Get Keith to the Greeks (Apollo Bay to Melbourne)

 Nov 30: 
Johanna Bay, free camp at the beach.  Danny went fishing and we listened to Ponting's last test cricket game. (Should have gone while you were on top, Ricky...) We had fresh parrot fish for dinner and chatted to a friendly couple parked next to us from Belgium.

 Dec 1:  We pulled up further along the Great Ocean Road at Apollo Bay.  We settled into a caravan park on a creek and then had a look at the little seaside town.  I bought some Xmas presents and then we just relaxed with Keith for the evening. 
Dec 2:  Not far to Lorne and the caravan parks were full of Schoolies.  We managed to escape the frivolity and had a lovely day buying more presents, walking on the beach with the fur girls and then a few drinks at the Lorne Hotel with cricket on the big screen.

Dec 3:  We arrived at Avondale Heights, Melbourne to stay with our Greek nomad friends, Stella and Angelo (who we met in Karumba).   They really know how to make the most of their house block with a smoke house and substantial vege garden out the back and cellar with bottled goods under the house.
We went for a walk with the dogs along the river and had bass caught by Angelo for dinner with home-made tzatziki, houmous and sweets.  We also met their daughter, who I got on with very well. 
Dec 4:  All of us to the Highpoint Shopping Centre and I spent some of my birthday gift card on shoes, a country cd and a bucket margurita mix for New Years.  Stella bought Indigo and Fuggles bling collars and a red tracksuit.  A big lunch of lamb and chicken from the smoke house with Angelo and Stella's son and his work mate, then left overs for dinner.    
Dec 5:  Aldi - for the first time in about 6 months!  Then we by-passed the city and drove to our friend Cathy's lovely place at The Patch in the Yarra Ranges.  We picked rasberries and plumbs from her trees and walked our girls and her golden retriever, Zoe to the local school for a run. 
Dec 6:  We caught the train into Richmond and had coffee at a bike shop cafe.  I got some extremely discounted undergarments from the Berlei Warehouse shop and Danny bought a much needed laptop (his died in Alice Springs) on sale in the city.  I made my famous meat balls for dinner.
Dec 7:  At home day with Danny on his new computer and me doing paperwork and blog.  Dinner that night with Cathy and her daughter Gabby at a local cafe:  Cook's Corner.  I had the vego pizza, very nice. 

What a great time we had catching up with Stella and Angelo and then Cathy, Gabby and her brother Mike.  But the festival of food was just beginning!