We now feel that we have arrived properly in Mount Gambier. The previous stopover to unload was brief and included a night without power.

In between times we drove another 1200km to visit my parents. Dad was at home, and pleased to see us, but obviously unwell.

We just heard he was admitted to hospital again today, so it was nice and lucky to spend some time with him in the home environment instead.

Some random observations from the trip in no particular order:

• Traralgon is bigger every time I go there.
• There are a lot of Africans in the Latrobe Valley now. I can’t recall any when I was growing up there in the 70s.
• I drove on the new Pakenham bypass for the first time.
• It’s 580km from Mount Gambier to Moe. The journey took six and a half hours with one stop.
• There is no sign between Mount Gambier and Hamilton on the South Australian side to mark the state border.