QI Tour - Mitchell to Home (Days 35-36)

Sunset at St George

Sue's back pain graduated - despite close attention to detail and the advantage of the 40C treatment in the Mitchell spa - sending nerve pain to her hip and down one leg, resulting in a dreadful night's sleep. We've been in this position before and the options were to continue on to Roma and spend three days seeing if things improved or cutting and running for home before things got worse. Past experience made the later the obvious choice, so with Sue largely incapacitated but starting anti-inflammatories to ease the inflammation, I got the business done and we were on the road by 8:30am and heading south.

Under such circumstances, road kms are interrupted every 100 kms so that Sue can get out and walk. It eases the pressure on the compression points in her spine, allowing oxygen to be pushed into the spinal discs and providing at least some easing of the worst of the pain. Unfortunately, there was no urban area between Mitchell and St George, so at about halfway in the day's drive, Sue got out and walked on the open road - largely deserted of traffic as it was - and I crawled along, keeping the rig behind her like a support vehicle!

By the time we reached St George and a bit over 200kms on the day, she had had enough, so instead of persevering, we checked into the really rather excellent Pelican Rest Tourist Park. Their heated pool gave Sue further relief and although not as warm as the Mitchell Artesian Spa, it gave her spine a chance to be without pressure. I managed to catch probably the best sunset of the now abbreviated tour.

Unfortunately, another uncomfortable night unfolded and by morning, Sue had reached her limits and just wanted to get home, rather than stick to the plan for the approximate 200km leg to Moree and then home. Leaving early and stopping often, we took all day to make the remaining 450kms to home. She walked in Mungindi, on the border, while I took a coffee break and again at the rather insalubrious lunch stop in the monstrous carpark of the Moree Caltex beside the airport. Cows moaned their fate and splattered the space between us and the neighbouring truck. Ah, touring in all its inglory.

The Namoi River

Worse awaited Sue in Narrabri. As we have often done, I stopped to allow her to alight and walk and then moved about 700 metres further to wait for her. During that short space, she misjudged a driveway and fell face first to the pavement, grazing her knees and palms. She was a wreck by the time she got to the rig, with me unaware and adjusting the large towing mirrors for the final home. Its a testament to her resilience that she could gather herself and insist on continuing for home. 

We made one further stop, this time at a roadside stop between Gunnedah and Carroll, where we were rewarded in viewing some small finches, a lone sulphur-crested cockatoo and a stunning but normally hidden view of the Namoi River.

Her long vigil ended about 5:00pm when she headed for her bed with heat packs and further medication.

To see today's photos
click here.

Over the next few days, possibly because we have had trips truncated before or mostly because we both try not to dwell on the myth of bad fortune or a hateful universe, we reflected on what had been a fun few weeks, with several real highlights and surprises. It certainly helped that the family would be together over the next few days and we now be able to join them. By the following morning us oldies, our sons and their wives, were being entertained at our favourite cafe by two of our delightful grandchildren.

Life is what you must insist on making it.