Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Second attempt to download photos
We are amazed at the capabilities of the Cruiser (climbing the rock before in 2WD, not even trying). On the next picture, driving on the beach, again 2WD.
The very dark sky before the temperature dropped from 44 degrees to 14 in about an hour, with first bees attacking, then lightning, rain and ripping winds. The road to Balladonia should have been closed after 40 mm of rain overnight. Rocks, grease limestone and sand greeted us and often the question was: "To dive or not to dive", not knowing how deep the water was going to be. We had it splashing over the bonnet a few times and it was certainly axle deep.
When we say "remote" in Australia, it means REMOTE. This sign means that along the main road west of Esperance Ted and Bev Hill are very likely the only people living on Koornong Road and just to make sure that they get a few visitors now and then, they put up the sign that you do have to drive 5 kilometers before you find their farm. We later found a town with exactly 4 inhabitants, one family of 3 and one old man living by himself. The nearest towns are small and some 300 km away. They run a pub/motel/restaurant and their daughter studies primary school by internet. On Boxing Day the "neighbours" dropped in for a coffee; they live 150 km away on a farm that measurers around 100 by 200 km; they have sheep and some cattle.
