Day 39: Mary Pool Rest Area
This is our half lap of Oz, or when we get sick of each other - which ever comes first…
Temperature: 30C
Kms travelled: 268 km
I write these words today whilst surrounded by the curious natives who are super friendly. There’s probably about 20 cattle up really close, one just got caught up in the rope on the awning - so they’re that close. Good thing I don’t have a cow phobia 😭
Last night there was a feast to be had at Ellendale Station rest area - that feast was me - today I have so many mosquito bites. We have had no problems up until now using our thermocell, so whether they were from before we put it on or they were in the van I don’t know. Today I’m one big walking itchy bite…argh…
We got away early this morning, which was partly based on chatter in some caravanning groups on Facebook which said that it’s better to go through Fitzroy Crossing early. We were still hooked up to the car and we didn’t have to pack down anything so it was easy enough to get underway this morning before 8am.
Fitzroy Crossing is definitely an interesting place - you can kind of guess how fun the place is when the petrol bowsers are in cages and there’s a big spiky fence around the service station building, and lots of roaming townspeople. Ones who run their hands down the side of the caravan as you pass or who get up close and personal like the cattle.
It’s one of the only towns you can get fuel, so you don’t really have a choice and have to stop. Most of the chatter just says to be alert, keep your car keys on you, don’t leave valuables in sight and lock your vehicle.
Finding a toilet was also fun - they were barricaded with a closed sign in the roadhouse. The ones we were advised to use were at the Visitors Centre which had reinforced metal doors with a door handle above head height (which is to keep the kids out I was told) and also behind more spiky fences.
Our stop tonight - with the cattle - certainly feels a lot safer, we’re about 160 km east of Fitzroy Crossing and 100km west of Halls Creek - anither town which is said to be much the same.
Pete forgot to buy more beer before we left Broome - forgetting that we were entering regions with the toughest alcohol restrictions in Australia. Sucks to be him 😭 you can’t buy full strength beer unless you’re staying in a hotel - and there’s no takeaway allowed in Fitzroy Crossing or Halls Creek, with limits on mid strength once we get the other side of this section to Kununurra.
I shouldn’t laugh 😭🤣
And just like that, the multitude of cattle surrounding me have all gone. I don’t even know where they’ve all gone, although I can still hear them.
And this camping spot, by late afternoon is quite full up - but it’s such a great space, and the river is quite low but still beautiful.
Keep smiling, Fi 🌻