#78 Go to Melbourne on a Road Trip

It was after Christmas 2008, only days from the New Year and Rhys and I decided, somewhat impromptu, to jump in the car and head out on the road. Rhys wanted to drive to Melbourne. He was born and bought up there and so has the same kind of tie to it that I do to my own birthplace.

We drove flat out the first day down the Pacific Highway, passing Coffs Harbour easily. We stopped in some small back town in a tiny motel then set out the next morning.

On the second day we stopped in at Gundagai and saw the Dog on the Tuckerbox.

Our car taking some shade under the old Gundagai bridge.

And the Dog sat on the tuckerbox, nine miles from Gundagai

We passed through Sydney that same day, getting very lost in the suburbs with no referdex or GPS to advise us how to get out. Eventually we escaped via Campbell Town.

Between Gundagai and Sydney there was some wide open scenery that reminded me of that famous line, "I love a sunburnt country - a land of sweeping plains."


We arrived in Melbourne, in the area of Chelsea, around 11pm on New Years Eve. After driving past Rhys' old house and his old school etc. etc. we looked for hotel to stay in - not an easy task just before 12pm New Years Eve with no referdex, no phone book and an iphone almost drained entirely of batteries. But at last we found one and got a good night's rest.

The next day we headed out early with an aim to travel down the Great Ocean Road.

The weather was with us... then it wasn't.... then it cleared.... then it was jolly cold and rainy again. I began to fully understand the jokes about fickle Melbourne weather.

We stopped off at a few interesting points along the Great Ocean Road.

A pee break for Rhys:

A pee break for me:

An old lighthouse built not long after the early 1800s:


And of course no Great Ocean Road trip is complete without the obligatory stop off at the 12 apostles:


We drove back towards Melbourne, had a Dominoes dinner then stopped in at a cheap motel just before the city. The next day we drove back up North, passing Sydney again but this time heading inland towards the New England Highway.

We stopped in just short of Tamworth, turned off the car lights and stared up at the stars above, so bold and bright in the darkened, country skies. Then we made the last bit of driving for the night before crashing and Rhys' grandparent's house.

The next morning we dropped over for a visit with Ada and James before heading on our way, stocked to the eye-balls with a packed lunch from Nan.

It was a good feeling to be heading home and I felt so boosted when we were past Warwick, Jessica blasting on the car stereo (Rhys' choice of course!) and a rainbow graced the sky across fields.