Day 05: Drought-breakers and hail hit Goulburn

Important warning: if you’re breakfasting outdoors in Kiama, don’t turn your back on your food! Up until now, James and I had always defended the seagulls against those people who call them unscrupulous predators.

But not after losing our bacon and eggs to the thieving scavengers. We left Kiama after buying a second round of breakfasts and headed through the beautiful area of Jamberoo on a hairy climb through the mountains to Moss Vale.

Signs said caravans were forbidden from the route, but they didn’t say anything about motorhomes. The journey  gave James a workout with the steering wheel. It was the most exercise he’s had all week.

The usual practice of coastal showers giving way to clear blue skies as you head inland was turned on its head this morning. The azure skies of Kiama gave way to the leaden rainclouds of Goulburn as our arrival coincided with the first decent rains (and hails) of the year.

Our early arrival gave me a chance to catch up on  a few columns for the magazines and compile a cryptic that was getting close to deadline.

James meanwhile tuned into the only TV channel with passable reception and was soon loudly complaining when a travel commentator started calling a mountain range “the Himarlias.”

“It’s the Himmerlayers”, yelled James in disgust before taking himself off to his nest among the boxes of magazines for an afternoon nap.

Anyone remember Allan Sherman’s song Camp Grenada, “they say that we’ll have fun if it stops raining”? Not that we want to blight any recovery from drought in the bush — just maybe it could wait a few more days.

Nothing like a spot of tourist bacon to improve the day.

Shopping in the main street of Kiama. Notice the sunshine. We certainly did!

Springtime in Jamberoo. Breathtaking scenery, but those fluffy white clouds are about to darken.

A riot of blossoms line the road through Robertson.

A novel, breathlessly described by the publisher as "unputdownable" slips from James' grasp.