The sun has set.

The moon has risen over the garden and the fish are sound asleep in their pond. The boys are having one last game of Upwords with Norm and Margaret. Hannah is hurrying to finish up her Spanish lesson and get it uploaded. Ezra is pretending he’s asleep. In reality, he’s probably in there plotting mayhem for tomorrow.

The van we picked up this morning exceeded our expectations: A Hyundai iMax. It’s enormous. It feels like driving a bus, compared to the little roller skate we’ve bombing around Victoria in. The good news is that we’re all packed:

• six backpacks
• an enormous tent
• six sleeping bags
• a camp stove and gas canister
• a bit tub of spare provisions
• two camp chairs
• picnic blanket

We’ve got Hannah’s instruments to add in yet, and the sleeping mats that James picked up for us when he went into Geelong, but it’s all fitting in the back, which is a happy thing.

Today was a day of last things: last meals, last walks, last trips to the store, last hugs for friends.

Norm and Margaret rolled in this afternoon bringing lots of laughter and stories with them. They handed us their excellent camping book on Australia before they even made it into their house; a passing off of the baton, of sorts.

We will miss Drysdale.

It’s become home in some very special ways. The town itself is idyllic in so many ways, from local shops and businesses to it’s superbly walkable layout to the bustling community center and music at the pub on Saturday nights. Of course it’s the people who have endeared the place to us. The Welshes and the Rickards, the Andrewarthas and Rhoda’s happy little tribe. The home school community here has bent over backwards to make us feel welcome. We’ll always be grateful for that. Should we ever return to Australia, we’ll come straight back here, and it will feel like we’re coming home.

Tomorrow we’ll be out by 7:30 a.m. and rolling west. Excitement is running high. Jacqui and I are Facebooking back and forth with last minute details and check ups. There’s nothing left to do but enjoy the evening and savour that feeling, pregnant with possibility, that a grand adventure is about to unfold!