Commencing countdown, engines on.

Commencing panic attacks over the packing, anyway. Leaving Friday, day after tomorrow, expecting to be away 2 weeks, and covering the route which you see above. Needless to say, I won't be around to blog in that time. (Like I was blogging with intensity in recent times anyway... pfffft!)

I plotted a really rough 'bikely' route for those with any remote interest. (Hello E!) Bikely is designed more for bike (ergo, shorter) routes (duh!- BIKEly) so it was a bit of an epic to plot more than 2000 km. (And then I didn't finish it - gave up when we rejoined the Pacific Highway after our big/scenic detour.) Still, it answers Jeanie's question a few posts back about whether we were covering other states on our 'scenic route home'. The answer being 'no' !

Northernmost point is starting point, home. We head south to Newcastle to watch more than 50 games of netball over three days. (This year the girls play alternate timeslots. Marc thinks it is great. I'm wondering when I get to eat and buy coffee!! I am going to wear a pedometer to see just how much ground I cover walking between courts!)

A few days to recover and regroup at my parents' place in Sydney, then off down to 'The Snow' (ie. the Snowy Mountains) - the southern point of the route. I hope there is some. Snow, that is. They have had some over the past few days - so I have optimistically booked cross country lessons for the girls. Two nights in Jindabyne, with a motel night either side in Queanbeyan and Cooma.

Marc is just asking whether I think we should take a camping stove to cook lunches on. If he says "It was your idea to go cross country skiing' one more time, I swear I will never suggest another frigging holiday idea again. I am stressing enough about clothing for all the kids, never mind myself, and wondering why I have these grandiose ideas. Gear and equipment is not my forte, and I'm wondering how I'm going to pull this off.

We are then heading home via Tumut (to visit one 'old' friend and his family), and then up through Parkes to visit another former colleague of Marc's. And then back a very scenic route , apparently, (and a night in an old fashioned pub at a place called Moonan Flat. )

From there through Barrington Tops , for the very, very scenic views (and reconnaissance with regard to camping there sometime) and rejoining the Pacific Highway at a place called Nabiac for the well worn trip back up the highway to home. (Nabiac is where I stopped plotting the route! - because I know the way home from there! Straight up the highway a few hundred kilometres.)

It is definitely a 'for old time's sake' trip - We are also staying with friends 'from years ago' in Newcastle on Sunday night, and having dinner with someone else from 'way back' when we are down in Jindabyne.

We'll also touch on a few places we covered during the Big Rides we did in 2006 and 2007 - so bringing back some memories there (from the comfort of a car!) - but also taking us through a few places the kids certainly haven't been before (and even I haven't.)

Over and out.