When we woke up this morning, there was frost on our food containers and the olive oil was solidified in the glass bottle. We walked through thigh high grass on a track to reach Cobham Lake while drinking our morning coffees. The wide open space with a water view was just lovely. We packed up camp and drove north. Five kilometres away was a grave and headstone which read:
To the memory of Eliza Kennedy who died in 1886. Her charity covereth a multitude of sins.
Apparently Eliza worked at a tavern as a prostitute and died while trying to save the publican’s daughters who were swimming in the lake. Hence the unusual inscription.
Driving off black top
We’re in big red country now
Passed One Tree Station
We stopped in the town of Tibooburra at midday for a beer at the Family Hotel. Dad had told me that Pugh & McCubbin had painted a few murals on the walls inside the pub so we paid a donation to the RFDS (Royal Flying Doctor Service) to view them. Melissa the publican, born and bred in the town, said to me “I have never been anywhere. And I mean anywhere. But tomorrow I am going to Darwin for a week to see my daughter.”
In one way I have such admiration for people who stay in one town or village for their whole lives because I feel that they must be so content. I on the other hand have travelled to 28 countries, lived in 37 houses in four countries and I still want to travel and explore more and more and more and I feel that my time is running out before I will get to see all the places that I want to visit.
Tibooburra is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘heap of rocks’ and there is a rock heap in the town, well - lovely boulders actually. Explorers Charles Sturt and also Burke and Wills had travelled through the area many moons ago.
We drove the Jump Up Track in Sturt National Park in the far north-west corner of NSW. The track was gibber and there were mesas in the far distance. We were in remote outback country and hadn’t seen any humans or cars for about four hours when our vehicle made a pop and a hissing sound. We all thought a tyre had been pierced by something and we jumped out to take a look. What actually happened was an air filter hose had popped off. Dave put it back on and Dan tightened it with a phillip’s head screwdriver and we were off. No problem! Phew. That could’ve been a lot worse! To stay put or to travel? We almost didn't have the choice. Although Dave purchased a satellite phone before we left Melbourne, so we were always going to be fine.
We hopped back in the car and saw a kangaroo, reclining on the gibber, propped up on his elbow watching us as though a person watching TV. I guess it was a bit of action for him, watching the silly tourists with car issues out here in the back of beyond.
