A Day of Bad Decisions

Jan 3

John heard the birds singing outside his motel room in Mildura and thought about the adventure he was having. Today he was going to really see some of the outback!

He got up and took his laptop to McDonalds (Mackers in Aussie talk) where Internet access is free. He was able to check his email only indirectly because remote desktop would not connect to his office computer for some reason. So he used his gmail account. He also uploaded two days of this blog while eating a McMuffin, hash browns and orange juice. After finishing his work, he bought a sausage mcmuffin for Janice and walked back to the motel and delivered it to her.

They set off around 9am. They drove along the Sturt Highway for a way before realizing that they needed gas and that there were none along the way. So, they doubled back to Mildura and stopped at a gas station (a servo in Aussie talk). John pumped the gas while Janice went inside to look for a map. After John had finished he went in to pay and after paying came out and went up to the car - not noting that it was pointed in the wrong direction. He opened the passenger's side door only to realize that it was the driver's door and that another woman was looking up at him in amazement. She said, "Can I help you?" John spluttered something about being at the wrong car and looked over the lot to where Janice had moved the car and was splitting a siderail laughing. He apologized to the woman and she waved when she saw that John had indeed found the right car, almost the same make and model and definitely the same colour. John then had to endure Janice's teasing such as, "Were you trying to get a better offer?" while laughing so hard she cried again. John could only say that the one who laughs last laughs longest. She shrilled with laughter again whenever she thought of it later in the day.

They headed out on to the highway for the second time. The drive was interesting, past vineyards, little towns like Renmark and Hawker, and the Murray River where they saw a sidewheel paddle steamer and crossed on a little cable ferry. John thought the river was narrow enough to b bridged and didn't need a ferry. He kidded Janice that the trip only took 48 seconds. They stopped at a little place and Janice bought a chunky steak and onion pie while John had a vanilla-iced, jam-filled homemade donut. In truth. it was better than any of Tim's.

At various times they saw hills in the distance as the land became drier and drier, the trees became shrubs, and the salt bush ruled the arid land. There were almost no houses nor livestock not even any wild creatures in sight. Luckily the temperature didn't climb as high as it had been in Melbourne and the highest that John saw was 29 which is really quite pleasanet in such dry air.

Nearing the end of their day's journey they saw the mountains of the Flinder's Range rising in the background across wide plains as they saw the needle on the gas guage go down. They drove through town after town with gas stations closed up or boarded up. It was only in the last town before the national park that they found a gas staion open, with less than 1/8 of the tank left. At that gas station you could book accommodation and Janice arranged for a night in a two-bedroom cabin at the Rawnsley Park Station just outside the park.



They decided to buy food at the grocery rather than eating out at the local restaurant where even bruschetta was $15.90 and the main courses were all over $30. They then went over to the national park where John got his wish and saw live wild and free kangaroos, wallabies, galahs and cockatoos. They also took a 5km hike up the hill to see the Wilpena Pound but John, by mistake, took them up a trail that was marked authorized vehicles only instead of the walking trail. They eventually turned back after walking far more than 5km as the sun was setting without having seen the special feature of the park. they may go again tomorrow if their legs and backs will take it.

Upon arrivng back at the cabin, Janice cooked a back bacon, three-egg omelet with toast with rice pudding for dessert.

Their day of bad decisions had come to a merciful end.

TRB