assumptions. No expectations. No depth or nuance or baseline decency assumed.
Expect loner blokes to have big problems, be nasty, hateful and negative.
Fantasising About Murder
This bloke (from the above interaction) from what he told me has obviously has thought about it a lot, and relishes in the fantasy. I couldn’tget away from him quickly enough. Didn’t arrange for a proper photo, this off the dashcam That ute is dirty red in actual colour. Beware of him.
