Roadtrip Melbourne to Lake George near Canberra

A few weeks ago I travelled to visit friends at Lake George near Canberra.  Driving about 7 hours each way by myself was tiring but my spirits were lifted by the gentle green hills along the Hume Highway from Melbourne.  I also enjoyed quite a few stops to stretch my legs and feed my hunger.  It is amazing how much easier a smart phone and the internet help me to find places to stop than on my last trip up this way over a decade ago.

In the morning before I left home, Sylvia put together some wraps with vegemite and cherry tomatoes and I had a few other snacks so I didn't need to buy much food on the journey out.  I stopped in Euroa to stretch my legs and look for something nice to buy as thank you gifts for my stay.

I stopped at The Weekend Local (43-45 Binney Street, Euroa) which was a very attractive cafe and providore.  I bought some fancy oils, condiments and chocolates for gifting and to take home.  For the journey I bought a sourdough cinnamon scroll that was very nice but hard to eat on the go so I ended up eating the remainder after I arrived.

I took this photo at Euroa partly for fans in my family of the Collingwood AFL footy club that was headed into the Grand Final.  There were a few notices in shops about the local team also called the Collingwood Magpies.

I drove on enjoying the charming countryside and stopped once or twice to take photos.  This one was just outside Violet Town.  The hills were a lovely green that might be not quite so pleasant by the end of what is predicted to be a scorcher of a summer.

Then I stopped just over the NSW border at Albury to buy a drink and go for a walk.  This photo is from outside Adairs where I stopped to buy some floral sheets.  I had seen them in Melbourne but the shop did not have my bed size and I hadn't found time to look for them since.  And they were on special.

This signal box street art with Wiradjuri language was a reminder of the local Aboriginal people of Albury.  (eg "Yiradhu Marang" = Good morning)  But walking up Olive Street past the crystal shop and the candle shop to Olive Health Foods for a watermelon and mint kombucha, it felt as thought I had never left the big smoke of Melbourne.

On my last leg of the journey, I put my destination into the GPS and didn't notice it reverted to George Lake.  That was what I had been using as an approximate destination earlier.  I was unceremoniously directed to the emergency stopping lane of the Federal Highway by the lake. It was dark by the time I got to my friends. I will write more about my stay which was lovely and relaxing.  A few days later it was time to head home.

On the way home after Canberra and Jugiong (posts on the way), I stopped at a favourite place on the Hume Highway: the dog on the tuckerbox memorial.  It reflects the song that lots of school kids used to sing - "the dog sat on the tuckerbox 5 miles from Gundagai" - which in turn reflects the history of the area that was tough with bullocks clearing the land and bringing supplies over rugged terrain.  When the bullocks got bogged, the dog sat on the tuckerbox minding their food while the bullocky went for help.

In fact the Dog on the Tuckerbox stop outside Gundagai is one of the best places to stop and photograph this splendid scenery.  But as I drove past all these lovely green grassy landscapes I wondered how it would have looked to the Aboriginal people before the Europeans cleared the land.

My last proper stop was Tarcutta to see the National Truck Drivers' memorial.  As I drove into town I saw this World War II street art and was taken by the cheeky look on the soldier's face.

I found the National Truck Drivers Memorial wall and garden far more emotional than I expected.  I don't remember seeing any signs about it when I last drove this way.  But I was glad I stopped.  The long lists of truck drivers killed on the roads, many in their 20s and 30s, was quite confronting and made me more patient with all the trucks on the highway. 

It was not just sad but also uplifting to see all the nicknames of the truck drivers.  They show a lot of community and humour.  Some of the ones I love most were Milkshake, Bunyip, Lumpy, Mr Have A Chat, The Padre, Big Merv, Bugshifter, Little Billycan, The Big Fella, and Swervyn Mervyn.  These are names the make me think entertaining chats and great friendships!

After that when I saw it would be at least 9pm before I got home, I went without more stops, other than a quick pitstop. I didn't even stop for dinner because I knew Sylvia was keeping some of her Tomato and Chickpea Orzo for me.  Once past the hillier stretches where I didn't get good radio reception (hello 1960s easy listening and Taylor Swift's Evermore) I really enjoyed listening to Tony Wellington: How the music of the 60s and 70s changed the world forever on the ABC.  It was good to get home to my own couch and a home cooked meal.