So we just got back from our short trip down to Merimbula on the south coast of NSW.
It was a great few days away, the highlight of which was probably our visit to platypus gate mainly because its offerings were so unexpected.

Hot windy days in Merimbula saw us flopping around the town trying to stay cool and hydrated. Merimbula is a great town that offers up a cafe encrusted boardwalk, plenty of shopping, a well stocked camping store (we walked in looking for a kettle but ended up buying a hammer, some tent stakes, a gas pressure valve and a fridge temperature monitor!).

It also has this great quirky second hand book shop (The Time Machine Bookshop) nestled away in one of the arcades. Don’t you just love the smell of these shops? It smells like humanity.

Anyways, back at camp after deciding to erect some shade, we found ourselves battling the complex physics of securing Ripley’s awning.

You see, Ripley has these flimsy down-pole thingys on her awning, and also these persnickety adjusting screws to adjust their length.
And as Kelly would try hold one corner pole in place by its anchor rope, and as I fiddled with the opposite poles persnicketiness… well at the very moment a big gust would inevitably blow up turning the whole thing into a flapping catastrophe.  Much to Juno’s amusement. Oh look….heres some rope! I think Ill run off and bury that.

It was hot under the sun. Damn hot. Tempers were tested. Words were spoken.
Eventually, we decided it was just too windy for the awning, and retreated into Ripley where we ramped up the air conditioner to resuscitate our relationship.

Later we would hear that someone in a caravan close by had their own awning shredded into a large set of angry flapping pennants during the course of the day.

For Kelly’s birthday we ended up backing into a neat spot right by the sea. It was as they say, totally chill. We had a celebratory lunch on board, walked into town for coffee, took a stroll around the nearby marina, listened to some music, read a bit and relaxed in Ripley just watching the sensational views out the window.
And I think I may have had a nap at one point. A long point.
It was a beautiful day and neither of us wanted to leave.