DAY 4
Today the plan was to head towards St George located towards the southern tip of Queensland. To get there, we would need to head back to Mitchell, and then make our way to St George.
Topped up on fuel from Charleville despite the available range on the Pajero showing as 450 kms, much more than what we had to travel to get to Mitchell. When going as a convoy it's always better to do these together so as to avoid time for an extra stop, which when traveling with kids can extend to more than what you may have estimated. Also, Monday was a public holiday owing to Boxing Day falling on a Saturday. For us, it meant that even the few food outlets we would come across in the outback towns would not be open for business.
Being a familiar highway now, progress was quick.
As we were making our way along the highway, a couple of fellow motorists from the opposite direction flashed their headlamps at us. Not knowing the local significance of this gesture, i assumed it was motorists making small talk along the way, saying hi.
I flashed the headlamps in return to acknowledge.
As we entered the town of Mungallala (yup, you read it right) along the highway, the speed limit dropped to 50kmph and i adhered.
There was not a single other soul active on the road.
Pottering along the main street of the town, i observed someone standing on the road, and indicating to pull over. Immediately, my travelers instinct kicked in, and i observed the surroundings.
I then looked at the person again, and realized he was a law enforcement official, or Police. Parked on the center median was a Toyota LC70 wagon in police livery.
It then struck me i had been pulled over by the cop. My first time ever in Australia.
I moved over to the side of the road... stopped, then rolled down the window, and greeted the officer.
The officer returned the greeting. He then went on to explain that i would be subjected to a RBT or Random Breath Test, and asked if i had been drinking.
I replied in the negative, and then proceeded to blow into the instrument.
Despite having watched shows like Cops and other local law enforcement shows on TV, and not to forget others getting pulled over before me, i managed a rather lame attempt blowing into the device.
The officer asked me to repeat. Yet again, a feeble and pitiable attempt.
By now, both the officer as well as my family comprising my wife and daughter started laughing. The officer joked and asked me to imagine i was blowing up a balloon till he asked me to stop.
Seeing the laughter all around, i managed it right this time. Heard the beep at which i was asked to stop. The officer checked the reading and seeing the negative indicator, bade as well on our journey ahead.
I thanked him, wished a good day and pulled over a bit ahead, waiting for Graham's round who was now right behind us. Graham who is a veteran at these things got it right the first time, and we moved on.
During one of our stops later, when i mentioned about the other motorists flashing their headlamps at us, Graham explained how the single flash of the headlamps is a motorists code indicating police presence up ahead. Needless to say, i was to come across this practice more often as i ventured into other areas during my journeys in Australia.