Second night north of Perth I stayed in a lovely small fishing port and spent the evening with a really interesting & charming couple - retired farmers (sheep and grain) from the south (the rains down there at the moment are unseasonal and are playing havoc with harvest. After year's of drought there was a bumper crop lined up this year but the grain is now down graded significantly).
The next day I explored the Kalbarri National Park and coastline which is stunning. I'm limited to how many photos I can post easily on this connection so the easiest way is though the medium of "food"...
Breakfast...
Lunch...
Supper...
Breakfast again...
I also met another farmer who has a significant cattle station 'up north'. I met him because he had a blow-out in front of me on the highway. I pulled over to see if I could help and we chatted for half an hour, whilst he changed the tyre, over cold lemonade from my fridge (he was a tough bloke so that was the only help I could offer!)
The sparsity of population and the lack of easy communication that leads to is sometimes unnerving, coming from UK. On the radio you can only get two MW news channels for example. Today, on the usual Sunday morning "phone in" to Macca, one of the callers declared that he was 30' up a tree to make the call! They had a laugh about how bad phone coverage is, but nothing more than that...
Having to think carefully about water and fuel is also an eye-opening experience. We are used to such things being readily available or being able to "buy" our way out of trouble but such marketisation of commodities doesn't apply here... For hundreds of kilometres they simply don't exist. Needless to say I'm carrying 100l of water and 60l of extra diesel in jerry cans (bought in Perth and partly for back up and partly for hedging against crazy fuel prices up north).
On the point of communication and staying in touch, this is how they do it here (although the girl driving this beauty seems to have overdone the number of CB aerials, most only have one of the long ones)
Now I am on a peninsula called Shark Bay (of course it's several hundred KM's off the highway) and it really is a very special part of the world. It's a World Heritage Sight and, because man's activities are so slight in this part of the world, the offshore world is almost pristine. More about the beauty and the wildlife when I'm back but I will finish on today's 'story'...
I'm spending a few days here as there's so much I want to see and one of those is the north of the peninsula. This can only be accessed by "4WD Only" tracks. Basically, it's quite deep sand. Travelling alone does make you think twice about doing things but I roughly know how to drive a 4WD and how to get it out if stuck, so I made the necessary enquiries... Spoke to a guy in 'town' with a ZZ-Top beard and massive 4WD truck who confirmed the tracks were passable. (if you get stuck then you wait for someone to come by and I have food, water and fuel for about a month!)
These guys were waiting at the start of the track along with a sign that said only 3 things (along with guidance for if you get bogged in the sand):
1. 4WD only beyond this point (AWD is insufficient)
2. High Clearance vehicles only
3. Reduce tyre pressures to 40%
So with tyres deflated, and a little trepidation, I set about the 25km (40 min) drive to the first point. It was great! Like driving through treacle and in places so rutted that I was bouncing around inside so much I thought I was going to bang my head on the roof at 20kph (although there was no way I was letting off the revs for fear of bogging in the sand). [DY- really made me smile as I instantly remembered the Citroen incident!]
Anyway, exciting drive over and lagoon admired (with it all to myself) I set off back along the single lane track to the main junction to head to the next point. Interestingly, I hadn't seen anyone in 2 hours or so.
On the way back I spotted an approaching car and (with a vague level of skill, I must say, in low range) pulled into the deep stuff to let them pass. They did and then within 2 metres got stuck. By the time I'd got out they'd bogged badly by wheel spinning and were basically grounded.
Now, bearing in mind the sign at the entrance to the National Park, they were driving a Toyota AWD, low clearance and hadn't deflated their tyres. Duh!
they were a clueless chinese family of 5, ill-prepared, and I could hardly just drive on. However the 20 something son spoke English so I told him what we needed to do and he orchestrated the rest to start digging. At least I had a shovel! Anyway, long story short. After 45 minutes of trying to get this car out it was impossible, no one else arrived and neither of us had a tow rope. This was also a good reminder of what it's like trying to do physical work in the searing early afternoon sun and heat. I made the son promise to not leave the car, checked they had plenty of water and went for help... About 75 minutes back to 'town'.
A comical conversation then ensued with the very helpful ladies at the petrol station (I say comical because here everyone looks out for each other but ultimately your safety is your one responsibility and these people clearly hadn't taken that responsibility)...
Police? Nah, they won't do anything and besides you won't get anyone today.
Rangers? Nah, won't get them today. "Wait a minute", one said "What about Colin?" He's away said the other. The RAC? ... That's Colin. The AAA. ... That's Colin!
Finally they thought of another guy who sometimes "pulls the idiots out" and I spoke to him on their phone and he agreed he'd "go see them"! (Although he said his proper 4WD was out of action and he only had the wife's Land Cruiser!
The petrol station gave me free cold drinks to 'revive' me, said I'd done everything I could, and that was that. Amazing. I'm sure they've been pulled out by now but if not they've got a night in the car. A very relaxed response all round compared to what we might expect in out sanitised and over-cautious world at home.
Tomorrow, going to meet some dolphins, if they show up!
Sketchy mobile coverage now to Darwin I suspect. Enjoy the holidays!
S
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Shark Bay, WA
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