"No worries" seems to be the common reply to most things. You ask for the bill in a restaurant, "No worries." You thank someone for your change, "No worries." One waitress used it so many times in a Chinese restaurant that I'm sure I heard someone say "Well, I'm worried" but maybe I just thought it myself. Yesterday and today the weather suddenly got hot, 36C. Lovely, but it won't last, tomorrow is going to be 21C and rain forecast. I bought 2 pairs of 150 denier tights and long socks and wore them in motels on the ocean road. Today I've got the air con on.
A land of extreme contrasts. Hundreds of miles of flat dry land with little scrubby trees and a couple of weeks ago I was winding my way through forests in the rain and fog. Coming in to S Australia from Victoria there are miles of pine forests and huge logging trucks thundering along.
Last time I said there wasn't any pestilence but I hadn't met the south Australian flies back then. If you open the car door to get out (the best way) even if only for a minute, then you are greeted by hundreds of flies who want a lift to your next destination. They get in the car with you and you spend the next few miles opening the window to try to get rid of them. You have to be going fast enough though, so that their friends don't try to join them.
On driving across the Victoria, S. Australia border there are signs everywhere saying you are not allowed to bring fruit in to the state. I was determined to have my apple for lunch so I ignored the bins. As I hadn't seen another car for about 50 miles I was only slightly worried about the threat of fines. "No worries."
I ate my apple at Umpherston's sink hole! I was intrigued to know what a sink hole was. It was an amazing garden built in a sunken cave. Umpherston was the name of the man who had it built.
One day while driving along I kept seeing names of people I knew. It started with Teagues creek. Next came Watt creek, Manning river, closely followed by Rosie's cafe and Jones crossing. Very odd.
The scenery along the great ocean road is very impressive but you get a bit tired of rocks and ocean. The 12 apostles is exactly as you see in photos but with added wind. The little penguins on Phillip Island were far more impressive. Sitting on the sand next to a French lady and her daughter and family with hundreds of people behind me. Everyone was freezing cold as we'd been there from about 7.30pm and the first penguins came out of the water about 8.30pm. They were so sweet. Then later we walked back along the board walks as they were making their way back to the burrows.
I've had a great time with friends along the way and so far have driven 4,700km. That's 2,920 miles. I'm glad I've done it but I'll be glad to leave the car behind and fly back to Brisbane in just 2.5 hours. Once I left Melbourne the driving was much more pleasant without the toll roads and sometimes I didn't see another car for miles.
Adelaide is very easy to drive in. It's like driving in Newport but bigger. Not much though!
I did the cultural bit today, went to the museum and art gallery. I really don't understand art, two dead horses sewn together with bits missing, what's artistic about that? Shades of Damien Hirst there. I also went shopping and spent $50 on buttons! Yes I was surprised too, but they are all musical buttons. Grand pianos and treble clefs. No idea what I'll put them on! I also bought a very light coat at 60% off in the sale. It cost $79 but I won't be cold in New Zealand or on the way home in April. I spent $1.50 on a jacket in Bendigo in a charity shop but even that wasn't warm enough and I gave them $2!
I've got my Brisbane city busking licence now so I can busk in the city centre when I get back. I've also got 2 more market gigs lined up on 7th and 8th December.
The only playing I've done since setting off from Brisbane nearly a month ago is at a school library to a class of year 2 and year 4 at my friend Carole's school. Will have to do some practising when I get back to Brisbane. I heard a really good violinist busking in Adelaide today. They can use amplification here but have to pay for a licence.
Brisbane here I come!
