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Town walk, China Wall & Grog Runs - Halls Creek
6th August 2013
After a great stay at Fitzroy Crossing we headed off early again to get to Halls Creek. Once again another good park for a small outback town. The caretaker lady was very motorbike friendly, allowing us to take the bikes and trailer through the pine log barriers out onto the grassed area. We managed to get a really good shaded spot. We were fully set up by 12:30pm, the advantage to the early start. It was only a short walk into town to check out the Information Centre and the supermarket. Surprisingly another modern well stocked IGA.
The cooking area at the park was basic but suitable, with a B-B-Q and 2 gas burners near the pool. While cooking we had a great chat with a young couple, she is German and he is English, who were backpacking and working in the town. For a month and a half they have been living out of a huddle of three tiny kid sized dome tents while they build up funds for their next part of their journey. A tough way to live for an extended time compared to our stand up, walk in luxury. As there are alcohol restrictions in force in Halls Creek, you can only buy light beers unless you are at a bar or staying at a Hotel. No wine available at all. Intrepids not feeling so Intrepid now! We did venture off to the Hotel for a beer. Not like the usual outback pub with a busy front bar. That became obvious when we ordered 2 pints of Coopers Ale at $20.70. as there is very little hard accommodation in town we enquired about budget accommodation for our return trip. Their "Budget" rooms were $172.00 per night. I think we will give that a miss. The nights are still cold out here, so Trishy had the feather sleeping bag all zipped up and was snuggled in like a caterpillar in a cocoon.
Day 2 and the first plan was the Town Heritage walk. We have done a few of these and they are often run down and much in need of refurbishment. All the once beautiful carved and painted posts with their engraved signs were vandalised and hard to read because of the graffiti. Despite that we still enjoy these walks and the, history and feel you get for the town. There was this great mural on a building and closer inspection found it was the local Indigenous Radio Station. The sign on the gate said "Feel free to come in and have a look and request a song". This was too much for Trishy, so in she went and the surprised girl at reception had a conversation that went a bit like this, "The sign said we could come and request a song." Girl looks shocked and bemused. "We don't have a radio and I don't know what song I want" says Trish. Even more bemused look. "It said we could request a song so could they play some sort of motorbike song?". I don't know if the girl pushed some sort of PANIC! button under the desk but a very large African man appeared to rescue her. Finally after he heard all the explanation from Trish again he satisfied her by letting her sign the visitor's book.
An interesting chat with a bloke sitting outside his store, looking rather bored, explained how the alcohol restrictions were killing the town. 26 businesses had closed, 600 people had left since the introduction in 2009. Why?? The "locals" were doing grog runs to Kununarra and outlying communities were by passing Halls Creek and going back roads to Alice Springs or Kununarra. Of course not only were they buying their grog there but also doing all their other shopping. So the alcohol was still getting through, people were dying on the grog runs with accidents, but the town was suffering. Despite that I must admit that the town was clean, friendly and free of past problems so it must be having some effect.
Next plan was to go out to visit the China Wall rock formation and dare I mention the word, on gravel roads, be it only two km. All the reassuring from 4wd driving, non-motorbike riding, travellers always makes us cautious but it was only two km. Having missed a sign for the turnoff we went a bit more down the gravel, yes a bit dusty and corrugated, but not that bad. All checks with Trish on the back of the Honda ST came back with "yes I'm fine." After backtracking to the bitumen and finding the missed turnoff with a gate that had to be opened, we set off for the two km of gravel. This was a bit rougher than the other road but still only two km. I was having fun on the front with memories of riding the little red postie bike only a lot bigger, heavier and silver. The last 30m down into the car park was a bit rutted and stony but I just had to think postie bike and all was well. As it turned out it was well worth the trip in with a huge seam of quartz sticking up to 6 m above the surrounding rock. Looking very much like a man made rock wall, it was an impressive sight especially for us rock hounds.
Big silver postie bike or not I decided to let Trish walk up through the rutted bit and keep an eye out for vehicles coming in. Last thing I wanted was to meet someone head on there. After getting back to camp my darling Ms Intrepid said "there is something I need to tell you, I think I nearly fouled my undies on that road and I didn't say anything to freak you out". She does not like that gravel and was imagining broken arms, shattered bodies and how she would somehow have to ride the Honda ST for help on her own. That is my little Henny Penny!
Another cold night and early pack up ready for Kununarra.
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