Well here I am and day 35 and still enjoying being out in the playground.

I have been busy being the tourist in Kiama NSW and make sure I still get relaxation time. I have been trying to see the blow hole in action but each time I visited it didnt want to play, I also checked out the little blow hole but that didnt want to play either, never mind.

If you read my update #4 I mentioned I was going to visit Sri Venkateswara Temple, Nan Tien Buddhist Temple and Sea Cliffs Bridge in Wollongong, well, I did. I called into NTBT first and intended to spend only a couple of hours there but that turned into 5 hours, what can I say, WOW, was that a great place I just loved everything about it. I had a vegetarian lunch and for a meat eater it was yummy indeed. If thats how the Monks eat I think I will become a Monk.

I had the pleasure of having a great chat to one of the Monks and he was very interesting indeed, he even showed me around a little until he had to do something else. At that stage I sat quietly inside the main temple and just thought back over the past few years, very peaceful indeed.  I have been in a couple of Buddhist Temples but this one beats the others for sure. I find the Buddhist beliefs and practices very interesting and peaceful indeed.

When I finished at the NTBT I decided to head for the SVT and 30 minutes later I was very disappointed indeed, the Temple is closed and barriers all over the place due to work being done so I didnt even get out of the car instead I headed for the Sea Cliffs Bridge.

I had a drive along the full length, North to South, south to North and back South, parked the car then walked the 2.5 km return.  While walking along I noticed padlocks attached to the rails, apparently people are putting them there to say they have been there OR in memory of someone close they have lost. I would have liked to have put one there for Margaret but didnt have one and by that time it was 5.30pm. Its too far to go back. I noticed on the regional news in Kiama the next night they were saying that the padlocks are causing a lot of damage to the rails and they are removing them and asking people not to put them there so if I did put one there it wouldnt last long anyway.

I have been getting everything in order for the next leg of my journey to Greens Lake, between Shepparton and Elmore where there is what sounds like a big Grey Nomad gathering so decided to turn the 3 way fridge to gas and try it out as I will be free (Alternative) camping. Just as well I did as I was getting a burning smell inside the Avan, not gas. So I took a drive to Port Kembla about 30 minutes north to talk to a Caravan Repairer and he arranged for the Manufacture repairer to check it out at 8.00am Monday 12^th in Port Kembla. As I could go via that way heading across to the Hume Highway I made the appointment.

I now have had the fridge checked out and it appears that it is the paint on the parts at the back, because it is new and never used on gas thats whats happening, he checked everything over and found nothing loose or damaged so he said to run on gas with all windows open as long as I can and it should come good after a few hours or so.

After finishing at Port Kembla it was time to leave the great south coast of NSW but I sure did love that coast. I wanted to head across to the Hume Hwy then south so I told Nav lady to take me to her leader in Yass and because I always do what I am told I just followed her directions with no questions asked on my part.  I am now settled for the night in Yass, I even washed all that south NSW coast of the Avan, the car was done yesterday (few! Work). I will leave here tomorrow morning and head for somewhere around Albury or close to there anyway; I cant rush these things you know. I find about 3 hours travel each day more than enough.

Thats it for this update so until next time,

Edit....added some pics