Adelaide and back, January 2012

What fun, we were on our way to Adelaide – no only that but Colin and I were “on our own”. It seemed an age since that was the case and we intend to enjoy this renewed experience for as long as we have it! The sun was shining when we left at eight in the morning on Sunday and the GPS, which had lost its voice for the past six months, decided to instruct us in a very loud voice on how to get from home and onto the M1 motorway! I think I prefer it silent! I had punched in the Adelaide address that we were to finish up at on Tuesday to see if it guided us along the same route that the RACQ Tour Advisor on the ‘net had recommended.

Although it was not a really early start, being a Sunday and also the last day of the school holidays, the roads were amazingly quiet and driving was a dream. The new Ipswich Road (so much easier to get onto) really threw Karen” (the voice in the GPS), There were lots of “Recalculating” and “Follow the highlighted route” commands until we eventually took the Toowoomba turnoff!

The new little red corolla handled well and is a real pleasure to drive. Colin and I both took turns and both drove for around two hours before we would stop for refreshments and a change of driver.

   Although this is not a Corolla. this little red car shows how I was feeling as I flew down the highways! Luv-it!

The first night’s stop was Coonabarrabran – and no, the GPS did not agree with the RACQ directions. Colin decided to drive the way HE wanted to so both the directives have been “thrown out the window”!

We were amazed at the price we were asked for the motel that first night.$72.00 ! I don’t think I have ever come across such a low price before. The room was excellent with a queen sized bed and en-suite plus complimentary tea and coffee making facilities too. The only downside was that in the morning I stood just out of reach of the shower while both taps delivered freezing cold water. I must have wasted gallons of water trying to get one of the taps to give me hot water. After about five minutes, one was slightly warmer than the other and I bravely had my shower – it woke me up! I found that in the hand basin the hot tap was the left one and in the shower it was the right hand one. Colin was luckier, I had done all the hard work – the water came hot for him! When we drove out (at seven ) we noticed that all the hot water services were at the very end of the block of units so the water would have had to travel quite a long way to reach our unit – hence the time it took.

Rather than drive across to Broken Hill Colin chose to drive to Dubbo and then across the plains to Hay and Balranald before turning off just before Balranald at the sign to Swan Hill. We will not visit Swan Hill until our return from Adelaide, once we reach Victoria we shall aim for Ouyen and Pinnaroo.

Our second night is being spent at Tooleybuc a little town on the River Murray on the very border of New South Wales.

After booking in to one of the four motels we found here, we went for a walk along the river. There is a unique lifting bridge between Tooleybuc and Victoria, this was last used in the days of paddle steamers. The lifting mechanism is still all there but since the bridge is all bituminized I don’t think it is possible for it to be lifted again. 

 A lifting bridge - only wide enough for one way traffic over the bridge

At last I was able to take lots of photos – during our long drive it had been too important to cover distance for me to even try to take photos. The river looked beautiful and the Red River Gums along the banks were so majestic. They would have looked just like this in the days of old when the paddle steamers plied the river with their loads of wool and other produce. The River Gums live for hundreds of years.

 Water in the River Murray - When Colin and I left the area 32 years ago the level was on the way down and getting worse.

We had our evening meal in the local pub and around the walls of the pub were some old photos of the bridge and of paddle steamers passing under it, so I used the Samsung point and shoot to take photos of the photos. No one minded! I think they were amused that I found these old faded and discoloured pictures interesting. I chose to use the point and shoot camera because it is less threatening than the Nikon. I did not want anyone worrying that I was a professional who was taking advantage of them.

It is now eight thirty in the evening and the sun is just dipping over the horizon. Unlike on the Gold Coast where the sun races away before seven!

Tomorrow should be an easy day of driving – only five hours to get us to Adelaide so we will have time to stop occasionally and enjoy the sights we find! I will enjoy that.

AJ