Well, we knew the day would come when we would have to leave Alf and Jane's but we didn't expect it to come around so quickly. The two weeks of rest and relaxation flew by and suddenly it was time to pack and start the trip. We will be eternally grateful to the Solti's for a) suggesting we should take a long break between leaving Sydney and traveling and b) giving us the time, place and space to do so. As such, it was was again with mixed emotions that we once again got on the move.
Our last night was Wednesday night and Alf made an absolutely amazing pumpkin gnocchi with a bacon butter sauce. We dragged out the absinthe and had a couple of those as well as a few wines and beers. I had to play the boring grown-up and call a halt at midnight as the drive the next day was about 4 hours. It was a shame, it was one of those nights that we could have drunk and talked until the early hours.
Thursday morning was not too bad considering. We showered, ate, drank lots of coffee and packed. Somehow, even though we now had less than when we arrived, packing the car was still like some insane jigsaw (which Yvette managed with aplomb) and the car seemed just as full. Saying goodbye to Alf and Jane was a wrench and for the first hour we were both feeling a bit sad.
We had been told by a Cobargo local that the Princes Highway was not the best option and that it would be better to take the Snowy Mountains highway and then the Monaro highway down south. It meant heading up into the mountains on a fairly windy road, but the views and the landscape were beautiful. I had never seen alpine gum forest and like a Sunday driver on valium, we pootled along taking it all in.
We had been told to stop in Cann River as it had a great op shop and bakery and so we did. The op shop was closed and looked like it had been abandoned the previous winter. Luckily the bakery was open and we grabbed some bread and then some other groceries at what passed for the local supermarket. From there it was a shortish drive down to Marlo and the TomTom took us the back way which was still a great road and we saw no other car for at least half an hour. We arrived in Marlo and found out way to the caravan park where we had booked in. It was very basic, but large and clean and warm and well within our budget. After unloading the basics from the car, we headed down to the water which turned out to be quite close to the park. We took some lovely shots just as the sun was going down over the lakes and then walked back up the hill and popped into the pub for a bit of a break. The Marlo pub is a lovely large old wooden building with a large front lawn that overlooks the lakes and the south coast sea. After a couple of small beers (it seem Victorians don't have schooners) and a quick look at the menu, we decided that the pub was the best option for dinner and popped back to our room to chill out a bit and wait for the bistro to open at 6.
The fisherman's basket seemed like the best option so we ordered one to share. It was a combination of battered fish, fresh steamed fish, salt and pepper squid, calamari, chips and salad plus one lonely oyster which remained uneaten. Neither of us like the slimy little buggers. The locals, and I assume regulars, at the pub were incredibly friendly and as our first real experience with a group of Victorians, they were perfect ambassadors. Still a little tired from the night before and with me feeling the drive, we left early and went back to our room and were both asleep before 8.30.
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