Planes, trains and automobiles

23rd September
4.15 wake up to make the airport for 5am. Saying goodbye to the folks, on the plane and a quick power nap before getting on the laptop and enjoying individual tv’s – so brought back some childhood memories with I Dream of Jeanie, Astroboy and Inspector Gadget. Bit of turbulence heading into Sydney with some bad weather, but still arrived on time. Uncle Fred phoned just after I turned my mobile on, so after collecting my bags I didn’t have to wait long before Jo, Uncle Fred and Aunty Maureen collected me and we were on our way back to Rouse Hill. Shower, cuppa and reorganise the van before heading over to what I’m sure is one of the biggest shopping complexes in Australia. Lunch – just salad – and some milk, bread and fruit – lots of fruit - before saying goodbye and hitting the road. 2.00pm exactly by the time I’d refuelled. Plugged in Millie and the ipod to crank out some tunes for the drive out of suburban Sydney... at a slightly louder decibel level than when I was driving with dad! Stopping fairly regularly it was all smooth driving, once I was back on the Hume Highway, on the road to Gundagai (again) with mars bars and lollies keeping me going. Stopping briefly on the side of the road for some sunset photos over the hills, I took a break for some tea (peanut butter sandwich!) in Gundagai before assessing my options and deciding to drive on a bit further. Made it as far as Tarcutta, about the halfway point between Sydney and Melbourne, where I decided driving further on the single lane road with an endless number of trucks coming the other way was no longer fun. Pulled in near the public ablutions and the other side of the truck stop and set up for the night. Went to sleep with the ‘srenity’ of the outback... and the trucks driving past.

24th September
Up, breaky and on the road for 8am after filling up again and spending 10 minutes trying to find out how much pressure the tires should have in them (see boys, I can look after a car!). Stopped in Holbrook, home of the HMAS Otway submarine... and yes, in this tiny town probably 500kms from the ocean they have a submarine sitting on the side of the road. Albury for a refuel, then onto the border... and all these signs saying ‘fruit drop ahead’ – crap! Do I, don’t I??? Toyed with the idea for about 10kms, but pulled into the bay. Now you all know I’m a t!ghtarse council worker, and hating to waste food I has to think a bit creatively about this. Reading the signs about the fruit fly, I figured as long as I ate the food, and disposed of anything that I was later going to have to throw away, it’d be ok – wouldn’t it? So 2 bananas got peeled and made into banana sandwiches, lunch for later, and the punnet of strawberries got washed and the tops cut of them. Ok – enough stops, onto some driving. Drove on until lunchtime where I stopped in Euroa, and took a walk down past the stream that runs through the town and past the Supa IGA for some water (because where ever we had filled the van up last had not aged well in the past two weeks!) and a nanna nap! 1.30pm I had 150kms to destination South Yarra, Melbourne. Millie had been programmed with the address, and told to avoid toll roads she planned the journey... right through central Melbourne, at 3pm in the afternoon. Not Happy Millie! Trams, car accident, thousands of pedestrians and this stupid right turn from left rule. Holy Crap (that wasn’t quite what I was saying, but as a PG rated site I’m sure you can guess some of the colourful language that was being used!). Then she wanted me to turn right into St Kilda Road, which runs between Federation Square and Flinders St Station, which would have been great to get me out of the city, except for the fact that there was a big ‘no right turn’ sign. Crap Crap Crap! So I kept driving, and Millie kept changing the way she was going to take me until she finally worked it out, taking me past the mighty MCG on the way to South Yarra. Finally arrived, parked George and took a huge sigh! Met mum and dad who showed me upstairs (3 flights) to the apartment and about the first thing I did was grab a drink – boy did I need that! Went for a trip to the local library to get onto the internet and collect my AFL Footy Show Grand Final Tickets and chinese for tea. Home in time for the new episode of House and Life.