Marathon Drive

After a good night's rest, marred only by the pipping of smoke alarms in the corridor, crying for batteries I haeded for the shower and then the kitchen. The place was still deserted, not a soul around. Maybe, if there were other guests, they were friut pickers who had to be out early to beat the heat of the day.

Small Weener

There was some evidence of life - some unfinished washing up and more crucially some milk. I could treat myself to a cuppa. I took this outside in the mainly enclosed courtyard where there was table tennis and a dart board but no-one to play against. I left the door inside to the kitchen propped open the first time, just in case, but forgot the second time when I popped in for a top up. The door closed behind me and I was locked outside. Oh for f**** sake not again!  OK was I trapped this time? I had my phone, but not the number to call. Luckily another door to the outside opened but only to a high fenced yard partly festooned with barbed wire. I stood there with my cuppa scoping another climb when I spied a gate to the alley. It was unlocked. Joy. I walked around to the front and let myself in with the code.  After saying a loud goodbye to everyone at the Mildura Stopover I headed into town. Furnished with a road atlas, and fortified with a bacon and egg roll from the Cafe De La Rue, I hit the road. 

South of Mildura

I didn't take to direct Sturt Highway for the first part of the drive but realised I should have done when I rejoined it at a roadhouse and saw that Wagga Wagga, my next booked room, was 402km away. It was now approaching 4pm. Arse!

Towards Hay the highway heads into some proper outback, reminding me again of the tour, several dust devils prowled the flat horizon as I drove E. I must have been in the proper outback as several oncoming truckies waved as they passed me.  Everyone has waved at Macka in the outback so this felt pretty cool. 

I stopped at Hay for petrol and quickly diverted to look at the main street. This was the quintessential Australian country town and I wished that I was booked there - and not just because I had another 300km to drive.  The town reminded me of the setting for the excellent film The Year My Voice Broke. The petrol attendant was very amused by my credit card. "Do you like get a dozen eggs for  every $100 you spend?"

Two Counties - One Horizon - Outback towards Hay

I struggled on and thankfully things begain to progressively green up the closer I got to Wagga Wagga.  An old couple I'd chatted to earlier as I gorged my excellent meat pie at the roadhouse assured me it was pronounced "Wogga Wogga". And so it is.

Arrived in town at 8.30pm and found the hotel with little trouble. The bar was friendly enough but a bit impersonal - rather like a Wetherspoons.  But at least there were people here.  I had a small liquid Tooheys New dinner and went to bed. A basic room with a sink, but a bargain for $40. Oh and the room decor was very bizarre, crimson, blue and cream - nice.

Outback Sturt Highway