Possibly a few cubits of Gopher wood might be needed!

There were some grounds for thinking that this trip was going to need Noah and his Ark, rather than a GPS called Sheila and a Mazda CX5. We are heading for Dunkeld in Central Western Victoria which is basically the kick-off point for the Southern Grampians, following on from calling in at the Northern Grampians on our way to Adelaide.

The media were getting a tad biblical in their commentary about the level of flooding likely in Central Victoria which led me to check the Roads Victoria site.  The first thing that struck me was the amount of road "works" around Melbourne. Needless to say many of these symbols indicate areas were a horny son of toil might lean against a backhoe and a few may be places where a back hoe is actually hoeing.

Going a bit further West some flooding appeared on the image on 14 October.  Dunkeld is marked with a purple arrow and our approximate route with green arrows.
Looking a little more widely (on Live Traffic NSW) shows the extent of flooding in both States.  (They just show dots for Mexico  -  ie South of the Border)
By the 15th the situation on our route had got a little grimmer as a key segment of the route was now closed.  It appeared there were a couple of options, if we carried on to Ararat and then headed South (or thereabouts).  
We shall see how it goes when we head off on the 17th: I really don't want to abort the trip.

So we headed off about 0900 hours and went West.  As we headed towards Cann River there were lots of white Daisies visible on the road side.
I alerted Frances to grab some photos of the expected Genesis level flooding on the Snowy Flats as we approached Orbost.  The grass was green but no inundation whatever.  The Leaning Barn of Orbost  - surely a major tourist attraction - continues to defy gravity (and very strong winds).
A useful sign, but compared to some recent events there is very little flooding in Gippsland (or at least the bits we traversed.
Some more signs.  Possibly contradictory: in this case the hazard was where some incapable driver whacked into the start of an array of central barriers.  It takes skill to be be that daft.
The surprising thing here ...
... is that there are NO caravans in the image.  There were a heap of them on the road heading East.  A little surprising as grey nomads would be heading back South, and it isn't school holidays or such like.

The River Avon hasn't got the message about flooding.  It had much less flow (and looked less silty than either the Cann, the Snowy at Orbost or the Tambo at Bruthen.
Much road "works" between Sale and Traralgon.  I'm sure it will be wunnerful but it is a close run thing between this and the Melbourne Rail Tunnel for Heritage White Elephant of the decade (or, at the rate both projects are (not) progressing, the century).
Into the century and checked in we went off to Flagstaff Gardens with family.  The sky looked rather threatening.  Note the lack of Peregrine Falcons in this image.
Melbourne really is becoming a hub of class graffiti.

We acquired our evening meal here (the restaurant is on the edge of the Queen Vic Markets).
I am concluding that Melbourne is taking its image as the most English of State capitals to heart and speciaising in queues.  This is for a Chinese restaurant and there is always a long line here, which is most surprising as there are a LOT of Asian restaurants of various persuasions in the CBD.



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