10 July - Melbourne to Red Cliffs

First day out and 4Ks down the road from home our van got comprehensively crapped on by a bird. I thought this would be a sign of good luck but it was just a sign of more crap to come for the day.

We had a pretty good run until we turned north on the Tulla freeway to head north. The temperature went from 14 to 9 and most of the rest of the day was 70km head winds with driving rain.

Morning tea at Malmsbury was a dismal affair with 4 of us huddled in the service alcove of the public toilets. Lunch at Wycheproof wasn’t much better but by afternoon tea at Ouyen the rain and wind had died down a bit.

Finished the day at Red Cliffs with an average of 14.7 L/100Km which is the worst ever for the Prado. A similar trip 20 years a go with a Fairlane and pop top van was about double that consumption so we can’t complain.