I know it is Monday already but yes, we are home.  Left Lakes Entrance last Thursday morning and had a nice quiet drive to Traralgon.  When we arrived at the Park Lane Caravan Park it was not your normal type of caravan park.  It was quite a large park with all drive through sites but you did not have a site allocated to you.  You just drove around and chose any empty site.  It was a very clean and tidy site with a great kids playground area.  There was also a ropes type adventure course, but sadly, it was not open when we were there.  Went for a bit of a drive into the township and checked out the shopping centre.  Met up with 2 of my kids and one of the grandkids at the shopping centre before back to the park for a quiet night.

Got up on Friday morning and felt like a change had come over me during the night.  Yes, you guessed it, I turned 60 overnight.  Will have to convert the van now to cater for my walking frame.  What a great morning it was.  Windy and raining.  How great.  Anyway, when the bones were sufficiently recovered, we headed off to check out Lake Narracan and the quaint little caravan park overlooking the lake.  I had seen it many years ago and had very fond memories of the area.  In keeping with a lot of our memories, not all is as you remember.  Apart from the fact that it didn't even exist on the Garmin, it took us ages to even find it.  Even a sign on one of the posts directing us towards the park took us to a dead end.  Should have felt the omen then.  Would be great if you towed a van down that road.   

When we finally arrived we went in to check out the Caravan Park and what a mistake that was.  It was just like a scene out of all of those horror movies of years ago.  The only sites in the park were taken up by about 20 old and decrepit permanent units, accompanied by the customary trashed car beside.  The entire park had a real dead feel about it.  The only person we actually caught sight of was working in the front office/café/kitchen/mortuary.  Was too scared to go in and check out the amenities block, as pathetic as it looked.  Walking around you could almost feel the eyes peering out through the cobweb covered windows.  I am sure if you looked closer you could see the torn and ragged curtains part, as the occupants checked out the unwelcome strangers walking around their closed domain.  Lets get out of here never to return. 

Off to the shopping centre in beautiful Traralgon for a much needed coffee.  Had a bit of shopping to do as we were having a bbq that night with my kids and grandkids visiting us at the park for my birthday.  Got the meat and a beautiful bottle of wine and back to the park.  The only disappointing thing was that on the park info there was a section in relation to visitors.  All visitors had to pay a fee of $5 each just in case they had to use any of the park facilities.  I think this is a bit rich really as even the bbq's at the park required money to operate them.  Cant worry about that though as the bbq was good and catching up with all of the kids and grandkids was good.

Early to bed Friday night though as it had been a tough day.  Life is pretty tough now that I have gone over the top of that pinnacle.  During the night it felt like the temperature dropped by about 20 degrees.  I'm sure I didn't feel the cold when I was only 59.  Every time I rolled over you almost had to break the ice off the pillow.  It was bloody freezing.  Got up the next morning and the neighbour told us it got down to 4C.  Definitely the coldest it has been in the van for us so far.  Lucky for us it was time to pack up and head back to beautiful one day, perfect the next, Cranbourne North.  That's all for now.