Norseman

Wednesday. .9 September 2015

An early stop on Monday afternoon so that we could cook up all our vegetables before we went through the  quarantine check point at the Western Australian border. We find it difficult to sit around too long after the sun goes down and find ourselves going to bed with the birds. The campfire warms your front but your back can get cold. We have never beaten the birds up in the morning though!!

 

We reached the border around morning tea time and had the truck inspected by a pleasant young girl. Jim had to open a couple of boxes, the fridge and the front cab and we were cleared to enter West Australia. Even with all the warning signs along the road before you get to the border people still try to sneak in band items. The couple in the van in front of Gary had a fridge full of fruit and vegetables and quarantine was busy writing out their fine.

 

We lunched at Eucla and enjoyed the view of the ocean as we went through the Eucla Pass. Several times during the day we had views of the Great Australian  Bight. Magnificent cliffs but too dangerous to get too close to the edge as they are being eroded away. We travelled more kilometres yesterday as we gained extra time as we headed westwards. We found a good spot to camp (just a pity that too many people before us had also found it) and had dinner with the setting sun. A kangaroo bounded off down the track as we pulled up and was there this morning with his mate to observe us from a distance.

 

Our body clocks are still on South Australian time so we were up well before the alarm this morning. Gary had the fire going and the billy boiling by the time we surfaced. All the training has finally paid off!! We managed to leave camp by 7.00am as we are hoping to camp at Lake Johnston which is west of Norseman. The Eyre Highway is such a busy arterial road from the West to the East. An enormous amount of road trains loaded with freight, caravans, cars, motorbikes and even bicycles. It has been an interesting drive as the vegetation has changed from desert scrub to blackbutt and gimlet. There has obviously been a bush fire through part of the bush as the tall trees are mere dead sticks and the new bushes are lush and green and quite plentiful. The fire/smoke/sun can all play a part in germinating the seeds.

 

We passed by Caiguna and stopped for lunch at Balladonia . Got beaten to the only table and chairs by a  couple. in a. little red car who saw where we were headed so accelerated and passed us to get there first.  Nothing like a bit of road rage in the car park at the Balladonia Roadhouse!! Not to be out done we got our own table and chairs down from the truck. It is starting to feel as though we are nearly home as we drive through trees that are familiar to us. We both love the colours and shapes of the Goldfields trees. We are just 28kms from Norseman so hopefully I can update  the blog before leaving town.                                                                       

       

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