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At Narooma. Had lunch in the library carpark. Wild Fin, ex Coffs, has come back in from Montague.

What to do now? Getting hot, very tired from the rat/marsupial night visitor waking me and keeping me awake. Absolute nuisance. Otherwise the rest area was decent and quiet.

It’s going to be very hot in exposed Quaama. But there are far too many people crawling everywhere that I can’t hang about here much longer.

3.10 PM

Boiled the kettle at Quaama. Stopped for four buckets of water at Dry Creek down the hill.

Here. With the flies.

The highway is Pitt St so I’ll be lucky to get away with this escape attempt. Glad I’m not at Waldrens.

7.20 PM

Dead quiet rest area but still busy highway. Actually cool to chilly which I relish. Very alone here, which I also relish. Life and everyone passing me by. Seems apt.

Set the cheese bait on the step in case the intruder is still in the van. Hope not. Interrupted sleep, badly, with that thing.

Last thing I thought I’d have to contend with.

Going to enjoy the cool, isolation, aloneness, and hope no one comes in behind me noisy or close.

Woke before 4 AM. Lovely warm (ish: T-shirt comfort) morning that turned out to be heavily overcast and at 6.40 AM still is. Quite dark actually.

7.30 AM

Stunning morning at the quarry.

Fresh eggs this morning courtesy of MH yesterday, and bacon, in a wrap.

10 AM

Fixed the loose plastic latch fitting on the rear hatch. Pretty crude but strong so it’s pleasing.

Long weekend coming up. Definitely has to be last night at Waldrens or it’ll be unbearable. So what to do until 12th February, three weeks away? (Linkages appointment. )

I could go to Quaama for a few days and see the mad silly weekend over. Then up to Nimmitabel and around the top.

Or on down to Scrubby Creek again, but that could be crowded and there’s little else there.

Probably best bet is to decide at Quaama.

Rudderless. If I were confident I could make a good time of the three weeks.

Time for a shower and see if I’m painting or doing something else today.

5.05 PM

Fuck. Heatwave forecast through until Thursday.

At Waldrens, food cooking, only me here – for now. Bit worried the Pests Of Waldrens Swamp might turn up today. They’ll definitely be here, disturbing people, on the long weekend but I’m going south. Can’t dodge the heatwave though.

Into storage. Right through the hotter months and even in Winter I’ve been lugging around a heap of nuisance clothes that I’ve never worn. I reuse T-shirts and things and wash them all before getting into the pile.

Always kept them “in case”, along with a heap of other stuff.

So today the pile has gone into storage. Slight weight loss, fabulous, but a load off the mind. We’ll see if I miss them now they’re out of reach.

The car rearranging although bit by bit is making me feel better.

Today also a good natter with M my old rugby mate and picked up a dozen fresh eggs.

Dinner on the stove, elderly people in a van nearby but thoughtful, at Waldrens. 4.20PM.

8.35 PM

So there’s a very tight space between me and elderly folk who parked behind me, into which an arsehole who’s attracted by the certainty of hassling me and them jams his vehicle. An arsehole! Had to come.

There are fabulous big spaces all through the area. But no, got to jam up against two cars.

I can never believe it, every time, and it is SO common.

Sleepless. Woke at 2.30PM because of THE RAT. And stressed out because my mechanic isn’t confident about fixing the linkages.

2.05 PM

Arrived back at Waldrens, hopefully to sleep. Dead tired.

Had coffee here then into rain to Batemans Bay. Shower at the Pavilion where on the bad cramped design I lost the sensor. Then 8.05AM, which is late, to McDonald’s to eat. Upon entering I held the door open for a girl and stepped aside – and instantly slipped, tore my ligaments in the left lnee, face down. A woman yelled because she knew how bad it was. She told the attendant that someone has washed the floor in detergent or something and it’s extremely slippery and dangerous.

Horror start, and I was dead tired.

Up to mechanics, not wanting to do the linkages. Explained I needed to get a sensor and decided to do the gearbox and diff oils so he got something.

Then on purpose I got talking and sure enough, discovered he hasn’t done any linkages for any type of vehicle for 20 years.

No wonder my intuition was giving red alerts.

I left and booked it in for linkages across the road where the guy was confident and they do them for other vehicles and he said it’s no big deal.

Then got a rat trap. Two.

And tried to rearrange the car.

Picked up new sensors and needles at Broulee and checked out Mossy Pt River:

7.25 PM

No one here. Been no one even checking it out. Been absolutely wonderful. It’ll change – last night six or so vehicles came at dark until about 10PM. And one at 2AM.

I’ve set the rat traps. Cheese. Mot dark for another hour but the bait won’t dry out. Hopefully the creature lives outside and stays there, but it’s twice now in this spot. Or the thing could be living in the van – and that’s why I have to be drastic.

I noticed a smell last night too, which irritated my eyes and could be rat urine that’s causing them big problems.

If one goes off it’s bound to wake the homeless guy in the white station wagon (very decent behaviour.

Someone just pulled up. Rooftop in the bay spot. It’ll probably fill up, last night did.