Adelong, Henty, Canberrra 2004

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Sunday, 28 June
I started my week by spending six hours behind the wheel driving to Adelong in NSW. We are in the middle of winter and the weather was typical of this time of year. On my journeys up the Hume Freeway I usually take my first break at a town called Holebrook, about half an hour east of Albury.
It was around three in the afternoon when I arrived outside the Bed and Breakfast establishment in the main street of Adelong. The room was very basic but comfortable. After taking in my overnight bag I decided there was favourable weather for a trip to the Adelong Falls. Beside the creek are ruins of an old gold mining company. History tells us, it was one of the first areas in NSW to find gold in considerable quantities. I spent a good hour walking through the ruins and photographing anything that took my fancy.
I waited until six that night before walking up the main street to the restaurant. The town is near the Snowy Mountains and the night air was freezing. The lounge was warm and inviting. The menu consisted of all the usual meals, so I ordered myself a steak. Halfway through my beer I heard my meal coming. The steak was sizzling on a hot plate and looked fantastic. I wasn’t disappointed and took my time appreciating the meal.

Monday, 29 June
I didn’t have to start work until nine-thirty that morning. Although the alarm still woke me up at seven. Getting an early start allowed me time to have a shower, coffee then took a leisurely walk to the dinning room where a place for one had already been set for me. I ordered egg and bacon. Another good meal. Still had plenty of time to waste and loaded my car, which didn’t take long.
Nine o’clock and I walked through the door of the Kindergarten. I had been here before and the morning went without any dramas.
Eleven-thirty and I started a one hundred and sixty kilometre drive to Henty, back the way I had come the day before. Turned to the north at Holebrook and arrived at the pre booked motel in Culcairn. Decided the last seventeen kilometres into Henty could wait until the next day. Didn’t have to go out for a meal tonight, the local pub did deliveries.

Tuesday, 30 June
A long day was about to start. After paying for my accommodation, meal and phone call. The latter being for internet connection. Enjoying the use of the “iBook” computer. It was raining hard as I headed north up the Olympic Highway to Henty. I remember last year when I was here. It took ages for the director to turn up and let me into the Kindergarten. This year was a repeat of delay. Not many children and all four year olds. Got some nice shots inside and the outside photos were able to be taken because the weather changed for the better.
When I left which was around eleven thirty I drove the back roads back to Holebrook where I rejoined the Hume Freeway and headed again to the east and eventually arrived in Canberra. The Rex hotel was my accommodation and the Ainslie Football Club was the destination for my evening meal.
Back at the hotel I was back on the internet for a while then talked to my girlfriend when she phoned around seven thirty. Slept well after the four hour journey from Henty.

Thursday, 1 July
No photographic work for me on Wednesday. The boss didn’t want me to be idle, so she arranged for me to do pick-ups in Canberra. After visiting the first two centres I came to the conclusion she had not told the directors that somebody would arrive a day early to collect the packages. I was told when I arrived, that they were expecting me the next day. I decided to phone the last centre and confirm everybody got the same information, which they did.
To fill in the rest of the day I went wondering around the shops in Canberra. More time on the computer when I got back to the hotel and returned to the football club for my evening meal. It turned out to be a pretty relaxing day.
I can’t say the same for the four hours I spent in the Isabella Plains Early Childhood Centre. The staff were great and were very helpful. Three rooms which included babies, toddlers and pre-school. All made up the forty five children I photographed in the morning. Because of the staff, I was able to finish at mid-day.
Three centres had to be visited on my way back to the hotel. Each one gave me a box with return photos, money and reorders.
I spent the rest of the afternoon on the internet and entering information into my new accounting program. It is also the start of the new financial year.
Evening meal at the usual place. Most of this week I haven’t bothered to put on the TV and tonight was not an exception. Turned the light out around nine o’clock and got an early night because after the morning session at the same centre I will be driving back to Melbourne.

Friday, 2 July
The last morning at the centre wasn’t too bad and I was able to leave around eleven thirty. Before I left the nations capital city, I had one more errand to do. A return trip to one of the centres to pick up one envelope of photos. It was were ready when I arrived and was on my way home soon after.
The weather got worst as I got closer to the Victorian border and the last three hours into Montrose was in rain. Not my favourite driving conditions.
Its funny that I notice some cars seem to match your speed for a while then as if they’ve had enough of seeing the rear of your car they overtake and leave you behind. I do the same but its at night that I don’t mind following somebody. Especially if they are doing the speed that I want to travel at. I find that following another car at night or even when its raining I don’t have to concentrate so much. I arrived in my driveway about nine hours after leaving the ACT.

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