A BIG country

A BIG country

Posted on 16 Dec, 2008 8 comments

A BIG country.

In November 2004 we had sold the farm and send our household goods with the removalists up to Darwin. The containers would be taken by truck to Adelaide and then by rail straight through the middle of the desert, Alice Springs and so to Darwin. It would take abt. 10 days and we had the same time to get in our car with two dogs to be at our new house when the stuff would arrive.
So, first stop was with friends in Perth and the next morning we commenced our 4314 km journey. Packed with enough clothes for the trip, dog food and sandwiches we set off. It was Friday morning and we left 9 am. The countryside north of Perth gets very pretty: rolling hills and golden grain crops in the paddocks. We were following the coastline, although the Brand highway is tucked inland.We have a compass in the car above the rear vision mirror and it was assuring and exciting to see N on it! Next to it it shows the temperature outside, which was 28, lovely. The road is very good, fast and edged with all kinds of protea’s, which were dancing in the breeze. We were heading for Carnarvon, stopped in Port Denison before Geraldton.A lovely little harbour and nice beach. There were grassy areas and a little beach near the boats, where I took Pivot for a run. Not long after I got back to the car a ranger came to tell us to keep the dogs on the lead. Oh, well. Paul even pointed out that the old one ( that is Radar ) is almost blind and won’t go anywhere without us. This little place was actually the only place on the whole trip where we could stop and not have to flee for the heat for the dogs. The car is airconditioned, but outside the temperatures rose steadily and it was not much fun to stop anywhere along the road on the P areas for any longer than 10 minutes, as it would be too hot for the dogs. Dogs can only sweat through their tongues and you could see them panting, poor things.
In Geraldton we bought some shades for the car to stick with little suction things against the windows, so as to create more shade for Radar. He was lying in the back, next to the fridge and the bag.
Pivot was on the back seat with a small bag across the very end. He had enough room on his sheepskin. On the ground in front of him were other bags, shoes, water bottles, torch and other survival kit items, even a first aid kit. The bag with dogfood on the floor in the middle provided extra space for Pivot so sometimes he could lie across the seat. He was the lucky one, always in the shade.Temperature in the car was mostly set at 19-18 degrees, which was automatically regulated, as we have climate control in the car.
Well, today we passed the 26th Parallel. A sign came too quick and no time to stop to take a picture, but I felt a sense of excitement.
We took a long hike ( drive I should say ) all the way to Carnarvon, which took a good chunck outof our km’s.We saw the huge sattelite used for tracking already from afar. Here we stayed the night in the Capricorn Caravan Park. We had an excellent cabin, which consisted off: a bedroom with ensuite, a kitchen, diningroom, a veranda, a carport, a washing line!. Very important, haha, I could do some washing in the laundry there and hang it on the line and next morning it was all dry. Carnarvon was a nice place, the Park very good and friendly people.Radar slept in the car in his basket and we sneeked Pivot inside the cabin ( not allowed but who cares? ) but tied him up and made sure he behaved. It was still cool during the night.
That was Friday.

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