With Bright beckoning, we finally headed off on the 18th December. It was truly a relief to drive away from the house knowing our journey had begun in earnest.
We've still got waaaay too much 'stuff' and will need to offload some before we get too far away from Melbourne. As we potter around Victoria's beautiful north east, we will have an opportunity to pop back to Melbourne with surplus bits and bobs in the next few weeks.
As always, Bright has been spectacular. Our camp site beside the beautiful Ovens River really is a perfect spot to begin the process of unwinding. The cool water flows effortlessly over the smooth rocks and around gentle bends, bubbling and dancing over tiny waterfalls along the way. The kids have been floating down the river on lilos and boogie boards, laughing at the unpredictability of the water's energy.
We've been enjoying the company of some great friends who've graciously joined us on the first leg of our trip. We've had loads of laughs, debated a few of the world's problems and shared some beer & bubbles around the fire. The kids have collapsed in exhaustion every night after spending the days furiously swapping between riding bikes, swimming in the pool, frolicking in the river, bouncing on the jumping pillow, meeting new friends and generally expending boundless eneregy that alludes even the most active adult!
The mini heatwave Melbourne enjoyed as we completed preparations for the trip made for a hot and sweaty few days of cleaning, moving and packing. The hot weather continued in Bright for the first couple of days but at least we could sit in the river and cool off. We were then rewarded with a pattern of pleasant 30 (ish) degree days; perfect for playing with our new gadgets, toys & accessories! We'll head off to Benalla on Christmas night to avoid the big storm predicted to hit Bright in the early hours of Boxing Day. I hate packing up wet camp gear, so I'm happy to leave a little early knowing we've got a year of holidaying still to come!