Day 43
Wednesday
15 August
Lake Argyle – Kununurra – Halls Creek – Fitzroy Crossing
We had the alarm set for 6.45am, but we didn’t need it, Paul was awake and up at 6 and I crawled out at 6.20am. We knew we had an early one, so figured we may as well get on with it. In the end, we were pulling out of the park at 7.15am and heading into Kununurra, hoping we were the start of the early morning run.
20min later and we turned left at the highway and by 8am, we were in Kununurra and ready to fuel up the van. We found parking for long vehicles and used the time we had to use the net. We then walked across to the chiro, so Paul could get a second adjustment. With his back strapped, we then did a quick run into Coles and it was back to the van and ready to make tracks, all by 9.15am. Not a bad start to the day.
I was able to spend the morning going through more of last year’s photos, finishing up at the end of September, Queensland now behind us. It didn’t take that long and I was then able to sit back and enjoy the scene unfolding before us. I had spent most of the trip up, stuck in the computer, so it was actually nice to see it this time around.
For the most part, the roads were quiet. Only the occasional caravan slowed us down and it wasn’t long before Paul saw an opening and jumped them. There wasn’t much in the way of animal life either. Only a handful of cows and a couple of horses walking up the back fence of some homes in Warmun. We passed more people on motorbikes than anything, heading north for some sort of gathering.
I began counting the km’s down, my belly thinking my throat had been cut. We passed the Bungles turn off and knew it was only a short drive on to Halls Creek. We made it for 1pm, filled up the car and then found a parking area. I got busy making our lunch, while Paul had to take off the car and rearrange things. The road between Halls Creek and Kununurra isn’t the best, lots of bumps, dips and jagged edges to contend with.
We ate and then looked at where to head. Paul was keen to move on to Fitzroy, as we still had plenty of time, so I set it as the destination on the GPS and we made our way out of Halls Creek at 1.45pm.
The following three hours saw the ribbon of black tar lead the way through the dry bush scrub. Escarpments popped up out of nothing to break the monotony of the vast, flat landscape. There wasn’t a lot to draw our attention and it all blended into one blur of colour.
We passed a couple of free camps we had ear marked as possible spots to stay, on our way through last time, but Paul had the driving bug and before we knew it, we had covered 750km in eight hours and were back at the Fitzroy Lodge. I had slated 3 days to get to Broome, but it now looks like we will be there well before!
We opted for a non-powered spot on the grass, but I was still surprised that they were charging $40. We found a patch of turf, parked and made our way to the pub for a drink, and a cool down. We watched the news grabs, at a bowl of chips and then returned to the van, as evening began to set in.
I felt somewhat brain dead after the long drive and couldn’t bear to sit down, instead pacing up and down the van, doing Paul’s head in. He eventually suggested we should start dinner, so I mindlessly stood at the stove burning snags. My energy, enthusiasm and effort waning, it was all I could do to eat and then jump into bed. I wanted to read and did for a bit, but by 8.15pm I could take it no more and the lights went out.
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