Day 117 Monday 5/10/20 Ariah Park to Coolamon, rain threatening 27

It’s El Prado’s birthday.

Lying in bed after a hot night and contemplating the day ahead the above bed roof hatch is open. A little bird with a long spiny bill peeks in. That’s a nice way to greet the day.

We have sheep and wheat to the horizon. The roadsides are flanked with gums and Murray pines. Cloud is building in the west.

We’ve heard a lot about the caravan park at Coolamon and the price of $20 is enticing. There’s a mention on WikiCamps that they don’t take Victorians but when we ask they explain that they had asked Victorians not stay prior to the border closure. Check in isn’t until 11:00 and even with a slow start we’ve arrived by 9:30. We park in the quiet main street (it is a public holiday) and wait while El Prado takes a few birthday phone calls. A bloke runs out of his cafe and asks us to move our rigs. After a pause he says we’ll be booked. Elle and I have a snide chuckle while Woody moves our van around the corner. El Prado is still on the phone. The proprietor runs out and asks us to move again. We tell him that it’s a birthday call from Texas. He grumbles and walks back inside obviously missing a golden opportunity. El Prado parks around the corner and we walk off chuckling. Only one vehicle has passed in the 10 minutes we’ve been here and that was a motorcycle. A local lady overhears our merriment and directs us to the cafe up the hill as ‘that’s where they all go’ and we do and it’s busy and we guess we’re not the only ones that cranky pants has upset.

We have a walk around this friendly little town with its wide centre strip of lawn and gardens and well-kept buildings. Yep this is a nice place.

Bill runs the council owned caravan park. It is small and pristine with lush green lawn, kerbed roadways, modern bathrooms, a cosy camp kitchen, pretty flower boxes and a vege garden and it’s in the heart of town. Why on earth haven’t I photographed this place? It has to be up there on the list of most exceptional caravan parks in the country and all for $20.

Our neighbours are from the NSW South Coast and they join us for happy hour. El Prado cooks us a superb roast of beef for his birthday and we eat outside under the shelter of the awning as the weather Gods have decided to chuck down more rain. Why does it rain whenever we have a roast?

Victoria has its first day of single digit cases since this second lockdown began, 9 cases.

It’s decided an appointment is booked, Woody and I will head for home next Sunday.

Accom: $20.00

Travelling Kms: 57kms