Tues, 3rd Oct, 2023 Mt Panorama Volunteer Campground, Bathurst, NSW

A few drops of rain again about 3am.

Bryon and Ben’s birthdays today so sent off some messages.

Very windy again. Sky is clear.

We packed up camp and headed into town to the Post Office to send off the towing hitch to Dave & Wendy. We rang the wreckers near Cowra to see if they had any Ford dual fans so Steve can put another one in on the intercooler. They did so we headed out the Mid Western Highway. We bought the car seats from there in 2015 when we took out the dinette in the caravan and put the car seats in on a swivel base. Very smart my man and it worked well for all those years.

Up and down the hills, very pretty drive with all the greenery and the yellow canola fields. Through old villages of the Blayney Shire - which is called the Shire of historical villages. Lyndhurst (est 1861), Blayney (est 1843), Carcoar which is off the highway (est 1833), Mandurama (est 1876) and Millthorpe (est 1860s). A few interesting buildings along the way.

Got the fan from the wreckers and headed back. Unfortunately into the wind now so there goes the fuel economy again.

Back into Bathurst and around to the Guide Hall to prevote for the Referendum. Back to the track. A film crew etc were on the 1^st corner with Garth Tander. We saw Shane van Gisbergen coming across the road too. They were the winners from last year so must be doing something with the Peter Brock trophy.

More campers have arrived.

Backed into our campsite again and set up. We set up the canvas over the back door in readiness for the predicted rain tomorrow though it’s a bit windy for it today so we tied it down well. Lots of tents have been getting flattened by the wind.

Worked on my blog till smoko then we went wandering again. The place is filling up.

Another hot day, 30 degrees but it has clouded over in the afternoon so it is a pleasant walk except for the wind trying to rip our hats off. Across the bottom of our campground so we could look in on the pits where teams are starting to get set up. Lots of big rigs. The broadcasting area has a lot of trucks and lots of satellites.

Went out to the Chase and then down to the last corner and along pit straight. Selfie in front of the winners dais.

One team was setting up lines etc in pit lane and did some tyre changing practice.

Then they did the brake change.

Further along the Triple 8/Red Bull cars are out but under cover. Its Gizzy’s last year as he is going to race NASCAR in the USA next year.

We are still hopeful a Ford will win though the Shell cars haven’t been doing too well lately.

Looking through the Red Bull pit you can see our camper in the background. The gecko stands out.

Steve is on the main gate. That is my post at Gate 6 where the white shelter is - over from the first corner so we will be able to set up on the hill early on Sunday morning with our chairs before everyone else can get in.

Lots of inventive transport will be around this week.

A few demountables have been brought in. Probably by the people who got very wet in tents last year.

Certainly filling up now.

We should go for our walk around the track today before the rain comes tomorrow but we are a few years older now so not quite as energetic and we have done the track walk a few times now. Instead we just walked up the road to the top of the campground for a view back.

Great decal on this van.

Walked back and had our drinks outside. Then we walked across to the Chase. The drivers and crew of the team we were watching before were doing their track walk.

Back to camp for dinner and watch some TV. Got Deanne’s electric heater out ready for the forecasted cold morning and rain tomorrow. I have pulled out the winter woolies too.