Sept 15

Up to Kalamburu

What a crappy nights sleep, rock hard, tossing and turning what seemed like every 15 minutes or so, not impressed one bit, what I would give for a proper air mattress, the only improvement I would make to the whole adventure, and a small thing in the big scheme of things really. 

Today we are heading further north to Kalamburu which is in Aboriginal land, we don't know what we will find there other than fuel, water etc and they have an Internet connection so maybe I will be able to get something uploaded for you.  Approximately 200 Kilometer drive ahead of us and one last job to do before setting off, fill up the water container from the pump by the river and throw in some sterilizing tablets then on our way.

Hard at work and looking very African!!!

After a couple of hours of driving and just before we got back on the main Kalamburu Road we turned off a side track for a tea stop by the river.

Too overgrown to see much of the river but we did see a monitor lizard, what a fine looking chappy (I can't find the photo of him, the sun is shining on my laptop screen so you will have to wait for another day).  Tea drunk and on our way again to our next destination.

Drysdale River crossing

Kalamburu, what a strange place in the middle of nowhere.  It appears to be run by missionaries who have the cafe and store, a petrol station and probably run the school etc.  It all sets you to thinking, is it right that the so called western culture is right.  Looking around here I see what I think is government built housing for the Aborigines, pretty good stuff with solar powered panels on the roofs, fences around the plots, tarmac roads and businesses operated by the missionaries.  It this how it should be?  Not much in the way of work for the original land owners, such an obvious divide between them and white folk it makes me feel quite ashamed. It is amazing, this land, as with all land, supported humanity for so long then it all changed as we became greedier to the point there does not seem to be much left for the future and when you come to a place like this it really hits home.  We went into the shop to get some more gas cylinders for the stove and my eyes were hunting all the nooks and crannies for air beds - priority <g>.  I couldn't find them so did the only sensible thing and asked, luck on our side, they had two left.  I did not even look at the price, no matter what they were ours.  Would you believe, in the freezer Magnum ice-creams <g> so we got a couple of them too along with a loaf of bread and some more 'snags' (sausages).  That will do us.

Now to wait till 2pm for the petrol station and permit place to re-open.  The cafe opened at 1:30pm so we checked that out, pizza and chips!!!!!!  For all the world I would say it was a McCain frozen pizza but it went down a treat and the chips were excellent, at least there is no McDonalds here <g>.  I can't access the Internet, the connection is a satellite one and I am not going to pay to use the facility so you will have to wait a bit longer for the uploads - sorry.

We checked out the Mission run campsite, no not for us, time to move on again further up the road to Honeymoon Bay where the salt water crocs hang out.

So here we are now, camp set up overlook the bay 60 meters from the waters edges so we won't be the 'dinner', we have paid Grandpa his $30 to stay the night and even though we have a four neighbors, a couple of young couples who are traveling around we don't mind.  Folks come here for the fishing and it is a pretty good hideaway.  Our kindly neighbours came over for a chat and brought us a whole fish which they had just caught.  They have been here for a few days and their fridge has another 3 fish in it and no room left for this one, that will be our dinner tomorrow and Alan can do the cooking as I have no idea what to do with it <g>.  Off up the hill to the dunny, have a shower while there and do a bit of washing.  Alan has worn the same shirt for the past three days and it is somewhat grubby now lol.  It is pure magic being so close to nature again and I am absorbing every moment by way or recharging my batteries for when we have to confront humanity and all its complications again.  To be able to take such pleasure in the smallest things, like a shower in a wee shed complete with spiders, or an air mattress puts everything into context again. 

View from our tent

Another majestic sunset