Saturday

Not a lot to say today!

Rain began splattering the windscreen as I drove out and soon it was raining gently but steadily and it continued - intermittently all morning - alternating sprinkles with heavy, blinding rain.

Progress was quite slow although the traffic was reasonably light. 

A moment of mild excitement in Holbrook. I was breathalysed - first time in ages.

"Have you been drinking?" "Yes - well coffee and apple tart!" After I counted to 8 the copper said,

" you'll be pleased to know -no alcohol in the coffee or the apple tart!"

He chatted for a bit - obviously a slow day!

I turned on to the Riverina Highway at Albury - Deniliquin 205k away. Still raining! The Murray River looked beautiful but not enough to get me out of the car.

Then things began to look up! The rain stopped - the temperature went up to 12°!

Once past Howlong the road becomes very straight with visibility for miles and today hardly any traffic.  It passes through a number of tiny localities and a few small towns.

I love these little towns - they're so full of history -  a church or 2,  maybe a school,  sometimes a Soldier's Memorial hall,  neat cottages, overgrown gardens, shops selling anything and everything.  Some are thriving or at least holding their own. Others - sadly shrinking away.

At Berrigan - population 957 - I realised petrol was very low. One servo, closed! So a new experience -  prepaid petrol bowser. I haven't met one like this. 

Ok No coffee or indeed anything open anywhere.  I got quite excited when a sign said Bakery 6 minutes away in Finley - closed. Just like the "good old days" - everything shuts at 12.00.

The land here is very flat and Irrigation Channels are everywhere - some are full whilst others have water pumped through only at intervals. The countryside has a tinge of muted green but small paddock dams are dry and the red earth is showing through. There are some big properties here - huge grain silos and sheds, paddocks with healthy looking beef cattle but all being hand fed.

It began to rain when I arrived in Deniliquin.  Definitely don't use Google maps here - they took me on a grand, repeat tour and eventually gave up on me and informed me it didn't know where I was! Rang the motel for instructions- there in 2 minutes. 

This photo is unremarkable but I include it for the blue sky!

Mileage today? 560k!