Well we’re at our last caravan park stop on our BBOT lap of Oz here in Paynesville. Paynesville is on the Great Lakes in central Gippsland and about 15 k’s south Bairnsdale and just over 300 k’s east of Melbourne. Unfortunately its been blowing a gale since we got here and with temperatures around 20/21 it hasn’t been all that pleasant.

The drive from Mallacoota to Paynesville was rather depressing, as nearly all the forest region in East Gippsland has been destroyed by the fires early in the year. In places it was horrific and must have been horrendous to have been anywhere nearby. I know everything heals with time but these forests which gave the drive thru East Gippsland its own special ambience will take a very long time to come back. In fact a lot of clearing along the roadside has been done, so the drive will never be the same.

We stopped off in Orbost for a light lunch and its the first time I had been there as in all other trips I had by-passed the town. It was a very pleasant little town with its claim to fame being the “Snowy River”. From Orbost in was into Paynesville, after a quick stop in Bairnsdale to pick up a drawer catch from the JAYCO dealer in town. “Be Brave” is starting to show a bit of wear and tear from our trip, so a bit of maintenance and TLC will be due when we get home.