The rain has felt constant over the past couple of years but has got far worse over recent months with some areas flooding for a second time in 2022 already. At the end of June the forecasters started to tell us that worse was yet to come for the whole of July so we decided enough was enough, we would make the most of being retired and just push off until it was over.

The plan was to take our time travelling to Melbourne, spend a week or so with Zoё, Shaun and the boys then explore a bit more of Victoria before slowly heading home. We set off just as the promised rain event began and, by the time we reached Sydney it was like a monsoon so we opted to keep driving until it stopped. 

This was Harvey's first big trip and we had our fingers crossed that he would be a good traveller like Monty always was, we need not have worried we didn't even know he was there. It was dark by the time we came out of the downpour we were just short of Gunning, which is a free overnight camp we know well, so we scooted in to the showground and set up for the night. Gunning is always freezing in the winter and this time it was really windy too so we couldn't face walking in to town for dinner, however it is the done thing to spend some money in the RV friendly towns that offer free camps so we had breakfast in the cafe in town before heading on our way.

The journey down to Melbourne is one we do quite often and we were determined to find some different places to stop and to only drive a couple of hours at a time. It has taken a while to master finding free or donation camps but with the help of our brilliant Camps Australia Atlas and Wikicamps we have got the hang of it and rarely stay in a proper caravan park. Our search unearthed a camp at Wantabadgery on the Murrumbidgee river. 

The journey took us past farms with loads of new lambs and through vineyards. I didn't realise there were vineyards around that area but apparently it is the Gundagai Wine Region. We arrived at the Sandy Beach Reserve and it was gorgeous, right on the banks of the river with a boat ramp, picnic shelters and long drop toilets. We were the only people there, even though it was the beginning of the school holidays so we started to wonder if there was a flood warning we had missed but decided to brave it.

 The weather was beautiful and it was tempting to stay longer but we did have a destination on this part of the trip so we drove for a couple of hours, sunshine all the way to our next new find Jindera Primitive Campground. Now this one was not what we expected, it was hardly primitive as the camping spot was in the middle of a big new sports complex in the centre of town. The campers (only us again) shared the toilets with the brand new skate park and it was perfectly adequate but I felt a bit conspicuous sleeping in such a public spot. We were kept entertained watching people working on a brand new (everything was brand new, the government must have needed to win this seat in the recent election) mobile phone tower pretty much next to where we were camped, again throwing doubt on the primitive aspect of the camping experience. 

 The town was quite interesting, originally built by German settlers around 1870 and there were some beautiful buildings and good historical information boards but I don't think I'll be stopping there again.

The last stop on our wander down to Melbourne was an old favourite, Alexandra Showground. Alexandra is a beautiful town and the showground is really well kept. We splashed out on $20 for the night so we could have a decent hot shower and go and have dinner in town. Sadly the pub which advertises award winning chips was closed again, it is every time we go there, we will keep trying, I am determined to have the chips eventually.

 Zoё and Shaun have just bought a new caravan so while we were there we hatched a plan to take it on the maiden voyage together. We were hoping to head for Daylesford and Ballarat so they tagged along and we booked in to Daylesford Caravan Park. It was a nice place but a bit steep at $40 a night but we wanted to visit the gold mining town, Sovereign Hill, in nearby Ballarat and it was the only option. 

 Daylesford is famously cold in winter and it was absolutely bitter. The town often features on Escape from the City so we were looking forward to seeing what it had to offer. In the end it was so cold we just bought gloves there and tried to keep out of the wind, maybe it is more appropriate for a summer visit. 

 Sovereign Hill is a recreation of the gold mining town in Ballarat. It was fantastic, pricey at $60 a head then extra for the mine tour but it was a full day out and a lot of fun. There were actors wandering around as characters of the time and fake snow blowing along the streets. There was also a light show in the evening but the kids had been good all day and we didn't want to risk pushing our luck. 

Back at the caravan park there was a big log fire in one of the old buildings so we gathered in there with some other cold campers and enjoyed our last evening with Zoё and Shaun. After waving them off the following morning we went to reception to pay for an extra night, they charged us $60 as it was a Friday! So we left Daylesford with renewed resolve to

a) find more free camps 

b) head somewhere warmer.