On the road again ...
Trip Start
Feb 13, 2011
1
2
19
Trip End
Mar 02, 2011
Where I stayed
Camped in the bush
Norseman, Western Australia, Australia
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Sunday 13 February 2011
On the Road Again!
Dear Mum and Dad
Hope you two are doing well and my daughter and siblings are paying you both a lot of attention and affection. Unlike your youngest and most beautiful who has been busy flitting around the world and across Aussie Land without being much help – but a lot of thought and careful consideration I can assure you. I hope you are healing well mum?
A freight train is alongside us heading south, north of Cunderin right now.
So day one and Cully and I, with Willy Nelson's “On the road again” whizzing around my head, we set off on a rather late start at 7.30 am from Mandurah [diesel was 141.9].The land cruiser is packed and all I can say is I hope that we use all this bleep bleep stuff – we even have the kitchen sink because we will be camping for the majority. Some trivia is that the speedo was 208784 when we left and that will only be meaningful if I remember to tell you again half way through the trip or at the end. We are armed with two news books that you would enjoy Pop – “Camping around Australia” and “The Around Australia Guide”. The latter is Steve Parish’s book and he is well known for his photography so there are pages of colourful pictures and accompanying text to mull over. Cully is also armed with the latest “Navman” GPS device which will be handy navigating around the big cities of Sydney and Melbourne, etc. I’ve sent a few text messages and written in a few cards and notations in my book before I reached for my writing paper! I’m not writing all the time cos I like to look out the window a lot too!
Its great having a drinks esky and Engel fridge within arms reach behind my seat – everything close at hand so I don’t need to stop, unbuckle and go to a boot for access.
Have I mentioned that it’s quite hot today? Oh and next stop I’ll find out what is rattling in the back!
Oh I’m talking about our next stop but have neglected to tell you about first one. We stopped to put some money in the hat of the harpist busker at Bakers Hill. Umm well and while we just happened to be at the famous shop we purchased 1 steak and mushroom pie [Cully] and yep an irresistible Cornish pastie for me.
Second stop was at the antique shop in Kelleberrin and the IGA for some snaggers for the grill tonight with leftovers between bread for tomorrow’s midday fare.
Six weeks away and not a mozzie in sight, less than 2 days home and I’m absolutely covered in welts even though I had bug spray on. Urgh I’ve just smeared a whole tube of papaw cream on my legs and it’s relieving the itch somewhat. [BTW Cully asked what I’m writing about because “we haven’t done anything yet” and I told him that I’m just dribbling to my pa – that way I get a word in he he].
We just stopped at a lovely roadside café called “P” aka the flap shelf on the back door of the Land cruiser. Lovely “underground” [according to Bailey] fresh bread, butter and three slices of ham, followed by a thick and creamy passion fruit yogurt, a Coles special! After a stretch and wander (so much litter here) we are back in the car and aiming to make Coolgardie by 2.30 pm. Stopped at road edge twice for mining wide, wide loads …
Light rain ~50 km south of Coolgardie.
Norseman 3.50 pm and a fuel and toilet stop and now back on the road and looking for a suitable camp site for the night. Lots of truckies around both ways. 4.30 pm found a nice stand of Salmon Gums to camp around and by 5 pm we are all set up with tent, mattress, sleeping bags, table, chairs, BBQ and a couple of cocktails poured in real “glass” cocktail glasses. We have plastic cutlery and plates but glasses are the real McCoy. Dinner was satisfying, having the sausages with eggs and tomatoes.
