16/08/2026
After 2 hours and 37 minutes, 221 kilometres, two emergency p*e stops, and a thousand thoughts racing through our heads, we finally rolled back into my hometown of Deniliquin.
Driving in from the north, past the familiar roundabout and the Deniliquin Bakery, it felt like opening a forgotten chapter of my life. Every street stirred a memory, bringing back old friends, old foes, and moments I thought I'd left behind.
The houses we once gathered in had been renovated, familiar businesses had disappeared, and the people I knew had changed with time. Their faces, like mine, carried the marks of life's adventures—and maybe a few extra kilos from the good times.
Coming home after so long is a strange feeling. Everything looks familiar, yet somehow feels different. The streets are the same, but the memories belong to a younger version of yourself. It was wonderful to be back, yet I couldn't shake the feeling I was visiting a place that had once been home.
Some things, however, never change. Family has a way of pulling you straight back in, so our first stop was Aunty Del and Uncle Dazza's, where stories, laughter, and good company made the hours disappear.
With Mum living just around the corner, we ended the day watching her reunite with her grandbabies before heading to the Country Club Motor Inn for a well-earned rest.
We were home... and tomorrow, the adventure would continue.