It rained overnight and the wind would have been a problem for some of the campers trying to keep dry with tarpaulins. The rain stopped about 8am so we packed up, loaded the critters, and hooked up.
Meanwhile, the man at the next site hooked up his van unavoidably blocking the road, then disconnected his power and drainage, followed by a trip inside his van to go to the toilet and change into shorts! So inconsiderate!
The roads were mostly dry, but some areas had indications that water had been over parts of the roadway. We drove through Newcastle to the M1, which is in poor condition in some sections, especially in the left lane where we drove. There is only one service centre between Newcastle and Sydney, and one rest area just before the Mooney Mooney bridge. Fortunately, there was plenty of parking available at the rest area.
We only saw one tip truck and one semi trailer the whole trip up to the rest area. There was a lot of other traffic as there is another week of NSW school holidays. We drove 9kms through NorthConnex tunnel, also known as the M11 tunnel. I was pleased to see the speed limit is still 80kph despite some drivers lobbying for a higher speed limit.
The M11 tunnel, Hills Motorway M2, and the Westlink M7 are toll roads. The speed limit on the M2 and M7 is 100kph, which feels safer than the 110kph on most of the Pacific Motorway, which is hilly and winding in parts.
Many people were driving too close to the vehicle in front, so we were not surprised to see the aftermath of a crash where cars had been in rear-ended.
We decided to stop at or near Goulburn, and Anita discovered there are limited free camping spots at the Visitor Information Centre. We drove in, but all spaces were taken. We decided to stop to research plan B and were lucky to get a space created when a motorhome drove out. We are opposite an impressive park one block from the city centre.
My interest in Goulburn is the many historic buildings, some dating back to the 1800s and early 1900s. Here is a sample of city buildings.
My favourite is the 1933 Art Deco Elmslea Chambers. The facade is a mix of pink granite and decorative colourful terracotta tiles. The building still has its original slate roof.
Committed Travellers 