1 May 2013 - Carnarvon Caravan Park, Carnarvon, Western Australia

We spent last night sitting in the dark watching DVDs, hiding from the multitude of bugs, and only partly succeeding. It was still 39 degrees when we gave up, fumigated the caravan and retired to bed. Sleep was slow coming and waking similarly so this morning. Although the temperature had dropped a little during the night it was back to 39 by the time we rose. All our fellow campers had up-staked and moved out long before we were ready to do so.  

Over breakfast we continued to discuss the pros and cons of detouring to Exmouth, but in the end decided it was a place for divers and snorkelers, and  many hundreds of kilometres to watch others look at the coral and marine life. No, we would head on south.

We had topped up all our tanks with diesel at Tom Price before departing, including our reserves riding on the roof. Fuel prices have varied so much since we left Sydney at the beginning of March this year. Even this last month we have seen them range from $1.61 up to $1.90 per litre. We thought the $1.62 at Tom Price was fair in the context of our travel, so filled up hoping to avoid filling at random service stations along the way.

This morning Chris had been expecting the indicator light for the main tank to blink for some time. We had done 483 kilometres, towing too; an absolute record and we were starting to think the light had developed a fault. We switched to the sub-tank and managed to make it into Carnarvon without stopping and decanting the jerry cans; 735 kilometres. You may not be impressed, but we certainly were.

As we passed both the northern and the southern access routes to Exmouth, we asked each other yet again if we had changed our minds. “No!” and on we went, having burnt our bridges after the southern turnoff.

We crossed over the Tropic of Capricorn halfway between those turnoffs, the fourth time we have done so. The RACQ map I have on my lap as we travel covers the entire state of Western Australia and about here we reached the bottom of one side. I suspect the southern half of the State will require a lot more time than we have spent exploring the northern half.

Today there were many road killed kangaroos lining the road, and quite a few over-size loads hogging the highway. Our CB radio came into its own as we approached these obstacles, well warned and in communication with the pilot vehicles. It is interesting to note that the language on the CB radios in Western Australia so far is far more courteous and friendly than that heard in coastal Queensland. We have frequently turned the radio off when the dirty mouths the truckies and ute drivers has become too offensive. Perhaps the standard will deteriorate as we close in on Perth, but for now we will leave the radio operating as we travel and use it as was intended. It is an excellent safety tool.

Carnarvon is situated on the 764 kilometre long Gasgoigne River, just a wide sand bed near the town.  This, like the Castlereigh we encountered in our first year of travel, is an upside down river, and the water supply that nourishes the horticultural industry in the area, is drawn up from the underground aquifers.

The population is reported to be somewhere between 8,600 and 14,500, all rather uncertain; perhaps it depends whether the grey nomads are counted or not. The town is a popular wintering location for southern pensioners who come to avoid arthritis brought on by the cold; the average annual temperature is 26 degrees.

We drove on to the Visitor Centre and sussed out the caravan tariffs, all assured to be up-to-date and accurate. This one was reported to be the cheapest and as such rose to the top of the list. Here we were greeted by a friendly chap who reminded me of Crocodile Dundee and we were soon assisted on to our site and tempted to stay the week offered at reduced rates. We have settled for three days, but who knows how long we will really stay.