The best reason to pull out your awning is to provide shelter. Shelter from the blazing sun and to keep your boots dry when it rains. Anticipating an early morning start we retracted our awning and retired for the night. An hour or so later a theatrical summer thunderstorm came through. It was warm and muggy and the rain thumped heavily while the clouds boomed, a welcome relief from hot dry bushfire weather.

Next morning we were reminded that we’d forgotten to bring our boots in for the night. I guess we’d become used to those hot dry conditions.