I had been in Dongara for about two months (though with short trips back and forth to Perth and Geraldton) and set off for the journey up the west coast to Broome and then across to the Northern Territory and back to Queensland. I visited Oakabella Station and the Hutt River Principality before booking into a caravan park at Kalbarri.
I am not going to rewrite the posts but you can read the one about this part of the journey here.
It was somewhat daunting. Much of my journey had been on fairly familiar territory. I had been through New South Wales on many occasion, and I knew the route back to the place of my birth, Adelaide, and for much of the trip west I had friends, family and other contacts but for a few weeks I really was on my own, until I got to Darwin.
Folk still ask me about being bored driving such long distances or getting fatigued - neither of which was a problem to me. I had plenty of music on USB sticks, and would regularly download hour long interviews by Margaret Throsby and Richard Fiedler of the Australian Broadcasting Commission radio, and I would happily listen to them - choosing to swap between my various recordings. If I did start to get a bit stiff and tired I would change to upbeat music and with my dreadful singing voice that would probably caused wild animals to retreat, I sang along at top voice.
Of course I stopped very frequently to take photographs - so didn't allow myself to get bored or tired.
My little car, a Mitsubishi Lancer worked a treat for me - it was a hatchback and I had filled the car with all the necessities of life - including a 5 man tent (I needed a big one as I am tall and with a bad back I feared the pain I might suffer if I was always crouched), a sleeping bag, and an inflatable double bed. I laugh now as I confess that none of these even made it out of their bags, and even now only the bed has been used.
It was I reasoned too hot to bed down in my tent, and while the money didn't run out I stayed at caravan parks and other low cost places. Nothing luxury, but more than adequate. Also being female and alone made for security issues too.
I stayed in Kalbarri for one night and then drove on to Denham.
One thing that did amuse me was the emus. There were plenty of them, often on the road or on the side of the road. They have no manners and would often stroll in the middle of the road ignorant of traffic.
At Denham one morning I was taking photos early, keeping my eyes on a group of emus pecking at the grass on the waterfront. A little dog "escaped" from its owner and raced barking at the emus, which scattered in all directions. It was very funny to see. Of course the emus could have killed the dog, or at least injured it with their very nasty claws, but all was well. The dog was called back by its owner, the nervious emus settled down, and life went on, as normal.
I am not going to rewrite the posts but you can read the one about this part of the journey here.
It was somewhat daunting. Much of my journey had been on fairly familiar territory. I had been through New South Wales on many occasion, and I knew the route back to the place of my birth, Adelaide, and for much of the trip west I had friends, family and other contacts but for a few weeks I really was on my own, until I got to Darwin.
Folk still ask me about being bored driving such long distances or getting fatigued - neither of which was a problem to me. I had plenty of music on USB sticks, and would regularly download hour long interviews by Margaret Throsby and Richard Fiedler of the Australian Broadcasting Commission radio, and I would happily listen to them - choosing to swap between my various recordings. If I did start to get a bit stiff and tired I would change to upbeat music and with my dreadful singing voice that would probably caused wild animals to retreat, I sang along at top voice.
Of course I stopped very frequently to take photographs - so didn't allow myself to get bored or tired.
My little car, a Mitsubishi Lancer worked a treat for me - it was a hatchback and I had filled the car with all the necessities of life - including a 5 man tent (I needed a big one as I am tall and with a bad back I feared the pain I might suffer if I was always crouched), a sleeping bag, and an inflatable double bed. I laugh now as I confess that none of these even made it out of their bags, and even now only the bed has been used.
It was I reasoned too hot to bed down in my tent, and while the money didn't run out I stayed at caravan parks and other low cost places. Nothing luxury, but more than adequate. Also being female and alone made for security issues too.
I stayed in Kalbarri for one night and then drove on to Denham.
One thing that did amuse me was the emus. There were plenty of them, often on the road or on the side of the road. They have no manners and would often stroll in the middle of the road ignorant of traffic.
At Denham one morning I was taking photos early, keeping my eyes on a group of emus pecking at the grass on the waterfront. A little dog "escaped" from its owner and raced barking at the emus, which scattered in all directions. It was very funny to see. Of course the emus could have killed the dog, or at least injured it with their very nasty claws, but all was well. The dog was called back by its owner, the nervious emus settled down, and life went on, as normal.
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