Home again, Home again...Jiggetty Jig

31 July 2012 - A great trip back - near perfect weather.  Had a big cooked breakfast at the Motel in Balranald - there was enough bacon on the plate to build a pig!! I guess maybe it's a truckie stop and that's why it was so affordable.  HOWEVER -  there is always a price to pay and I was never so pleased to see the public conveniences at Euston and was so happy that they were easy to find.  I promised God my first born if he helped. Sorry Lee :)

Not long after this joyful occasion I turned a wide sweeping bend in the road  and there were three police cars and  on the side of the road a 4 WD was upside down and people all standing around hugging each other. Now this is what I mean about the drivers - this was a big wide sweeping bend - 110 km limit - WTF happened that would flip a 4WD.  The mind boggles. I couldn't see any  other smashed car so unless I missed it, it was a single car accident. Ah well....let's hope no one was seriously injured.

When I got onto the Wellington Ferry for the last leg home we were accompanied by a very large pelican. Colonel Sanders could make a fortune with the drumsticks alone!!

Kentucky Fried Pelican....?

How beautiful...wish I was on it.

As I drove through Strathalbyn and on into Currency Creek the sun came out and the coast came into view  - big waves breaking - ridiculously blue sea -  cloud free blue sky - sun shining - it was gorgeous and it became clear that there is really no place like home.


Total Road kill #  72                   Today's mileage #654.5   Total Mileage # 3836.4 kms

Hmm!! Interesting day

30 July 2012 - I left Sydney about 10 am to head back to Adelaide. Beautiful sunny day and the roads were kind and there was very little traffic. There isn't a lot to see on the Hume Highway - in fact it is quite boring.
I had my first pit stop at a place called Gunning - very mediocre sausage roll but a great cup of coffee.

Next stop was at Gundagai where I saw the Dog on the Tucker Box (American friends need to Google this) and bought a postcard for Bindi (Marion's dog in Sydney).

I started off again driving over the Hay plains - this is very very boring - the surface of the moon has more going for it. I began to think I might drive to Hay and stop for the night and that I should get in before dark. It actually got dark about 30 kms out from Hay and I was concentraing on the two semi trailers that were all lit up and coming towards me when I nearly ran into the BACK of a dark car pulling a dark trailer with NO LIGHTS on it  at 55 kms in a 110 kph zone. FERCRYINOUTLOUD!!!!  The car had its rear lights on but the trailer completely blocked them out.  I overtook him and tried to wave him down but he didn't stop so I overtook him again and left him in the hands of the Gods. What a moron.

I got to Hay and pulled in to the motel - they wanted $109 for just me for one night - I mean this place is out in the bloody sticks. I said it was too much but if they dropped the price I would stay and use the restaurant as well but the woman said no. I pointed out that's why only 3 of their rooms were filled and that its better to have someone paying something than no one paying nothing. When we were in the USA if you got into the motels latish and they had empty rooms they would always deal. Anyway I said I wasn't going to pay that much and left.

I drove on to the next town which was Balranald - 125 km away. By now it was seriously dark - very cloudy so no moon. The road was good but there were semi trailers starting to come out of the woodwork - all coming towards me. With one I forgot to dip my lights but it was way off. He flicked his lights to remind me but when he got just in front of me he let loose with all his "brights" and literally blinded me....I was lucky I didn't go off the road.  THEN...I got stuck behind another guy with a big trailer that blocked off all vision ahead so I couldn't see to get by him. He insisted on doing 90 to 100 on the 110 kph highway and whenever there was the vaguest chance I could get past him he straddled the white line to stop me. This went on all the way into Balranald. What is the matter with these people? It's no wonder the road toll is so bloody high grrrr.

I'm now booked into a great hotel room in Balranald - for $70 a night  - much more reasonable and the good thing is I am only about 550 kms from Adelaide so will be home tomorrow.

22 Lots of road kill today - not surprising when you think the people I described above are on the road.lol

Total road kill #67      Mileage today # 885.4

Gordon got legless!!!!!

28 July 2012 - I'm spending a few days house and dog sitting in Sydney for my old friend from a million years ago, Marion. Her Mother has recently passed away and Marion is off toWalcha to celebrate what would have been her Mother's 99th birthday. Thinking of you Marion and  Mrs S. xx

Gordon McGnome and I watched the Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics...oohing and aahing at all the sights . Loved it. Gordon - being the hard headed little man he is - insisted on going out on the front lawn and showing off his prowess at the pole vault. It was obvious his training failed to cover the fact that one needs to let go of the pole at a critical point in the jump. It was also obvious that Gordon had forgotten that he's at least 100 years old and recently recovered from hip replacement surgery.

Gordon's failed pole vault attempt.

I called a Gnome Removalist who rushed Gordon to the Nepean Hospital for Vertically Challenged Gnomes and he is now out of surgery and in traction.

Gordon McGnome in traction following surgery for bilateral broken legs.

Only time will tell if a full recovery will be made.

A Walk in the Park

26 July 2012 - The weather was a bit cold and wet so we decided on a drive with Marion's dog Biddy for company. We ended up at Tench Reserve on the banks of the Nepean river - a lovely park with the greenest grass I've seen in years.

Tench Reserve - Penrith

 At times it seems that Biddy was taking Marion for a walk not the other way around.

Who's the Boss?

We came across a group of old people (please read "older than us") waiting for the Nepean Belle - a paddle steamer/restaurant  that cruises the river. Envied them a bit going off on the boat...looked like fun.

The Nepean Belle

We finished the day with a lovely roast pork dinner cooked by Marion and devoured  with much pleasure by me and John Always nice to have someone else do the cooking for once lol

Sydney NSW

25 July 2012  - Had a wonderful sleep and Marion and I went out for a drive and some sight seeing, There was an incredible fog when the day started - one which grounded all flights at Sydney airport. However - as the day went on the fog dispersed and the sun shone and it became a beautiful 20 C day.

We went up to Hawkesbury Lookout and the view was quite something. You could see for miles - the city skyline was way off in the distance and the Nepean River snaked around below us.

  Total Road kill # still 45 (no new ones today)     Mileage - No Driving by me today

Batemans Bay to Sydney NSW

24 July 2012 - Spent a couple of days in a motel at Batemans Bay recovering from my upset stomach. The motel was right on the rivers edge and cost too much but it was an ideal place for rest and recuperation. Went out for a while and took some random photos of this beautiful part of the world.

Batemans Bay

Left quite early this morning for the drive to Sydney. I  passed through lots of  towns with the wonderful names of Mollymook and Ulla Dulla  and Nowra and Kiama - crazy names. The day started of pristine but got a bit wet and cloudy later on.  I arrived in Sydney about 12.30 and am now safely ensconced in Marion's house at Jamisontown in Western Sydney.  (Marion and I started nursing together in 1969 - quite a while ago now lol)

Road kill Total # 45 - no fresh kills at all today    Mileage # 306.5

Lakes Entrance Victoria to Batemans Bay NSW

22 July 2012 -  Woke to a spectacular day in Lakes Entrance - cool, crisp and the sun was shining. The water was so still and smooth.  Magical place.

Took off from Lakes Entrance heading north and since I'd had an upset stomach the day before and didn't eat dinner last night  I decided to stop at Nowa Nowa and have a full breakfast - it was huge!!! It was also a huge mistake :(  I put the picture below on Facebook a while ago and have spent most of today proving it is true. It was like a Benny Hill show - racing in to a town - circling the centre looking for "him" and "her" signs, then running around like a crazy woman - very carefully though - trying to find my way in....constantly :(

So True

At Orbost I took a detour to Marlo to see where the Snowy River meets the sea. Nice town - nice toilets - nice views. Some random guy at a look out point tried to pick me up but I had a heavy date with another toilet - thank God.

Mouth of the Snowy at Marlo

Took off again with frequent pit stops,  heading North towards Eden. Passed through various pretty, small towns, making use of all conveniences on the way.

It seems someone was having fun with the signposts.

See the little golliwog?

Love the skiing Kangaroo

From Eden it was on Merimbula - quite beautiful and lovely public toilets.

Merimbula

From Merimbula to Narooma the countryside was beautiful.....one minute it was tall timber country and next it was farming....lots of cows....I guess it was dairy country because all the towns suddenly had the name of my favourite cheeses...Bega...Bodalla,,,,no Gorgonzola though.

I did see my first Echidna in the wild today -  it was lying on its back in the middle of the road with his legs in the air so I'm not sure that counts :)   Also saw a kookaburra...not sitting in the old gum tree but on a fence post very patiently.

Kookaburra

I was going to stop for the night at Narooma but it was still quite early so I pushed on and am now at Batemans Bay. I am going to spend 2 nights in a motel here to give my stomach time to settle and to enjoy this beautiful town. I went out to Woolies after dark to get some supplies and couldn't find the motel again. This disaster included turning the wrong way down a one way street....IN FRONT of the Police Station lol. Luckily they were not looking out the window at the time and the traffic was light being a Sunday night.

On the road to Marlo - some of you may need this, Funny thing is that pen was full of  great big fat porkers lol

My motel is nice and looks straight out over the river and bridge - will take some photos tomorrow after a nice sleep in. It's pouring down at the moment but am nice and snug.

Total Roadkill #45                                            Mileage today #487.5