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My Top 10 Reasons Why You Need a Road Trip

by Lauren on January 1st, 2008

I’ve just returned home after five days on the road with my husband. While I clearly love Sydney, I decided the Christmas break was the perfect opportunity to swap the city life for some time in the country. We visited a little town called Mirboo in Victoria, which has a brewery, a few shops, and little else. As Mirboo is around 12 hours drive from here, we also stopped at Yass and Cooma, which are only slightly bigger than Mirboo.

With flights costing a fraction of the price they used to, the concept of a road trip is all but dead. It’s a shame, because it means people are spending less time visiting these little country towns and enjoying all the pleasures along the way. Here are just a few of the reasons why you should get out of the city and enjoy a good old-fashioned country road trip.

1. Sheep, cows, and other assorted barnyard creatures. In the country, fields of these animals are commonplace, but sadly in Sydney we have to visit the zoo to see them. Spotting baby animals never gets old, although my husband may disagree.
2. Country food. Everything tastes fresher and better in the country. It could be because of all those fields of sheep and cows, but I won’t think too long about that.
3. Country portions. It’s a good thing that the food is so tasty, because country people like to feed you. I don’t think I actually finished a meal during my entire stay.
4. Country prices. Everything in the country seems to be cheaper. Those massive meals cost a fraction of the price an artfully miniscule Sydney meal does. I also stayed in Cooma on New Years Eve for under $110. On the same night in Sydney I’d be lucky to find a backpackers’ hostel for a comparable price.
5. Country service. Everyone in the country is just so friendly, and they will go the extra mile to make sure your stay is a pleasant one. I was particularly impressed by the complimentary DVD hire at the Thunderbird Motel in Yass.
6. Country towns. Long journeys force you to stop at places you never knew existed in the search for food and petrol. I wasn’t familiar with Bredbo, Bruthan, or Loch before, but I am now. And shouldn’t we all know about more than just Sydney and Melbourne?
7. No traffic. Now, I won’t say that there are no other cars on the road, but the concept of traffic as Sydneysiders know it doesn’t exist on a road trip. There’s no gridlock, no road rage, and no stress.
8. Car sing-alongs. Sure you can do this on any car trip, but you can’t really get into the swing of it if you’re only travelling 20 minutes down the road. Of course, it’s also a lot easier to lose yourself in the music with those traffic-free roads.
9. Hidden roadside gems. I like to allow plenty of time to reach my destination, giving me the freedom to pull over when something catches my eye. During my most recent trip I tasted wines at some wonderful wineries and marvelled at art in some gorgeous galleries. I didn’t know any of these things existed, but they were some of the highlights of my trip.
10. Bonding time. One of the ironies of the high-paced world we live in is that despite our mobile phones and instant message software, we often don’t have the time to really connect with our loved ones. As a blogger who lives chained to her computer, I know this more than most. Spending some technology-free time is a great way to reestablish bonds with your partner and family, and a road trip makes it happen.

Image source: Cavell L. Blood @ Stock.xchng

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