Dear FOXY...I'm shocked to hear of your dear Mum's passing, last I heard I thought you'd said she was OK and being well cared for - I'm so sorry to have been so obtuse and imperceptive, by not picking it up. I again apologise.

G'day there HASBEEN...

I was with the old STP (precursor to the HWP) and initially we drove Cooper S's. My area was from Campbelltown through to Bargo, and included the dreadful bit of road called the 'RazorBack' accessed through Picton, prior to the Freeway being constructed, avoiding the Township of Picton altogether.

The number of of fatals we had on that patch of road was almost incalculable; most of them occasioned by trucks and/or horrid road surfaces. My opposite shift colleague (2100hrs - 0500hrs) had two separate fatals on the one shift! Yep on Razorback. So unnerving him, he took a couple of days off work. By todays standard's we're indeed lucky the Hume has improved to such a standard that it has, albeit FOXY found the NSW stretch between Albury and Sydney, as still being relatively inferior thus unsatisfactory.

Dear O Sung Wu,

Thank You for your kind words. Mum's passing came as a huge shock
even though we should have expected it. I wasn't ready to let her go.
But of course we have no control over things. Still she's now
resting next to dad in the Rookwood Cemetery - where she wanted to be. They had bought the
two plots side by side - so many years ago (1950s). And a Monument
is already there. Larcome Stonemasons of Lidcombe did the inscribing
and Andrew Duncan was still working there - he'll inscribe mum's
date of death for us.

We stayed in Campbelltown during our Sydney visit. It was easier
traffic-wise. I wanted to re-visit Parramatta - but we never got
around to it this time - unfortunately. I wanted to see how it
had changed. I imagine it has changed a lot.

Amazing how the memories come flooding back when you hit your old
stomping ground. Sometimes, things change not for the better.
But I'll have to wait and check this out the next time around.
I'm beginning to feel much better - back home, and recovering
slowly. Things are improving.

Dear FOXY...

I know what you mean about your old stomping ground. In another life I was stationed at Parramatta (at the old Police Station/CourtHouse premises) and I must confess it does bring a tear to the eye whenever I hear Parramatta mentioned. Of course I'll never see it again as I now live elsewhere but I guess that's OK too. Please take good care of yourself FOXY, and remember we're 'ALL' here for you, you've only gotta shout, OK. It would be a race to see who comes to your aid first, moi or HASBEEN - I suspect he'd beat me by a whisker, he's a better driver than I apparently?

Hi o sung wu. Back in the 60s most trucks wound their way up 'RazorBack' at very slow speed, often in single digit MPH speeds. With my long heavy outfit, I could only follow, so very slow, & pretty safe. I would expect that trying to overtake those trucks on very short straights would have caused many accidents.

Failing brakes coming down would cause many accidents too. Those were the days when the prudent came down steep hills in a low gear, to save brakes overheating.

I guess the traffic was unbelievably light to folks today, & I found truck drivers mostly very courteous. Of course, I never did the trip in daylight, so it is only the overnight drivers I met.

Foxy if ever you do have to come north by car, take the New England highway, or even one of the lesser inland routes. The roads are adequate today, & there is little traffic. I even find the trucks on it useful.

I don't like cruise control, hate the way it makes a car feel, however I have developed a technique of hooking a mental tow rope to a selected well driven truck. They will be driving at the top end of the speed limit, & you can sit 100 metres behind one, reducing the concentration required, with the truck giving you early warning of road & speed limit changes.

Dear O Sung Wu,

Once again - thanks for your lovely words and for always
being there for me. You cheer me up no end. You're a
lovely sweet man - and I do love you to bits. So there.

Dear Hassie,

Thanks for your advice about the New England Highway.
But its a longer and slower distance to get to Sydney.
We've driven it many times.
Not so sure about hooking up to trucks though. I don't
think hubbie would buy that. He loves cruise control
on long drives. It saves his legs and cramping.