Southbound road trains held up in Blackall, Queensland yesterday (photo Owen Orange)

Unseasonal rain has shut down our national highways again over the weekend. Hillman driver Owen Orange sent me this text and he makes the point well:

“Well here we go again Bruce! A dog must have pissed out in the paddock near the Barcoo and the useless bridge and bypass has gone under, 400 mm and rising so we’re told, so the NATIONAL HIGHWAY – ha ha – is closed once again, this time at Blackall and Tambo.

“The bridge has been closed for ages and the bypass takes you down to the water level beside it. At the start of the last Wet Season they commenced working on it, bringing in a pile-driver and doing earth works before the rains came and sent them running for the hills and to plan on their next assault this Wet Season.

If they had only taken time to visit a kindergarten in Tambo or Blackall, the kids would have informed them they need to do bridgeworks in the DRY months!!!

“So here I sits with a good dose of the sh..s, cooling my heels in downtown Blackall when I should be almost home to the wife and kids and deliver the EXPRESS Darwin – Sydney mail onto the next driver to finish its trek from the top End. But no, a little bridge in the middle of nowhere has stopped all traffic as it did only months ago in Mitchell.

“Just something to think about as we travel along the M1 with four concrete lanes in each direction. Yes it carries a lot more traffic but all we’re asking for is one good lane each way. The people in the West and North like to eat, drink and have their services too.

“Australia hopefully doesn’t stop 100 k’s off the coastline, or does it???”