After a week in Melbourne, we headed to Benela.

Route: Benela to Canberra

Length in hours: 5

Length in kilometres: 450

Of this farmland: 400

Times we were dangerously overtaken by truckies: 8

Temperature: 31

Ice creams at truck stops: 1

Litres of water: 2+

Full body sunscreen applications: 2

Hours spent asleep: 1

Hours spent trying to spot kangaroos: 3.5

Kangaroos spotted: 0

Roadkill: at least 3

Hawks spotted: > 3

Other wildlife: cockatoos, sheep, horses, cattle

The road from Melbourne to Canberra is a long, hypnotic and winding one, with nothing much along the way but acres of farmland as far as the eye can see. We managed to arrive in complete stealth and the big reveal was a huge success, all the family came together under one roof, and partied late into the warm summer night in the back yard.