post from the bush

Erika writes--

G'day. I have no idea whether I can sum up what we've been doing in the last month or so since the last post. We've had no access to the internet since leaving Keith and the farm there. Sometimes, we didn't even have access to grocery stores. We carried enough water for a couple of days, food for a week and a tank of gas. How we got all of that into our little car beats me but we've really needed it all. One time, we didn't get to somewhere with water we could drink for so long that we had to break out the purifier. We've paid to camp in Adelaide, King's Canyon and in Alice Springs for one night but for the remaining time we've been all in the bush. In Australia you can camp along to side of the road or in rest stops, no problems. It's awesome. Somewhat purposefully and somewhat by happy coincidence, we timed the majority of our outback time with a new moon and have been seeing the most incredible night skies ever. I would never have believed how well one can see the Milky Way here.

So here's what we've done:

• saw Adelaide (toured museums and listened to lectures there, toured a chocolate factory and enjoyed samples, toured the Botanic Gardens, etc)
• camped underground in Cooper Pedy (opal mining town. It gets so hot there that they build/dig their houses underground. Also, their churches and everything else.)
• saw the big red rock (Uluru/Ayers Rock. It was cloudy and cold)
• and the Olgas (great, very cool rock formations) and King's Canyon (an oasis that must have looked like paradise to early exploreres, actually part of it is called the Garden of Eden) and the West MacDonell Ranges (beautiful gorges).
• went to the Camel Cup Races in Alice Springs. It was quite the spectacle.
• visited the Devil's Marbles (most of what there is to look at in the Center is rocks of an unusual shape or color. These are giant spheres.)
• went to a camp draft (horse event where you cut a steer and direct it around a course) in Cloncurry while camping out at the dam. Beautiful camp spot and we made friends with the ranger and had a BBQ tea with him and his family several nights. Got to know a few jackaroos.
• At the moment, we are jillerooing at a station north of Cloncurry. Yesterday, we mustered a mob and drafted them to wean the calves. I worked cattle on horse back and had a great time.

In general, life is awesome. We're going to the rodeo this weekend. Next week, we're heading to the coast to be there in time for Kristen's birthday. Hopefully, it will be warm and sunny and we'll dive on the Great Barrier Reef. Hopefully, we won't be killed by: 1. sharks 2. jellyfish 3. sea snakes or 4. saltwater crocs. I'm afraid of all of them.