The rotunda on Nhill's main street. Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHONNhill is a picturesque little town in the Wimmera. Head up the Western Highway on the way from Melbourne to Adelaide and Nhill is pretty much the halfway mark.
Back at 1994, we were driving to Adelaide for Easter when I suffered the embarrassment of being booked for speeding for the first time in my life. This was a watershed event in the McMahon clan, because all my family and friends know I always stick scrupulously to the speed limit.
But hey, I blame my mother-in-law for this debacle.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of my mother-in-law (and the grapevine tells me she's rather a big fan of mine) but let's pin this one on her.
I'd just driven through Nhill when my wife and mother-in-law swapped places in the car. My wife sat in the back and m-i-l, who was holidaying with us at the time, took the navigator's seat.
Mate, not that you need a navigator when you're driving from Melbourne to Adelaide. You just get on the Western Highway and don't get off. Ya just sorta keep goin'. And goin'. And goin'.
Then, just under 800 kilometres (that's 500 miles for my US readers) you see a sign that says ``Welcome to Adelaide''. Simple, yeah? So simple that even a country bumpkin like me can do it without a navigator.
Before you drive through any Outback town, the speed limit drops sequentially. You drop from 110 km/h to 80 km/h and then to 60km/h before you enter a town - and only a blind man would miss the signs.
Hmmmm, blind men and blokes who are busy talking to their mother-in-law. Okay, so I missed the 60 sign. And I sailed into the town of Kaniva doing 80. As soon as I realised my error I dropped my speed back - but it was too late.
My lapse of concentration cost me $165 and after I drove off again, gritting my teeth in decidedly indelicate fashion, there was another flash of gallows humour.
Our six-year-old announced brightly she couldn't wait to get back to school, to tell her friends that I had been busted for drink-driving.
I almost choked on my emotion. ``Drink-driving? I wasn't booked for drink-driving,'' I protested.``Yes, you were, Daddy. You were drinking your chocolate milkshake.''
The post office at Nhill. Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON
tsk tsk, drink driving, for shame David.
ReplyDeleteThose little rascals,
ReplyDeletethey catch you EVERY time! :-)))
lol, and thank God I don't drive, cos I'm quite often filled up with choc milkshake (my favourite!) Nhill looks like a nice place to relax with a few drinks...um mmmm.
ReplyDeleteI love the way kids make up words that just fit the situation. Great story and nice ABC Wednesday post. I will be posting mine later tonight.
ReplyDeleteGreat story and great photos of Nhill--surely this will be the most unique N word for ABC Wednesday. However did it get that name?
ReplyDeleteHa Ha....
ReplyDeleteI loved your 6 year old for that !!
I love your daughters drink driving remark...LOL. Great story :o) How is Nhill pronounced btw?
ReplyDeleteKeep smiling
Rx
Nhill looks lovely... if I ever get the opportunity to drive from Melbourne to Adelaide or the other way, I'll definitely stop in.
ReplyDeleteLOL! The stories I could tell about escaping speed fines on the motorbike! LOL! David, there are SO many LOL! BUT being the sensitive soul I am, I wont mention them to you, ie you who were caught! LOL!
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ReplyDelete$165 is a big price to pay for 'fasssst foot' :-)
ReplyDeleteHa-ha, that's priceless! Thesedays, I try my best to lead a blameless life, Sam is NOTORIOUS for relaying every single part of our home life (with his own unique twist)back to his teachers at school. I've given up ammending his versions, in fear they think I protest too loudly..
ReplyDeleteit looks a fascinating little town. On the town website it says "Nhill is home to Australia's largest single-bin grain silo, located in the centre of town." - what a weird claim to fame!
ReplyDeleteGreat story David! Don't you just love the things that our kids come up with?
ReplyDeleteIt's a funny name for a town, Nhill. Great story David.
ReplyDeleteLOL, out of the mouths of babes. we live near a state border and have lots of agressive dreivers from the other state in our area. one day when i was muttering curses against a particularly aggressive driver (who happeend to be from my own state) i heard my young son ask from the backseat, 'mommy, aren't you going to tell them to go back to their own damn state?'
ReplyDeletebusted!
Nice pictures of a quaint looking town.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about the speeding charge it happens to me all the time. Once I got two different tickets on the same day. One at 10 am and one at 7pm.
Your pictures are wonderful and I enjoyed seeing them!
ReplyDeleteCute story!
ReplyDeleteA very picturesque looking town!
Driving under the influence od chocolate...yeah we've all been there ;)
ReplyDeleteKids say the darndest things!
ReplyDeleteO my goodnes you got a ticket for dui...chocolate milk shake tsk...tsk. I like the rotunda, that 's what you call it, reminds me of a Victorian band stan
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful photos of the town. Amusing story about the speeding ticket as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my NorthBayPhoto blog.
Getting written up in a town like that will have you feeling Nhillistic.
ReplyDeleteDrink driving too darn cute...thanks for visiting the Bookworm's ballroom. Leighann and I appreciate your visit, and I will be adding you to our author's blogroll.
ReplyDeleteA milkshake and a mother-in-law . . .
ReplyDeleteEnough to make the best of us speed.
I am adding you to my ABC list.
~Oswegan
Hah! That's funny stuff. I often "drink drive", but coffee instead of a chocolate milkshake. I'd better watch it.
ReplyDeleteThere's a contest up at my place, so you might like to head on over. It concerns the World Series, so entry time is limited.
what a positively fabulous building david..just gorgeous...
ReplyDeletek:)
Let's see---if I read correctly, that was in 1994, your daughter was six then---by now, she's probably already passed Dad's "watermark" for driving, on her own, huh???
ReplyDeleteAh how I remember the days when the parents get pulled over for speeding while my brothers and I were yelling for the cops to take em to jail! Ha!
ReplyDelete“Picturesque” is an excellent description. Thanks for the photos.
ReplyDeleteawwwwwwwwww that is so cute....ummm not getting the ticket...but your child's view on it. So did she tell everyone? LOL that would be embarrassing. :)
ReplyDeleteNhill - What a strange name David, how did it come about?
ReplyDeleteI was driving into town this morning and just spotted a speed trap just in time - I think. :)
Glad you like your M-I-L David, better a friend than an enemy!!
Btw, I'm getting your book in 12-20 days - can't wait.
Dont think I've got a pic of a choc milk shake, hehe ooops.Too bad David, yep, I agree its the Mum-In-Law every time, she should have seen the signs.lol.
ReplyDeleteLoved the story about your ticket and your daughter's threat to tell all you were "drink-driving" -too cute. And speaking of cute, the post office there in Nhill looks really quaint and pretty.
ReplyDeleteHow does the Bible saying go.."Out of the mouth of Babes(!)" That's a funny story though!!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this story....what a great "N" word and man, gotta love kids!!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos and loved the story, especially the drink driving :))))
ReplyDeleteHee hee. Far too cute.
ReplyDeleteLooksl like a nice little park to sit and have lunch.
ReplyDeleteThe Road to Nhill is one of my fave movies.
ReplyDeleteSJ xx
Nhill is pronounced - wait for it - nil
ReplyDeleteNhill means - mist over the water
Nice to see some old blog entries on my town
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