Diary for Dora The Explorer


Treacherous Jouney Home!

2007-01-07

Waking up feeling remarkably fresh-faced from the previous nights performance we breakfasted and were back on the road by midday. Our plan was to take the scenic route back to Melbourne via `The Great Alpine Road`

`The Great Alpine Road is a 308-kilometre route that extends from Wangaratta in the north-east to Bairnsdale in the heart of Gippsland. The road is Australia’s highest year-round accessible sealed road and winds past lofty mountains, valleys, forests, rivers, vineyards and farms. Sample local food and wine, and fish, cycle, climb or ride along the way.` Hey GUESS WHAT- ITS HOME TO THE BUSH FIRES.BUGGER.

So lesson number 1 - Australias `other roads` ( labelled brown in Melways melbourne`s map & street finder) are offroad dirt tracks with sheer cliff face drops and hair-pin bends which would make formula 1 drivers shake. Earlier in the morning whilst stopping to take pictures at Mount Buffalo the car started to make a funny noise, further inspection under the bonnet found the water was boiling up and overflowing..going with the notion that we werent very far from the nearest town we ventured off in Pat`s ancient car. Forty minutes later we are still driving down this `track`, signs everywhere `DANGER FIRE, ENTER AT OWN RISK, FALLING DEBRIS FROM FIRE, CAUTION SHEER CLIFF DROP`.. We were in the middle of a forest with no phone reception, a dodgy engine and a mass of bare burned trees for company.