Sydney to Mildura - 1020 kms, 10:20 hours.
Setting out, I was a bit late at 10:40AM. This has always been my problem - takes too long for me to get out of the house. Although heading south, I do the M2/M7 loop by first going north and then turning around. Stocked up with enough music and podcasts, I start with ABC Classical 100 - 2 volumes of 8 CDs in all ripped on to my SD card. Of course it was wall to wall Beethoven for a while. Having an SD card for the music is one of the great things about the music system on my car.
Two hours into the trip, the long journey ahead hits me. What have I got myself into? The feeling soon passes and I make steady progress. The traffic is thick but moving fast. It all looks like a slow motion traffic jam. Once I get to Bowral, the road frees up. I soon arrive at the Goulburn doughnut-in-the-sky roundabout. I take the turnoff towards The Big Merino.
This is one of those peculiarly Australian tourist attractions. There are many such Big something or other scattered around the country. In spite of the merino looming above, Oliver's in its shade does not really offer a great deal of lamb. I have a meal there and fill up. It is Christmas day and I am glad most of the eating places are open. Soon I am back on the road.
About 20 minutes later I come across windmills in the distance. It is the Gunning Windfarm. Each wind turbine generates 1.5MW. The whole setup of 31 windmills produces 46MW - enough to power over 20,000 homes. I cannot comprehend our ex-Treasurer Hockey (the ex part has a lovely ring to it) calling them 'utterly offensive'. As opposed to the unparalleled beauty of a smoke belching coal power station, I guess.
It is an open and sunny road and it is zen like traveling down. I was driving with the convertible top down most of the way. The temperature reached 37°C occasionally. Random thoughts pop into my head. Random thought: Why don't they make bicycles with an automatic transmission? An upside down car by the roadside reminds me to keep my mind on the road and random thoughts at bay.
Being summer, it is light till very late. Sunset comes around at 8:30PM. The last 100kms to Mildura are through a wildlife reserve. I see a few kangaroos. Cute? Not! Dangerous more like it. It is 9 PM and there is still some light.
It is 9:30PM and I finally reach the Mildura Motor Inn. It is dark now and I drive around slowly inside the parking lot trying to spot my room without waking people up. It has been a good drive with speeds of 100 to 110. Driving in the hot sun for hours on end has consequences - I will have sunburn but that is tomorrow. And I thought I was born with sunscreen on.
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