Thursday 27th August

It's been a while but I'm at Kununurra. Thanks to Pam and David Hickingbotham I was able to spend Friday night at David and Maureen Mulready's house in Geraldton, thank you again. I left Saturday morning with overcast skies but the rain held off. The south west of WA farms everything from grapes for wine and other fruits and veggies to Blue Gums and Pine tree plantations, cattle, sheep and goats. I soon left that country behind as the land got flatter and turned more to outback scrub. I think I rode the 2nd longest straight streatch of sealed road after stopping at the Billabong Roadhouse. The weather never really warmed up until the clouds cleared. At this point I was at Carnarvon under bright, clear, blue skies; spending the night in a guest room behind the local Anglican church St Georges. I stayed for the church service Sunday morning and left shortly after a cup of tea. It was at the next fuel stop, Minilya Road house that I met Geoffrey and Daphne Brockman. Nice chatting with you both. It was shortly after I left there that the vastness of the land hit me, it was a little scarry. I spent the next night at Nanutarra Roadhouse, then it was onto Port Headland. I en counted a number of stray cattle, goats and some emus, the only roos I saw were dead on the sides of the roads. The bike scarred all animals but the cattle, they just turned and looked at you with very little interest.
I got to Port Headland mid afternoon where the temperature was a pleasant 29 deg. C where I spent the night with Bill and Jocelyn Ross. All through this area it is obvious it's a mining area, it seems most of the vehicles are operated by the mining companies. The next day was a long ride to Broome and a test for the fuel economy of the bike, there has been a number of stretches where it's been 290 km between fuel stops. I spent that night in Broome at Tim Mildeuhall's house with his father John, wife and four children, another thank you.
The country side keeps changing and after passing Fitzroy Crossing I spent the night camping at Marys Pond, which is just an off road camping spot where I was not alone, as there was plenty of caravans, camper trailers and mobile homes. It was from Marys Pond that I rode to here Kunun urra and the country side has changed again, it is a lot more interesting and the roads are windier and it's also a bit warmer now I'm inland, about 36 deg. C. I have done some shopping and am now going to look for a caravan park, I must give "Internet Is Us" here in Kununurra a very big thank you for the free time they are giving me to update this blog, thank you.