With a full addition to Triple J rotation and constant love from the international blogsphere flowing, what was last month a fledgling pack of Darling James supporters, is quickly becoming a substantially larger flock.
Luckily the ex-Boat People frontman is well versed with this country's road networks. How else would he be able to shift all his newfound friends from show to show? “Ok bare with me here. I know highways aren't often celebrated as being innately interesting, but as a member of a family that made the move from Victoria to Queensland in the late '80s I did A LOT of time in the back of the Volvo going to visit the relies.
“You see this was a time when airline prices were prohibitively expensive (unless you flew Compass. Remember Compass? Man THAT didn't last long), so the only option was to stock up on jubes and some fresh batteries for your LCD hand-held Nintendo games and hope that the Best Western in Dubbo had a vacant family suite.
“Fast forward a few years and my touring adventures in bands had begun at the tail end of the 'no sleep 'till Sydney!' days when loading everything into a HiAce and hitting the road was the only way to go. So I guess I have a certain nostalgia for long-distance car travel, or at the very least I developed a rose-coloured view of things as a coping mechanism for hours and hours and hours of boredom.”
The Hume
The Hume is often cited as the most boring highway in Australia. And I won't deny it. It's unbelievably bland. But what's important is what this highway connects. At one end the bright lights and glistening harbour of Sydney. At the other the grimey coolness of Melbourne. If you're in a band and you're speeding down The Hume to get to a show then what you're really doing is hauling-arse to infinite possibilities. And that's exciting. Also, if you stop in Holbrook there's a submarine on the side of the road. A SUBMARINE! I'M NOT MAKING THIS UP!
Western & Dukes Highways
In Australian terms the eight hours it takes to drive from Adelaide to Melbourne is, well, a piece of piss. An easy one-day trip. You get a nice glimpse of the Grampians and there's a town called Tailem Bend, which apart from our many fantastic indigenous named locations MUST the coolest town name going around. But it's the 30 metre tall zombie Koala at Dadswells Bridge that you really have to see. IT. IS. FREAKY.
Newell Highway
This scenic road (well, scenic for a highway) goes through more idyllic 'Tidy Town' winning municipalities than you can poke a stick at (one of those sticks with the spike on the end for picking up rubbish). Forbes, Coonabarabran, Narrabri... All of them just delightful. And it doesn't get much more Australian than crossing the mighty Murray River at Tocumwal (another awesome town name!). As a kid, the highlight was the dish at the Parkes Observatory. They used it to track the luna module for goodness sake! How cool is that?!?!
Midland Highway
I've had very different experiences on the Midland, a stretch of road which traverses through the middle(ish) of Tasmania. But whether you're speeding bleary-eyed to make a lunch-time gig at the uni in Launceston or having a leisurely drive with the family one is in no doubt: it sure is pretty! You get to drive through Bagdad (yeah, really), Perth (confusing!) and if you take a little detour through Richmond you can see Australia's oldest standing bridge. If you're a history nerd like me this highway is for you.
Pacific Highway
Perhaps they should rename the Pacific Highway 'Holiday Highway'. This giant stretch of road connects you with more glorious, sun-drenched spots than you could ever hope to visit. Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Yamba, Byron Bay... the list is endless. And apparently the 'Big Prawn' at Ballina has been completely refurbished and is back in action. How was this not national news!?!
Darling James Tour Dates
Sat 4 Jul - Trainspotters (Brisbane)Sun 5 Jul - Brisbane Powerhouse
