The Drive Home

The last leg was mercifully uneventful. Out of Whitton and east, with a lunch stop in Gundagai and a final fuel stop at Yass, at exactly the same price as yesterday: 286.9 a litre.

The curved glass storefront of a retro Gundagai milk bar with mint-green trim, red double doors, and signs promising old-fashioned service and air-conditioned comfort Lunch in Gundagai at the Niagara Cafe, which has committed fully to the aesthetic.

The art deco interior of the Niagara Cafe, with its curved chrome counter, purple neon lighting, and customers in the booths Inside the Niagara. Chrome, neon, and not much changed since 1938.

The Niagara Cafe

The Niagara is Australia's longest-running Greek cafe, first opened on Gundagai's main street in 1902. The art deco interior and glazed facade you see today date from 1938, when a simple eating house was transformed into a catering "pleasure palace".

Its most famous supper was served in 1942, when wartime prime minister John Curtin and his cabinet stopped in for a midnight meal of steak and eggs, and reportedly granted the cafe more generous ration cards in thanks.

Sources: Visit Gundagai, Australian Food Timeline, SMH Traveller.

A car navigation screen showing 47.9 km to Wagga Wagga, with the route running east past Gundagai and Yass toward the checkered flag near the ACT The home stretch on the screen.

Then home to Jerrabomberra. Thirteen days, done.

The Damage Report

Trips like this hammer the vehicle and the van, and this one was no exception. The Range Rover needs an appointment with a mechanic to properly replace the faulty intercooler connector that Craig zip-tied back to life on day one, and to clear the intermittent check engine notification that has been keeping us company ever since.

The van came home with a laundry list of things to fix and improve before the next trip:

  • Re-silicone the shower
  • Remove rust from the draw bar
  • Remove rust and respray the jerry can holders at the back of the van
  • Replace the bathroom fan
  • Remove the fan above the bed (replace with a light?)
  • Replace three AL-KO legs (the pins have bent in the front ones)
  • Look into BBQ slides for the tunnel boot
  • Look at fixing the awning
  • Replace the tyre monitor batteries
  • Get a cover for the draw hitch
  • Better storage for the tunnel boots
  • Look at Stone Stomper mount options
  • Cage or cover over the diesel heater
  • Fix the water tank properly
  • Raptor coat repairs
  • New air filter for the DRS
  • Spare water cartridge for drinking water
  • Check the gas
  • Additional diesel jerry can?
  • Find replacement cupboard and drawer handles
  • Fix the fridge panels
  • Reglue the trim that has worked its way loose
  • Purchase new fridge shelves
  • Fix or replace the inverter/charger (fails with an overload message)
  • Fix the bathroom door (screws have fallen out)

A decent list, and every item on it earned.

Reflections

There is no way I would attempt a trip like this solo. Out west you are genuinely remote at times, and having another family along matters when things go wrong, because things do go wrong. Starlink is a must out there; it turned more than one potential problem into a minor inconvenience.

Exploring the interior of NSW was a real eye opener. Opal fields, mining towns, silo art, river country, and distances that recalibrate your sense of the state.

Both families had a great time, and the Malt House was the perfect way to end it: two nights to unwind, recover from a hangover, and unwind a bit more.

Time to get back to reality.