Having finished all that I had to do in Sydney, I set off very early to go to Newcastle to spend some time with Phil Berry at CMCA Headquarters.
I arrived at about eleven o'clock and we talked about all the issues concerning the Self-containment Scheme which we needed to resolve.
Phil took me to lunch at a local eatery run by the Salvos to provide employment and experience for handicapped people. The food was really very good and the service was very attentive. We discussed all the topics which would have been off limits in the office.
Having no more to do in Newcastle, I decided that it was silly to hang about in that part of the world with nothing to do and nowhere to camp comfortably so I decided to return to Barraba for a couple of weeks. I will have to return to Sydney a week before Jean's return from San Francisco so that I can attend the AWA Veterans Association meeting but I will be able to get some useful work done on the house before I have to go south again. With some time to spare between the AWA VA meeting and Jean's return, I will be able to catch up with some old friends in Sydney.
I stopped at Rutherford to arrange to have the shock absorbers on the Motley replaced when I'm on the way back to Sydney.
I reached the rest area at Pothana Lane near Belford in time for a quiet evening and a good night's sleep.