Jase and Jess

After a well deserved solid nights sleep, we ended up putting off our scheduled early start and slept in until 9.

Even though it had rained lightly overnight, things didn’t look good for the rest of the day being rain free.

So after pulling on our wet weather fashion statements we rode off to the caravan park to return their key.

We decided to take the road to Heathcote that eventually links up with the Hume Highway. This road took us across the slipway that once fed Bendigo with the water from Lake Eppolock.

The sight of the dying lake broke our hearts, from what we were able to ascertain the lake used to be vast and deep and served both as a tourist attraction and supplied Bendigo with water. With the lake gone all the businesses that had relied on the lake for livelihood and income had become victim to the drought too, and most had folded.

Crossing the spill way we saw the water hadn’t even reached the dam wall, what was once was a thriving vast lake had become a stagnant pond, this was beyond depressing.

On our way from Heathcote and towards the Hume highway, we passed mile after mile of dead farmland: the trees had died and everything was black and burnt, with no or very little life on the farms we passed.

We hit the Hume highway and headed North….then the bad weather set in.

With 200kms ahead of us, things did not look promising, with Jason having to place 30 degree lean on the left just to keep Betty on a straight path. Add into the mix gusty winds, rain and wet road made it hell on wheels.

Jason needed regular stops to remain sane, and to give his arms a break, at one of these stops Jason decided to top up the oil in Betty……

About 500 metres up the road Jason released that he had neglected to replace the oil cap…..F@#k!

We then spent the next hour doing 20 in the shoulder of the Hume Highway, Looking for a small black cap…..

We thought up some alternative methods of capping the oil tank (which by now was spurting all over Jason’s pants and boots) I found a rubber stopper by the side of the road and by cutting a few grooves into it, it became a perfect make shift oil cap. And we set off….

The make-shift oil cap

About 100 meters up the road I found the original oil cap….

We battled our way to Wodonga, and set about finding our accommodation, which proved impossible. We decided to fall on the services of the Information centre in Wodonga, which is actually in Albury…..WTF? With help we found our accommodation, ordered pizza, organised gear for the next day and settled in for the night, ready for our last stretch tomorrow.