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Phew! So much has happened since I wrote over a week ago from Cairns. So I'm going to have to shorten it and not recall every detail, and I apoligise if I miss any out.
So we're currently in Darwin, arrived early evening yesterday. It's so humid here, we're one of the most northern points of Oz. There was rain last night and I couldn't believe how strong it was! And now it's sunny again! Wierd, apparently it's very rare for them to get rain now because it's the dry season.
Ok so, after leaving Cairns at stupid o-clock in the morning whatever day it was, we ventured into the scarey outback! Our driver was really cool though, he was really funny. I was surprised we had him because he must'be been late 50s and had a wife and kids. At one point he even sung the whole of Waltzing Matilda over the microphone - waiting for us to join in, or just to show of his amazing vocal talents!
So can't recall every detail from this first 2night, 3day trip. The outback is pretty cool, or at least I though so for the first few hours on the road (you can't really call it a road, it's a single track unsealed road, and if you meet a road train coming the other way you have to drive off on the dirt). We saw a lot of road trains, they're these MASSIVE lorries. In England you can occationally get one's with two loads, and they're not that common, over here they have ones with four! They have nearly 100 wheels and can be up to 70m long, but they're the most efficient way of transporting stuff.
What I do remember about our trip is breaking down. When you're hours from anywhere and you only pass others every few hours, and it's a bank holiday weekend so help won't reach you for days, it's not the best place to be stuck. And the heat, wow it was hot! As soon as I stepped off the nice air-conditioned bus I felt asthough my skin was on fire and I could feel the sweat blobs forming, so we didn't stay off for long, just lunch and photo- ops. Anyway, our bus kept over heating, the gauge was properly in the red, so we kept having to stop, then the driver suggested driving slowely, at about 40kmph (when we should have been doing 110), we still kept having to stop. So he said we had to turn the air con off, horrible thought but if it meant we got to our accomadation then we had to do it. It was so stuffy and hot on that massive coach, I was fanning myself with paper but it was just blowing hot air out. Anyway, we eventually made it.
Our accomadation for those two nights weren't too bad, I actually liked them. The first one was in Hughenden, a large (for the area) town, with about 1000people. But we arrived at about 8pm and left at about 6am so didn't get to see it in daylight. The second place was Wirrilyerna, a small farm place outside of Boulia. We didn't arrive until 9.15pm though (15hours on the coach!) so just had tea and went to bed. They had a pet kangaroo, well, a stray one there. Whilst we were driving there the driver explained about Minmin lights, they are unexplained little lights that are a bit like UFO things, but just lights. There have been many many sightings over the years from everyone from locals to visitors. They have been known to reduce grown men to tears. The lights can hover a few feet off the ground or be way in the distance. There have even been some cases that the light has chased people in cars or on motor bikes and even some about getting in the car with them. Look it up if you don't believe me! Anyway, whilst we were driving at night, swerving the road to avoid all the cows in the road and kangaroos (very dangerous driving at night), and we even hit a kangaroo (there's so much road kill out there) the driver pointed out a Minmin light up ahead. So we stopped and all got out (Wolf creek?) to look. It was so wierd, it looked like a star at first, then it turned red, then it went out completely. I thought maybe it was an ariel thing but there's nothing in the desert so it couldn't have been. Anyway, we got back on the coach, and no matter how far we drove, it never got closer. Then, when we turned down a road and were driving nearly 90degrees from the other direction, it appeared infront of us! I'm still not so sure I believe it but there was nothing else it could have been! Wierd.
One of our stops was at a cattle station in the outback, and the owner took us to see some aboriginal paintings on his rocks, they were pretty amazing to see. And then we turned around and were 2metres from a fast asleep python, a pretty big one.
Arriving in Alice Springs was great, I finally got to drink normal bottled water! I luxury I never thought I'd appreciate. I dehydrated myself on the third day from not drinking the water from the coach, it had been filled up at Wirrilyerna and tasted warm and milky, and honestly, I'd prefer to be dehydrated than drink that!
Anyway, I'll explain more soon, I've had enough of this computer now, off to join Becky to shop!
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