Started at 8.30, leaving Andy’s house and heading to the next town – Halls Creek. 280kms on the map so I planned it to arrive around lunchtime and then consider my options and look at going to the Bungle Bungle ranges in a national park 50kms on from Halls Creek.

The weather was beautiful, starting at 32C with blue skies and a cool breeze on my back.


Ziggy and I have already discussed the need to get into ‘cruise mode’ so our days of burning up the Kimberley roads at 120 are over and now I’m settling for a leisurely 100 – 110km/h. She begrudgingly accepted this after putting in a strong argument for cruising at 130.

Over the course of the morning I came across several rest areas. Often I would just pass them by in my life BN (before nomading), but now, just because I can, I stopped at each one.


Amazingly good amenities, but no water; some with views


and some that allowed Ziggy to ‘survey the kingdom’

One stop had a creek crossing, some inquisitive cows and like many others, tables and barbeques. I took the opportunity to brew my first coffee of the journey using the Whisperlite and my new titanium pots. All performed admirably.


As the middle of the day approached and the temperature nudged 38, the landscape changed continually from fields of termite nests,


some telling you which way to go


one with a bit of unusual attention


to denuded cattle plains, to rocky outcrops and fields of stone. A green hue carpeted the landscape with the new seasons’ growth, giving the landscape a freshness and beauty belying the harshness of this top end. Less than a week ago a cyclone had passed right through here.

I passed the infamous Tanami Road, a dirt road running for hundreds of kms through the desert directly to Alice Springs. Not for the light-hearted or the under-prepared.


After much dawdling I finally arrived at Halls Creek at around 2pm. This place is as outback and remote as you can wish for so I found it interesting to find the Chinese owners of the Shell struggling to speak English, not to mention they forgot to order unleaded petrol in time and had run out, AND told me they were the only place in town to buy petrol, much to the dismay of the Toyota dealer where I filled up.

I ate at the Poinciana run by a Chilean couple and then decided to stay at the caravan park run by a Dutch woman and a Chinese man, the shop later personned by an Irish lass; due to being informed by the Indian gentleman at the information booth that the Bungle Bungles were closed due to a recent bushfire.

“When will it be opened again?” I asked.
“Aprrril”.

I don’t think I’ll wait. I might have to re-think my round the world plans though if I can get all this cultural diversity here.

__________________
When you come to a fork in the road…take it!

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