Melbourne - Canberra - Sydney - Gold Coast

I woke up earlier than I would have liked, aided by KG's 7.00am phone call. Upon debating the pros and cons of driving through Melbourne during peak hour traffic, we decided upon bypassing the CBD via Barkers Rd and Melbourne University. Sydney Rd is one very, very, very long, seemingly unending stretch I never had the chance to visit properly.

On Burke Rd bidding farewell to the lovely inner east - the best place to be young, free and single.

What names! I had to park by the emergency stopping lane to snap this one.

I'm not one for driving long distances. Especially not alone (i.e. this is the first time I've ever done this much driving). I managed the first 5 hours or so fine; the iPod selections were generally suitably upbeat and boppy. But by 2pm or so, I was getting morose and edgy and had chowed down 4 Cadbury Mixed Berry bars (rice crispies with berries coated with chocolate, yum) already. KG sent me a text every couple of hours to ensure I hadn't veered off the road in boredom. My dexterity improved by the minute and soon I was opening food packets and water bottles and changing the iPod selections whilst whizzing down the motorway at 100kmph (admittedly I have the benefit of cruise control).

I stopped by Wangaratta for fuel but failed to find any food. Albury was the next major town but I lacked time. Holbrook was remarkably pretty, with its submarine-themed signposts. Gundagai was lovely; I wish I had more time.

About 10km past Gundagai is the Dog on the Tuckerbox. KG's insistence that I stop by this little piece of Australian history bordered on nagging, so I obliged with a quick pit stop.

By the time I neared Canberra (little less known fact: ACT is not a state, nevermind the misleading online form options; I live with THE walking encyclopedia), the winter sun was setting rapidly. The Barton Highway lacks street lighting and I was one of the few cars driving into the territory; everyone else was leaving, high beams on. I squinted and swore furiously the whole way, the nervous sweat from my palms forming rivulets on the steering wheel.

I arrived at BR's house without too much trouble, considering how I made it on a blurry phone camera photo of Salman Rushdie-esque Google map instructions. Note to others: Suburban streets in Canberra are much narrower than those of Victoria and Queensland, with very, very dim streetlights.

BR's hungover expression remarkably resembles the sculpture

We headed to the town centre for dinner. We settled for a vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant, whose laksa and pho were surprisingly delicious. The Italian restaurant (the fancy one in the corner - I forget the name) was completely packed, so we took the tiramisu home.

KG had warned me repeatedly about the weather, so I left my heaviest winter clothing on top of the pile (my car was almost packed to the brim). "It's -0.1C now", he informed me. I pooh-poohed this notion, and headed outdoors the next early morning to repack my car. Whilst I felt completely fine, I began to notice how my fingers and ears had started to hurt. My digits were red and swollen. I hurried with my task before developing frostbite.

Frost on my sunroof

BR kindly awoke at 7am on a Saturday morning to make me a carrot and pear juice and to accompany me up Mt Ainslie (arid, very natural bushland setting). This is a popular spot for the health conscious locals, who bounded past us nary a sweat in shorts, no less.

If you squint really hard, you'll see the kangaroo. He actually posed long enough for me to get 2 semi-decent shots (I was 5 metres away and using a lousy phone camera)

A panoramic view of the city. Pressed for time, I didn't manage to see the city, but received a fairly thorough explanation of the notable buildings from BR.

I hurried off and stopped at the nearest fuel station outside the territory. My stick indicated the oil levels were dangerously low. I, who up until now, still struggle with caps (jar, childproof), relied on the kindness of a stranger to do the honours, before speeding all the way past Goulburn to the Sydney Airport, with leftover Kettle chips as breakfast.

KG's flight arrived at 10.19am. I was 2.5 hours late (though this was anticipated). His ruddy smile and grey curls were a sight for sore eyes.


He took over the driving, seeing how it was impossible to fit him into the passenger seat with all my stuff. We stopped by the Sydney Exhibition & Convention Centre to have a look at the MindBodySpirit exhibition for a bit before driving across the harbour bridge to McMann's Point for lunch.

We had some excellent food at the Italian restaurant (I really need to start remembering some names - it's the one with loads of people dining alfresco in the middle of the strip anyway).

The loveliest picture I probably have of Sydney, including both iconic structures, taken from McMann's Point.

After a whirlwind tour of the north shore, we headed to the Hotel Ibis on Pennant Hills Rd for the night. It's very minimalistic and functional; we especially liked the space efficient bathroom.

The sunrise from our room window. The man handling the check in was extremely candid when requested for a room with a view. "What view?"

We awoke early the next day and set off at first light. The fuel stop at Heatherbrae (just before Raymond Terrace) had surprisingly excellent food; try sharing the chicken sandwich - portions are enormous.

I'd hoped we could do lunch at the organic shop in Kempsey, but it was closed. We headed to the nearby Macksville instead, for some vaguely edible meat-and-bread combinations.

The view from our picnic table. Thankfully the seagulls left us alone this time.

The long stretch after was pretty monotonous. Both of us were fairly knackered and required a pit stop or two (never underestimate your exhaustion). Dinner was Hungry Jacks in Ballina before we drove on and finally arrived home, sweet home.