Heading inland, but continuing south...

It is school holidays here starting today and we have been warned about the lack of accomodation we will be experiencing. Last night we stayed alone in a free campground in a National Park. In the morning we were surrounded by kangaroos and a few different kinds of parroty birds. We went to an Information center in a small town the day before yesterday and were told about a free campground just down the road. We went and stayed there and were told about the Australian campers bible which shows every campsite, including hundreds of free ones all over Australia. We have been haunting every newsagent since trying to find a copy. We have paid nothing for accomodation two nights in a row. This is good for the pocketbook, but please, don't get too close to us (showers and laundry facilities DO NOT come free...).

We have been doing quite a lot of driving since Brisbane and not really all that much else. We did just stop off at the Parkes Radio Telescope. It is a huge (64 meter across) parabola which searches space for radio signals for astronomers from all over the world. It is a really impressive structure. We are trying to put a bit of science into the kid's diets to go along with the math and journals they are doing in the car (finally). They spent 6 happy hours at the science center in Brisbane. I am sure SOMETHING in those hours must have been on either the grade 5 or 7 science curriculum (hopefully both). Jacob also just begged us for a book about the great discoveries in science at the Radio Telescope, so maybe that will have something relevant....

We did go visit a cousin of Alan's called Kevin on the Gold Coast. We had met him in 17 years ago on our last big trip in Scotland. It was his son's birthday and Heather and Jacob went to the birthday party then we stayed for an Aussie barbeque. It was an excellent lamb and chicken affair. Heather got along with Craig (the 9 year old birthday boy) like a house on fire. I think she must be a bit trained up on that age of boys living next to John with no other playmates on the street all these years.

That's all for now