Cirrus@Austlit

'Between Henty and Culcairn, the brilliant yellow fields of canola flank the old Olympic Highway like Liberace’s bed sheets. Jenny, in leopard-skin wrap sunglasses, carefully glides the taxi down to 40km/h as every small town has its posse of police ready to pounce. Jenny guns the hybrid Camry at Water Works Road up to 100km/h. The rail road stalks us on the left with its pilgrim power poles standing to attention, arms widespread like an endless Calvary. The cab fare reads $288.60 and we are only halfway to Albury. Jenny tells me she took a passenger to St Vincents in Sydney for $1200 on the meter from Wagga, which seems impossible, as there is only room for three digits in dollars. ...'