Monday 28th June 2004
Last night we spent another great night with Nikki,
Gary and the boys as we went to Dampier and sat outside Barnacle
Bob's restaurant enjoying seafood, chips and salad whilst admiring
the lights and view over the water. Good food, excellent
company, warm weather and a great view, what more could one want?
This morning the caravan was packed up and whilst
'one of us' completed her morning preparations. the 'other one
took the Patrol down the street and filled up with fuel before
connecting up to the caravan. Just before we departed, Nikki
and the boys came around to visit us and wave goodbye. Then after
Tom rode in the front seat of the Patrol through the caravan park,
we were on the road again by about 9.05am.
Not far out of Karratha we saw a lime green utility
parked on the side of the road with someone standing near the front
door and giving us a wave. Then
we recognised the driver as being John Williamson of Country Music
fame. Although easily recognisable, this recognition was
assisted by the fact that he had the tailgate of his ute painted
up with
'Country
Reunion
Tour
-
John Williamson'. Well after that 'one of us' had to
put on the his CD 'Old Farts in Caravan Parks' which we listened
to for the next hour.
The majority of the drive from Karratha to the
Onslow turn off was through some fairly scenic country that had
hills of dark red rock lifting up into the blue sky out of plains
of spinifex grass. It really gave the feeling that it was
a photographers paradise, however the opportunity to stop at many
of these scenic locations was limited due to the drop into storm
culverts at the edge of the road verges.
From the turn off in to Onslow the country changes
to undulating hills with some areas only being covered with sparse
grasses and a mass of termite mounds. Onslow itself is home
to about 800 people and is 82 kilometres off the main North West
Highway,
so
services
are
limited and more expensive than we have found in a lot of areas. Diesel
fuel sold at $1.22 per litre and most other products where priced
similarly. The caravan park was only $19 per night
however it was fairly basic.
After setting up the caravan we drove around the
town and out to 4 Mile Creek where there were a few people fishing,
one even caught a fairly small whiting while we were there. We
then drove back into Onslow where we filled up with fuel, bought
a few onions for our beef goulash from the local shop and then
retired to the caravan for the rest of the afternoon. That
was interrupted by a walk along the beach for about an hour around
4.45pm.
We certainly don't see any need to stay in Onslow
any additional days so will be off to Carnarvon in the morning.