Well, I’m just back from my first outback excursion. I drove about 20kms out of town to the Simpson Gap. A gap is what they call a break between two plateau mountains. I was up before dawn and headed out to catch sunrise over the desert. I didn’t make it to the top of the before sunrise, but just moments after as it cracked the horizon. I hiked just a short 1.5 km hike to the top of Cassia Hill, where I had a panoramic 360° view of the Larapinta Valley. The weather was gorgeous, just a breath of wind, and long before the heat of the desert. I started out with a sweater on, but within moments it wasn’t necessary as I began to climb upwards. There was quite an abundance of green in the desert, quite unexpected, but I’m told they usually only get a couple of inches of rain per year and this year they got half a metre. So there is grass everywhere where there usually isn’t.
As I was charging up the bush trail to the summit, I had been coming across spider threads here and there, just a line or two, and then before I knew it, I was wrapped up in a huge web, spider included. It was not as big as a tarantula, but it was BIG ENOUGH. I don’t know if it was poisonous…must remember to get an outback book that details this necessary information…later on up the trail, I came across another, and stopped in enough time to take photos, instead of flailing about screaming in the desert to get this damn spider off me. The spider was apparently laying eggs in the web, and now that I saw that, I realized I was not only covered in web before, but spider eggs…great. After a closer inspection of my clothes, I flung off more spider eggs…showering was in order when arriving home! I came across a few more webs, but no more spiders, thankfully.
The hills were amazing once the sun struck the redness of the rock cliffs. I couldn’t get over the quietness of the day as well, could hear a pin drop, and the occasional songbird. The desert flowers were just coming into bloom, with an array of colors. I’ll have to return in a week or two to see what has transformed. When I was first at the Simpson Gap, I could hear voices of other hikers on a different trail, but didn’t see them anywhere. They were likely down in the bush of the trail.
The gum trees were impressive, and gorgeous when the sun hit their stark white bark. Australia has a whole new group of trees to enjoy! I snapped photo after photo against the brilliant blue sky.
Driving back to town I stopped for some McBreakfast and discovered severely inflated prices. I had a sausage McMuffin, two hashbrowns and orange juice (they did not carry white milk) and it was $9!!! I nearly shit my pants. So I know where I shall not be returning…no real loss anyhow as I need to steer clear of those fatty foods anyway.
Then just as I am on my way home, my lead food caught the watchful eye of the local police who pulled me over in short order. Great. My first Australian speeding ticket. It was just $100 which was a relief. I was going 88km in a 70km zone and they knocked it down to 85 to lower the ticket. If that wasn’t bad enough, when they ran the plate they discovered that my rental car had expired plates, and was not currently registered. Great. Thanks Thrifty’s Rental Car. That ticket was not so cheap - $200!!! They also informed me that I could not drive the car any longer, and must get an officer to drive it home, and they would give me a lift back to my place. Nice. Showing up at home in a police car…what would the neighbours say? Not that I cared particularly, as I usually don’t. They further informed me that should the car have been involved in an accident, I would be the one held liable, not Thrifty’s! Needless to say there was a hasty call to Thrifty’s to unravel this mess. They tried to tell me that Western Australia plates do not have a sticker (as the car had WA plates, not NT) but the police were not going by the sticker, they ran the plates through their system and the plates came up unregistered to a vehicle. Terrific. Thrifty’s now has a $200 charge to pay because I surely am not!
So, while the day had a glorious start, the mood was soon spoiled by police business. Yuck.
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