Day 64, 15/9/2019 Sunday Jugiong to Merton, icy to cloudy then wet -1.6 to 18

3 months since we set off on our fateful trip to Darwin and what a crazy 3 months it’s been.

We wake at 5:30 it’s minus 1.6, time to fire up the diesel. Phew it’s still working.

Oh what a beautiful morning, horses are being walked and as we drive out the gate we are reminded by another caravanner that our TV aerial is still up, whoops.

There are green paddocks of sheep, Cootamundra wattle blooms everywhere. Cockies screech and flocks of galahs wheel, all pink and grey across the sky. There are big old red gums and the smell of clean country air.

We stop for a leg stretch and a coffee at Gundagai’s Coffee Pedaler which seems to have lured a good portion of the population in for breakfast.

The drive down to Albury is tiring and always longer than anticipated, it’s always at about Gundagai we that we think we’re almost home and yet we’re not, an illusion of distance I guess. As we cross the border there is light rain. Gosh how they’d love this wet stuff up north.

Lush green paddocks, sheep, lambs, fat cattle and dams that are full are pleasing to the eye. After a quick pie at Benalla we choose a different road. The Euroa Mansfield road is one we’ve never used but worth the drive for its scenery. However, in the last stretch it becomes hilly and windy and the car starts to overheat once more. Thankfully the Merton racecourse comes into view and rather than soggy grass we park on an unused piece of roadway as the rain starts.

Outside it’s cold and wet and we are entertained by the number of cars that zoom into the park disgorging occupants into the toilet block before zooming off on their way again. It seems as though the whole district has had boozy long drive Sunday lunches and someone needs a pee.

Another couple join us, they’re heading home to Lakes Entrance. The park is overgrown and has seen better days but the loos are clean and there’s little traffic noise. I’d say that it’s been a long time since hay burners have raced here. We have a peaceful night listening to the soft southern rain.

 Summary 407kms, toilets, accom $5, rain glorious rain