I’m chillin’ out in hot sweaty Darwin for the rest of the day, so I thought I would take some time to answer those questions that have been piling up.:
Dana asked: “So what exactly is a tent slum?”
I’ve been camping for 3 weeks now, in a variety of places. The very best spots have seemed private, with the most amount of space between other campers and me. The very worst spots have had me cramped in between an endless sea of tents on an open lawn with no shade. That’s what I call a tent slum.
Nancy asked: “Where do [the campers] come from?”
Most campers I’ve met seem to come from Europe and Australia. Lots of Germans, Italians, some French, and a fair number of Canadians. I haven’t seen many Americans at all. Of course, Australians love their country, so there are plenty of them.
Nancy asked: “How do you eat between stops?”
I usually gut a live animal or fry up some road kill to meet my protein needs.
Okay, maybe not… As for food, I eat lots of instant noodles, rice, pasta, sardines, baked beans, chilli, and other creative meals that either come in a can or come in a packet that just needs water. I have a great little lightweight cooker I use. I also try to pack lots of fruit (fresh and dried) and nuts. Sometimes I buy salads if they sell them pre-made in the towns I pass through. I also have granola bars and / or museli for breakfast. UHT (Ultra High Temperature) Milk is big in Oz, and the best kind you can find comes in single serve containers. You don’t need to refridgerate it, so it’s great for tea or cereal.
Nancy asked: “Is this the main road [you are talking about] or is there [an] alternative?”
There are usually no alternatives for sealed roads around Australia. In fact, there are only two sealed (paved) roads into and out of Western Australia, which is about the size of Alaska. There is only one road at the top, and one at the bottom. On the other hand, there are plenty of dirt tracks crossing in diagonal directions, but my car wouldn’t be able to cope on them.
Andrew asked: “Is there any chance of you posting photos at some point?”
I’ve been shooting lots of pictures, but they are hard to get online while I’m on the road. I have been burning them on CDs for safekeeping and mailing them back to my P.O. Box in North Fremantle. At some point when I’m settled somewhere I will add them to this blog.
Nancy asked: “Broome sounds interesting. How large a city is it?”
Broome was probably more tourists than residents. I don’t think more than a few thousand people live there year-round. Downtown Broome consisted of a single main intersection with one block of shop in each direction. It was very small. Oddly, the airport was just a few blocks away. Planes would come sheiking in over the tiny town to land on a runway that you could literally look down on from the center intersection.
Nancy asked: “Wonder how long you’d wait for help if you had car trouble.”
Australians actually have a very good reputation for helping each other out in remote stretches. I don’t think I would have to wait too long for someone to come along and either offer assistance to go seek it down the road for me. In addition I belong to RAC (like AAA), have lots of spare fuel, lots of spare water, a tow rope, and know never to stay from my car in an emergency (which is easier to spot from a plane than I would be in a worse case scenario).
Leah commented: “I don’t think I even really realized that kangeroos ate grass…I don’t know what I thought but now they seem very deer like to me.”
Yes, kangaroos have always struck me to me the hopping equivalent to deer. The seems to have all the same behavioural patterns besides their mobility. And how they bear their joeys…
