Home again

Well, there is our trip.  We missed Victoria, Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania altogether, but we passed through five other states and territories. Days away - 121.  Total KMs travelled?  About 23,000. That’s an average of 190 kilometres per day.

We went to bed last night with heavy rain drumming on our roof.  This disguised the sound of the big rigs pulling in and out at our rest stop.  I looked out at about 10pm and there were four large trucks lined up around our van! Earlier in the evening the place was deserted, so it was a bit of a surprise.

I can remember the first night we pulled into a road side stop, before we reached the three ways north of Tennant Creek.  We were a bit nervous and unsure if we would be ok.  But it was lots of fun, an adventure, and we have spent more time at rest stops than not the last month.  The shower at the free camp last night was a bonus!

Packing up for the last time it was quite funny.  Jo and Dom were getting very cross with us for not getting up and getting going. This was a complete reversal from the rest of the trip.

We pulled out onto the Moonie Highway, which runs East/West between St. George and Dalby.  This road started out as a dirt track many years ago running beside Moonie Creek.  A bigger, gravel road replaced the original track by 1953, and parts of it went through private properties.  There were 52 gates to stop at, open and then close along the way. The discovery of oil in Moonie in 1961 accelerated the upgrade and sealing of the road for traffic to the oil field by the 1970s.  It was a very comfortable road to travel on today.

We continued our reading of 'A Fortunate Life', trying to get done before we arrived home.

On the way into Dalby there were fields and fields of barley (it looked like sweet corn leaves with a grain head that was red - not sure what it was) and other crops.  It is so green and crowded with trees and bushes.  Very different from where we've come from.

We stopped near Anzac park in Dalby, by the banks of Myall Creek which runs through Dalby, and had an early lunch.  Although it is warm, it is nowhere near as hot as it was yesterday in Cunnamulla.

Back into the car again for our final leg.  Cooper slept through the drive into Toowoomba, the drive down the range, the stop at the big orange for fruit and vegetables, in fact, he only woke up when we pulled up in front of our house and everyone began to leap wildly from the car.  After that he didn't stop for the rest of the afternoon and evening, pulling out toys and generally adding to the chaos that is our house.

Everything is as we remember it, it's hard to believe we've been away for four months.  We have made a big dent in unpacking, but there is still a way to go.  And some serious haircuts to be had.  Oh the joy.

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Vicki