General News
4 November, 2026
A Mum's World: Life in the slow lane
A leisurely drive through the countryside offered Yolande a different perspective on harvest preparations.
Kym and I took a nice drive through the countryside last weekend for seven hours.
We didn’t go as far as you might think. It was a long, slow drive at 40 kilometres an hour with some coffee breaks.
Why so slow and where to?
We delivered our header over to Underbool ready for some contract harvesting.
I was out front in the ute with the ‘Oversize’ sign, flashing orange light and CB radio to let the truckies know a four-metre header was coming their way.
Kym was perched high behind the glass in the header cab with the header front trailing behind – flashing lights, flags, signs and CB radio all working so he could tell any truckies stuck behind him when the coast was clear ahead so they could get past.
I used to be terrified of stopping traffic on a blind bend when the header was squeezing over a bridge behind me, but I feel much braver these days – protecting the general public from a traffic accident is kind of important after all.
Cruising through the countryside at 40 kilometres an hour is the perfect way to appreciate all the gorgeous crops gracing the region at present.
If the rain can hold off for a wee bit and we can all get our hands on enough diesel, harvest will be brilliant.
Although we as a region are under the influence of so many factors beyond our control when it comes to farming, aren’t we?
As well as abundant crops, at 40 kilometres an hour I enjoyed the wildlife, with plenty of water birds making the most of full dams, drains and overflowing puddles.
Once we left the bitumen, the hunting birds, parrots and pigeons fought for my attention against the stumpy-tailed, frill-necked lizards and kangaroos who were putting on a show.
I always forget how much I love to pilot the header and really soak in the detail of our gorgeous patch of regional Australia.
I’m used to racing back and forth up and down the highway to visit our girls in the big smoke, playing dodge the pothole at top speed and always trying to beat the clock.
Giving ourselves a whole day to cover about 220 kilometres had a completely different feel, and I made the most of every minute.
I started out with prayer, as I figured we really needed it and I had plenty of time.
I moved on to planning, thinking through my next whole school event as chaplain and contemplating the list of tasks I still need to complete.
Next, I practised a little singing into the wind with the windows down, listened to a bible study lecture on the book of Hebrews, then I worked my way through my playlists, practising a little front seat dancing – all perfectly safe at 40 kilometres an hour on the dirt road the back way to Underbool, just out of Patchewollock.
The trip home felt simply scandalous at 100 kilometres an hour.