We were worried we didn’t eat that avocado we had left, haha. We were getting ready to throw it all out on our border crossing to the Northern Territory. We didn’t have much though, it seemed you couldn’t take honey, fruit, veggies and nuts but we passed without anyone checking anything. We even almost passed the Welcome sign! There was no one there.
We drove for a few more minutes, well maybe 45 haha (sorry, corrugated road guys!) until we finally got to the campsite. It seemed like the flies were waiting for us again but this time they were 100% convinced they wanted to stick to our clothes and get into our noses. Annoying.
There were other campers out there next to us. That campsite had a bathroom but no showers. This time we didn’t need them (I can’t believe I’m saying that) because we took a shower before leaving Lake Argyle Infinity pool.
We set up the tents surrounded by trees so watching the stars was a bit complicated. I was so exhausted that I was the first to walk to my tent to sleep.
Next morning we woke up very early to avoid the heat one more time. We took the trail to go around Keep River National Park for about an hour. It does take less than that but we stopped a few times for pictures and to also contemplate the view which was very nice! It was worth it.
We came back to our tents, it was a fresh and peaceful morning but we could start feeling the heat coming. We drove for about 2 hours and made a stop in Timber Creek to grab something to eat, get some wifi (trust me we have been disconnected enough, we are millennials!) and eat a $5 watermelon.
I’m not lazy, I’m on energy-saving mode
I was not sure I wanted to do the Judbarra Escarpment Walk at Gregory National Park. I could feel my heart beating 10x more than normal and dying from dehydration. I know I was being dramatic. I think I only wanted to stay inside the van, driving for hours with the air con and writing while looking at the amazing views outside. It was one of those moments when you wish it was pouring rain so you can stay inside and not feeling bad because you are missing out.
I ended up joining them for what it was going to be my last walk. It was a 3km, grade 4 circuit hike. It was steeper than the ones we had done before. However, the view was getting better and better as we were getting further up. We had a panoramic view of the Victoria River Valley. I know I was being lazy before but it was totally worth it.
No snakes, no flies (finally) but a beautiful little wallaby was expecting us on the top. Well, technically he was not expecting us at all. We scared him a bit. The trail shows you a few signs of how everything was formed by nature. The heat was not as bad once we reached the top.
We got a bit of fresh air and we came back down just in time.
My part of the trip was almost over. We watched one of the most beautiful sunsets on the way to our campsite that we had to stop on the side of the road and get out the van to contemplate it. I’ve written a short text about what I experienced watching it, it was like a reflection of how things have been for me the last couple of months and finishing it with this road trip, with a bunch of people who became like family just after a few days. People I didn’t know before and for some reason we were all put together in a share bus.
If there’s something I will never forget it is this, the freedom of adventuring out Western Australia and the Northern Territory with this crew! Sleeping under the Milky Way, driving miles and getting amazed by mother nature, by the world itself. Nothing set, apart from the destination, the route was all up to us and we did great, making decisions as a team! Annabel will be the next storyteller. I hope you’ve enjoyed the last stories written by me!