Under A Big Sky

He's no stranger to travel, but yesterday Austin experienced the Mother Of All Sunday Drives.

Sydney was grey and miserable; the early morning rain a reminder of the weather that had earlier put paid to yet another round of football.

But to the south west the sky threw up a small arch of blue, and we fancied we could drive far enough to find the place where it would open up before us. And with that the thought of a little boy under a big blue sky.

Fortunately, that's exactly how it proved to be. Ninety-minutes and we reached Mittagong, gateway to the Southern Highlands. Austin and Mum hit the playground while I made a beeline for the local pie shop - a trip justfied by the discovery of the chunky rendang beef.

Next stop Bowral and a wee lad's pilgrimage to the Bradman Oval to picnic beside the white picket fence. On the main street we found a Toyworld store, one of which had been the source of most of my childhood presents, and a fantastic kids shoe store.

Infant's Saucony runners for under $40. Bargain. Sold.

Fleeting visits to Berrima and Moss Vale followed, then onto a couple of local wineries which would give further reason for a long weekend visit come the end of the football season.

All-in-all it turned out to be a five CD fuelled 270km round trip that left three happy Clarks, including one who managed to sleep the entire way down and most of the journey home.

It was also a nice bit of preparation for next month's boys-only, three-day marathon drive from Melbourne to Sydney, and a reminder that that itinerary needs a bit more work.