It was good that we left Spear Creek earlier than we had planned because we heard as we left Laura that Port Augusta, 25 km from Spear Creek, had 100 kph winds last night and areas in the Flinders Ranges had received up to 90 ml of rain. We could have found it very uncomfortable at Spear Creek and might not have been able to get out for a couple of days. Areas to the north and east of Port Augusta haven’t received that much rain for several years so it’s good for the countryside. It rained steadily most of the way to Cadell but not enough to be a problem.

At Cadell we stayed with our friends who own Caudo Vineyard. Anyone driving near Cadell should visit the cellar door; the wines and food are great, the hosts and staff are fabulous and the setting is amazing. We had a wonderful couple of days here, at one of the nicest places we have seen anywhere along the River Murray.

After leaving Cadell we intended staying a few days in the Clare Valley and a few days in the Barossa Valley but the weather was cold and windy, getting down to 1 degree over night, so instead we came home early. Even though we shortened our trip by two weeks we still enjoyed it and we realise that we are very fortunate to have been able to travel at all. Throughout the trip we have thought every day of the people of Victoria, including our family, who have not even been able to leave their homes for more than an hour a day. The COVID case numbers are improving daily there so hopefully the Victorian lockdowns will be relaxed soon.

As usual, here are a few statistics for those who are interested (approximate figures). During the 37-day trip we travelled 5,000 km, being 3,600 km with the caravan and 1,400 km on side trips. We relocated the caravan on 18 days at an average of 200 km each time we moved; the van did 300 km or more on 5 days and less than 100 km on 5 days. We used 1,000 L of diesel at an average cost of $1.50, making a total of $1,500, or $41 per day. Average fuel consumption was 20 L/100.

We have no definite plans for our next caravan trip but, with luck, we might be able to go to Tasmania in 2021 to do the trip that we had planned for 2020. It depends on COVID-19.

Meanwhile everyone keep healthy and safe.