Hair Cut & The Hay Plain

Murray NP to Hay - Renmark(SA). Mildura(Vic), BaJranald (Sturt Highway) 471 kms

Sue decided it was time to hit the trail, so our intended three night stay was cut to only one. My disquietude had been the reason for her insistence we move on. She reminded me that when I was
bored, I was at my most unpleasant, so moving on made sense in the context of the range of behaviours she was prepared to accept!

As the last few weeks of the trip had unfolded, I had become increasingly keen to return home. The
relaxation and sights we had seen - not to mention the benefits we had derived as a family - had been fantastic, but there comes a point when enough is enough. For me, this had started to nag away at me at Flinders Ranges, but since Adelaide, the feeling of wanting to head for home had intensified.

Our short time in Victoria consisted of about two hours after crossing the border on our eastward route to our lunchtime destination, Mildura.

It had been further decided that the mop of hair which was now residing on my head and gradually
claiming my neck and shoulders, would have to go. Given I was soon to meet up with my sisters, it would not do to look like a refugee from the sixties, so it was the clippers for me. Apart from inane conversation, the ordeal was relatively painless and within thirty minutes I emerged with washed, cut and blow waved hair for only $11.

Lunch was taken by the Murray River, in a delightful parkland setting which extended for quite a long way on the Victorian side of the watery border. The day being mild in temperature, we enjoyed our sandwiches and tea under the shade of the spreading eucalypts, whilst watching the Mildura Croquet Club go through their paces. It was an exciting match and one which would be sure to bring the crowds back!

Across the river, we returned to our home state after seventy seven days absence and the prize was a free ice cream for Sue when we filled with petrol - part of a promotion being conducted by the particular Caltex we called at.

After following a south west heading for 80kms as far as Euston, we picked up a general easterly direction for the remainder of the afternoon and returned to the flat, unending plains we had first experienced in Queensland, west of Longreach. The vegetation was a little more exciting here, but the profile of the land remained much the same and there was little to relieve the boredom for over 200kms into Hay.

Impending rain caused us to avoid canvas and we made the decision to use our funds for comfort by staying in a cabin. A surplus, created by judicious management gave us the flexibility to enjoy a few extravagances in the last week of our trip and a solid roof away from the damp was one of these.