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Half a burner. Anaconda $40 rubbish. I paid 20 a couple of months ago. Still a waste.

6.45 AM

Very tired. Sleep is peaceful here, being away from highway noise, but I wake tired. Country air, too. Must be me.

Awake at 11.50PM for a while, then again at around 4 AM. Found a toilet. Took a while to find somewhere (photo of an attempt, no good)then where I could stay on the bed, have coffee with NYT, and not attract attention – the primary goal since 4, when I quickly left the overnight spot.

Fully overcast. Quite dim.

8.55 AM

I’m parked doing NYT beside vast fields of grass, parallel to the long bridge. No homes anywhere. Just long avenues of trees that go towards Bega River, alongside it, then away from it.

Must be 20 nuses have gone past. Sometimes in pairs. One after the other almost non stop.

Who could they possibly be picking up? How very strange.

They turn left and go beside me to the river.

10.40 AM

Shower Spot Surprise

Found this location and thought I might get away mostly unnoticed. But no. A landcruiser swings left and can only be coming for me. Not a ranger. A local, and to show it he drives right in close. I think of the Quaama Creep Stalker and don’t want a hassle here.

“G’day mate” says the bloke, frosty eyes from a life in the sun, knows his way around a beer obviously, and a little white dog on his arm head out the window. “That toilet block just up the hill there,” I know it and favour it, “there are showers in that. So you don’t have to…” points to my set up.

“Hot showers? Seriously?”

“Yeah mate, round the back.”

“Champion,” I tell him and mean it. We chat quickly.

A helpful and considerate person. Can hardly believe it. Uplifting.

Swim Spot

12.40 PM

Has to be here. Downstream from the juncture, and lovely place to park and have a coffee or, just now, lunch as well.

This really is good. Especially considering I couldn’t get to the river at Brogo.

Must come here in Winter, with the fog and mist.

Bought a new burner stove from BigW. Exactly the same as the Anaconda one which melted the metal. See above. Might not last, either.

3.30 PM

Long day. Heatwave. Tired to the bone. Wanted to paint but no energy. Hard to find spots that are fresh, because another night in the same place could have prompted a concern with the natives.

Now at the oval in the shade, but close to the long bridge which is very loud re traffic. I saw also Council was spraying where I was. Not good.

So will chill out here and wait it out. My skull is better.

From earlier:

8 40 PM

FRIDAY NIGHT UNDER THE BEGA BRIDGE

Could be disastrous. Perfect hangout for kids in loud cars. But there are plenty of other places. I don’t expect a good sleep however.

Had a towel shower and was immediately hot again afterwards. Since the wind stopped late afternoon it’s been a stinker.

Oh well. One for the memories whenever I drive over the bridge.

In respect of early citizens (soon) and the gratitude of a pleasant place to sleep for the night, warmed the engine and left.

With nightshot setting and shaky hand:

Skull has stopped permanently hurting. And wow am I careful not to hit it again.

4 PM 100m away

Just along a bit, risking another night on this stretch. Too buggered to go looking. Been a day of obstacles.

Took until midday to have a shower. Folding bucket collapsed, people came. Went looking for another spot, the tank was empty. Went and filled up, the tank had water in it. Back to the river park, hot water grom the jet rather than two butane kettles, and got it done.

More attempts at Windows update, possibly 6 hours on it all up by now. No good. Groceries. 3 cushions $3 each. Got the update but then it tried to do it again and failed. Four more hours. Did banking: been expensive. Bit depressing.

Bit of a walk around the hilly streets.

But lovely green, right here.

First coffee in the shopping centre empty parking lot. Why not.

Worst sleep since living in the van. Awake at 12.40 AM.

6.10 AM

Lifesaver. Found a toilet. Bega I think is extraordinarily bad regarding public toilets and I knew staying here would be a problem. I went up to the shopping centre doors, aching but locked. Then happened to fluke upon a clean modern amenity.

That’s one homeless daily task sorted.

Terrible night. Truck sounding vehicle crawled past and woke me up. It stopped 60m away and turned off its lights. But that was it. Very uncomfortable aboutbeing in that spot, and anxious about my life in general per usual. Mostly I hope my life is nearing the end and I think a lot about dying and death.

Skull is still sore. Not good.

Having coffee number two beside a pond (Bega: the pond) and listening to raucous birds.

I am going to need some sleep today, and find a new place for tonight.

Curse on the Quaama Stalker. Fuck you.

9.30 AM

Very hot in the van already. Temperatures don’t cool until Monday, apparently. Heatwave persisting at Nimmitabel Cooma until then. Have to be careful here. No idea what to do now, today, tomorrow.

I’d get through a few days if the Quaama Creep stalker left me alone. I feel like telling the General Store, but in that weird place anything could blow up.

Note to self: do not presume people are thoughtful and decent. Not on hot, emitive topics. You can hit the dark lode real quick.

3.40 PM

Pulled ip in the same corridor of trees as last night, but farther back, towards the oval, because some camper got my old spot up nearer the causeway.

I’ll try another night here, and probably the early bolt if I don’t get the boot or fined before then.

Turned out a pretty superb day. I got some shade in the parks beside the river bank, which though hot was acceptable enough to just lay down and close the eyes. Might’ve slept a bit but was rejuvenated well.

Then I read a plaque and discovered this part of the river is the junction of Bega and Broga Rivers. So I swam right where the waters met!!

Very shallow, a couple of feet deepest, but clear (that’s not mud in the pics) fresh and fast running. So I lay on my back and scraped the bum along gravel and spun in the current and cooled right off.

And…it is stunning. A very typical Australian bush, tree and river creek scene. Paintings everywhere I looked.

It’s important I have these simple experiences in the landscape, because I realized today the people are only going to let me down if I’m hanging experiential value on them. I needed to mentally send the Quaama Stalker bastard into perspective.

So it’ll end well if I can sleep undisturbed. That’s a day I didn’t spend $25 on petrol and wear the car, too, which is important to me. I have to get a better handle on it.

Poor fridge struggling all day. Heatwave everywhere but once the breeze came up it was bearable, and it’s a shocker up top (Nimmitabel) and elsewhere.

BROGO & BEGA RIVERS JUNCTURE

The exact place.

Where I ‘swam’.

Because of the stalker.

4.10 PM

Having a coffee under shade trees next to the Bega River at the Bega reserve.

Another deadshit day but I did get to see some things. Sore skull so I’ve got a problem.

First, after the horrible incident of the stalker waving creepy creepy at me – like a horror movie this – I headed south and showered at a gravel storepit nortb of Bega.

Then saw all the heatwave warnings for Nimmitabel and up there where I’m hoping to go.

So couldn’t do that. Knew I had to stay away from stalkervilke.

Drove Bega to Tathra, not too far and spectacular. Extremely windy on the coast. Lunch at Tathra.

No idea where to stay. Thought I’d maybe find a spot. Drove to Tura and stopped at the shops. Got new scratchies for old $10 win.

From there looking for spots all the way to Bega. Possible spots across from shops and at a junction on that Bermagui to Tathra road north of shops (Harvey Norman Woolies).

Great spot on highway- travelling south from Bega, double lanes up a hill, then next a turn off left with possible spot at the sth side of the junction, then the great spot is on western side around a few bends. The spot is a cleared crescent that goes back away from the highway a fair bit. Trees shrubs on border and possible views west. Quite high elevation.

When arriving in Bega I drove all around, all under and over and criss-crossed it, went to the Snowy Mtns Turnoff area of dust and wind and 3way traffic and a truck had it filled up, back up to the lookout and sought a spot I could sleep, none nowhere, so thought I’d get out of sight by the river. If I get in trouble I’ll explain the stalker and show him my head, because I do have to have it looked at in the hospital.

It’s hot, but I found shade. I’ll take each minute through the late afternoon as it comes. Hopefully I don’t get in trouble.

Also, I don’t want hoodlum kids harassing me here.

Don’t know what to do if they do.

Broga-Bega-Tathra

A lot of revved up 4WDs and Utes with boats and camper rigs. Macho bullshit aggro in Summer heat everywhere. Their honey pot.

Good to get out of the region.

8.05 PM

Still anxious and agitated about the stalker incident. Had dinner, very hot, had a towel wash just now, not sure how tonight is going to go. If I get through without getting fined, I have to start up and move early.

The police went past and didn’t stop, but it’s not their jurisdiction. Morning council rangers on patrol are likely the problem, I presume.

My skull is too sore for this to be from banging it. Something is wrong. Not sure I can go to hospital with my medicare card. The shit situations compound.

But I have a roof albeit tin and grass tonight:

Across the road on the other side behind trees and bush is the Bega River. People walk by, across the road.