June the 11th and we are off to Remark and on.  We are travelling through the mallee and the roadside paddocks are bright green with budding wheat coming through red dirt. The mallee trees hug the sides of the road and they softly curve into the sky and the flat horizon. At Renmark we suddenly, reunite with the Murray River and at the entrance to the town, there are meandering anabranches surrounded by the floodplain black soil. Orange, pear and apricot groves relieve the endless grapevines.  We travel through black gathering storms roaring across the plains to Morgan. Thunder follows

the lightning flashes by minutes. The car vibrates with the thunder claps.  We make Orroroo for the night and the tent goes up in the rain.