I was in a shiny new car and was supposed to be on a seriously enjoyable trip to Canberra by this time of the afternoon. However it had started to rain, which I didn't mind in itself, but that was probably a contributing factor to an accident on Heathcote Road which caused all of us on Illawarra Road to be sitting in a parking lot for the ensuing hour or so. I elected to keep the drops sharp in this shot and throw out the background because, well, that was the feel of being there. There was nothing to do but watch the lights passing through the raindrops and wait.

By the time the trip proper started we were well and truly late, so it was a case of throw the bags in, call the hotel to notify them of our revised arrival time and head for the highway. Our final arrival time in Canberra was also affected by oblivious idiots sitting in the overtaking lane at 10 under the limit and thereby blocking off the traffic that's queuing up behind them. And isn't it fun when a freight truck does that?

Still, the trip down's combination of rain, darkness and the oblivious certainly made for an exercise in concentration and focus. And it was greatly enhanced by driving a new, sure-footed car with a stack of oomph under the pedal whenever you needed it. It would have been enhanced by the company as well, but on a trip like that you're either in the zone or in the hospital, so that would have to wait until after we arrived.

Last Year