hi ... whyalla ~ 2018

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DAY 6

Week 1

ADELAIDE (South Australia, AUS) to TOWNSVILLE (Queensland, AUS)
via SYDNEY (New South Wales, AUS) & BRISBANE (Queensland, AUS)

Sunday November 4^th, 2018

TODAYS MILEAGE – 1,895 miles or 3,050 kilometres

TRIP MILEAGE – 4,191 miles or 6,745 kilometres

Today would be a solid 12-14 hour travel day that started at around 4AM, not that early starts phase me in the least. Jetting out of Townsville Airport at 6AM is the norm, rather than the exception and an hour or two layover in Brisbane something those of us who live in north Queensland have also become accustomed to.

My arrival at the Adelaide Airport would be the first time in over 20 years that I'd returned, but there was not much time for reminiscing as I still had a 4½ hour drive through a notorious stretch of road, offering up an abundance of wildlife that's more that accommodating in not only ruining your day, but also that of the rental car company's insurer.

Speaking of which - I fronted up to the Avis counter to collect my rental car and while signing the paperwork, I was asked what I was going to do with the vehicle. I thought the sheila was joking, so I responded ½ smart-arse that "I was going to drive it - is there another use for it that I'm not aware of", thinking that she was just making idle chit-chat.

No siree Billy-Bob John boy ..... she goes on to inform me that that's fine around Adelaide or metropolitan areas, but the vehicle is uninsured between dusk and dawn, outside of built up areas. I'm like "What Tha??" She then hands me a piece of paper somewhat demandingly to sign, basically absolving their insurance rights, at which I refuse to sign the so-called "addendum", as I have the signed original contract and vehicle keys in hand.

There was still a fair amount of verbal jousting at which the "Manager" intervenes by repeatedly espousing "it's company policy". I still refuse to sign the document as it is beyond vague i.e. Sunrise/Sunset is at the companies discretion, as is what is a built up area, so I grab my luggage and head out the door - I have more pressing need requiring my attention and don't have the time nor patience to be fucked around by people with a collective IQ of room temperature. I figured that if Avis reports the vehicle as being stolen, then so be it, I'll deal with it then.

While on the road, I decided to make a detour to visit a mate of mine, who's family is suffering the agony of losing a loved one, way to early. I finally got a hold of him and come to find out that he was back in Adelaide visiting a medical specialist. We did manage to have a bit of a chinwag as I turned Avis's brand new 2018 Holden "ZB" Commodore around and pointed it back in the direction of Whyalla and agreed to catch up at a later date.

I got checked-in and squared away at the Foreshore Motor Inn, before catching with my brother "Chook" and his bride - Jo, and settling in for a feed and a couple of coldies at the in-house Watersedge Restaurant