There are some fairly significant
differences between city driving and country driving. The roads are different,
the speed is different, the hazards are more “flora and fauna” and less
“traffic jams and road rage”. So if I have learnt anything from being part of
the Masterchef generation, I know that after 3 weeks out here I am officially
an expert on the topic. So here are my lessons on driving in the country:
First and foremost – Keep Your Eyes Open.
And I don’t mean just staying awake. Considering we are talking about driving,
I’m going to assume consciousness as a given. No, I mean Look and Scan. All.
The. Time. These hazards come at you from the front, side, behind you,
underneath you, so stay alert.
Hazard One – Dirt Roads. I suspect it’s
like driving on bitumen with bare tyres cause things get a little slippery
pretty quickly. So to avoid the heart palpitations that ensue when the car
starts turning in a way you didn’t tell it to go, break early and slowly.
Hazard Two – Kangaroos. The novelty wore
off pretty quickly cause I see HUNDREDS of these guys everyday. I probably
should have put these as Hazard Number One as you’ll see a dead one every 200m.
They will come at you from any direction, they love sunrise and sunset the
most, and they just love getting in your way.
Hazard Three – Emus. I’m told they are the
stupidest of the lot, but I’m yet to see it. Apparently they are known to start
running away from you, change their minds, then run straight into the side of
your car instead. At least they are easy to spot.
Hazard Four – Bush Turkeys. Don’t be fooled
though, they look nothing like a turkey. More like a prouder, miniature emu. Or
a librarian. In any case, I’ve been told they are partial to fly directly into
your windscreen and smash it.
Hazard Five – Sheep. Sheep really hate
being left out or left behind, so will always want to find their friends when
you come along and it doesn’t really matter to them if it means crossing right
in front of you. But their big fluffy bums are super cute when they run, so
enjoy that.
Hazard Six – Cows. These guys are probably
my favourite hazard as they’re super easy to spot and usually polite enough to
let you pass. Plus, when they start to run they look a bit like a gangly 13
year old boy after a sudden growth spurt who now has these long limbs they
aren’t sure what to do with. Enjoy that too.
I’m super thankful for the advice of my
cousin and my employers who suggested getting a ‘roo bar, a two way radio and
always carrying water, food and fuel (and don’t get me started about how
thankful I am to Papa Pidge for getting it all together). With long stretches
of dirt road and often 100km between phone reception that are quickly becoming
part of my weekly routines, and I know one day they will be my lifeline. Plus
if I get hungry, I’ll be able to cook up that dead ‘roo I probably hit.
