17th,18th, 19th July, 2009
Finally – Birdsville. All we wanted was to have a hot shower and get to the pub. By the time we set up camp we found out that if you hadn’t ordered dinner by 6:00 pm, you would be waiting for ever for your meal. So we didn’t have a shower, just went filthy to the pub. We changed our clothes (had to as we’d been wearing them every day for the last 5 days), but that’s all. Dirty body, dirty hair – what was new? Gee it felt good to be out.
Second day was full of washing clothes and bed sheets and generally cleaning up. I had a washing line incident where someone had taken all our clothes off the line and piled them up with someone else's clothes, so that they could hang their wet washing up overnight when it wouldn't dry anyway! I had many words at them and for the rest of our stay at Birdsville I was imagining ladies running scared and hiding everytime I approached the amenities block. I was not a happy camper - it's just not the way we do things. The red sand was everywhere, even our scalps were red from the constant build up of layers of sand.
That night, we went out to the pub again as they were playing the second Bledisloe Cup game. First rugby game we've seen. Couldn’t believe we were watching Rugby in Birdsville. This night – far too many Cidars! FM17 were leaving the next day, so it was "let’s have many for the road (but only one West Coast Cooler)".
Third day – a very sad good-bye to the FM17 crew. Then more tidying up. We moved into a room for the night and watched TV. How luxurious. That morning, Steve took the boys into the Mens to brush their teeth. While Steve was in the loo, a man was standing next to Dan at the mirrors shaving his head. Anyone who knows Dan can imagine how that conversation went – Steve crept out in silence not wanting to own up to him.
Now it’s time to head to the Plenty Highway back to Alice Springs for Dan’s 5th Birthday.
Finally – Birdsville. All we wanted was to have a hot shower and get to the pub. By the time we set up camp we found out that if you hadn’t ordered dinner by 6:00 pm, you would be waiting for ever for your meal. So we didn’t have a shower, just went filthy to the pub. We changed our clothes (had to as we’d been wearing them every day for the last 5 days), but that’s all. Dirty body, dirty hair – what was new? Gee it felt good to be out.
Second day was full of washing clothes and bed sheets and generally cleaning up. I had a washing line incident where someone had taken all our clothes off the line and piled them up with someone else's clothes, so that they could hang their wet washing up overnight when it wouldn't dry anyway! I had many words at them and for the rest of our stay at Birdsville I was imagining ladies running scared and hiding everytime I approached the amenities block. I was not a happy camper - it's just not the way we do things. The red sand was everywhere, even our scalps were red from the constant build up of layers of sand.
That night, we went out to the pub again as they were playing the second Bledisloe Cup game. First rugby game we've seen. Couldn’t believe we were watching Rugby in Birdsville. This night – far too many Cidars! FM17 were leaving the next day, so it was "let’s have many for the road (but only one West Coast Cooler)".
Third day – a very sad good-bye to the FM17 crew. Then more tidying up. We moved into a room for the night and watched TV. How luxurious. That morning, Steve took the boys into the Mens to brush their teeth. While Steve was in the loo, a man was standing next to Dan at the mirrors shaving his head. Anyone who knows Dan can imagine how that conversation went – Steve crept out in silence not wanting to own up to him.
Now it’s time to head to the Plenty Highway back to Alice Springs for Dan’s 5th Birthday.
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