Gordon and the kids set off after breakfast to climb down into the crater all rugged up in beanies and jackets while Anne and I stayed behind to check tyres water etc - read enjoy another chapter of our books in peace. Did check the tyres though as with the dramatic drop in temperature the pressure was all over the place. Packed up and did the short trip to Billiunia for fuel. This is an indigenous community. Kids had been promised a treat so went into the shop but there was a community rule that no choccies or lollies were sold before lunch time. This was a dry community but there were people evidently drunk at 10 in the morning had to physically close the kids mouth and turn their heads - what they were seeing was beyond their comprehension. Dad was standing next to his car perusing the map when a guy started literally running his face along the windows presumably looking for alcohol. Didn't respond when spoken to or move on so only option to move the vehicle out slowly.
Expected to see clapped out cars which there were, many with deliberately muddied number plates - the only mud on the car but the most remarkable actually had different plates front and back one WA the other NT. Driving out of the community when a local car sped past, we passed them 10 k out of town with all occupants leaning against it swigging on a bottle of bourbon each. These incidents are most notable because of their extreme and were occurring within a community quietly going around their everyday life. Had planned to stay by Sturt creek being the last water we would see for 800 km but the place was littered with empty alcohol bottles so we moved on.
Stopped for lunch on top of Selby hills which again gave us full panoramic views of the flat lands. The biggest surprise was when Gordon's phone started beeping with incoming messages so made a couple of quick calls to report in and check all was well. Continued on collecting firewood and meandering all over the road in an attempt to minimize the impact of the ever worsening corrugations made even more difficult by the heat haze, making it impossible to prepare for water pools. Set up camp just off a side road in a clearing amongst the spinafex. Jack and Gordon dug a fire pit and got a fire going for our coals roasted veggies. Built up a fire which rivaled Saturn when it rose.
Expected to see clapped out cars which there were, many with deliberately muddied number plates - the only mud on the car but the most remarkable actually had different plates front and back one WA the other NT. Driving out of the community when a local car sped past, we passed them 10 k out of town with all occupants leaning against it swigging on a bottle of bourbon each. These incidents are most notable because of their extreme and were occurring within a community quietly going around their everyday life. Had planned to stay by Sturt creek being the last water we would see for 800 km but the place was littered with empty alcohol bottles so we moved on.
Stopped for lunch on top of Selby hills which again gave us full panoramic views of the flat lands. The biggest surprise was when Gordon's phone started beeping with incoming messages so made a couple of quick calls to report in and check all was well. Continued on collecting firewood and meandering all over the road in an attempt to minimize the impact of the ever worsening corrugations made even more difficult by the heat haze, making it impossible to prepare for water pools. Set up camp just off a side road in a clearing amongst the spinafex. Jack and Gordon dug a fire pit and got a fire going for our coals roasted veggies. Built up a fire which rivaled Saturn when it rose.
No comments:
Post a Comment