Today we travelled from home to Mildura, stopping in Bendigo for lunch. The plan for today was to get some k's under our belt (the longest driving day for the trip to Alice). We left mid morning after finishing packing the van. The travel was smooth, and the drive felt shorter than other 6-7 hour days I've driven, probably because I knew it was just a fraction of the total trip! Kids were fantastic, as were my mum's chocolate chip cookies.
However, this was the first time I've been through the Mallee. Kate and I found it fascinating. Extensive bright yellow canola paddocks, coming across small towns pre-empted by rows of silos. There was one postcard perfect scene of a small solitary wooden barn surround by flowering canola, backed by rolling green hills. The moment was fleeting, and we didn't head back to capture it with a camera.
We also passed the worlds smallest mountain (I kid you not!) Mount Wycheproof. https://thesummitregister.com/the-smallest-mountain/
We stopped for petrol in Sea Lake, and I was immediately struck with how quiet it was, probably because I've spent a few days this week working in my yard next to the ever busier O'Shea Road! While stretching her legs Kate noticed Sea Gulls, which is something we hadn't expected, the town's name notwithstanding. Immediately north of the township the landscape changed, and it was clear that we were driving through a region that had once been a lake, and further on we noticed salt plains. The mystery of the Sea Gulls solved!
We are keen to come back to this part of Victoria, and spend some time exploring without the pressure of getting through some kilometres!!
And to finish... Here is Isaac's vlog for the day:
https://photos.smugmug.com/MudieFamily/Red-Centre2018/i-7fXB735/0/f9041f9e/1280/Isaac_day1-1280.mp4