Day 23 - Dandenongs

We went to Aldi for the caravan items on sale. Most people were queuing for caravan covers but we wanted the fold up aluminium chair. It certainly wasn't "lightweight" as advertised, and I don't think the frame is aluminium as a magnet stuck to the Aldi chair, but not to our aluminium chair. I took it back and will speak to Aldi on Monday.

After breakfast at Hutch and Co and shopping at Coles, Anita was exhausted. I did offer to do the shopping but she was desperate for a change of scenery. I took her back to the caravan park and drove over Mount Dandenong by myself after first checking the bushfire and weather apps!


I headed for Olinda but detoured to Sky High at the top of Mount Dandenong. This is a tourist attraction that normally boasts views across Melbourne to Port Phillip Bay, but not today. The suburbs and bay were a blur because of the smoke haze.




It only took 10 minutes longer to drive through the tall gumtrees instead of around the base of the Dandenongs. Olinda wasn't very exciting - post office and small supermarket with a shop offering picnic lunches. The Cuckoo Restaurant is still there and seems to be doing well.

The Junkman hadn't turned up to do any more clearing today. He sent an email assuring me they will be there on Monday. There is still a lot to load up onto their trucks and take away. Most of the things allowed in the hard rubbish collection have been put out.




I vacuumed years of dust from behind the fridge and where furniture has been removed. The Dyson battery went flat and gave me an excuse to walk to the local market for profiteroles and a hot chocolate. I met one of the neighbours who is so glad the house has been sold and my scumbag brother wasn't going to be living there. I had never spoken to this woman before but we could have nattered all day but she had to go home for visitors.

Back at our caravan we decided dinner was going to be take away and settled on Indian. I ordered online and drove to Lilydale to pick it up. My first problem was caused by me going to the wrong Indian restaurant! At the right restaurant my order hadn't been placed yet - the computer program told me dinner would be ready 25 minutes after placing the order, but the restaurant got a different message. I went for a walk around this interesting town. It is large enough to have a Bunnings store, but still reminds me of country towns where all the shops are along the main street.

Dinner was lovely when it finally got home. I had ordered enough for three meals, just in case Anita's lurgi lingers. We are leaving tomorrow heading north, but hoping to avoid flooding and fires.





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