The soft launch - Sydney to Cowra, NSW

Day 1

Odometer Reading - 2208

The day was finally here for Steve, Jo and Izzy to go!! Our big adventure — the lap of the map — began. Not early, mind you. We didn’t leave Maraylya until 10:35am, but then again, we really aren’t in any hurry.

Today wasn’t a long drive by any stretch, but we wanted to ease into things, get a feel for the truck (our expedition vehicle), and take it steady. For this first part of the trip we’re heading for South Australia, so west then south felt like the logical route.

The first few hours certainly tested us: up the Bells Line of Road in dense fog and rain. Once over the mountains, though, the sun came out and it became downright hot.

Just out of Bathurst, we thought the whole trip was in peril when a loud bang came from the truck and we suddenly lost power. Some roadside investigating revealed an intercooler hose had blown off — thankfully an easy fix. Crisis averted, and back on the road.

We arrived in Cowra and popped into the local ARB to see if they had some brackets we were after. No luck there, but we did find some dangerously tempting camping chairs. We’ve been hunting for chairs that tick the trifecta of comfort, recline ability, and reasonable pack-down size. These ones came close… so we decided to sleep on it. (Also, we may or may not have checked the shop opening hours for the next morning.)

One of the reasons for stopping in Cowra was an invite from our friends’ son, Jack, who is a local police officer. He kindly offered his front yard for Izzy’s first overnight park. Hence the “soft launch” — sleeping in the truck, but still enjoying hot showers in Jack’s house and dinner at the local pub.

Shout-out to the Impy on Cowra's main street for an excellent feed. Jack told Stephen the open steak sandwich would change his life, and Stephen now agrees. The pizza wasn’t bad either.

It felt surreal lowering the bed and having our first night on the road. Bed gets a thumbs up for comfort, and Day 1 is done.