Day 13 (03-Jan-13) Bourke - Brisbane (912 km)

As the alarm failed to go off we did not awake until 07:20hrs. However, having become so practised at preparing breakfast, packing clothes and food, and loading up the car, we nonetheless found ourselves departing the motel at 07:50hrs. Even at this modest hour the mercury was off the scale, with air temperature climbing to over 40C by noon. Fortunately, travel eastward out of The Outback to Goondiwindi was 'a breeze', with very little traffic to contend with, and road conditions on the byways being surprisingly good. However, the excessive amount of road kill encountered on route completely sapped all pleasure, and would definitely dent tourism to the region.

 

Owing to the time zone change crossing into Queensland, we arrived in Goondiwindi at just after noon. With the town offering little by way of entertainment, and with both of us still feeling relatively fresh, we pondered whether to push through all the way to Brisbane, rather than prolong the holiday another day. Following 'consultations' with Emilie it soon became apparent that we could reach home long before dark, and possibly before the evening rush hour. We thus decided to forge ahead, maintaining strict adherence to a 2-hour driver changeover schedule that we had instigated on leaving Jindabyne. ('Stop, Revive, Survive').

 

Though the roads became ever more crowded the closer we approached Brisbane, we nonetheless managed to precisely match Emilie's ETA prediction of 16:32 hrs. On arrival our trusted steed had covered 912 km since leaving Bourke, with total distance travelled during our 'Mega Transect' of SE Australia, spanning 5 states, being just 7km short of 6,000km! While we could simply bask in such impressive statistics and reflect on the amazing experiences that we shared during the holiday, thoughts are already turning to our next great adventure. Where shall we go? What can we do? What new records can we set? Watch this space.....

Day 12 (02-Jan-13) Broken Hill - Bourke (633 km)

Today's drive through The Outback did not disappoint, living up to its reputation as being very HOT, and very BIG. We also managed to glimpse more live animals than dead ones to help break up the manotony. There is nothing else to add, except we arrived safely and without incident in Bourke, which if anything has decayed to a much greater extent than Broken Hill. It doesn't even have a pub!!!

HOT photos...

BIG photos...

ANIMAL photos...

 

Day 11 (01-Jan-13) Adelaide - Broken Hill (551 km)

For the first time in our adult lives we were unable to see in the New Year, with tiredness sweeping over us by 22:00hrs the evening before. Fortunately, we did nonetheless manage to witness a spectacular fireworks display in the centre of town. This is because for the past few years the city has arranged two separate displays, one at 21:00hrs for families with young children, and another at midnight. While very tired, we were alas denied a good nights sleep, as the hotel is situated close to the night club district! The peace and serenity of our hotel room was thus shattered by thumping music until just past 04:00hrs, with some revellers found still celebrating when we left the Hotel at 08:15hrs.

 

The journey to Broken Hill via the famous Barossa Valley and the mining community of Burra took place under clear blue skies and an inexorably increasing air temperature. The route was straightforward and the road surface surprisingly good, with cruise control set at 110 km/hr. Following a few pit stops to refuel, rejuvenate and take in the changing scenery, we arrived in Broken Hill at 15:15hrs, having managed to successfully avoid hitting any emus and kangaroos. We deemed this a major accomplishment, given the amount of road kill encountered. We also encountered a few dust devils, with one in particular being very spectacular.

 

On arrival in Broken Hill we at first thought we had arrived in a ghost town, for there was no traffic, all the shops and bars were shut, and we saw no people. We therefore elected to first check in to our bungalow at the edge of town before heading into the town centre for a little exploratory walk. With air temperatures hovering slightly above 38C we decided to take it slow, with the walk down the high street a decidedly sedentary affair. After capturing obligatory photos and video as evidence of our stay we headed up to the mine museum situated at the top of a giant slag heap that surrounds one side of the city. Alas, like the rest of the town, it was shut, but the views were spectacular.