Sunny Garden

Sadly, after two weeks in Queensland, it was time to head home. If nothing else, I had nine rolls of film to develop and a virtual tour to get online.

For some reason we decided to take the inland route back to Canberra. That was a mistake. I don't believe I have ever been so bored in my life, as my friends will attest from the number of text messages I sent during the drive. I even wrote some of those messages in haiku:

Tarmac of boredom.
Stretches endlessly ahead.
Eyes turn inside out.

I'm not sure what's worse, my poetry or my sand art.

Eventually the battery on my phone ran out and I was forced to find other amusements. I tried to hypnotise myself into a coma, but that didn't work. I then tried to hypnotise Rachel to sleep, but that didn't work either. I'm not sure whether my hypnotic technique was to blame, or the fact that I was conducting the hypnosis using confectionary snakes. Personally, I believe that packets of Allens lollies should carry disclaimers that they are not suitable for use as tools of hypnotic suggestion.

As the boredom continued, I was inspired to read the atlas of the surrounding area. I discovered a little town called Goonoo Goonoo which was amusing in a Mork and Mindy kind of way. A few hours later, when we actually passed Goonoo Goonoo, it was just boring. So very, very boring.

Eventually we made it back to Canberra and, judging by the atmosphere in the car, not a moment too soon. In a desperate attempt to relieve boredeom, I'd discovered a great new form of entertainment that involved using a Diet Coke bottle, the car dashboard and Rachel's head as a drum kit. Rachel, meanwhile, found retaliation in the form of yodelling along to the car tapes. It was ugly.

Back home, life slowly returned to normal although I still can't walk down the toilet paper aisle in Coles without furtively glancing over my shoulder.

I must take this opportunity to thank Nick and Rachel, my invaluable if not sometimes invisible support team. And at some stage we have to come out from behind the camera, so here we are - the three most wanted, at least by Toowong Village security guards.

Disclaimer:
Sunny Garden is designed, written and maintained by Liz Perkins, in cooperation with Nick Earls, Penguin Books and Random House Australia. Any questions about Sunny Garden should be directed to Liz

All original contents are © Liz Perkins.