Day 49 93 days to go. Distance: today 65km total 3497km. It’s 4.30pm Saturday 25/8/12 Doon Doon Roadhouse. Today’s been such a cool day and an unplanned rest day of sorts which is awesome to have the gear charged and cleaned me included. We have 4 days now without services so the timing worked to tidy before the next caravan park stopover. There’s some big days backing up so it’s good to have a rest and recharge. I’ve also mapped out the distances to Perth allowing time to see Exmouth so I’m so happy that works. The time difference isn’t much but I’m feeling the 2 hours already tidy wides and looking forward to bed. This roadhouse is in the middle of nowhere and really exy so I was pretty chuffed when they said we could stay as a freebie yay. They sell eggs for $1.50 each ouch but I’m in need of some protein so we’ve lashed out buying three to fry up in the camp kitchen for dinner yummy! We’ve spent the last couple of hours under the mozzie net pawing over maps away from the flies and under some palms to escape the heat. All the while I was entertained by a pair of bower birds that had their nest right next to us. They are so industrious and chatty as they work. They have collected all sorts of treasures and placed them by their ground nest. It’s a manicured mound of twigs with an archway in the middle and filled with bottle tops, bread ties and other random accessories. It’s been a treat to be up close and personal with these darling critters. Their off now feeding somewhere I suspect over sunset. The suns now resting towards the horizon and it’s cooling off and delish. The campgrounds are really quiet given the price so I’m loving the quieter afternoon for some me time. Don’t get me wrong the interaction with folk is awesome and the best part of the trip but it’s nice to have some time out. This part of the country is so beautiful and that’s just from the trunk road highway 1. To access the highlight spots in the National Parks you have to take a tour or have a four wheel drive and it’s hard core off-roading by all accounts talking to the folk who have done some side tripping. I met a German couple when I arrived who are on a BMW trail bike and they said the Bungle Bungles are amazing but the road is tough with river crossings and Rube would never had held up. Good decision that one yay I’m in her good books looking out for my girl. We certainly considered it long and hard but that’s one for next time.
The day started with the sun rising in a bloom of colors that were stunning. It starts to get light about 5.15am so we can aim for a 4.30am start particularly on the long days coming up. The landscape was spectacular with the Carr Boyd Ranges running parallel at a distance to the highway which wound through the rocky outcrops and undulating hills. Periodically we cross river gorges with clear running water that must be a sight in the wet. We’ve taken some great picks today and have been watched over by our totem pole icons, the black cockatoos. It’s green parrot country and the parade in huge flocks stunning in flight with their red underwings. There are so many road trains mostly four doggies in length, all tip trailers carrying iron ore from a mine in Wyndam to Port Headland for export to Asia. The industry is privately owned offshore earning a million dollars per hour. It’s locally run and provides massive employment opportunities but it’s a natural resource that will run out eventually. For now it’s another corner of the country where mining is the major industry. I met a truckie at the roadhouse who averages 12000kms per month and keen to share some of the local industry trivia with me. He said last week he was in Orange and it was snowing crazy stuff.
My social highlight today was meeting up with Phyliss and Peter who had stopped for morning tea at the roadhouse. They invited me to share a coffee and bicky and some more delish chats. As it turns out, Phyliss is a radio announcer at their local station in Horsham. She does Tuesday morning ‘Irish Breakfast’ and country music sessions on a handful of other days. They had also seen the ‘Pelicans on Posties’ lads north of three ways and loved the stories of their fundraising and shananghans they shared with us in Longreech. Phyliss and Peter have invited us to visit on our way through from adeliade and Phyliss wants to do a radio interview how incredibly cool!!!!!! We got the map out and Rube and I can take the Western Highway from Adelaide then drop down to Portland to still manage the Great Ocean Road through Warrnambool which works awesomely. Another one of those things we’ll make work when the time comes yay. After saying our goodbyes, a father and daughter from Kununarra pulled up in their 70’s vintage white Ford Station Wagon coolest car ever. They were so keen and supporting of our challenge and donated $10 before heading back home. Lovely folk!! So that’s about us now for ‘end of day’ o’clock. The right side of cool has kicked in to enjoy a balmy evening and I’m thinking dinner and an early night. Lucky for the cows in the neighboring paddock I’m vego as they’re looking like steaks with legs so it may be time to cook up those million dollar eggs. $1234.35 cash donations. By the way the posts are working a treat as far as my accounting for the fundraising. The money’s been deposited along the way so anyone planning to rob us will be a bit disappointed sorry. You’re very welcome to join us for a roadside cuppa instead if you like. Far better karma stuff all round I be thinking 🙂 The ants are a bit intense and on steroids. Rube reckons she’ll be lifted by morning for a Sunday picnic by the Bungles. She’s so dramatic my girl and clearly has a calling for live theatre in between our adventures 🙂 Talk soon x ps I’ve just popped myself in bed in the grasshopper with just the inner fly and am literally sleeping under the moon and stars and oh my deary goodness it’s beautiful goodnight fine folk pps Mr and Mrs Bower must be painting the town blue. Just another Saturday night in Doon Doon. What a couple of part birds !!!!! Nice x
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