On arriving in Australia I took possession of a new craft. A yellow 1982 Toyota Corolla covered in red stars. After a delightful week's work in Townsville I set off into Australian space. Fried from Utrecht came aboard at the last minute before departure, and made a very welcome addition to the crew.
The Star Car Corolla is largely untested out of town but seems to be running well. First to Charters Towers on Highway 78. Like many inland Australian towns it shows signs of fortunes past with some impressive public buildings and second hand shops.
Drove down the highway and stayed at The Grand Hotel in Hughenden; a run-down outback pub and a good experience. Beamed down to the local school and had a couple of nice storytelling sessions there the following day and left them a copy of Storytelling through the Millennium - I didn't tell them which Millennium.
Drove out on our first dirt road to visit Porcupine Gorge. Wow - really bumpy ride with a lot of rattling. On to Richmond where we stopped in some comfortable tin cabins and again grooved in on the local school where dwells the weirdest teacher in the universe.
On to Mount Isa and the Backpackers Inn. Hailed the Eats family and over the next few days spent a lot of time chatting, interviewing, BBQing and visiting the bottle shop. Interviewed Joslyn, an elder of her people, her daughter, Doreen a political activist in the past following the death by police hands and an adopted grand daughter.
Also a change of living style for the crew testing out the camping equipment. Everything satisfactory. Re-traced out road to Cloncurry to take a single track road to the Burke and Wills Roadhouse where we once again camped. Drove in the dark for the first time and found the headlights very weak - Scotty is working on it. Saw a road train in a ditch. These are monster vehicles towing three wagons only found in a few places in the known universe. You should just see those things. The Star Car pulls over as far as possible when they pass and if it is a dirt road stops all together while the crew cover their heads. Also saw Brolgas for the first time.
At the campsite we were hailed by two good old boys with their call of "How ya doing" to which we made reply, "Good. Yourself?" which is usually enough in itself but on this occasion we struck up lively conversation with the sharing of bundy and coke with ice from their freezer full of fish from their trip to the Gulf of Carpentaria. They have a 4WD but like genuine good old boys they sleep in a swag - but cook in electric pans. These were a slightly eccentric caste of a tribe of good old boys who tour in huge 4WDs with trailers or in motor homes, well more a motorized block of flats really. These vehicles are inscribed "touring this Great country of Ours" or somesuch. The men are all overweight to some extent with full but neat grey beards and are usually not the good company of those we met at the Burke and Wills. They usually travel with a good old gal who on arrival at the camp site gets busy in the laundry. They are running on the benefits of a good retirement package and go to bed at about 9.15.
On the other hand, the grey nomads who I have also encountered missed out on the pension bonanza but travel nevertheless. Sometimes in an old Falcon but as often as not on a bus pass, and make good use of the less rowdy backpackers hostels and cannot believe the freedom that their meagre pension is allowing them. They are pleasant and respond to the same hailing signals as the good old boys but, like our first encounter, carry the conversation further.
The backpackers Hostels are so called after a tribe of that name. These are young people from Manchester and have just left school or college and are going through a rites of passage called "a year out" which involves following each other up and down the east coast, partying and watching advance episodes of Neighbours. Some of this tribe become disenchanted and head inland. These people are called Dutch.
The best company has come from Australian 30 somethings travelling with a mangy dog and sometimes a couple of mangy kids. They can be found on any of the sites mentioned above or on the side of a creek.
The Star Car continued to go where no Corolla should go - on corrugated dirt roads ( I don't know how much more of this she can take captain): to Porcupine Gorge, Lawn Hill National Park, Burketown and the Gulf of Carpentaria for the sunset at the end of the universe.
The crew are now getting more adventurous campingwise, and in order to avoid the GOBs have started to camp in the bush. Leichhart Falls was the first followed by the Einesleigh River. We have discovered how to beam down on these places, light a fire and gaze up into the Milky Way.
Having our call signs rejected by the snotty nosed urchins of Croydon we visit the Volcanic lava tubes at Ungara and head back to Cairns to pick up essential documentation. The best route being impassable to the Star Car we head for the Atherton Tableland. A bit like England really both in scenery and weather - it rained and there were lots of black and white cows. To avoid the rain we stayed at the Marbella Hotel, another lovely old pub with the opportunity to visit the local picture house where the seating is like deck chairs.
En route we have taken on board a 4 ltr cask of red wine costing $9.50, being convinced that such a find cannot be obtained anywhere else in space or time - the nature of which it seriously effects. I head North again on a solo mission having bid farewell to Fried as he set of on a diving trip. Good luck Fried and thanks for your company.
Karanda outside Cairns has a hippy reputation but it is now a comercialized stopover on the tourist trail. Headed for the sunshine and beaches of Cape Tribulation another stopover on the backpackers itinerary - but seeing as it was full I camped in the rain and then stopped at Club Daintree, which would probably like to have the reputation of Cape Trib ( this abbreviating of a name is a sure sign of it favour as a backpackers party place) but having failed to do so is a quiet and sleepy place by the sea.
Met up with some other storytellers for an evening at Mossman and stayed with a lively old circus performer cum pearl diver. We had a great evening and thanks to you all. North again to Laura to see the Rock art at Quinken Park. More corrugations but less rattling now that things have either dropped off or had bits of stick jammed in them. Also increasing speed as recommended by Fried and others. Fine until you hit the big corporations then the Star Car dives like a boat in a storm and you think the whole thing is going to break to pieces.
However average speed over the dirt roads is considerably increased. Stayed at another old pub, The Quinken Hotel and set out early for the 4 hour walk. The rock art was very interesting but the views from the top of the walk were stunning. Met up with a new category of traveller - the facilitated adventurer - led by the nose by guides with a copy of the Lonely Planet tucked under their arm.
Another quick blast on the dirt roads to Cookstown. Again I had to retrace the road first because the more direct road was not possible without 4WD but it was a great run with a wonderful time clambering over the rocks down the Annan Gorge. This isn't mentioned in any of the guide books and is just terrific. Waterfall followed by pool followed by fall. It was brilliant and I felt as if I had been the first to discover it. Cooktown was as far North as I was going to get and I knew it. Time was running out and it was 4WD from there on. But now - 500 miles a day to get to Muranbah. Just brilliant. Once I got off the dirt road - 80 KMH for a good part of it - and past the Atherton Tableland it was just a long straight road stretching on and on and on and on. The scenery changing all the time. I loved every minute of it but I'm not sure I would like to drive it again.
So far so good. The crew of the Star Car is in good shape and having lots of fun meeting up with people, especially those interviewed for the study and those I have met storytelling.
SUPERMENTAL
The Star Car Corolla has a fantastic appeal to people. Some offer to
buy it and some to re-spray it but it has let to lots of friendly and interesting
encounters.
This is the captain of your ship
Signing off