We had been warned the bush camp would be busy and they weren’t wrong. It was my turn to drive and I pulled into the park to find it was packed. We left the car sitting in the middle of the park and got out to have a look around. The park wasn’t very big and we had to decide if it was better to back our way out of the park or if there was enough room to turn around. I didn’t like the idea of backing up, as it would be onto a busy roundabout. Adrian and I were talking when a man came up to us and told us where we could move our van to as one of vans was leaving and we could have that spot. I jumped into the car to move it out of the way and we didn’t have long to wait for the van to go. The man then gave me directions to back up and we were all set. To start with I thought the man giving me all the directions was the caretaker but he was just another vanner. I think he saw a female behind the wheel and decided I needed help.   Adrian thought it was funny, he reckoned it was the first time I did what I was told, ever.

I though we had not much room between vans at Paronella Park, I changed my mind. We had heaps of room there. At Kershaw Gardens we were really packed in like sardines. We didn’t even have room to put out our full mat let alone put our awning out.

The park was in a good spot as it was right next to a very large shopping centre. We hadn’t been in one for a while. My helpful man told me when I go shopping to make sure I know where I had entered the centre. I told him I always did and gave him a smile. He really did think I was helpless didn’t he?

After setting up the van we went to do some shopping. It was nice to be in a big centre. I did a lot of window-shopping first, much to Adrian’s frustration, then it was off to do the food shopping. I had a big list of items that I hadn’t been able to get in some of the smaller towns we have shopped in. After it was all done we headed off to the parking lot. Wrong exit, we regroup and went looking for the right one. After about the fourth wrong exit we found the one we were looking for. It was a bit like Hotel California, “we were never going to leave.” My helpful man was right, ‘make sure you know where you entered.’ I can’t believe I got lost in a shopping centre. It would have to be the first time ever.

At the end of the day we treated ourselves to a movie. It was the first time since leaving Perth. We found the cinemas when we were trying to find our way out of the shopping centre. No we didn’t have to go back into the centre, it was a building on it’s own so was easy to find again.

I was up early the next morning to take a walk into the local park next to the bush camp. A large part of it was closed off as it was being redeveloped. The new park looked like it would be a lot of fun. It offered exiting playgrounds for all ages and an in ground maze, even free Wi-Fi.

What had already been completed was lovely. There was a man-made waterfall surrounded by plants. As it was early in the morning and the dew still hung to everything.

The shrubs were filled with birds looking for breakfast or a drink.

As we pulled out (it was 10:15am) there was a van waiting to take our spot.