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| HOLDEN BARINA (alias Chevrolet Sonic) - dubbed ""TOUGHIE" by virtue of its appearance. |
So we set
about making our plans to drive the just on 1,000 Kms North, leaving Sydney on
the day following Boxing Day. It would also give us a very good opportunity to
give our new car , the latest model Holden Barina (known in the USA as a
Chevrolet Sonic). The engine and drivetrain used in our car are Belgian and
different to those used in the Sonic version, providing 85Kw of power and using
a 6 speed auto. Transmission.
We set out as
early as possible on Tuesday. For us that meant 5.30 a.m. ! To achieve that
early start, I had foregone shaving and so we set off with "Toughie",
as I have dubbed the new car- in view of its somewhat aggressive stance on the
road( see picture above).
The car proved
to be a gem, with very comfortable seating, great handling,ample power and a
silky smooth transmission.The cruise control made light work of maintaining the
110/100 kmph speed limits along most of the route. We habitually use the inland
New England Highway which bypasses the suburbs of Newcastle an hour North of
Sydney.It also has the advantage of passing through significant large country
towns at convenient intervals for rest and refreshment breaks.
After only
half an hour on our way we broke our normal rules and had some breakfast at
McDonalds! We were quickly on our way, and reached Tamworth at 10.20 am, 383 km
to the North of Sydney. Our attempts to get something decent to eat, were
thwarted by the fact that Tuesday was a Public Holiday (in lieu of the one
"lost" by virtue of Christmas Day falling on a Sunday). This meant that
all the good Coffee Shops in this small city of 60,000 people, and a major
highway stopping place for Sydney to Brisbane traffic, we're closed due to
their inability to make a profit when paying holiday Penalty Rates to their
casual staff! What a crazy situation! Protecting the workers with higher pay
means in reality that they lose a day's pay.
We sped on,
having lost twenty minutes for nothing. Outside Tamworth just beyond the town
of Kootingal lies the two stage , long,stiff climb of the Moonbi Ranges. The
car handled it with ease whilst maintaining around 90kmph dictated by several
tight curves. At Armidale, 110 Kms further North, we arrived at 12.10 and found
one decent coffee shop open in a shopping centre -all the shops in Armidale as
in Tamworth were doing a roaring trade in Post Christmas sales , and were able
to bear the Penalty Rates! By 12.50, rested and well fed and refreshed, we were
on our way again.
I continued to
be impressed by the car's performance.We decided to make our next stop at
Warwick across the Queensland border. However having crossed the border, we
revised our plan in order to minimise delays from traffic, and decided to stop
at Vincenzo's Cafe/Restaurant and Italian goods and local produce store. Quite
an unusual place and good value , in our experience. After 9 hours and 20
minutes"on the road" we were in need of refreshment and I must
certainly have been looking somewhat the worse for wear. Imagine my surprise,
after a long cool lemon juice I went to the Gelato Bar to complete the job with
a Gelato each for my wife and me. As I was being served my Three Summer Fruits
Gelato, my eye was caught by a superbly styled and colored Polo Shirt on the
chap next in line. Just the colour shirt I've been
looking for, thought I. Looking discreetly to see who the wearer was, it
occurred to me that he seemed remotely familiar.And, as my Gelati were handed
to me and I left the counter, I tried to get a clarifying glance and found him
giving me a puzzled look,as if unsure if
he knew me.He gave me a half nod,as though wishing to avoid the embarrassment
of a mistake. I returned the uncertain nod and that was that. But driving away
from the Cafe/Restaurant and resuming our high speed run toward Brisbane I
became sure that I KNEW that face. It was in fact a German FACEBOOK Friend,whom
I met in 2009 when he was of heroic assistance to Robyn and me. He is a very fine young man,
and I was really upset to have been so slow in making the identification- but
it goes to show how complex our powers of
recognition are. To my memory banks "this person" was on the
other side of the world , and not a valid consideration in their range of
possibilities. Further, despite FB photos on our Pages, we had only met face to
face for 10 minutes over two years ago. I am looking forward to discussing our "meeting" and apologizing for my slow wits at the time , and my no doubt rather
dishevelled appearance! Imagine missing the opportunity to talk with a Friend
one really admires, and at the end of the Earth!
As we
travelled on through Warwick and down through Cunningham's Gap, where vast amounts of money are being
spent to do yet another temporary fix on the unstable climbing road, which is
regularly washed out by torrential rains and collapsing cliffs, I had to think
how this short term penny-pinching was ultimately hugely wasteful. Obviously,
what is required is a tunnel through the the Range, with perhaps a high level
approach bridge. But it will probably take a massive tragedy in loss of life
before what needs to be done, is done.
After reaching
the levels of the coastal plain at the foot of the Ranges,there is a 100km
stretch of road that is almost totally level and largely straight. It was eerie-the engine
could not be heard, our capsule on wheels proceeded along at its Cruise
Controlled 100kmph in this absolute silence.Even wind noise and tyre noise
were absent, due to the particular road surface in this section. In fact it was
becoming unnerving until we encountered the two slight uphill grades which
briefly caused the revs to climb to an audible level.
Beyond that, we
entered the Brisbane area and the massive complexity of the new construction of
the Ipswich Motorway just as an impressive
torrential downpour broke over the area. This followed us along for the
next half hour as we closed in on the City centre, somehow, despite the poor
visibility in the teeming rain, we arrived safely at our"home" for
the next three weeks . We can literally thank God for our Guardian Angels and
their care! 964Kms in 12hrs 32mins including
1hr 30 mins for Stops - an average speed on the road of 87 kmph.
Alas no
Autobahnen for OZ.
Now for a
holiday, marred only by the difficulties of getting the Internet connection
right! Which, as this post shows, I have finally done.
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