Day 25 Monday 16/3/20 Colac Colac to Broken Creek, bright sunny 26

We fill our water tanks at the Corryong Saleyards as ‘Clack Clack’ only has bore water. There’s seems to always be something happening at these saleyards. Last week it was cattle and the Coles Online grocery delivery today it’s chooks. Forgetting the new rules for social distancing we have a chat with a lovely lady who tells us that the truck comes here every year selling 16 week old pullets. Once they are laying they’ll work hard at it for two years before they become candidates for roast dinner.

As we leave the valley the trees are turning golden, autumn is here. We track through the ‘busyness’ of Wodonga then pick up the Hume Highway southbound. Coronavirus is dominating the air waves with callers sobbing and near hysteria. Our phones start trilling with friends warning us of the virus and the shortages in Melbourne. Are we heading home to a horror movie? Only time will tell and at least the traffic is quiet.

Driving into Benalla we reflect on how much the world has changed since we left here. How many days ago? 16 days, is it only 16 days? We can be thankful that we were able to watch it evolve from a distance with the protection of good friends, clean air and nature around us.

With a low pantry and empty freezer at home we decide to do our shopping at the Woolies in Benalla rather than face the uncertainty of the city. The supermarket is busier than normal but not too bad and everyone is in good spirits. We notice that flour is out of stock, but not spelt. Rice is out but not brown rice…El Prado’s favourite, not! He didn’t get the nickname Brown Rice Boy for nothing. Minced meat is out, but there are roasts and chops. And fruit and vegies, well they’re in abundance. I can see a pattern forming here about modern Australian cooking.

With our two bags of groceries, yes that’s all that we needed, we roll into Broken Creek Bush Camp, Toothless and Madam Secretary are setting up. It feels like home. We chat with our camp host Doc and try once more to distance ourselves, this time from other Mornington Peninsula vanners who are also heading for home and possible lockdown.

On supermarket shelves and toilet paper frenzy, “They’ve taken it like the locusts ‘ave come.” – Doc.

Summary

Accom $15

Utilities: showers, toilets

Fuel: $0

Towing Kms: 238kms