Bluesfest 2013 – The Journey Home
The journey home was one of many highlights. We took the inland route out of Byron Bay, and as we passed through the great dividing range the road became increasingly dicey. Propelled on only by the hilarity of Paul Foot and Shaun Micallef on Triple J, we navigated the sharp turns, huge potholes and the dangerously steep descents.
Glenn noticed that we were running low on fuel and the unforgiving roads looked like they weren’t going to serve up the hospitality, in the form of a petrol station, that we desperately required. Luckily we chanced upon an old cottage with a rusted BP sign out the front which was selling fuel at a highly inflated price – we had no choice we desperately needed the fuel to continue. Glenn shit his pants when he saw an “Out Of Order” sign atop the solemn fuel browser, but was quickly calmed by a voice from inside the shop which exclaimed “Hang on, I just have to turn it on!”. We spotted the chicken over in the grass while Glenn was filling up. “There’s a chicken” said Sarah “…AND HE’S CROSSING THE ROAD!”. We had heard the joke 1000 times, but to actually see a chicken cross the road was actually quite something. We continued the drive, with the blinding sun on the horizon.
Our next pitstop was at a McDonald’s in Parkes. By this time all of us were starving and actually felt quite sick upon exiting the car – it was the best damn chicken burger I’d ever had. The town was delightfully quaint but we had no time to savour it as we hit the road to make good time.
Our last notable stop was at yet another McDonald’s, in Shepparton. It was midnight when we reached Shepparton, and as such the 24 hour McDonald’s was only staffed by two young teenage guys. While it was cold and windy outside (Victoria had greeted us back home in its usual manner) it was hot hot chaos inside the McDonald’s. Buzzers were going off at an alarming rate and we heard sounds that we did not know a McDonald’s could even make. I’m talking Commander Keen and Super Mario Bros type sounds. The guy in front of us ordering his meal was told of an apparent sweet chilli sauce shortage which would render his burger incomplete. We ordered a few snacks to maintain consciousness for the last leg of the journey and it was a long 20 minute wait before we received them. I had ordered a ‘McDouble’ (essentially a cheeseburger with two beef patties) and upon opening the wrapping in the car found that I had in fact been given a chicken burger in a cheeseburger bun. However, it was delicious and I forgave them. It didn’t stop us joking about how much of a shambles the store was on the rest of our journey and I joked that when Glenn was to take the lid off his coffee that he would in fact find a cup full of McNugget’s.
We arrived home, completing the drive in one trip. Departing at 6:30 AM and arriving home at 2:30 AM the next day – a solid 20 hour journey, 18 of which was driving. Full credit to Glenn for doing both the morning leg of the journey and recovering from a solid nap in the afternoon to round out the journey by completing the final short, but often most difficult, part of the journey.
