Ian took the wheel this morning, drove around tourist route 12 back into Hervey Bay as we were trying to leave it and inadvertently discovered a bit more to it. Still, driving along the front reminded me of Nuka'alofa. We had disputed where we were likely to end up on our journey along route 12, given yesterdays adventures in Maryborough, and the fact that I was right, on this rare occasion, earned me a hot chocolate 2 hours later, in a nasty little cafe in a nasty little place and tasted revolting. The 'frothy' milk had barely boiled and soon dispersed to form a custard like skin on the surface. Hmmm. [Editors Note: we later discovered that the nasty little place was Childers, the sie of the youth hostel fire in 2000.]
Our next stop was on the way out of the nasty little place to a public toilet, another facility invaded by ants. This reminded me to bring up the subject of the yellow syringe metal containers mounted on the walls in public toilets. I have seen them in most women public toilets throughout Australia and in one YHA hostel. Ian has only seen one box in the mens public toilets which was today. Neither of us know what they are for and I can only suspect they are for the disposal of hyperdermic needles, but is this suggesting that there are a lot of drug abusers in the country and worse still, are they a majority of female abusers?
Rockhampton, at a staggering 35 degrees, offered a brief respite from state highway 1 in the form of a McDonalds and a chance to reflect on the devastation that is engulfing Australia presently. In Ian's words, 'everywhere we have been in Australia is being devastated.' The Thredbo and Kosciuszko National Park bush fires, Canberra bush fires, Broken Hill water shortage whereby they are now down to eight per cent capacity in their water supply, Sydney rail disaster in Waterfall and south Queensland bush fires. Tomorrow, cyclone Beni is due to reach the east coast of Queensland. I sincerely hope that we have not in some psychic way been responsible for any of these tragic events, but the fact that they appear to be following us, in the same order that we have visited these places, doesn't look good! What will await us when we head back south to Brisbane in a couple of weeks?
We took the opportunity to switch drivers and progressed north on state highway 1 to Mackay, 784 kilometres from Hervey Bay, seeing a dingo by the roadside just beyond Marlborough. I saw him from a distance, watching us as we approached and I slowed the car, watching him watching us. He waited patiently the other side of the road, and as soon as we had passed by, admiring how well and smart he looked, he leisurely crossed the road, just in time as oncoming traffic drove past where he had been standing. He was golden in colour and looked like a very well cared for dog.
At the YHA in Mackay there are little geckos running around outside our room, scratching around the verandah in the dry fallen leaves. They are only two inches long and look just like miniature goannas. I can hear them from inside our room, making the familiar cackling sound we so often heard in Nuka'alofa.
The heat rash that appeared on my right hand has worsened today. Small, itchy lumps, resembling insect bites, have now appeared on my elbows, forearm and knuckles and have been driving me crazy today! So far, I have resisted the temptation to scratch.
It's 19:00 and still 34 degrees...
Copyright 2003 Helen Fuller. All rights reserved.