The Country Wave

The trip into Port Lincoln was long and somewhat tedious. South Australia has one very good feature however that NSW could learn from, roads that would be marked as 90kph in NSW are sign posted as 110kph here. It speeds up the boredom. 

I did however get to practice my country wave on the trip here. You know the one where you're driving around in the middle of nowhere and the oncoming vehicle gives you slightest sign of recognition. It's usually a single finger raised ever so slightly from the steering wheel of the car. Its a genuine sign of friendship. Several things I have noticed, it is the domain of men over the age of 60 and rare from anybody else.  You are most likely driving a ute and you will probably be wearing a beat up old Akubra. Also if your car is really covered in mud you are far more likely to be given one. Important to note however is no one is going to give you the wave within 10 kilometres of a town. It is also beneath the dignity of truck drivers.

There are several places where I have noticed it's predominance. In the backwaters of Tasmania and South Australia it is somewhat prevalent. When you are driving really slowly you are much more likely to get one. If you're driving on Kangaroo Island it's compulsory, even if it means losing control of your vehicle as you take a corner 40kph over the speed limit, it is mandatory to give the country wave. 

There are several levels to the wave. The single finger raise as already mentioned, the double finger raise if you actually know the person. You might also get an imperceptible nod of the head if  you are actually family or a close friend. Two fingers and a nod combined is reserved for those special occasions when you come across someone really important, they may have saved your life in the war or something like that. 

Its a lot harder to do than you think. With a combined speed of over 220kph you have to look like you have all the time in the world and given careful consideration to actually delivering the wave. Then you have to raise your finger in an unhurried manner. Timing is critical and if you get it wrong you can appear way too exuberant, which is very uncool, or worse you deliver the wave too late, and appear incredibly rude. It has to look like the most natural and unhurried thing in the world, done with a grace of a Bolshoi ballerina while being executed at the take off speed of a 747.

I think I have it mastered though. All I need to do now is have the Vectra's back end cut down and get my Akubra from the spare bedroom wall.