Melbourne to Tomerong = 850kms, 5 CDs on high rotation, 4 icecreams, and a dodgy pie.
25/01/2014
An early start on Saturday morning, fine weather, and singing along to Beatles songs meant that Alex and I reached our half-way point of Eden by 1:30pm in fine time and fine spirits, with our only low point being sub-standard pies at Cann River. Seeing as the morning’s journey was so pleasant, Alex was eager to try completing the trip in one day, and make it to the farm that evening. I think he liked the idea of surprising everyone by arriving a day earlier than planned, and I was willing to risk fatigue and grumpiness if he was. I had to agree to telling him some stories, however. Not sure how he was entertained by a long rambling story about a magical 365-crayon box, or another equally lengthy and confusing story about a boy who recovered from heartache by cleaning his room, but he was genuinely entranced. It seemed a fine compromise, as I much preferred making up stories than listening to an old kids CD Alex had with acapella versions of This Little Piggie and Wally the Wombat, which he thought was hilarious. To tell the truth, I was as surprised with the stories as Alex was. In my case this was as I had no idea where they were going; they seemed to be self-propelling, slightly irrational and mysteriously contained their own satisfying resolution (a bit like some people I know).
The afternoon’s driving passed pleasantly, with the rolling hills of the NSW South Coast providing a picturesque backdrop to our frequent stops for essentials (icecream). Evening found us taking the turn off from the Princes Highway into Hawken Road, Tomerong, and our final destination – the beginning of our year at my parents’ farm. Mum and Dad were delightfully surprised at our early arrival (unsurprisingly), and we were welcomed and embraced with joy.
So far, so good, arriving was easy… now to commence with ‘Project Serenity’, that is, the mighty task of simplifying working life at Tomerong Nursery. We start with dealing with the 10 (yes, 10) unplanned, unexpected and unfortunately very very cute puppies (I really have to harden my heart!). More on that in my next post… in the meanwhile, if anyone is after an adorable puppy, please give me a call.
