We head off in more glorious sunshine, this time determined to get to Tumut or maybe even Wagga Wagga, depending on the roads.
Again, my sense of direction is hopeless, and my heart sinks when I see the sign for Khancoban again. This isn't right. Maybe the whole place is geared to force tourists to Khancoban. To be safe, we turn around and head back on the road to Cooma.
We stop in Cooma to draw out some cash but all of the ATM's refuse my card. Turns out that after 3 months of being in Australia my bank finally thinks there might be fraudulent behaviour going on and have decided to put a stop on all transactions. So after dialling about 9 different numbers I reach someone who lifts the 'stop'.
We then head on the long and dusty road to Canberra. We're passing the capital anyway, and despite all the 'not very good' things I've heard about it, we decide to drive in anyway so I can see for myself.
Canberra all looks very new and clean. But unfortunately it's one of those grand-plan architectural cities, which tries to organise how people should live. It doesn't take into account the organic nature of how settlements grow, and it has a kind of soul-less atmosphere akin to somewhere like Milton Keynes. There is no obvious town centre, which for a tourist is an absolute nightmare, there are lots of roundabouts, and large civic sculptures and buildings, and some more roundabouts.
Fortunately it's not too difficult to get out of and we head for Goulburn and the Hume Highway.
Goulburn is a nice mining town, but it's very quiet, especially for a Saturday. The main attraction is this massive Merino sheep, or maybe it was just very far away. Although I am slightly disappointed in its lack of 'dags'.
The strangest thing of all about holidaying here is not having that downer when you get back home, mainly because we live in a place where lots of people go on holiday anyway.
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