Saturday 2nd August 2025 – more of the story, a bit more detail From Eucla to Mundrabilla the Hampton Range follows on the Northern side of the road, at a consistent height all the way to Madurah.

There is a sign before Mundrabilla saying “cheap fuel” when I call in to get our golf cards stamped I see it ain’t that cheap but at Mundrabilla you can say what you like, its cheap fuel if you need it.

The golf hole at Mundrabilla is called ” Watering Hole”. A virtual hole, its 2 pars for The Don and moi.

Golf – where do I start? Madura is where reality golf starts. ” Brumbys Run ” is a challenging par 3 with a truck to the right, a caravan to the left, luckily we find the rough left side of the green. Although Wally gave me a special Wilson golf ball for my birthday, i managed to leave it in a timber hazard. Not sure how many shots you would would call a “Truck”? Relieved that we haven’t hit a vehicular mode of transport, either stopped or moving we leave quietly.

There is a lot of saltbush on the side of the road, then there isn’t, not sure what’s going on there. Getting into more like sheep country, however when I see sheep I’m advised they are white rocks. There is no point arguing, even when I’m right I’m wrong. Just shoulda gone to Specsavers! So I don’t really know where all the sheep actually are?

Cocklebiddy arrives, another Roadhouse staffed by backpackers, this time from Asia. The golf is a challenge, a 368m Par 4, a howling wind blowing across the fairway. I’m on for 2 putting for a elusive birdie, which eludes me. Still, a fair dinkum par is OK for me. The Don battles the wind, a form slump and caffeine deficiency, which he sorts out back in the Roadhouse.

There are lots of motor bikes on the road, lots heading east riding into the strong wind, very challenging riding conditions.

At Caiguna the ” Ninety Mile Straight” Par 4 is impossible to play in the prevailing conditions, a good reason for this to be a virtual hole that we par.

The country opens up a bit, less scrubby but less or no saltbush. I thought it might be the other way around?

The weather forecast from a pilot mate in Narrabri isn’t promising, wind continuing, rain coming, cold weather remains cold.

At Balladonia the Par 3 175m hole called ” Sklab” is unplayable. Besides the trees between the tee and the pin there is a blonde woman with a fluffy white dog walking up the middle. She is a reasonable size target. Given our ability and the prevailing howling wind we think she’s probably safe but our duty of care makes the decision to go virtual easy. To keep out of the wind we would a low punch drive and her derrier was a hazard we might find. Not a pleasant thought. We lunch in the Roadhouse, served by an Irish girl and another Argentinan girl. There is a bit of the actual Skylab in the shop with some other artefacts. Skylab entered the earth’s atmosphere out of control in July 1979, I didnt think it was that long ago.

Fraser Range Station is a great place to stop. A few drinks, a beef curry, and watch the Wallabies beat the Lions in a rugby test. A good way to finish the day, but there’s more.

So, today I turned 70, my head doesn’t tell me I’m 70 but my failing body does. I have been getting messages and phone calls all day, as we go in and out of mobile phone range, and its nice to know people remember and think of me. I’m not just another forgotten old foggy. The company over the last week has been wonderful, a great trip, and the birthday chocolate mud cake is beautiful.

So thanks to my travelling mates and the people we met last night – a poem I wrote a few years ago, just for a little reflection;

The Road I Took
I glance up from my strong coffee,
Thinking of a past I can now hardly see,
Visions of a life not written in a book,
It was luck, no plans for the road I took.

The little boy, very quiet and so shy
From the coast to somewhere flat and dry,
The road that was taken wasn’t my call
But life in the west was good for us all.

The school bus, the classroom all good
Home to get the calves in and chop wood.
Then away to Dads old boarding school
The road was rough with too many rules.

6A’s and football then the study petered out
As I floundered around, a head full of doubt
The dilemma of school versus girls and sport
The road wasn’t clear, poor result, I got caught.

Trainee agent and potential auctioneer,
For a wool broker the ad was really clear,
At eighteen I had another look at the road
Not sure, but acceptance lightened the load.

Married young to The Copper Haired Girl,
Houses built, no money, babies, life a whirl,
Food on the table and a mortgage to pay,
A track wasn’t clear but we found the way.

A career happened, a shit kicking notetaker,
Not an auctioneer, a money and deal breaker
And life happened, family and friends grow
Lose a child and take a road you don’t know.

Take a look back on things, remember the joys,
A patchwork of life and people and two boys,
It all went so quickly, so don’t waste more time
Fill in the gaps, take the roads in your mind.

Are there regrets, not many maybe a few,
No plans and a few mistakes to get through,
Got to keep taking roads to places unseen,
To challenge me to go where I’ve not yet been.

Paul Reid