Planning the actual itinerary

With Hughesy's considerations discussed, it's time to turn the attention to the other strategic concerns that have shaped the itinerary this time around, and here I could well be open to correction from the Partner Formerly Known As 'Er Indoors, who will be, for about the next three weeks That Photographer Lady Over There.

Having pencilled in a detailed itinerary involving music and with a pretty fair idea of what we're looking at in a tasting glass, from my point of view I think it would be pretty damn presumptuous to start throwing round further suggestions willy nilly, but I have made the odd suggestion here and there.

Madam, for her part, has spent a good proportion of the waking hours over the last three weeks browsing on line and studying various brochures and a couple of guide books from the local library, and has come up with an itinerary largely based around where she'd like to go, and how far she wants to drive.

From my point of view, I'm better staying out of those discussions since I invariably start going overboard, and attracting comments about remembering the identity of the driver.

I am, however, expected to make suggestions, and identification of the Warrumbungles as a scenic location seemingly worth a visit has gone down fairly well, and shaped much of the early part of the itinerary.

So, where are we going?

With the musical side of things taken care of before Easter, given the coincidence of Easter Monday and Anzac Day, the relatively late Easter and a few considerations, we're hitting the road on the Wednesday after Easter, with the first consideration being the length of the drive.

The road away from the coast will take us through Canungra, Beaudesert, Boonah, Cunningham's Gap and Warwick, all of which are relatively familiar territory, with a lunch break in Warwick pencilled in before heading into the unknown and Goondiwindi.

A relatively short drive should give enough time for a bit of a look around in the afternoon, and there'll be no need for a really early start the next day, where the game plan involves a drive to the Poets Cottage at Pilliga Pottery just north of Coonabarabran, which will be the base for a look around the area and a visit to the Warrumbungles.

So, Wednesday to Goondiwindi, Thursday to Coonabarabran, Friday for a look around and Saturday off towards Canberraa, with a an overnight stop at Orange. That'll give me a chance to catch up with Steve and Rhonda Doyle at Bloodwood, and an earlyish start on Sunday morning should get us to the markets in Canberra before lunch.

There's a display Madam wants to catch at the National Gallery in the afternoon (which she has to do then because it's the last day) which'll tie in nicely with a visit to the War Memorial for Hughesy.

Monday I've pencilled in as an excursion around a tasting trail through the environs, with, hopefully, local knowledge contributed by Mess Stagg, while Tuesday should bet us around various other sites of national significance before we head off on Wednesday.

An overnight stay in Canowindra means there'll be time to take a look at Cowra along the way, and a relatively short driving day might allow a relatively late departure from Canberra.

The same considerations apply over the next three days. leaving Canowindra on Thursday night, we've got a Thursday night stop in Gunnedah, which will allow us to spend some time in Armidale on the way to Glen Innes on Friday afternoon.

Saturday will take us back over the border, through Stanthorpe and on the Springfield Lakes, where we've got two nights with The Ex-Neighbours, Wo Wo Boy and The Little Tacker, before we head off on Monday morning on the two day journey home, where Wednesday morning will hopefully see us clearing the cupboards prior to the arrival of the new kitchen.