Set off from Frankston by 10.30am on Boxing Day, after a great Xmas, for Greens Lake and stopped off on the way to see Mezzie, always an interesting time talking with her. Then back to Greens, the first person I saw was Michael (nu one) who had just arrived with his new partner Barb. Great to catch up after nearly a year.

Walking around catching up when Patty arrived for a visit, she has had a difficult time over in Tassie looking after her sister for the past 4 months but was able to fly back to be with her family for Xmas and have a visit here to see her friends who have missed her this year. Good to catch up after many phone calls over the past year and hopefully she will be able to camp here in January.

Lit the fire and a few gathered round, in the main most were concerned with where they were going to go to when this campsite is closed over the New Year and indeed whether they would return. Because of an incident last New Years Eve when rival youths from different townships clashed over a misunderstanding which cause the wrong car being attacked and the subsequent retaliation saw one boy seriously gashed with a bottle. So we Grey Nomads who are usually quiet end up with being banned from our camps.

It is the 29th and all have to be out by mid day, most of the Grey Nomads have left for Girgarre and no doubt are settled in by now and some have left for pastures greener. There are only a few left and we have permission to camp at a private property near by. I have a long history with the owners of the Corop Store or at least with their family, starting up at Rollingstone and then Gayndah following up here at Greens lake. It will be interesting to see how many campers are still here at mid day, looking around most are getting ready to move on.

Leaving just after 12pm and there were a few getting ready to leave and some had left their boats and vehicles behind. As we left there was a Corop fire truck and a police car heading that way and there had been a road closure sign on the road outside the Greens turnoff for a few days before the 29th. We are comfortably settled behind the Corop Store in a flat paddock with fences all round, we have 3 dog owners here and they are pleased to allow their dogs to roam freely.

Received my Garmin GPS when I got to the Corop Store and have spent time seeing how it works and downloading Garmin Express to the lap top. Completed all the updates and now ready for action, I will use it primarily as a log to record my kms since the odometer doesn't work. Have never used the GPS to find camp sites just to find streets in towns and then it is worth it's weight in gold.

MSM. have read the website  http://www.msmaustralia.com.au/   and listened to the broadcast on  http://www.gotsulfur.com/  and have decided to start taking the crystals on a daily basis. In line with my healthy lifestyle regime which started with Shane's dietry habits and the cider vinegar both previously discussed on earlier posts I am well on the way to emulating Fred's example of travelling until 90yrs.

We have just had Win News from Bendigo out to interview the owners of the Corop Store and they came round here to visit us. They conducted an interview with Jules who expressed hers and our displeasure at the closure of Greens Lake over the New Year. They panned the camera around our temporary site and we are eagerly waiting for the Bendigo News to see how it all turned out. A ute arrived with water for our stay here, very welcome.

Had a couple of quiet days here at Corop but several of us walked round to the store to bring back dinner, I had the much recommended fish and chips and so the evening get together started, the evening got colder and at around 8.30 we retired to our vans. I have lots to watch from getting movies and TV shows on to a hard drive and viewing tham on the lap top.

We all were invited to a New Year's eve party with our hosts and a good time was had by all, I left after seeing in the New Year then finding my way back to the bus in the dark. Waking up on the 1st January 2015 was decidedly queasy but still went up to Ayson's Reserve to empty the porta potty at the dump spot there and checked out if Greens was open yet. After lying down for a while waiting I woke up when Mezzie arrived by then it was time to drive back to Greens and set up camp.

I was unable to fully set up the queasyness developed into full blown sick day and after doing a small set up Mezzie and I went to the lake for a swim, I suppose I had a fever because even with the hot sun the water to me seemed cold. Took the rest of the day off and laid on the bed unable to eat but had to do the walk up to the amenities block several times. Definitely better by the evening and we sat around till late then watched Mrs Browns Boys 2014 Xmas special.    John