Kangaroo Island

Aaahhhh…. There’s nothing like sitting down after a good days work of weeding and cleaning in the sun. Granted, the end of the work day did end with a bite from a nasty large ant (fire ant?.... sure felt like fire after the bite!), but luckily Dan (my Welsh co-WWOOFer) spotted why I had gotten bit. I was far away from the nest of mutantly large ants by the time I got the one off my ankle, but it was good to know not to venture back to retrieve my glove or shovel! While my ankle still burned crazy, Dan I went back and had a fascinated look at the mass of activity in the grass/leaf litter. Dan couldn’t resist poking the nest with a stick! (boys). He carried 3 ants over to another nest to see what would happen. Unfortunately, he thought he had only 2 ants on the stick! I thought he had seen (and talked about) the third one running up the stick…. So, my ankle and his knuckle now have red welts on them!!!! AAAAHHHHH ha ha haha…. Good times! :) (we did have a really good laugh over the whole thing – and remembering my screams (especially when seeing the ant IN his glove) still makes me chuckle).

Anyway…. I’m still trying to catch up with recounting my adventures with mum in South Australia (SA)…. Last blog had us heading to the Kangaroo Island on the ferry from Cape Jervis.

Tuesday, 29 Sept

We landed at the little town of Penneshaw round about 6-7pm. As we collected our luggage from the shuttle van, a guy holding a “Budget” car rental clipboard asked if Kathy had a car rented (I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself when he asked, because I kept asking her what company we were with – having seen the Budget guy and hoping we wouldn’t have to haul our gear to another company…. At the TOP of the steep street). Thankfully, the Budget car was at the bottom of the hill, and the nice gentleman (company owner?) drove us up to the office and sorted us out. As we were pulling away from the curb we were telling ourselves to be well alert for wildlife. This was Kangaroo Island – where driving after dark is highly discouraged due to the amount of nocturnal animals that are active along the roads. To name a few: kangaroo, wallaby, koala, bilby, possum….little blue penguins. We hadn’t even been on the road for 30 seconds as we approached an intersection and I told Kathy to watch out for the little penguin!!!!! I couldn’t believe that we weren’t even yet out of town and we were already spotting the cutest penguin. I would have been crazy ecstatic if I hadn’t seen the darling birds in NZ with mom already; but it was still an excellent thrill.

Unfortunately, that was really the best wildlife viewing (from the car) that we would get. Despite spending 4 nights on the island and driving ¾ of the roads, we NEVER spotted an echidna!!!!! I’m still DYING to see an echidna (supposedly everywhere on this island…. Echidnas are like little porcupines crossed with an anteater…… I think). The good side was that we were also never surprised with a kangaroo bounding out in front of us either! Kathy reckons that is because there had been so much rain lately (I think it rained nearly every night we were there – thankfully after we were tucked in bed!) that the animals didn’t have any reason to come near the road – there was plenty of food in the paddocks far from roads.

After our short drive from Penneshaw to American River, we found our accommodation (Casuarina) and sorted ourselves out. Mum set to work on dinner, while I set to work battling an obvious problem…. Invasion of the millipedes. There was just enough of a gap between the door and the floor for these persistent “worms” to flood in from outside. They were covering the wall and porch on the outside of the unit, so I figured if I didn’t stop them somehow they would be covering our floor in the morning! (eww). Ha ha, it was for this reason, that I chose the small twin in its own room for my duration of the stay -further from the door and “worms”! LOL (laugh out load).

Now, I realize that I am very interested in nature and have a degree in biology, BUT worms

– of any sort – give me the willies! I don’t like them. Even sedate, harmless earthworms are gross to me. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Kathy was the first to find that the “worms” weren’t slimy, but hard! Also, as soon as you touched them, they rolled into spirals! After several days (flipping one over on a trail?), I realized that they also had legs….lots and lots of legs (if something has more than 4 legs I’m pretty much scared of it!). We decided that these “hard worms” were actually millipedes. This conclusion was affirmed by a local, who also told us that NONE of the birds on the island eat them! No wonder there were so many!!!! In the end, I used one of our spare towels to fill the gap between the door and the floor. We came across a random “worm” nearly everyday, but thanks to their hard shell, and reaction of curling up when touched, they were easy enough to sweep up and toss out. (pictures actually taken in Adelaide a few days ago).

SO……. After a peaceful night’s sleep, we started our exploration of the island!!!

Wednesday, 30 Sept
We started with a local honey producer – paying $2 a piece to have a look at the information, displays, and LIVE colony between glass! (note the extremely full, yellow pollen sacks on the legs of the middle bee!)

We got to taste 3 different kinds of honey (produced by different plants)… they were SO sweet and yummy. We also HAD to try the honey ice cream! It was Delicious – so very creamy and sweet, though not overly sweet (unlike the pure honey on a spoon).

Kathy got a big laugh at my excitement for the silly photo op they had set up…. She reckoned she was travelling with a big kid! LOL I couldn’t disagree!

Next up, we headed to Murray Lagoon hoping to spot some birds in the wetland on the creek walk. We pulled into the ranger parking lot, but found no trails and no ranger in the hut…. We did, however, find a goanna!!!!! I heard the rustle in the grass before I saw this large lizard…. Wow was I stoked. I took several pictures before we decided we’d harassed it enough and headed in the hut.

When we returned from looking at brochures in the unmanned information center, the goanna was in the road. Well, of course I had to get more pictures! (you can see his toes better in this one!)

We drove a short bit down the road and found the trailhead for our creek walk. While I was slightly disappointed by the absence of large quantities of water birds (a few common waders that flew away when we were to close), we were both highly entertained by the small little bush birds that frustrated Kathy by eluding her camera lens! I think they were fairy wrens or the like, as Kathy kept telling me they were a beautiful blue…. I had far less luck than she at actually spotting them – except for a small blue flash in the distance! I think this is similar to what she was trying to capture….. (taken by Dave on our trip around southern WA (Western Australia))

It was on this walk that my non-observation of the world became obvious. It really is funny that I can spot

a tiny fungus on the side of a trail…

or a hawk miles off in the sky…

..... yet when it comes to wondering around Australia (a land full of many poisonous creatures) I walk RIGHT PAST a snake off the path!!!! Kathy said something along the lines of “there was a snake, and you walked right past it!” I said “WHAT! Where?” She took me back a few paces and pointed out a rather large black snake. It was motionless and I wondered whether it was alive. Kathy said we weren’t going to poke it and find out! LOL. Considering I have no idea how to identify the snakes around here (particularly deadly versus non-lethal, but still painful, species) I agreed with her! We left the snake and went after the little birds in the bush instead. On our return down the path we both kept a sharp lookout for a snake in the vicinity. We didn’t spot it again – so it must have been alive and slithered off!

It was several days later – while visiting seal beach on a guided tour – that we were told there were only 2 species of snakes on the island (versus the 500 million on the rest of the country). I don’t remember what both of them were. I just remember that the Tiger snake was the bigger one…..the black one (with vague stripes)…..the VERY poisonous one!!!!!

Our next stop on the southern coast road was Sea Lion Beach (I think that’s it’s name….I don’t have the guide book anymore, so that’s what I’m going to call it ;-). This beach is fairly famous for its guided tours allowing tourists to get fairly close to the sea lions. The sea lions are so used to people that they are not even phased by the groups that stroll by.

Our guide was fantastic, especially since he had to deal with 3 young boys full of energy! He even had a couple adults in the group that didn’t mean what “stay as a group” meant! The sea lions are apparently not fussed as long as we stay in groups. That’s not to say that a lone person, particularly one that is to close for comfort, wouldn’t frighten or anger a fast moving animal with sharp teeth!

Fortunately, we didn’t see any aggressive behavior….

We saw large ones so deep in sleep we figured he should be snoring….

Little ones feeding from mum….

Cute couples that make you want to say aaaaaaahhhhhh….

Big bear-like ones coming out of the water …..

And – my favorite – the cutest little inquisitive one!!!!

He couldn’t help but chase the black capped terns! (my apologies for any poor video quality – I had to chop the film in length and compress it for file size). Shortly after I quite filming he got distracted by the water and bored with the birds that wouldn’t sit and play with him. He went off for a swim by himself. I do wish our guide hadn’t then told us that “at this age, despite being good swimmers, they can still drown”!!!! What – don’t tell us that!The little guy seemed happy enough playing in the waves though, I’m sure he returned safe and sound.

After watching the sea lions, we headed towards the center of the island – Parndana – for groceries and a late lunch.

This SMALL flower was on the road next to the car.

We then headed to Kingscote (the “BIG” town on the island). We arrived around 4:30, meaning we were too late to catch many shops. The cold wind and overcast skies deterred our interest on driving far to find the beautiful beaches the island is known for. Plus – we couldn’t forget that dusk was coming in a few hours; we wanted to avoid driving at night (wildlife as much as possible). So, we headed just out of town to a winery instead! Yum wine – I bought a bottle of red to split with mum and mum bought a bottle of port to take home with her. She was also kind enough to pack a souvenir glass home for me!

After a quick drive around and through Kingscote (yep, everything was tightly closed up for the evening) we headed “home”. We opted for a pre-dinner walk around the neighborhood. We weren’t blessed with any black cockatoos (oh, how I still want to see one!), but we did have fun spotting nectar feeding birds at a tree. I’m quite pleased with this picture – one of the last of many mediocre ones I snapped!

The guide sheets I’ve been provided with by WWOOF host tell me it is a New Holland Honeyeater.

What a great way to close the day!



Thursday, 1 October
We got up extra early on this day, to ensure that we could fit in all of the Flinders Chase National Park, as well as the koala walk, and hopefully “little sahara” (so I could do some sandboarding!).

We started off by making a long detour. Hanson Bay was a pretty nice beach, but not very idyllic when it was cold and windy! There were some cute tracks (wallaby?) in the sand, and I enjoyed the bright green pattern the sea grass made in the sand.

We headed back up the road and turned off at Hanson Bay SANCTUARY (not at the bay itself, which was the reason for the detour). We were going on a koala walk! The koalas we were likely to spot in this sanctuary weren’t guaranteed to be in the trees. They were all wild koalas, no fences to keep them in. I had been told by a few people that spotting koalas could be fairly difficult – as their fur really does blend in and even when they ARE moving, they don’t move fast enough to draw attention. So, I was greatly surprised when, just inside the trailhead and next to the information board, I looked up in a tree and…. Spotted a koala!!!!!

It wasn’t the best view of a koala I could have hoped for… but it was my first one!!!!! And it was still really, really neat! Even if I couldn’t actually see it’s face.

This was a fairly common theme – seeing the koalas all curled up and hunched over in the crotch of a tree. Finding a face was difficult… finding photographic face was impossible! Until……

How adorable is that?!?!! Don’t you just want to cuddle up to it?! Aaaahhhh! Still makes me melt!




Eventually we came to a divergence in the path – either go back to the car (yeah right) or take the scenic path through a young eucalypt forest and hope to spot an echidna…. Tough call, aye?

Our decision wasn’t rewarded with more koalas (though I wasn’t looking up because I was hoping to spot the elusive ground dweller) or echidnas (dang!), but we Kathy did spot a kangaroo – lying down even! We were really quite not to scare it away, and soon we realized that there was another one nearby….. and another one…. And a couple more… WOW – there were heaps of kangaroos laying around the forest!

This little family wasn’t even worried by us!

Though, the baby did get a bit antsy after we followed the path around them (even went off the path at one point to give them more space).

After playing around with a beetle on my hand for ages – trying to get the right picture (I’m quite pleased with this one! Not so good for the gold and green coloration, but great for capturing the legs in the air!)……

I quickly tried to catch up with mum. I caught site of her just as she was dive bombed by a bird…. Several times! I can’t remember what bird it was (magpie?), but it was biggish and funny. I was hoping it would have one more go, but it flew off after the camera was out!

I was lagging behind on this section of the koala walk and soon I could hear Kathy saying, found one… here’s one… LOL. Then she got pretty excited, told me she found one moving and eating!!!! Well, I hurried right up to check that out (I wasn’t doing so good spotting them myself on this section – unlike earlier).

I got a couple good shots of this guy as he moved around…. But I got several decent videos too! See my past blog – all koala videos, three of them!

It’s a tough call on what pictures to throw up here (as you may have noticed – this blog is “chock a block” with them already), but I like this picture ‘cause he’s not sitting on his haunches! (no, I don’t know what gender this one is, but all koala’s look like old men to me…. Must be the ear hair! LOL).

After our necks could take no more looking upwards to the koalas, we headed onwards – the west of the island and Flinder’s Chase National Park. We hit the visitor center first and then headed to the Snake Lagoon hike. We were told the likelihood of our seeing a platypus (man do I want to see them!) was very, very low – esp on the platypus pool walk! So, we opted for a low possibility sighting at the bridge on the trail.

It was a lovely little trail, though there really wasn’t much of a view. There were a few flowers along the trail, but the rest of it was green bush regrowing amid black, fire charred, sticks (apparently the fire was 2 years ago through the entire area).

We didn’t spot a platypus at our incredibly scenic picnic spot……

But we were joined by an incredibly cheeky raven! I think he figured his posing for pictures entitled him to some free grub! He was pretty fearless, getting REALLY close to both Kathy and I – flying back a bit if you moved your arms up a bit. He was thoroughly entertaining, but we did not oblige the beggar – choosing not encourage the wildlife! He did attack the rock where I had left a few crumbs though!

On the way back to the main road of the park, we stopped and took a picture of these great grass trees (yeah, I don’t remember the proper name of them). The resiliency of the Australian bush is quite amazing. Having evolved with frequent fires, all the plants seem to char, but then regrow.

Our first stop, after hitting the coast, was the Remarkable Rocks. (the big lumps on top of the round out crop are the remarkable rocks).

Famous for their largeness …….

and strange shapes…….

they were a “can’t miss” visit.

Next up was a quick stop at the lighthouse (don’t remember the name… sorry)..... ooops, forgot to upload photo too!!! LOL

Followed by Admirals Arch….

a breeding location for New Zealand fur seals.

Our next stop was Kelly Hill Caves. We made it just in time for the last tour of the day. And who was our tour guide? The same guy from yesterday (the sea lion tour). I don’t remember his name, but he was quite entertaining anyway.

Caves are a hard place to take photographs. The lighting is to dim for easy snaps – a tripod would really be needed to get good, natural photos – and flashes just seem to harshly expose the nearby formations while shadowing the distant ones. However, I think most people will be able to see the “ballet slipper” in this stalactite!

At the cave visitor center a couple of kangaroos were allowing us slow pokes to a good show. I hope the video shows how they really do use their tail to balance, even when “walking”! (I put to clips together, that’s why it goes to just the little one at the end!..... sneaky movie maker!)

I don’t really recall what we did on this evening home. We arrived just after dusk, but without pictures to jog my memory…. It must not have been noteworthy - mum cooked ANOTHER yum dinner! (Thanks for all the cooking mum!).... Oh - and we missed Little Sahara. We were tired, the light was waning, and the board rental shop would have been closed.

Friday 2 October
This was our last full day on the island. We were going to explore the east side, a peninsula of the island. We saved this for last as I wanted to catch the beginning of the food and art festival that was opening throughout the island.

We had a lazy sleep in and late going. When we did finally pack up the car and head out, we both hoped the noise we were hearing had to do with the road. However, when we hit the better road it was obvious something was wrong. Kathy pulled over and her suspicion was confirmed – flat tire! Very flat! We started getting all the tools and the spare out of the “boot” when a car pulled up behind us. It was the owner of our accommodation! He had tried to tell us about the tire, but we just thought he had been waving! How nice of him to come after us and make sure we were okay!

While he (sorry, bad with names) changed our tire and chatted with Kathy, I took pictures of the cooperative pelicans nearby.

Check out the blue feet on the right one?!

Once we were on the road again we headed to Penneshaw. We would have been heading that way anyway, but now we had a tire (or tyre here in OZ/NZ) to fix. That didn’t stop us from visiting a winery (too early for tastings though …. For us responsible people anyway ;-) and checking out their art display for the festival – there was some Excellent work!

In town we stopped at the visitor center and visited an aboriginal art gallery first. After getting the tyre/tire sorted, we tried to have a picnic at the visitor center – unfortunately we found a nest of small little ants! It took Katy a good few whacks against a rock to dislodge the mass quantities from her towel! So, we opted for a picnic table on the water instead!

We then stopped at Frenchman’s rock, where a French guy carved some words into a rock ages ago – 1803 actually (the original rock is in the visitor center, having been replaced for safe keeping with a fake at the original site).

The area was lovely…..

And I had fun trying to catch this gulls reflection in the pool it was drinking from.

Next we headed to the Cape Willoughby light house…. (took a picture of its name, helps the memory A LOT).

This was a neat visit, as we had a guided tour through the grounds and up to the top of the lighthouse! We heard about lots of interesting information and saw an original lens from the old days.

We ended our final day on Kangaroo island at another winery. We had a tasting and bought a bottle (figuring we would drink it in Coober Peedy – since we were still working the bottle I had bought 2 days prior). We also had some lovely coffee and DELICIOUS homemade cheese cake.

After returning home, we sorted ourselves out and headed to dinner. We opted to give mum a break and treat ourselves. We went to a semi-plush hotel nearby and had everything from entrees (starters) to desserts…. Oh it was lovely! Cheese, kangaroo fillet, and ….. hmmm, don’t remember the name of the desserts – but they were both lovely!


WHEW….. I am knackered! It’s 11pm now, a day after I started this (it’s now 19 October)! My ant bite is itching crazy (and red, and swollen). Dan left today. He is going to work nearby with his girlfriend. Julia (my host) gave us a portable fire place. We had a lovely going away fire while we listened to the random, and very distant, koalas make odd sounds!

A day in Adelaide

As I type this, I sit cross legged on two flat cushions on a dojo floor. I am at my new WWOOF place. I’m tired and start laughing with my co-WWOOFer at the silliest things, so I hope this blog doesn’t ramble to much (I’ll TRY to re-read/revise, but no guarantees).

Alright – just got music going…. Gotta love “Tapes ‘n Tapes”… Their song “Insistor” always wakes me up and makes me want to dance.

Right – So I got off the train in Adelaide at about 7:30 am on Tuesday, 29 September. Kathy (Dave’s Mum) was already there, having stored her bags and walked from the bus station (where she had taken the overnighter from Melbourne). After a big hug and collecting my bags, we walked back to the bus station – not a terribly easy feat with my massive bag and 2 extra bags, but I persevered (with mum carrying my brown bag for a bit).

From the very beginning I didn’t put a very good “street smart” show on – I put a $20 bill in the luggage locker when I only needed $10….. I had failed to read the “no change given” sign!!!! It’s fair to say that I was more than annoyed with myself, but Kathy reckoned I just wouldn’t have a coffee or two and brushed it off.

Once our bags were safely locked away we set off to explore the city. It was still early – 8ish I guess, so all the attractions we were interested in visiting were closed (Tandanya – the aboriginal center, the museums and galleries, etc). So, after a complete circuit on the free city bus, we opted for the botanical garden.

The gardens were LOVELY. We never did explore the whole place, and never did make it back – but what we saw was gorgeous. I’m not sure what Kathy’s favorite part was, but for me there were two:





The Amazon Waterlily Pavilion











The Amazon lily wasn’t flowering, but the blue Nile waterlily was beautiful





The massive Wisteria tunnel was my next favorite – mostly because it reminded me of my mom, she would have been wowed! (oops - thought I had the picture on my thumbdrive!)




Quite a bit of it was blooming and buzzing with bees

I saw some yellow “kangaroo paw” (and yes, their paws do look a bit like that open flower!..... see pictures in upcoming blog)

I was surprised to find that the “miner” birds (seen all over Cunderdin… see previous blog pictures), were actually nectar feeders! (I assume they are bit of an “everything” bird – eat whatever comes along)

Kathy spotted a nest of baby birds while I was staring at a blossoming (cherry?) tree. We were lucky enough to watch the parents feed the two chicks.

The economic garden (plants with uses to be sold) was vaguely interesting – I learned that catnip has more uses than getting cats wired…. Medicinal: relieving intestinal cramps, baby colic, and toothaches. Culinary: flavor soups, stews, sauces. General: CATS… and bee attractant.

It was a beautiful, sunny day to stroll through the cactus display…..

….before hitting the palm house (which was far less interesting inside than the actual building). However, the crown of thorn plant was neat.


After such a lovely morning, we headed to Tandanya for the noon cultural performance. We contemplated the aboringal paintings in the gallery before the interesting didgeridoo presentation.

After a yummy bite at a Thai restaurant on Rundle (a street known in Adelaide for its 2 blocks of pedestrian mall), we walked about town a bit more. Though we were both vaguely intrigued with the “Ayers House” we weren’t paying an entry fee. So, we picked up a few groceries instead and headed to the bus station to catch our ferry to Kangaroo Island.

Kangaroo Island is virtually weed and pesty-animal free, so there are some restrictions on what you can take over (though there appeared to be no formal quarantine). It’s also home to strains of “pure” ligurian honey bees (from Italy, ages ago). They are quite proud of these disease-free and pure bees, so no used bee-keeping equipment is allowed.



The shuttle ride from Adelaide to Cape Jervis passed through beautiful, green hills and pastures….. Not that I saw much of it! I slept nearly the whole way! I was awake enough to spot a couple kangaroos laying in the green shade! That was the first time I had seen kangaroos lying down!

The ferry ride was pretty short (an hour?) and uneventful. I was surprised at how well I could feel the swells on such a large boat – a catamaran. The blue skies and warm weather (it was warmer outside on the decks than it was in the air conditioned cabin!) made taking pictures an easy chore:

Lighthouse off Cape Jervis as we depart

Sunset over the water – not dramatic, but made for a lovely close to a good day.

Koala caught on tape!

Well, it's hard to believe that 2 weeks has passed since I set off on the rails from Cunderdin.

I know - I have heaps to report and everyone (well, a few) want to read about it. Unfortunately, mum (Kathy, Dave's mum) kept me so busy running around Kangaroo Island, drinking wine, walking the desert of Coober Pedy, and drinking more wine in the Barossa Valley of Adelade that I've just been to knackered to even start a blog! LOL .... Okay, so I had last night to work one up (and turns out, free internet here at the hostel to post it with). But, I didn't. I read my dreamtime tales instead.

So - this is the first time (I can remember) that I'm posting a blog as it comes from my fingertips - no saving it in word, revising (okay, so I rarely do that anyway), or adding as the inspiration comes. Instead..... I have videos!!!! Koala Videos!!!!!!

They aren't terribly flash and don't give you the best view possible - but it's what I got to see. Kathy spotted this koala moving around and eating on Kangaroo island at a sanctuary - we saw several that day, but the others were all sleeping (pictures to be posted when that part of the blog is written).

So: enjoy :-)

And one final one.... Got a couple good views before the koala went over a limb and my neck nearly fell off down my back - whew, looking up in the trees for koalas is painful!

Riding the Rails to Adelaide

As I type this (Monday, 28 September), I sit in a TINY little sleeper compartment on the “Indian Pacific” train. We are currently stopped in Cook. We were allowed a 30-40 minute walk about this Nullarbor Plain ghost town.

But – I suppose I should start from the beginning.

I left Cunderdin on Sunday afternoon, 27 September. I had taken the train from Perth to Cunderdin twice before, but this Sunday was the first that I would see land further east of Cunderdin. “The Prospector” line ends in Kalgoorlie, home to a MASSIVE pit mine for gold (largest in the S. Hemi? The world?). The ride to “Kal” was easy. I alternated between watching the last half of the movie that was on when I boarded (“The Proposal”) and looking out the window at the flat expanse of bush, cropland, and salt lakes/river flats. I was a little sad and unsettled as I watched Cunderdin hill fade behind the train. While I was excited to start travelling again, it was weird leaving this little community that had been my only home in Australia.

However, I didn’t dwell too much on the emotions that I could be feeling. Instead, I settled into the movie, started an e-mail to Dave, watched another movie (“Bolt” – animated, really quite good), and then I drifted in and out of an uncomfortable sleep. I LOVE taking the train as transport.

On the previous two trips I’d taken on the “Prospector”, I had sat at the front of the car – with a table and bulk head in front of me. This time round, I was in the back. I was so impressed with how much leg room I had! So, so much more than on a plane. Also, I was impressed that I had a power point (outlet) right next to me! Every row of 2 seats on each side of the aisle had a power point! Impressive! And convenient, since it was a 5 hour trip from Cunderdin to Kal, another two from Perth to Cunderdin… most laptop batteries won’t last for 1/3 of the trip!

I was a little disappointed when I arrived at the Kalgoorlie train station. I was tired and feeling silly for having SO much stuff (one massive backpack, my computer bag, an extra duffle of clothes that wouldn’t fit (because my tent and sleeping bag take up half my pack!)). I had been hoping that a contact I had made at the pub would answer her cell and follow through on her offer of a beer or coffee while I was in town. Unfortunately, when I called I got her voice mail. A little dejected I decided I might as well walk about town. I had very much hoped there might be luggage storage at the station, but a long walk down and back the station found nothing. So, I headed up the street with all my gear.

The first pub I saw had security outside the door and good music seeping out the windows. The security guy checked with the manager and informed me that large bags were not allowed inside. Disappointed again (mainly to keep carrying my pack) I headed further up the road. I came across a large café/bar/lounge/coffee place that said it was open 24 hours. It was dead as when I arrived, but the guy told me that they get quite busy after all the other bars in town close – being the only place that sells alcohol 24 hours. I imagine that by the time people arrive at this place they are so used to spending money on alcohol all night that $8 stubbies (bottles) of beer is no large deal…. For me, it meant that I was going to be sipping my beer for a while!

At this 24 hour lounge (no idea the name, sorry), I read an interesting alternative magazine – part conspiracy theory, part meditation/pyramids information, and part global economics. I glazed over half of it, but got a good chuckle at other parts. Eventually I gave up reading and wrote a letter for a bit to kill the time. At midnight, I decided to head back to the train station. I knew my train left at 1:40am, but I figured I could boarded earlier. I had expected the train to arrive sometime after midnight, so I was stoked to see it already at the station when I arrived. A few guys sitting around told me it was the one and only Indian Pacific. It had been sitting there since 10:30 or so….. only half an hour after I arrived!!!! I was so bummed! If only I had sat and waited. I probably could have boarded right away and gone back out on the town (sans heavy, heavy bags). Oh, well. I was glad to have my pack off my aching (and I soon realized, sun burned - from the walk about Cunderdin earlier in the day with a tank top) shoulders.

I was so excited to have purchased a sleeper cabin for the rest of my 2 night, 1 day trip). Having dozed on the prospector seats, I knew I had made the right decision to spend more money for more comfort. I guess I’m not sure what I was expecting; I knew it would be a small compartment, but I knew that 2 people were able to sit (during the day, facing each other) and sleep (on the foldout bunks at night) comfortably. However, I was not prepared for the closet sized compartment I was shown too. It had only one bunk made up and so my hopes raised a little when I asked “am I sharing with anyone?” I was SO happy when the guy said I was supposed to share with an older lady, but they had given us each our own cabin.... THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I probably could have hugged the guy! I mean, this thing is TINY – literally like being in a closet!

How small is it? Well, when I went down the hall to the toilet I had to wait while a lady stood outside her door. The halls are too small to pass anyone (except at the ends of the cars where you can squeeze by) so there was nothing for it but to have a laugh with the lady. She was waiting for her companion to switch from the top bunk to the bottom (or vice versa?). There wasn’t enough room for them to make the switch with both of them inside! When I got back to my compartment, I was again thankful that I had no stranger to step on, no top bunk on which to hit my head, and no need to try to consolidate my carry on bags into the narrow storage spaces provided (I’d say they are only slightly wider than the depth of a briefcase!).

After getting myself sorted, I got the bed ready and hopped in. It took me a while to fall asleep – as the station lights were right outside my window. I drifted in and out for a bit and then woke to the train starting up. I was surprised at how much louder the train was then I had expected. The gentle swaying I had been anticipating to rock me to sleep was more of an irregular judder. I slept far less well than I had expected; one time I decided to raise the blinds instead of just open them (I wanted to wake to the dawn, in case there were kangaroos or emu roaming about before settling in through the heat of the day). With the blinds raised, I was able to watch the stars over the unbroken blackness of the desert. I snoozed off and on throughout the night. I did wake to the dawn (5ish?). I tried watching for kangaroos (did I spot one just as I started looking…. Off in the distance?) but I gave up after a few minutes of watching the rock, scrub, and red dirt roll by. The slightly colored clouds weren’t impressive enough to bother looking for my camera, so I went back to sleep.

I woke again around 7. I was just about to go back to sleep when I realized we were stopping. Oh – was this Cook? Was this the deserted desert town where we got off to stretch the legs and see the famous Nullarbor Plain? My car’s conductor was coming by as I exited my compartment. He asked where I’d come from. Sleepily I pointed through my open door. He then clarified and asked if I’d gotten on in Kalgoorlie. When I confirmed he said that was why he didn’t recognize me. Okay….. well, what’s going on? When do we arrive in Cook? Oh – not until noon! I see. So – I went back to bed! I have since foud that we the train stops quite frequently. Sometimes to let another train go by, others… well, I’m not sure why we stop other times – maybe there is a train passing on the other side that I cannot see?

The conductor guy had been going down the hall asking (I think) if people wanted their bunks

converted back to 2 seats. I was somewhat surprised when he didn’t even ask if I wanted mine converted, but also I was glad. After I had checked out the dining car (with no cheap breakfasts – I settled on an apple I had brought) I ended up sleeping until nearly 11! I figure I well deserve a good sleep…. Several late (some VERY late) nights and a few early mornings over the last few days. Plus, I want to be well rested when I meet up with Kathy in Adelaide – we have heaps to do!

So… Cook. As I said, I got up a bit before 11. An announcement had been made about when we were arriving, when we were leaving, things to do and not do (don’t cross the tracks at anytime as freight trains pass without warning). I stepped from the train to the dry dusty streets of Cook and was immediately grateful for the Carlton Draught cap I had gotten from the pub (it was a promotional thing). The sun was beating down already, at 11:30. I was glad I had a light, long sleeved shirt on to protect the skin that had had a good dose the day before (though the red

heat had left my shoulders in the night). The slight, dry breeze didn’t do much to cool the sun, but it thankfully kept the flies from massing upon us. There really isn’t much to say about Cook. It used to be a largish community (with school, hospital, etc) to service the railways and their workers. However, in 1997 when the rail lines were sold, the community pretty much disappeared over night. The new owner needed only a few people to service and water the train daily, so the population of cook is now 5! I believe, from the story told over the train speakers, that it is a husband, wife, 2 kids, and grandma. I can’t imagine living with so few! And in the desert!

I walked to the front of the train first… had to get that picture :-) I had to laugh too, at all the people that were not only stepping into the railway in front of our train (which was obviously stationary), but at the people that were then continuing across the tracks… some people just never listen! Eventually an official did come and ask them all back to the other side, per what the announcement had said.

I spent the rest of the time walking about. Found some flowers to

photograph (see above photos), the primary school (2 photos up), a bird that didn’t cooperate well, a beautiful flowering tree that smelled a bit like jasmine, and more photos of the train. I stopped at the souvenir shop. I kind of wanted to buy something to support the small town, but when I saw all the people I knew one more purchase wouldn’t matter. However, I haven’t actually bought myself a souvenir (I have several from other people – and I think they mean more because of that). So – I opted for a Cook town tea towel…. I couldn’t resist the “population: 5” part of it!

And that brings me back to now… We’ve left the Cook station (several paragraphs back) now. Out my window I have a view of the flat, red Nullarbor plain –

rock strewn and covered in small blue/grey/green shrubs (reminds me a bit of small sage brush). I have a vague recollection of waking sometime in the morning (4-6) and viewing some hazy, brownish, mountains in the distance behind us – however I fell asleep again so fast I can’t actually say what I was seeing. If I had realized it would be the last landform for the next day, I might have tried to focus more ;-) ……

…… It’s 10 pm now, South Australia time (an hour and a half later than Western Australia time – I have NO idea why ½ an hour!). I spent the rest of my day typing an e-mail, sleeping till 5:30, having dinner in the dining car, and starting a book (nearly half way through now). After dinner I brought my bed up against the wall, allowing me to sit in a seat. Funny enough, I just tend to sit with my feet on the other seat anyway! LOL

Just a few more brief comments before I wrap this blog up. A short comment this morning by a lady in one of the compartments should be noted. She reckons it’s the worst train she has ever been on! I focused less on the why it was bad (I’m assuming size wise, as we were trying to get around each other in the curvaceous hall (it literally s curves down the car!). I asked instead what other trains she had ridden – Scandinavian (where I THINK she was from), European, even Chinese trains were better in her opinion! Interesting.

Also, the first thing I noticed – well, besides the obvious smallness – was the 50ish design, reminds me of art deco! The blue vinyl head rest was visible on one wall even with my bed down, the chrome lights and radio control, and even the drop down sink seemed a bit old school. My art deco theory was confirmed in the dining car this afternoon – where I had both lunch (cheap pastie) and dinner (pasta bake and veggies). The triangular light fixture with a cross between “speed lines” and “zigaret” designs line the walls above the windows.

All in all – it’s been a good experience. It was more money and time than taking the plane, but it was really a great way to experience how truly large the continent is. At the moment, I’m justifying my lowered bank account by telling myself trains are (supposedly) better for the environment than planes. Plus, I do enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the train – no security, no being there hours early. Just show up, check in, and grab your seat…. Heck, you mom can even come on the train and see you off (as long as she isn’t on when the train departs!).

Kathy should be meeting me at the train station tomorrow. Her bus from Melbourne arrives an hour earlier than I do (and I arrive at 7:20am). I’m not sure the schedule of events from there. I know we have ferry to Kangaroo Island sometime tomorrow. We will stay there for 4 days, ferry back to Adelaide, catch an overnight shuttle to Coober Peedy (where many residents live underground and away from the harsh heat/cold of the desert…. It’s also the setting for the a Mad Max film; number 3 maybe?.... I do believe it is also the setting for the beat down of one of the characters in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert). After 1 night (2 days) in Coober Peedy it’s back to Adelaide on the overnight shuttle. I believe we have one night in Adelaide? Then Kathy flies out and heads to NZ, I head to a WWOOF host in the Adelaide hills…. Then, it’s just a short 3 weeks until my next train to meet mom in Sydney!!!!!