The Kronikles of Tony and Ruth
Day 42 - Thursday 10 August 2006
End of the Road
A breezy cold morning with big packed clouds rushing overhead threatening rain. Sharp in the nostrils. In the converted council chambers there is a cafe and there we dose up on great coffee.
Ten in the morning finds us belting along an empty Hume Freeway at 110MPH. A lunch of nuts and berries (we begin to feel as a couple of apes) and a pit stop for fuel just south of Wangaratta and another stop for a munch of nuts (I notice my hand are dragging on the ground now) at a rest stop above Seymour. Here a lady is helping an older chappie out of their car: "sciatica" she explains. As they leave she leans out the window: "he has gout as well". Further down the highway, on passing their car we note a pained expression on the bloke's face. I stop winging about my pinched gleut.
Leaving the Hume at the Puckapunyal turn off we head for Tooborac. It is noted that Mt Puckapunyal is covered foliage. In 1965 it was bare because it was used for tank manoeuvres and doubled as a target for the artillery. I remember this; I worked at this military base for a couple of years on the construction of some facilities. Left turn at Tooborac and our planned route will take us through Lancefield, Riddels Creek, Gisborne and Bacchus Marsh before arriving at Geelong.
The huge, hoary granite hills between Tooborac and Lancefield should be promoted as a tourist attraction. I use to marvel at this topography while returning to my job at Puckapunyal after a week end. These hills are. more exposed now as a lot of the roadside strands of trees have slashed due to the development of weekend retreats on the roadside.
Arriving at our pad as the clock strikes 3 we are welcomed by the sparky- barky canine duet belonging to our neighbour. One is a hairy mosquito of a dog and the other a loose skinned booffy Labrador so there is a chorus of bat squeak and basso profundo baying. Our dog Jessie chimes in, our fair niece Carmel smiles open the door and the bienvenu is complete.
Well fellow travellers, as the sun sets behind Geelong West where the city lights are forever changing from red to amber, amber to green and back to red again, it's time to say a fond farewell to you, to us and all the inhabitants of the kronikles. I have enjoyed your comments, the writing, the sending and viewing the results on www.clanmills.com/K/.
POSTSCRIPT
As one does nothing in isolation I have a host of friends to thank. Firstly my best friend and darling wife Ruthie –my travelling companion and editor. The gracious hosts along the way: Brigitte and Reiner in Wolumla, Rex and Anne in Evans Head, Merv, Lisa, Brad, Craig and Kirsten in Brisbane and Noosa, Brad, Darlene, Laura and Nicholas in Townsville and finally Noel and Marion in Casuarina.
Ruth and I thank Robin Mills in San Jose for establishing the website. We thank our niece Carmel Heinelt for taking such good care of our house, our cat and our doggie.
PPS
While munching on some Yum Cha in North Richmond the other day Ruth's Godmother Margie asked what we have learned on this trip. Our unreserved answer was: the blessing of good friends.
