An excuse for being late to work that your boss will never believe in!
By Sandra Zablotna - Monday 6 May 2024
Picture this: you're heading to work just like any other day, but you end up being late because a herd of goats has decided to take over the tollway.
On April 18th, a group of goats wandered from their usual grazing area, where they are employed to clear invasive weeds, and ended up causing a traffic jam on Melbourne's Eastlink tollway. These goats, known for keeping the weeds in check, found their way onto the tollway near High Street Road in Wantirna South, about 25km east of Melbourne. This unfortunate timing was right in the middle of the morning rush at around 9:45am. Cars had to slow down dramatically to avoid the unexpected roadblock, causing traffic to back up all the way to Ringwood.
Fortunately, the authorities acted quickly to herd the goats back to their designated area. Since 2018, these goats have been on weed-clearing duty, eating their way through invasive species like blackberries without causing environmental disruption. Once the goats were safely removed from the tollway, traffic returned to normal, allowing commuters to continue their journey, while also giving them an unusual story to share about their morning commute.
It's one of those stories that sounds like an excuse straight out of a sitcom: "Sorry I'm late, a herd of goats blocked the tollway!" You can almost see the sceptical look on your boss's face. It has the same ring as "the dog ate my homework." But if you could show them a photo of those goats chilling on the highway, it would turn a far-fetched excuse into undeniable proof. Who knew rush hour could get so... pastoral?