Preparation and Planning

The Destination for this outback trip is Determined, we decided back in February to head to the Big Red Bash, the most remote music festival in the world. The headline act - Midnight Oil, was a pretty big drawcard.

To say the planning has been fluid would be a fair understatement. Our plans have changed several times in the intervening months.

"Perhaps we should go via the Silo Art Trail?" Good idea, lets do that.
OR
"Maybe we could do the Little Desert on the way?" Good idea, lets do that.
OH
It's been raining and flooding in the top half of the country, not sure if or what roads will be open, we'd better leave our decisions till closer to the departure.

SO finally we've settled on the fact that we should get up north and outback, to check out the scenery, given the rain and floods and the changes that brings to the countryside.

DECISION: we will meet in Echuca on Saturday, go out for tea, and then head off from Dad's on Sunday morning.

In the past couple of weeks, Dad has had some health hurdles, with a very sore back, that had him laid up in hospital. This has unfortunately meant that he can't make the trip this time.  Some juggling of plans for me, but finally it's clear, that I'm in my car (not Dad's with the Tvan, as anticipated)

So one week out, I'm pretty much packed and ready. One more week of work and a few last minute things and I'm good to go.

The trickiest part of the pack is getting the spare tyre WITH
the bin bag, onto my spare wheel. ✅✅✅

Then the rest. A space on the seat now for the clothes bag and
stuff into the fridge and I'm DONE. 

I sent a message to see how others were doing, by bragging about my status only to receive this from Steve:  Oh,  should I be thinking of food, and packing.....  with the accompanying photo below.

Holy crapping moses!  This is STEF in the back of STEVE's new Troopy.
Less than a week out and things are looking pretty bare. 

I'm left to wonder how progressed Stef is himself.  Could be a few late nights this week I'm thinking.