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Today was the first day I managed to have a lie in (probably also due to the late nigth last night), and I woke up at 6am completely disoriented as it was actually light outside. It was UNBELIEVABLY hot even at 6am, so I staggered to the shower to try and cool off, which inevitably proved to be fruitless. I did some housekeeping (well carkeeping chores) and did a load of washing, all the while trying not too move too much due to the heat. After laying in the car for about an hour, curtains closed and all windows and doors open, I thought I might try and cool off by having a quick dip in the sea.
So suncream and swimmers on I almost ran in anticipation to the beach (noticing how many turtle tracks there were from last night). Finally I reached the sea only to have my hopes immediately dashed as it was like stepping into a hot bath. Oh well, I thought, if I'm wet maybe the wind will cool me down. So in I went trying to wince at how hot it was. I managed to get my shoulders under at least and then stood there for a few minutes pondering about what I was doing. Nobody else was in the water and the sand was being churned up so much by the sea that I couldn't actually see anything at all. God knows what kind of grizzly sea creatures were lurking in the shallows awaiting an unsuspecting tourist, so just as I had decided to get out I felt the horrific tentacles of a jellyfish wrap around my right ankle and brush against my left shin and PAIN. OW, JELLYFISH. OH MY GOD. THE PAIN. Shrieking and scrambling desperately trying to get out of the water with a searing pain on both my legs I made it ashore to be told by Charlotte I should wash it under cold tap water.
So running back to the campsite that's what I did. Nothing. No help whatsoever. After taking a few pictures of the sting (naturally - they could have been my last!) I ran up to reception only to find it was closed. Luckily I had seen Sara (the turtle woman from last night) drive in so I ran down to her. She informed me she knew very little about jellyfish stings but that you are supposed to pour vinegar on it. So she did and then I sat in her wonderfully air conditioned cabin with a frozen bag of onions resting on my leg. If all I had to do to get out of the heat and into an air conditioned room was get a jellyfish sting... Nope actually, definitely not worth it!
After sitting there for a while and finally concluding that I was not in fact stung by a box jellyfish (as I would most likely have been writhing on the floor foaming at the mouth by this point), and when my leg was sufficiently numb I went and had a shower to wash this horrible ordeal away and then we headed off up north. We had originally decided we were going to stay at Eighty Mile for 2 nights but Charlotte had found a mail run tour in Broome which left at 5am the next morning. We both agreed we would like to do it so we left.
Not much to say about the journey as it was very long and straight with very little to see. Sadly this included roadhouses and of course I was desperate for the toilet. Anyway we made it to a roadhouse just outside of Broome and I purchased a chicken wrap which was enormous. Driving into Broome it was so nice to finally see civilisation! We were actually in a town. With shops. And houses. And bars. It was a welcome sight after so many miles of nothingness. Called home to give them an update and then headed to Gantheaume Point to watch the sunset.
The contrast of the white sand of cable beach, the red rocks where we are against the backdrop of the ocean and setting sun is pretty much indescribable. It was a beautiful sumset, needless to say. Whilst there I noticed a sign saying beware of stingers - definitely no swimming here for me. Drove around town for a while before decided to park up in the middle of town. I was then reminded to book onto this tour. so I went online and it all seemed fine but I spoke to the guy on the phone who informed me that the tour was actually full. I advised the phoneman that I had an acquaintance who was already booked on the tour, and he said that he could take us both on Friday. After Charlotte begrudgingly agreed and I had told the man we would both take the Friday tour, she then decided that she was going to do the tour tomorrow without me (despite the fact WE left Eighty Mile because WE both decided WE wanted to do the tour). Her reasoning was that it would be good to spend a day apart (to which I could not agree more) and that she didn't want to force me into paying $120 for something if I didn't want to do it, despite me reiterating yet again that I had already agreed I wanted to do it. So anyway, I rang back to cancel my tour. At least I saved $120 and I had no idea where we were going to be by Friday now that she had done what she wanted.*
So already in a particularly foul mood, I attempted to get some sleep. The car was absolutely sweltering - if I thought last night was hot, I was sorely mistaken. There was no way we could sleep with the door open as there were some very drunk homeless-looking people wandering around town. So off we went in search of somewhere less hostile to sleep. Settled on a caravan park (toilets were locked so yet another mood killer) but it was very quiet there and so we were able to leave the door open.
*You may note this is the first bad word I have said about my travelling companion. This was just one of many selfish/beguiling acts that I was subject to, and it only got worse from here.
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