Slept amazingly well, me on the back seat, Val in the front – we must have been really tired. Still, I managed to kick Val enough to get her moving, and we got off to an early start. There were about 420 miles to go to Terrace, so we split it into 6 70-mile sections and took it turn + turn about, since 70 miles seemed to be about the limit we could drive without feeling drowsy. (It wasn’t as rigorously planned as that from the beginning, just after we’d both driven our first session.) The scenery was not as good as it had been the day before, but then it was not quite as hot – I suppose because we were further north. Val seemed to remember that Rick Olson, an exchange teacher at Launceston from Canada, lived in Terrace, so we were going to look him up. And finally, at 2 or 3 in the afternoon, we arrived there.
We stopped first at the information centre, and by looking in the phone book, we found that there was a Richard Olson in the town, and tho’ there was no answer on the phone, we got a map there + some directions, and drove out. As expected, there was no-one in the house, tho’ there were windows open, so it wasn’t likely they were on holiday. I tried a neighbour, and their windows were open too but no-one was home. Fortunately the other neighbour was in, and he told me that Rick was a principal (so he was the right one) but had moved, tho’ only just down the street. So off we went + again the house was empty but open, and so was his neighbour’s so all we could do was wait. Fortunately, before too long his daughter came home, + told us he’d be back soon, + he was. He remembered me too (tho’ not my name… I was “Drama”) + welcomed us in and told us we could stay. Which was just what we wanted. We had a nice tea on the deck, then he + his wife took us for a tour of the town, including a nearby lake + some hot springs – and they were very hot! Then home, and we chatted some, before finally getting to bed.
Terrace appears to have been the most laid-back, crime-free town anywhere, with all those people leaving their houses empty and unlocked. Another example of just happening to stumble into generous hospitality.
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