Tonga family in Euston / 4 Catch up posts ( Start from " Housework and Tumbleweed)

Crossing into New South Wales state I stopped at a supermarket in Mildura to stock up on food. That mainly consisted of oatmeal, pasta, noodles sardines, canned food, bread, tea, coffee and snacks. Once I have food all I need is water to cook and survive. If need be I can push enough food for a couple of weeks, perhaps longer. Water is the problem, the slower one travels, the more water required to cover a given distance. A litre is approximately a kilo in weight and I usually carry about eight. Sometimes there are farms on my route, sometimes not for a few days. Usually I can mooch more water from friendly truckers at picnic areas which are also rest stops. They usually have a large water tank at the side of their trailers. When I deem it safe I camp at these picnic areas. I light a fire and cook my dinner and breakfast. With my two-litre thermos full, I use it to lunch on a packet of noodles, bread and sardines. Monday was a slow day, two punctures due to thorns. While mending them in a place called Bottle Bend Conservation Reserve a man who spotted me on the road came by. He gave me a Red Rooster chicken, potatoes and pea dinner. He had it delivered from the chains Mildura branch, some 23 kilometres away! 
"But that's your lunch!" I said.
"No dramas matey, I really want you have it! Besides, I always order two, makes it more economical!"
His name is Jugger and he suggested that I camp in the campsite just down the trail. With only 12 kms behind me, I did and then I spent the rest of the afternoon fixing my punctured inner tubes. Later, three lots of 'grey nomad' campers came along in their RV's. They were all family and their friends just setting out for a two month trip from Adelaide to Darwin. Nice people that they were, they topped up my water and gave me some left over quiche. 
Increasingly, I am having problems keeping my phone charged up. That means I don't always get photos to post here. I also have a small pocket camera, but the problem is that with Australia's terrible internet service that I can't download them. I can honestly say that the countries internet is easily the worlds worst that I have experienced. It's also pretty expensive and rarely given out as a service in cafes or hotels, etc as in the rest of the world. Many hotels, campsites and even backpacker hostels charge anything from 10-24 dollars for a one day pass; and even then it sometimes doesn't work.
I followed that day up with a 32km day. With only one stop for lunch at 18k. To finish in daylight I had a short but brisk afternoon march at 6kph pace to Mail Route rest area. That marked 3,000 kilometres in Australia, the minimum distance required per continent as per World Runners Association rules. The WRA also help, advise and provide guidelines for aspiring world walkers. That night I camped at the rest area.
Another easy 24km day took me to a small community town called Euston. On the entrance to the town I decided to stop at a public park which also is the home ground of the Euston Bombers Aussie Rules football club. With a sheltered area outside their clubhouse I decided to camp there. Especially as there was an outside electrical socket. While charging up my devices a pleasant teacher called Damien came over for a long chat. It seemed that the wife of Michael, the orchard farmer that I stayed with a few days before had mentioned me to him.
Damien spoke about life in a small rural area and many of the challenges involved. But living in a city with sky high rent poses different challenges. I offered to do a talk in the school.
While chatting to him a man called John came by. He is originally from Tonga, a small remote pacific island. "Tonga is so small that you can drive around it in only an hour if you start at 7am, otherwise it will take you the afternoon."
I presumed the reason for the extra time was the islands gridlock, but I never asked. 
I was invited to stay at his house and only after I had showered did  I realize that it was not his house. He lives in Mildura and was visiting his mother and fathers house for a few weeks. So with his two kids, it was a full house. 
Over coffee he told me that he has been living in Australia for twenty years. In his first year as a thirteen-year-old, he won a national 100 metres track and field championship in a shade under 10 seconds. It seemed that the boy he beat by a single stride, called Joe Jordan was until then unbeaten in five years.
Thanks so much John and family for such a lovely evening 😀
16,539 kilometres for 428 road days.