FRIDAY 12 SEPTEMBER   ADELS GROVE TO KINGFISHER CAMP   112kms

We left the van, basically as it was when we finished work yesterday – bit of a mess!

We’d only had to pack some clothes, items like toiletries, cameras, the doona and pillows, and some foodstuffs. I’d asked the boss to order in a few items for me, like canteloupe, and that had come on this week’s supply truck.

I bought some food from the shop and took some of my van stock – hopefully it would be enough to tide us over. I couldn’t keep frozen meat packs for long, with just the Chescold as a fridge, so would rely on rice and pasta as staples.

Drove to Kingfisher Camp – over the now-familiar route through Lawn Hill Station. The track had not deteriorated much over the season – the road crew did good work. No doubt it would need repair after the next wet season, though.

On the way past Bowthorn homestead, called in to say goodbye to the sisters, for this year. They instructed the caretakers at KFC that we were to camp free – as a thank-you for all the books of Kerry’s that I’d sold, this season. Very nice of them – but it seems we were now honorary locals.

This time spent in the Gulf country had changed my concept of “neighbours”. It was a vast neighbourhood but it was amazing how news and information got around. Over the course of the season, I’d had to contact people who lived hundreds of kms away – but they knew who I was and where I was working!

At KFC, chatted to the caretakers for a short time, then went on and set up the tent on the lovely, grassed camp area.

Then we went for a walk around the camp area, which did not seem to have changed since last year. It really was a beautiful campground.

It was wonderful to be “off duty” and going off to play tourist, in our turn, for a little while. I felt relaxed already.