Home again

25 June 2023

The crossing seemed reasonably smooth although I was aware when I got up during the nights of a little bit of motion but I certainly didn't feel it while I  attempted to sleep.

After some diversions, I found the lost property office and woohoo! they actually had my lost tile in a little plastic bag ready and waiting for me. We confirmed that it was mined by getting my phone to talk to it and providing some identification on my part and it was back in my possession.

I had only realised that this little locator device was missing from my handbag a few days into my trip, and I recalled hearing something fall as I extracted keys from my handbag when getting into my car on the ferry in Geelong.  I had looked around, seen nothing and thought no more of it.   The app on my phone said that it was in Corio - so I contact TT line to say I hoped it was in lost property and not a rubbish skip.  The fact that it was in Corio for a couple of weeks at least meant it wasn't on the boat.

A week or so before my return journey, it started showing as being in Devonport, so the day of my departure I contacted TT line again and got a vague answer about them being in possession of it, but figured if I turned up in lost property and asked my phone to locate it, it would start beeping.  I was glad to have it back in my possession and where it should be.

I stopped for coffee in Deloraine and it was a very good coffee and tried to call a family friend to see if he was available for a visit but he was not answering his phone, because it was turned off and not with him. I tried calling his daughter but she wasn't answering and did not return my call till much later.

I quickly looked at the weather forecast for Miena and decided that rain all day was not a conducive forecast for traveling over the lakes, so decided to come via the Midlands. It was thick fog from Deloraine through to Perth - so thick I missed the turnoff to the highway! And a very cool two degrees! It cleared as I got south of Perth but the Western Tiers were absolutely shrouded in cloud, so I think I made a good call not to go over the lakes.

A quick comfort stop in Campbelltown and  a quick chat with the chap who was cleaning the ladies' loos. A remark on the temperature was an obvious conversation gambit and I commented that I'd lived in Campbelltown a number of years back and I'd never been so cold! He surmised I'd been there as a teacher and questioned when, the answer from which telling him that no, I could not have have taught him but I asked this surname and we made connections with somebody I had taught - his cousin and he gave me an update on her health and her brother's recent death.

It was nice to get back home - especially to a front lawn cleared of all its fallen leaves, thanks to a lovely neighbour (payback for an invitation to pick figs in my absence) - but by mid afternoon, I was exhausted and by evening most pleased to be reunited with my bed!