"An Around-the-World-Ticket for Two, Please."

So, it's been a few days since I last blogged and lots has happened! We stopped in a place called Goulburn for a night, and then drove lots the next day, and then stopped in a place called Albury. The driving was mostly in the rain, torrential at times, and listening to the awful reports on the radio. It's a terrible time here in Australia for lots of people. We were having to stop about every 200km to put more oil in Gunther, and it seemed to be getting worse and worse!It was making us both a bit stressed and worried about breaking down in the middle of nowhere! So we decided on a plan which made us feel much better! We decided to try and sell Gunther for a bit of cash for someone as a doer-upper, and buy a car. We have all our camping equipment from Gunther, so a car is all we need, and they are generally cheaper than campervans! We looked on Gumtree and found a few to ring and look up for when we arrived in Melbourne. While we were discussing our plans in the campsite pool a lady overheard us talking about the Great Ocean Road, and told us it was shut due to a landslide!!!! It is hard not feel like nature is against us right now! However, we don't need to drive that road for a while, so we're pretty sure it will be cleared and open again by then! So, we booked a campsite and drove a final day towards Melbourne! We arrived in good time and headed to the campsite, however, as we were driving into the site there was a river next to the road that was obviously a lot higher than usual and flowing rather fast!!! When we arrived at our site, it was like a little lake, and was very close to the river! Ben got out and was stood in an inch or two of water, there was no way we were pitching a tent! We got a refund and found another campsite which was sooo much better! Luckily the weather improved and came out lovely an sunny! We pitched the tent and then went to look at one of the cars we had seen. We had to drive all the way through Melbourne centre in rush hour, which was crazy, but we managed it! We took cash ready as we were pretty sure we'd buy it of we could get the price down a bit, and we did!!! So, we now own a Toyota Camry! Ben has named him Macademus, but I am not sure I like saying that in public, so might try Macky, or Big Mac, we shall see! So Ben drove the new car and I drove Gunther home, Ben did a spectacular job of driving and navigating and got us back to the campsite! So when we got back we got straight on to putting Gunther on Gumtree! The next day we had a lovely lazy day at the campsite, it was so nice not to get up early and pack away a tent! We went in the lovely pool to cool off as it was a lovely scorching day! We got some washing done and had a lovely relaxing day!

Today we got up and went into Melbourne on the tram! We got our tram tickets from the campsite office, and were just heading out to walk the fifteen minutes to the tram stop when the older couple camped opposite us pulled up and asked us if we wanted a lift to the tram stop! It was so nice of them! So we hopped in, and they told us they were "Grey Nomads", they had a house in Melbourne, but had rented it out for three years and were touring around in their caravan! They had also been to the UK and lots of Europe last year! They kindly dropped us at the tram stop! It was a lovely sunny day, and I really like Melbourne city, it's lovely! Ben had read about the old Gaol there, so after a bit of walking around we found the Gaol and decided to pay and go in. The ticket included entry to the Gaol, a re-enactment of Ned Kelly's trial, and also the Old Watch house, where they kept people for drunk and disorderly, or stuff like that waiting to see magistrate. We went to see the trial first, and apart from a lady who oversees the proceedings, acting parts are taken by the public! They read off a script and have a bit of a costume! It was very good! Parts are shown on a projector on a wall to give a bit more info etc, and the rest is acted by the public, and helped along by the lady! The Gaol was very interesting, you do a self guided tour, reading all the info etc, and in each cell was a story of an inmate and a death mask! So Gross! They would take a cast of each person they hung after, as the study of skull size etc linked to behaviour was very popular! So we saw Ned Kelly's face, and lots of others, pretty morbid!!! We saw the gallows where he was actually hung, and read lots of stories. The Old Watch house was opened in 1909 and only stopped being used in 1994. For the half hour of your visit you get treated like a criminal, taken through, entered into the log book, searched, put in a cell, lights out etc! It was really good! We got to see the padded cell as well (see Ben inside!) and have mug shots taken! Really enjoyed the whole experience! During the day we had a couple of enquiries about the van and met a man at 6.30pm in the Woolworths carpark to show him. He wasn't a backpacker and was hoping to do it up, and knew it need a bit doing to it! So we struck a deal and I think he did well, as did we! I feel better knowing that he isn't relying on it to get him to Perth or anything, and is going to spend a bit of money on him! He is paying cash tomorrow night when we hand over Gunther, so fingers crossed it all goes through! Driving Big Mac is funny as it is so much lower down, and he is also an automatic! I feel like I am driving a go kart! I am so anxious to out the clutch down when I brake for traffic lights, it is very strange! I am sure I will get used to it, and then find driving a manual funny when I am home! Unfortunately the cigarette lighter in Big Mac does not seem to work, so at the mo we cannot charge things easily, having to sit in the camp kitchen to charge stuff! However, we are going to try a garage tomorrow and hope it is an easy job to fix!

Well, I had best be off, that was a mammoth blog! Off to bed me thinks!

Night Night! x