Hooray for Canberra!

Dec 8:  Said our Goodbyes to the North Family and hopped on the M1.  Lunch at Wellington and eventually to Lakes Entrance.  Despite the TV ad that Danny's Dad doesn't like, it is a pleasant seaside village and we stayed in a cheap caravan park facing the river.  Afternoon drinks at the retro-looking RSL, then dinner at the local Thai restaurant.  Very salubrious.  
Dec 9:  Danny remembered a forest drive he went on 20 yrs ago in his Kombi, so we took a detour at Orborst.  It was very windy, but beautiful big trees and leafy ferns.  Came out near Delegate, a cute old town and I had a little slide down a grassy slope.  Tried to find somewhere for lunch and picked a nice spot outside the cemetary, but we had no gas!  So lunch at Bombala once we re-filled the gas bottle and then Canberra.  Let me just say, that I have never professed to be good a maps and am very new to the smart phone ones and their directions.  That said, Keith ended up facing Parliament House about 3 times before we finally got on the correct road to Danny's family.  Not impressed and fair enough...
We arrived at Auntie Jill's and cousin Colleen put on a great BBQ for us to catch up with some of the family. (Danny's cousin Vicky lives round the corner and his Uncle and Auntie two doors up).We hadn't been back since our trip from Tassie 11 yrs ago.   Uncle Norm suggested we park Keith in his big backyard, so we did and the dogs had a secure place to hang out too. 
Dec 10-12:  We spent 3 days parked at Uncle Norm & Auntie Eileen's, and Aunty Jill took us to Spotlight (hooray, new sheets) and then cooked the best roast and desserts, shared with cousin Sharon and Steve. Colleen also made us yummy chicken stew and caramel dumplings the next night...Oh the festival of food!  Uncle Norm loaned us his car and we went and re-visited the wonderful Australian Museum with the grooviest vehicle (see pic above) that was the home for many yeas of a travelling knife / saw sharpener and his family.  We also had a look at the National Art Gallery next door.  On our last day, Danny with the help of Colleen, re-sheeted some of the perspex roof on Jill's sunroom.  A job that even Uncle Ronnie had bawked at, due to the fiddly nature of getting up on the roof etc.
Dec 13: What a great time we had with all the Canberra Gang, but 7:30am and it was time to go.  Easy freeways took us to The Big Merino, Goulburn to re-fuel and by lunchtime we were at our good friends in Umina Beach, NSW.  Michael (with his expert flight attendant training) looked after us very nicely with drinks and nibbles until Russell came home.  Danny and Russ had a walk and I had a lie down (damn migraines!) before dinner of Morrrocan Lamb and Vegetables.  Oh yeah, that man can cook and they have a lovely house in the trees, overlooking the bay.
Dec 14:  Double highway most of the way with lunch at Michael's suggestion, Bulehduleh.  I have stopped there before sometime in my past...I bought Danny his 6th pair of thongs for the journey and we settled for the night at the White Albatross Holiday Park, Nambucca Heads where Danny had stayed for his Auntie Mazza's wedding many years ago.
I love the fact that The Adventures of  Keith has enabled us to re-unite with family and friends across the country.  And now another stage of the adventures was just about to begin...