The End-Less White Line (How do you pass the time)

Gday Baz
I count the lines in the middle of the road and when the number is more than the fingers on one hand, i swap, and by the time i get my other hand ready to count, i have forgotten what i was doing any way and wonder why i have my hand off the steering wheel.

Baz,
I recall that interview.
All my radios are rusted on to ABC, with sometimes riveting discussion about subjects I'm very interested in, other times on subjects I begin to learn something of courtesy of Auntie, and sometimes subjects I completely tune out of. Never long 'till something I can find an interest in pops up.
On the long roads, sometimes it's not possible to pick up any radio, and we have some music, but mainly I'm interested in viewing the countryside with its constant changes in scenery and types of vegetation.
No matter where you are, there seems to be plenty of wildlife to wonder about how they chose their location, and how they prosper in some seemingly inhospitable places.

Can't wait to be on the road again.

Cheers, Bob

SWMBO is a keen reader so we listen to audio books .

We get many from the library, but also convert some to files from the rather cumbersome multiple Cds to Mpgs.
Its amazing how time flies listening to an interesting book .

I recall one time on the last CD of "Until I Find You" we sat next to the lighthouse at Quobba watching the blowhole and 2 hawks mating on the wing. Then the damn last page of the last chapter stuffed up, which is a danger with library disks. Much polishing took place and we finally got to finish it.
You can also buy them from the apple App store or convert them from Cds to USBs in Itunes.
Regards Philip A

Believe it or not, my wife (of 40 years) and I talk to each other.
We still enjoy each other's company.

G'day Baz-the Landy
'Yes Massa" often spends her time sussing out campsites on Wikicamps using the GPS enabled tablet, and me taking instructions after some discussion and decision making
Baz (I have been called worse)

I have VIM (Video in motion) enabled on my Sat nav and as the car has lane guidance and adaptive cruise I put my feet up and watch DVDs







I wish.

Sometimes quiet time is sufficient. Mostly we look out the windows and we talk. My job as passenger is to navigate and keep the driver alert so we do tend to have quite in depth conversations that keep the guru's mind active. We discuss all manner of things we wouldn't normally have time or energy to discuss. As entrepreneur types we are also devising what ifs, and how abouts... sometimes business, sometimes personal, sometimes philosophical, and sometimes even political. We never listen to talk back radio and whilst we have zillions of hours of music we don't tend to listen much when travelling. I am fortunate that I can read books without getting carsick, type, navigate etc. I also put my thoughts to planning the next meal, finding the next bush camp, checking for interesting side tracks that we might like to explore, and giving the driver a neck rub, take photos etc! (wow, I'm such a clever multi-tasking female hehee!).

We download the ABC's "Conversations" with Richard Fiedler from the ABC Website and transfer them to MP3 (these are free) Each one goes for about an hour and are always very entertaining.
Otherwise, when we have had enough of music and conversation, sit there and listen to the 'wheels go around'.

I crank the tunes that are stored on my phone.... more then happy to not have a radio going once stopped at camp though and enjoy the silence, but happy to have the music blasting away as i drive along in the middle of nowhere. Many a time if travelling in a convoy with friends i'll have to ask them to repeat what it is they said over the uhf, because i didn't hear them for the music that was blasting away...lol

White line, white line, I don't see any white line. I am always to busy looking around me as there is ALWAYS something a bit different out there you just have to look. The secret is to travel at 85 to 90 kmh, I find at 100+ kmh you have to concentrate on the road to much to be able to take in what is around you. Given my age and the events of last year maybe I should even reduce these speeds.

I never take CD's and rarely play any of the 50,000 tunes I have stored in my phone. I like to drive with the window down, even when 30+, and hear the rushing wind, purring diesel, and humming tyres. I also have a 13" tablet running OziExplorer and internet where available. As I past roads and tracks I look where they go to and sometimes waypoint them for further investigation at sometime in the future.

One of the reasons I travel is to get away from the rat race and be as one with nature, so like piece and solitude, not noise.

Those long days heading up the Stuart towards the Alice I use as a detox. I love to drive and i love the drive. The vast open spaces with the tuck-truck on cruise at 90 give an opportunity to unwind and let go of all the work crap that has been congesting my reality for the past months. Intead you get into the zone and back in touch with the vehicle, the nav system and the wide brown land. I also love the first encounter with the dirt. As the dust flies, the hat goes on and the trip truly begins.

Cheers Mick.

My son regularly travels Mt Isa to Townsville on one trip pulled up at a driver reviver at Richmond ( about half way )and the kids were given a I SPY pack which was no doubt for more populated areas.
items to tick off
fire engine
stop sign
telephone box
give way sign
ambulance
aeroplane
roundabout
no parking zone sign
pink car
this list went on with all non relevent items to real country travelling until arriving at Charters Towers (after 3 hours of travelling) one kid claimed victory when he saw a police car at Mc Donalds

Greenant

Baz,

Back when I worked in the Kimberley, and home was in the Blue Mountains, it was 4-5 solid day's driving to get there. Didn't see a white line until I got to Bourke! None on the single lane Stuart & Barkly H'ways, and very little bitumen in Qld.

Used a portable cassette recorder for entertainment, which had a voracious appetite for both batteries and tapes. Then in '70's bought a Toshiba unit that had a ciggy lighter charger, so that removed one frustration.

Travelling with kids, in later years, was always eventful...........until they each got their own ice-cream container! And their Dad renewed the shockies on the wagon.

Lately, driving multi-combination vehicles, has been different again. Plenty of "Auntie"(especially Tony Delroy, late at night), some commercial radio and the modern "tape player", an iPod. Scoping for vehicles in all directions, remembering there's still another 50M behind you when you turn a corner, and doing plenty of concentrating on all things EXCEPT bed.

Like my aircon, but also like the windows down when it's cool. Nothing like the smell across the Barkly, at full noise, after a shower of rain.

Ohh..........and keeping on the correct side of that White Line.

Bob

Ah!, this is where you must miss the landrover mate, all the songs they sing to you when there rolling along !.. No time to get bored.

Cheers Axle.