The Beginning

Well it began when we left Walpole on Fri 3rd June. We loaded up the camper with everything we thought we would need except the perishables. This took us some time so we arrived at about 6pm. Fortunately for us it was Greg's flex day and he cooked dinner for all. On Saturday we looked after Eleanor and Hannah while Elise and Greg did some last minute shopping for their 8 days I  Melbourne.Then we "hung out" while they finished their packing. I took Obi for a bath at the vet's and we went to Vic Park to have dinner with Ingrid and Mario.
On Sunday morning Elise and I went to visit Jean, my aunt before we took them to the airport for their flight in the afternoon.All very family and pedestrian so far. On Monday at 1pm we collected our Swiss friends Maria and Roland from the airport with the quickest exit through customs for them that we have ever witnessed. The plane landed at 1245, we arrived at 1pm and Maria and Roland walked out at 1-05pm.
It was a quiet preparation day on Tuesday. Maria and Roland went to visit a friend in Fremantle. Bob and I did some last minute shopping. The fun began on Wed. Our friends Martin and Lorraine are loaning their Nissan to Maria  and Roland for the trip as it was impossible to hire one. M&L set off on Wed morning to drive the Nissan to Perth  and to join us for dinner at a local restaurant. As a surprise thank you to M&L Maria and Roland had booked an exclusive room at Observation City, now known as Rendezvous Hotel Scarborough. We were all looking forward to the day. At lunchtime Martin phoned to say that the water pump on the Nissan had imploded 50 kms north of Walpole and they still had to work out how to get it back to town and where to purchase and have fitted a new water pump.
Several phone calls later it was established that the local mechanic couldn't do the job for at least two days and the only water pump Martin could track down that was sure to fit was in Brunswick Junction. Martin had no way to get said pump from Brunswick to Walpole. The Nissan was now in Martin's shed and said he planned to do the work himself. It was decided that Bob and Roland would set off immediately, collect the water pump from Brunswick and take it down to Walpole. This they did arriving at 9-30pm. Our house sitter Elizabeth had a couple of extra guests that night. Lorraine cooked the men breakfast the next morning and then they set to to remove the bl---y big radiator etc and install the new pump. This was done with considerable brute strength and I understand that Roland learnt some colourful new words that morning. After Lorraine fed everyone again Bob and Roland headed back to Perth with Roland driving and Bob recuperating in the passenger seat.They arrived at 7pm on Thursday evening.
Meanwhile Maria and I had negotiated a change of date for Martin and Lorraine's night at the Rendezvous and adjusted the reservation at the restaurant. In the end there were just four of us for dinner instead of eight. Events were not over yet as my phone rang just as we were getting into the car to go to dinner. It was Sue, Elise's friend who was going to look after
Obi for us until Elise and Greg arrive home. She told me her mother had had a bad fall and broken her leg requiring surgery and hospitalisation. Consequently Sue was booking a flight home to Queensland in order to look after her father and spend time with her mother. Fortunately Ingrid and Mario nobly offered to step into the breach and have him with them. Then on Thurs when Maria and I were going to do some shopping for the unplanned extra dinner in Perth I discovered that I hadn't closed the rear door of the family Mazda properly and the battery was flat. Jumper leads are wonderful things especially when they are provided by a very competent oldest daughter.
So this morning we set off  just one day and one hour later than planned. We had a trouble free run up to Kalgoorlie and are staying in a comfortable motel for our first night as we arrived after dark and the weather looks a bit dodgy. Fortunately our plans had allowed for a few "spare" days in case of emergency.
Tomorrow the real adventure begins.