The ten months of Val's illness, and particularly the last few months have left me sad and totally exhausted physically and mentally. I need a really good break, so with a house sitter secured, I have taken up the suggestion of a dear friend and tomorrow, two days after Val's Memorial Service, I am heading out on a road trip. First stop is the tiny settlement of Stockinbingal in the south west of NSW, inland from Wagga Wagga where good friends Keith and Sandra Berryman have a sheep and arable farm.
It's nearly a 500km drive to the Stockinbingal from Terrigal so including stops it will take me more than 6 hours. Most of the route-360kms- is on motorway or near motorway standard roads as far as Yass when the drive becomes more interesting as I head off the Hume Highway and onto the B84 country road to Stockinbingal via Harden.
After my stay in Stockinbingal my tentative plan is to head way north to the opal mining settlement of Lightning Ridge and then to wherever my fancy takes me. I'm driving in my Mini Cooper S - Elf-a car totally unsuited to outback driving with its low ground clearance front spoiler, runflat tyres, no spare tyre and lack of roo bar. I have purchased a spare wheel and tyre and will be carrying a jack and tools and plenty of water.
Fitting the wheel and luggage into the Mini was not the squeeze I was anticipating. I have secured the spare wheel and tyre with the seat belt on the rear seat and the same with the green suitcase. I definitely don't want an 18"Mini wheel and tyre or a heavy suitcase flying around the cabin in an emergency stop.
I am sure to get some very strange looks out west where 90% of the vehicles are hunking great SUVs or utes. But the Mini is what I have so the Mini it is.
It should be an interesting journey as long as I avoid the roos and emus and the roos and emus avoid me. Keep watching the blog for tales and photos from my journey.
Enjoy John will be following the blog vicariously
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