For much of the pandemic I haven't even had an actual pair of shoes...just a pair of thongs. Also, I can count the number of times I've worn a jumper on one hand. I've received my first jab, and I'm ready for this ever-lasting pandemic to finally be over. Well, in a few weeks I'm off to Christmas Island for the annual red crab migration. With the flight leaving from Perth, it meant I would have to hitchhike the length of Australia to get there. I could just make it easy and get on a plane, but why not do it in a way that Chris Farrell enjoys doing things: the hard way.
I told myself that I have to stop pulling all-nighters whilst hitchhiking. If I don't get a lift by about 6 PM, it means it's time to get the tent out. In the scorching north Australian sun, I'm roasting inside the tent by about 8 AM, so it pays to go to sleep early. A few days ago I set out from Airlie Beach, and went to Townsville via Reid River. From there I made it as far as Hughenden, where I ended up at Lights on the Hill Roadhouse. Free showers, coffee, and tea were appealing, as were a couple of shade trees to pitch my tent beneath. Making it as far as Mt. Isa the next day, a brown snake would freak me out! I haven't seen many snakes in all the time I've spent in Australia but brown snakes are some of the most venomous. I even warned the lady working at the servo to watch her step. The following morning I got a lift straight away with a man named Tony, driving to Alice Springs. Along the way we saw two emus crossing the road. I'm surprised that I've only ever seen three wild emus in total. Whilst I've told myself to enjoy this journey, I was somewhat in a hurry to get out of Queensland because WA still regards the state as a "low risk" zone, meaning I'd have to self-isolate unless I've been in the Northern Territory (NT) and/or South Australia for a combined 14 days before entering WA. I finally reached the NT a few days ago, making it as far as Three Ways Roadhouse.
When I met Jo several years ago, this is where she dropped me whilst she continued her journey to Tiaro (I was off to Adelaide). Tony decided to call it a day here as well and finish the journey the next day. Despite being at a major junction to Darwin, Adelaide, and Brisbane, this isn't the best roadhouse. There was absolutely no hot food on display, and they charge $17 just to pitch a tent even if you don't have a vehicle. What was worse is that the weather was fickle; lightning, thunder, and rain were brewing all around us. A group of five guys were in the swimming pool, and less than five minutes after they got out, a huge bolt of lightning stuck a tree next to the pool, bringing a large part of it down. Lightning is one of those things I don't mess with: I get out of the pool straight away if I start to hear thunder. I love to watch lightning but certainly don't like to be in it. I snapped my first ever photo with lightning.
With very little sleep due to noise, rain, and lightning, getting a lift north was tricky. I did make as far as Daly Waters Pub. Some pubs are famous simply for being famous but Daly Waters is definitely a step up.
The only disappointment is there is no wifi. A group even recognized me from Airlie Beach and asked me to join them. An awesome couple named Ash and Claire would pick me up the following morning. Along the way I was thinking of stopping at Mataranka Thermal Springs but it turned out they and their two children were planning to stop there anyway. These relaxing springs and a delicious lunch was the highlight of Mataranka.
Ash and Claire are on their way to live in an Indigenous community in Arnhem Land, where Ash has a job contract. They dropped me in Katherine where I got a lift straight away to Darwin.
Over the past several days I've hitchhiked more than 3,000 kilometres and, in the words of my friend Chrisney, I "smashed it out quick." Since I'm now in the NT, I can take my time a bit more. For the past couple of days I've been in Darwin. Whilst I'll admit that Darwin isn't my favourite place, but it's a good place to rest up and get provisions before continuing the big journey. A large chunk of this journey is complete, and I still have a much larger chunk of the Outback road to go.
