The last 140km into Fitzroy Crossing were on tarmac (sealed) roads so we zipped along lickety split.
If we had not diverted to Windjana Gorge then Fitzroy would have been our stop over for the night. What a good call that was!
Fitzroy Crossing is exactly that, a crossing place with folks shifting from East to West and vice versa. It has a roadhouse, a supermarket and outdoor supplies places.
It is also an Aboriginal township.We do not know enough about the situation with the indigenous peoples of Australia so no opinion will be made, we are not qualified. What I will say was what we saw was not nice at all.
There were groups shuffling around rather than walking, hanging around the supermarket, slumped in doorways around the roadhouse or under trees with cans and bottles of alcohol with seemingly absolutely nothing to do with their day. They all looked haggard and quite ill. Toddlers in soiled underpants ran about with candlestick runny noses. A strong, sour pungent smell knocked you out when a group of people walked past you. I am in no way being judgemental or derogatory but factual. It made us sad, this was truly third world or was it?
The dichotomy was this: in the queue in front of us was a lady with bare feet, baggy, raggedy clothes forking out $138 on fried chicken and chips and paying in cash!
Something is askew here.
Anyway after a quick coffee, we hit the road. I got behind the wheel for the first and only time as it turned out and did the last 200km into Halls Creek. It was hubster's turn to have a doze.
In Halls Creek we stocked up once more. We ditched the van for the night and stayed in a little motel. It felt like heaven, cotton sheets and a great shower.
It was here we came across a brochure for the Berkeley River Lodge and recklessly decided to go right off piste once more. The imminent promise of the most ultimate in luxury bucked us up no end as did the thought of getting off the beaten track once more, away from people, back to nature in the outback.
We headed into the Purnululu National Park. The home of the incredible Bungle Bungles.
The stars were amazing that night as we stared in wonder through the mesh of our tent. The next morning we were up once more at first light. It was blisteringly hot here, so early morning was the only sensible time to go and see this incredible rock formation, now a world heritage site.
WE WERE THE ONLY PEOPLE THERE!!!!!
AWESOME, WE COULDNT BELIEVE IT.
Without doubt a really moving experience. How tiny, insignificant and humbled we felt in this place. We were rendered speechless as we stared around in awe in the middle of the amphitheatre of Cathedral Gorge.
If we had not diverted to Windjana Gorge then Fitzroy would have been our stop over for the night. What a good call that was!
Fitzroy Crossing is exactly that, a crossing place with folks shifting from East to West and vice versa. It has a roadhouse, a supermarket and outdoor supplies places.
It is also an Aboriginal township.We do not know enough about the situation with the indigenous peoples of Australia so no opinion will be made, we are not qualified. What I will say was what we saw was not nice at all.
There were groups shuffling around rather than walking, hanging around the supermarket, slumped in doorways around the roadhouse or under trees with cans and bottles of alcohol with seemingly absolutely nothing to do with their day. They all looked haggard and quite ill. Toddlers in soiled underpants ran about with candlestick runny noses. A strong, sour pungent smell knocked you out when a group of people walked past you. I am in no way being judgemental or derogatory but factual. It made us sad, this was truly third world or was it?
The dichotomy was this: in the queue in front of us was a lady with bare feet, baggy, raggedy clothes forking out $138 on fried chicken and chips and paying in cash!
Something is askew here.
Anyway after a quick coffee, we hit the road. I got behind the wheel for the first and only time as it turned out and did the last 200km into Halls Creek. It was hubster's turn to have a doze.
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| The Butchers at Halls Creek. Marketing with reverse psychology - brilliant |
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| This poor fella died of thirst. We kind of appreciated how that could happen! |
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| Even the cemeteries are pretty stark out here. |
It was here we came across a brochure for the Berkeley River Lodge and recklessly decided to go right off piste once more. The imminent promise of the most ultimate in luxury bucked us up no end as did the thought of getting off the beaten track once more, away from people, back to nature in the outback.
We headed into the Purnululu National Park. The home of the incredible Bungle Bungles.
The stars were amazing that night as we stared in wonder through the mesh of our tent. The next morning we were up once more at first light. It was blisteringly hot here, so early morning was the only sensible time to go and see this incredible rock formation, now a world heritage site.
WE WERE THE ONLY PEOPLE THERE!!!!!
AWESOME, WE COULDNT BELIEVE IT.
Without doubt a really moving experience. How tiny, insignificant and humbled we felt in this place. We were rendered speechless as we stared around in awe in the middle of the amphitheatre of Cathedral Gorge.
 |
| Huge termite mound! |
It was one of those places where I could hear Dad's voice loud and clear.
"Hey Ratbag, take in every second sweetheart, make sure you do - for me"
Then there were tears.
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