We teared down the outback highway after our dip in the pool. Each time we hit a highway the bus erupted in cheers as there are only three highways we were driving on so it was a rare experience. Tour guide Mark loved it.
Next stop….firewood and beer! We stopped on the side of the road and grabbed logs of dry wood from the outback. They are very brittle and we could snap them easily from their still standing brush. Vero ended up with some nasty splinters later on but we managed to get those out with some tweezers from Landa (Ireland).
After strapping the wood down to the trailer, we picked up some beer for the next two days at a truck stop. A truck stop which looked like the local watering hole and I was thinking we should hang out for a bit! I also stole some toilet paper from the bathroom realizing I never packed any for the trip! Turns out I didn’t need it as Mark packed some for everyone. Imagine being in the Outback without the essentials!
We pulled into a field with not much cover and set up for the night. The winds were crazy fierce. I would say over eighty km/hr. Vero and I were on fire duty and Vero got it going as she always does…with style! It was way too windy for Canada fire standards…the flames were moving horizontally by a few feet…but I guess it wasn’t an issue in the outback.
Supper was prepared by all…we had a great meal of chili, grilled veggies and rice. Fantastic after a long day out in the hot sun! It was super warm this night and there was no need to wear my pants.
We got to know the rest of the group…Tom (Belgium), Betty (Germany), David (England), Dmitri (US), Simon (England), Elaine (Ireland). It was a great night with a few beer and Ciders.
The campfire had a few stories from the guide but overall, not many people had great stories to offer. I think everyone was getting themselves psyched out for the sleep!
The night was quite cloudy which was strange for the Outback. Not many stars could be seen. I had my eyes peeled for critters every time I walked out behind a bush. I was glad when the moon peeked out behind a cloud on my walk away from the campfire.
We settled in for the night with an intro to Aussie swags. Essentially, you sleep in a sleeping bag and then a canvas swag envelops the sleeping bag and has a giant monster flap to hopefully save you from any monsters crawling towards you in the night. This did not zip up so I wondered how the critters wouldn’t find the little cracks in the flap. Also, how can I breathe with a honking huge monster flap over my face? Mark told us to form it into a tent to have air go through. Like bloody hell! Basically there can be tarantulas, snakes and probably Bigfoot roaming around!
Mark recommended drinking some beer to make the sleep more comfortable and I took him up on the offer!
We settled in for the night around the fire which was hot on a night like this. It was easily still twenty degrees outside and here we are bundled up in canvas…what a sauna! But we knew it would drop temperature soon enough.
Was it the best sleep ever? No way. Did any monsters show up? Not at all! Bonus!
We awoke before the sun came up and it was pretty cold. We groaned at the morning that awaited us, but I think we were all relieved that nothing dangerous happened during the night. Vero slept with her knees up at one point and then dreamt there was a snake under her which she wrestled. When she awoke she wondered where that snake went!
First night of sleep in the Outback…success!!
