Frost on the ground this morning and ice in the washing bucket! The minimum overnight temperature was -2°C. I left a seat cushion cover soaking overnight. When I lifted the brush, the seat cover came up as a frozen lump.
A more serious problem caused by sub-zero temperatures is condensation in the caravan. We ran the diesel heater on low all night but found condensation inside some cupboards. After drying all damp clothes, I packed most of them into shopping bags, and these will stay in the Toyota overnight. On our next trip, I will pack dry bags that I use to keep gear dry on the kayak.
We ran the air con on heat mode, but since being repaired while we were at Tamworth in January, the compressor is very noisy.
We loaded our friends and two dogs into the Toyota and drove to the Watervale Hotel for lunch. We rugged up and sat outside under cover with heaters on. Our pooches had coats on and warm beds to rest in while we ate.
The hotel has regularly been owned by women – one who established and named the hotel, another who rebuilt it after a fire in 1913, and most recently, one of the current owners undertook a major renovation, turning the hotel into a fine dining venue. The furniture in the women’s toilet is a good example of the quirky design features of the hotel.
Our food was mostly great, but the kale dish did not have enough parmesan trimmings. I had the delicious kingfish ceviche, while others enjoyed risotto, prawns, and duck sliders. Unusually, I wasn’t tempted by anything on the dessert menu.
Later in the afternoon, I walked Bluey and Tilly separately to the nearby fenced playground where they were safe from big dogs. Other sporting facilities are colocated with the Auburn Oval, but appear not to be in use, including the oval itself, four lawn tennis courts, and club rooms. The lawn bowls club is surviving. The population of Auburn is around 600, but the median age is mid fifties.
Tilly wanted to be brushed while lying on my lap near Bluey, then she played with the brush.
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