The day starts later than I had planned, the issue – I was unable to find ice! It seems the long weekend of near perfect weather on the Gold Coast had everyone in the outdoors, at the beaches and of course, in need of ice to keep their summer beverages ice cold!

I take the route I’ve travelled many times before heading towards the Toowoomba ranges. I have the option to take the new bypass road, I recall Denis Wagner talking through the steps to get this road built and what it meant for people of the West. It is a remarkable road – a cliché, although when you drive across the expanse of the viaduct, an engineering phenomenon, an 800m long bridge that removes the need for vehicles to navigate the deep terrain, it’s hard not to be impressed by a stretch of road.

I’ve downloaded an audiobook to keep me company – a Nicholas Sparks, nothing too heavy for my first day on the road – if I inadvertently miss a page or two, I’ll fill in the lost paragraphs relatively easy. You’ll know Sparks’ work – “The Notebook”, “Dear John” etc.

I settle in to the drive ahead, some 400km to the west. I’m absentmindedly taking in the sights whilst listening to Sparks navigate his way through his latest romantic tale when the story takes a turn – it’s getting somewhat hot and heavy, am I reliving the nightmare of “50 Shades”? At one point, laughing so much, that I nearly veered off the edge of the road, I fear a bathroom break is in store! I calm myself and get back into concentrating on the road ahead, I then start wondering what the country folk must have thought about this lunatic in the car veering off the verge – if only they knew!

I pass through many small towns along the way, taking in Milmerran, a place my sister considers retiring to. A small sleepy town whose painted water tank greets you as you cross the town border. A piece of the Australian Silo Art Trail.

As I continue on the long stretch between Milmerran and Goodiwindi, I note the remnants of bush fire season. The twisted branch with whispers of new growth forging from the charred remains. It reminds me of the perils of country life. A bush fire destroys everything in its path, the flora and fauna, the crops, the homes, the people. As City folk, it’s hard for me to comprehend how lives and livelihoods can be changed by a flash of lightning, a careless discard of a cigarette butt or a thrown bottle that becomes a flint for the suns rays.

I arrive at my destination the Goondiwindi Holiday Park where I’ll test out my new camping set up. I’ve camp before although not using my car as a bed! The park is clean and tidy, well cared for. There’s a pool and spa – I’m going to give that a test drive as well. First I set up my camp – I think about which way I should park – east/west, north/south? I’m thinking about the sun coming through the car windows tomorrow morning!! It’s an hour before I settle into my camp chair, feet up on the stool with a glass of bubbles in hand. There’s not a lot of people around, the park is quite. A scattering of grey nomads.

After enjoying the peace and tranquility of my campsite and a glass of bubbles, I decide to head for a swim and spa. With Goondiwindi getting down to 13c overnight, the pool was like a dip in arctic waters. As I stepped into the warm waters of the spa and took my place in front of the jets, the stress of city life was pummelled out of me. I succumbed to the sounds of galahs in the surrounding trees, the road trains in the distance and the hum of the spa.

If you’re heading west and would like a break for a day or two – I can definitely recommend the park – the facilities were spotlessly clean and well maintained!

I wake this morning to the sound of birds in the trees, I’ve missed this since moving to my beachside apartment, I pack up, rearing to go as I head towards my next destination – a Sheep Station…