Here We Go Again - Chapter 78 - Mary Pools to Willare Roadhouse

The Cpap machine suggests the nights sleep lasted in excess of 11 hours. Its early, but then I did hit the sack quite early as well. We have another big driving day today and I needed the sleep.

First things first, those videos I was going to shoot.

Its cold here – 6 degrees. I break out the jumper along with the video equipment and head to the old bridge. I can mount the tripod on the bridge and level it to me on the sand adjacent so it appears to be level, rather than  looking up my nose.

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I shoot 10 videos, some commercials in nature, others informative pieces for our website. By the time Robyn joins me to do a couple for herself I am quite cold and not in the mood for more. On the way back to the van I see a perfect visual for a video and shoot 2 without the need for retakes. 

Amazing what a little adversity can do to sharpen the mind.

Robyn feels like driving today and I have no issue with that. We get the Cruiser set up for her, discuss the trak out to the highway wich will take a little bush bashing from our present position and she is ready.

We again need internet and Fitzroy Crossing seems like the next available spot to pick up enough band width to get some work done. Silver Leader and Rose are not early risers – well not Rose at least. We will go early and they will catch up giving us time to do our work while we “wait” for them.

Robyn successfully navigate the bush bash, leaving all the trees unscathed and is quickly on the highway and enroute to Fitzroy Crossing. By 8.30 the Cruiser says the temperature outside is above 30 degrees a far cry from what is was at 6.00am.

Robyn encounters many “Trevors” forcing her to slow and at times stop. As if the cows were not bad enough, she gets caught up to a caravan that is oscillating between fast, slow and slower. Unwillingly she eventually overtakes the errant driver on a very long straight stretch using the rear caravan camera to gauge when she has cleared the other driver, who managed to find one of the faster oscillations as we passed – go figure.

One place we pass, Ngumban Cliff, we had talked about camping at. Its a cliff top between 2 escarpments through which the highway travels. It is aid to be an amazing experience to watch the sunrise and the sunsets form there. Maybe next time (just like we said lsat time)

As we head into Fitzroy Crossing the saga of the single lane bridges continues. There are three on the way onto Fitzroy Crossing. At one, given we have to give way, Robyn has to let 4 cars and vans across before she can proceed.

Fuel again becomes an issue. The cheapest retail outlet has a line up of 10 vehicles. There Is a bulk distribution just down the road and we head to it. Again the computers seem to be acting up, but at least we are the only ones there for the moment and can sort it out. The computer only wants to dispense from one bowser.

It is done and now we have full tanks again.

Time to find a spot in the shade and do our work. Hang on. We are going to need some bars of service to even look to use the internet. On the highway there is very little coverage, so we head to the back streets in search of coverage. Around and around the few streets in Fitzroy Crossing we go and settle on a spot that seems to have the best coverage. The uploads of the videos shot this morning are set to take 6 hours to upload – no thankyou. I will upload them at a later time.

Thankfully there is enough, although it is in the beating sun. The Cruiser will have to stay going or we will melt.We get finished as Silver Leader and Rose come into radio range, We poij them to the bulk area and they fuel up without worry. Then its off to the “other end of town” where there is a much more expensive fuel outlet, that has food.

They pull in, we park just on the highway while they get their provisions. I mistakenly think they are about to move and I head off. A road train is coming up behind and I think Silver Leader and Rose must be hidden behind it. At 98kph the road train stalks me down. At 100kph I draw away ever so slowly. 100kph it is.

Because we got going so early we are into Willaire just on lunch time. There are only unpowered sites left but they are on grass and where we are ushered there is plenty of room.

Because we are so early there is the option to go for a drive. Derby is not that far away, so we all file into the Silver Leader mobile and head towards the water. This means we drive through town and out the other side towards the port and the pier.

We have managed to turn up right on top of the time. There are a number of fishermen here, chasing Barramundi. The water is stirred up, a turgid dirty expanse of water rolling in on a 10 metre tide. About half way out along the pier I enquire as to the depth of the water where they are fishing. Their answer suggests they are fishing the low tide line, currently 10 metres below them.

A young man is meplying his cast-net at the edge of the pier. His catch of pop eye mullet is going into his pocket for later use as bait. He has a couple of hand lines already in the water. No one has any luck while we watch, so we retire to the adjacent park and view the signs and exhibits on the lovely grassed area.

We explore further and head back into the town proper. Much like the cycle/walkway at Condobolin from the town to the lake there is a lit walkway here from the town to the pier. Dotted along its length, unlike Condo are exercise stations. Too much to think about in this heat.

Wandering around we find a boab tree growing at 45 degrees, a  flashback to the time of wind and the resilience of the flora to survive. There are interesting sculpture to be seen and photographed, then its time to find the Prison Boab.

This is an impressive tree and the locals have created quite the spectacle. Signs suggest entering it is fraught with danger as snakes are known to find refuge there. The signage also talks of the tree and the religion of the indigneous people. Its funny how the conquerers tell the stories in their words rather than look to understand the true nature of those who were there before them. Or perhaps its joke paid on them by the conquered, using their terminologies to misdirect the tourist.

How a tree used to incarcerate the Aborigines can be spoken in the same breath as religious significance is a little beyond me.

Talking to visitors at the tree, we run into some from Newcastle. All this distance to run into someone from home.

Silver Leader has driven all day, and continues to drive back to Willaire. On our return we find, what were spacious sites now crammed in with other vans. There seems to be little reasoning behind how some have parked, but we will be able to leave quickly if we want to in the morning.

Our neighbour is on the phone trying to make his work function without him. The call lasts quite some time and his voice is getting louder and louder as his frustration grows. He finally gives up and all is quiet.

We settle into a steak and salad. The others head to the service station for hamburgers. Sleep again comes easy after another big day.