Day 107 Friday 25/9/20 Mylestom, hot northerly 29

The Prado’s anxiously await the arrival of the man from ABCO Caravan Repairs. He should just put a tracking device on us we always have something in need of repair.

He quickly fixes the leak replacing their old hose with a shiny new red one. It’s great service and a fair price and so good to know whenever we’re on the Coffs area.

El Prado goes down to the RSL Club to buy a box of beer (the Club doubles as the local pub in a small town like this). He’s met by an old bloke who asks “You know what’s going on in Melbourne don’t you?”

“Yeah a bit, why?” says El Prado.

“All those buggers that are dying, they had the flu shot!”

El Prado hurries off with his box of beer. It seems that nutters come in all ages.

We pack up slowly but the dusty northerly wind drives us inside.

In the evening we catch the Club courtesy bus to the Bowlo for dinner. It’s Meat Raffle night and the place is jumping. It’s the busiest night they’ve had here since March. On either side of the dining room there are independently run kitchens. Some are ordering Chinese and some pizzas though the Chinese seem to be winning. With only two eateries in town, this club and the general store / cafe, locals rely on the Bowlo for meals, drinks and entertainment.

The young waiter scurries about the room delivering meals from the Chinese kitchen at breakneck speed. There are young families, kids wearing their local sports jumpers, cute tots, nomads like us and old blokes in loud Hawaiian shirts. The hard faced, the fresh faced, alternates in Happy pants, blokes with long hair who once surfed and women with close shaven heads. There are Mum’s looking tired and Dad’s looking drunk. That’s the tapestry of Mylestom.

El Prado pays $10 and gets 100 chances in the meat raffle. Woody pays his $10 and only gets 50. That’s our luck for you. While we wonder how we’ll fit any winnings in the freezer dozens of winning numbers are called. We needn’t worry, we’ve used up our luck just being here. The Chinese is good and so is the lazy Chardy, we fall into the bus to be dropped at our door.

Tomorrow we leave the coast as the school holidays have started and we won’t have a chance of finding accommodation. Unlike Victorians, the folks of New South Wales are being encouraged to travel.