Back in Perth we hatched a plan to drive across Australia to Fraser Island in southern Queensland. Our side-trips to Adelaide, Victor Harbour, the Barossa Valley and the Flinders Ranges in South Australia were pleasant diversions from this transcontinental leap.

What remained between us and our destination was another 2,500 km of driving that would take us across the border between South Australia and New South Wales, through outback New South Wales, and across the south-eastern corner of Queensland.

We were in a hurry. We were sick of the cold weather and we were keen to escape the drought that was ravaging inland Australia. As it turned out, our home state of New South Wales showed the worst effects of the drought: mighty rivers were reduced to blighted streams, and hardy eucalypts were dying everywhere.

Next post: Quorn to Broken Hill