50km South of Roma to Roma

50km South of Roma to Roma = 52km
Cummulative total = 2568km

We all didn't sleep that well last night - Kouta had small burrs caught in his fur especially around the paws and legs and he was licking and grubbing all night so that kept waking Neil and I up so this morning there were some grumpy people at the breaky table and one very grumpy dog! Before we left this morning we sat down and brushed the burrs out of koutas fur but he is still licking and so we are back to putting ointment on his paws and belly to stop the itching - we are not sure what it is - maybe the grass up here.
So we left a little later this morning at 8.30am and I thought it was going to be a loooooooong day to Roma but luckily for us there was no wind so we cruised along at 17-18kph and less when we had to cycle the small undulations! which seem very big when you have weary legs but they weren't really just the right size!
At one point along the way we came down to this place called the 'green swamp' and it was really lovely to ride through and had there been heavy rain in the past week or so we would have had to ride through the water as the water on both sides of the road was less than a meter from it!

We had our first stop at 20km - it was a truck stop with a water tank again and also an environmental toilet (had to suppy your own toilet paper though!). So that water stop is 47km north of Surat or 32km South of Roma. There was also another water stop (but no toilet) a further 16km on so they are quite regular - all the water in the tanks are from the rain water running of the shelter and so they claim they are not potable but the water is perfectly good just not treated through a water treatment plant ... but I think the tank water is better than most town water which can be really suspect sometimes with the colour and flavour!!! so I think councils put the note up on the tank to say they are not potable just to cover themselves!
Riding along today and over the past 3-4 days we have noticed alot more victorians coming up in their caravans so the mass exodus from Victoria has begun! Neil says it must be end of the lawn bowls season! I sometimes wonder why they are coming up here as it isn't exactly warmer than victoria and it is most definitely not sunnier! ... again it was another grey cloudy day - but slightly warmer.
When we got to Roma about lunchtime the temperature guage said 24 and it was warm too!
It seems everyone turns up at around lunchtime as there was a queue to book in ... the campground is currently full and they only have unpowered left. There are 2 other caravan parks in Roma and I think they are also full - the 2 motels we passed before the caravan park were also full (and that was at lunchtime) and it is due to the gas lines being built around here apparently alot of the accomodation is taken up by the workers etc.
But since we are unpowered we got in easily and our tent spot is on a grassed area that is about 50m by 30m and we are surrounded by caravaners ... Neil said he felt a bit out of place since we are the only tenters ... I look at it differently and think we are out of place because we are younger!
Tonights dinner was Canton chicken and vege noodle soup - yummmmmmmmy! it is nice to have fresh veges every now and then.
We are here 2 nights and tomorrow will take in the sites of the town.
We went for a quick walk before and over at the tourist information place there was this old house that apparently was built over a hundred years ago and housed a family of 11 - it has a small kitchen, small lounge and 1 bedroom so I am not sure where all the kids slept ... maybe on the verandah!