This pic I took at an art gallery off the road somewhere along the way. It's a little artisan's village that started as the location where this fella built the chapel for his daughter's wedding. This piece was made from iodised pill packets and a sheet of stainless steel. This morning I've taken off and reached Mackay to see Rach. Should be here a few days.
36L at 267622. $43.
Dinner last night was a meal at the pub at Tiaro with the bartender and no more than 6 others in sight. $16.50 and a drink $2.50. NSW154. From there this morning I've been powering up through Maryborough, Childers, Bundaberg and Bargara to Gladstone and Rockhampton. 50L petrol at 268111, 489km. There's a bit of fruit picking around Bundaberg, though in this weather it would kill me. Winter harvesting is the better option. I dropped by Sweet Water Hill winery for a taste and bought a chardonnay cleanskin $8 and a bottle of port $16. Had a shower in their facilities as well so I threw in $2 for gas.
266,776km (44L refill after 392km). $62.I got kicked out of Kmart Armidale.
Before I could walk in the door I was greeted by a young lady, playfully selling the store's last Val's Day plush dog. She kept me probably 10 minutes before I could find an opportunity to politely venture further into the store, at every chance pointing out any hint of sexual suggestiveness in our conversation. I had been commenting on how genuinely friendly the locals are, as compared with the Woy Woy centre. Alas, eventually another worker came to move me along. "Bosses orders." I guess that contrast says something about the nature of the business. Optus recharge $47.50.
Last night Aunty Mary served up the same dish she has been cooking for as long as I have known her, undoubtedly longer. Silverside with veg. And this morning porridge. I dropped her in town this morning and was amazed how at 93 years of age she boarded the passenger seat of my van with no more difficulty than any younger person of her short stature.
I returned a call from Rachie at 10am and took my clothes to the laundrette to be dried. $3.20. I read a little more of Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion while there and ate a small quiche. $4. From there I drove 20kms or so to Uncle Jeffrey's dairy farm on Nash's Rd. I stayed there for a few hours seeing how he does things. The property is a hilly, mostly cleared 180 acres with currently 77 head of cattle. Heifers, and one bull. Plus a few calves, one only a day old. His milk vat holds up to 400 gallons, of which he is currently taking around 1400L from every two days' milking at 49c/L. Not a bad income there, but then there's the first expense of feeding the cattle, at $500 a tonne of pellets which will last three weeks. He drove me around the property in the tractor for a while before I headed on to Armidale. Had a Pad See Ew, though it was no match for the meal I shared with Kate at Tuggerah on the Thursday before I left. $9.50. I'm now parked for the night at some reserve called Mother of Ducks, in Guyra.
Marge, Marge, the rains are 'ere!