Eh ... Unfortunately, it was time to slowly get back to Sydney slowly. Almost 2,000 kilometers of the way back are ahead of us.
We were sad to leave the heavenly Airlie Beach, but filled with good memories, we packed quickly, ate breakfast in the hostel kitchen and after checking out we hit the road. That day we decided to take our time but we did 520 km anyway. We spent the whole day on the road. Every now and then we stopped for a little break and coffee or we drove along the empty roads admiring the expanses of the outback we passed while chewing beef jerky and listening to the country music. The radio signal was disappearing every now and then (after all we were in nowhere) and we had to look for a new station every time. So we were very surprised when at some point we found a radio that broadcast news in Polish! Poles are everywhere!😊
From time to time the sky darkened. The long-awaited rain was falling on this desiccated land. Considering that we are inevitably approaching the fire zone again, the drops falling from the sky gave us hope that fire situation can finally change at last. But also the information that was reaching us wasn't very nice. After returning to Sydney, we wanted to take our guests to one of our favorite parks, Paramatta Park, where thousands, but thousands of bats hang from the trees. Unfortunately, three days earlier it was 47°C in Sydney and the animals had suffered from heat stroke and did not survive. There were hundreds of them on the ground.
And so a bit with the hearts in the mouths, but a bit excited we went further to explore Australia. The more so because the plan for the return was not to go along the coast, but just go a little inland to see what it was like to live in this "innerland". But first we again had to get out of the tourist zone. After a few hours we found ourselves again in front of Rockhampton (where we were crossing the Tropic of Capricorn), but this time we were interested about the signs pointing to "Capricorn Caves". It was terribly hot, so a walk through the cool interior of the caves might have give a bit of a refreshment. Unfortunately, not this time. Visiting the caves is only with a guide, and he has already gone home. And the hour-long trip cost $40 per person, so a bit expensive for Polish onion. But today I wish we had decided to stay there overnight and visit these caves, because they look amazing in the pictures.
On the way, we passed a graveyard of old cars. It was a driveway to someone's ranch (as the sign said: "Smile, you are in camera") but we couldn't help take a few photos. Because the atmosphere was unearthly.
We moved on. We had to bypass the city and slowly look for accommodation. Again, WikiCamps and Google were launched on three phones and the search began. Too expensive here, too far here, it will soon be dark here, there is no toilet here, too many people here, etc. Finally, the name Alkoomi Adventure Farm caught my eye. A real Australian farm?! Why not?! A quick phone call from the route - is there a place and what the price - OMG - only $ 5 per person !!!). And soon we were going to the very nice Aussies familily to spent there night! By the way, it was fun to drive through this wilderness:
What a beautiful place it was! The host took care of every detail. Under the ranch-style shelter there was a large wooden table with heavy chairs, the walls of the shed were decorated with old cattle marking tools, a horse harness and information about the creation of the farm and their owners. Next to it there was a beautiful old chest of drawers, and a bit further there was a grill and a rainwater faucet. Horses were grazing behind the fence and somewhere in the pasture cattle. There was a fantastically prepared place for a common bonfire (unfortunately, there was a total fire ban), and huge but gentle shepherd dogs and one small passive-aggressive. In addition, everything eco: water tanks, solar panels, recycling and as little chemicals as possible.
We pitched our tents, even put up our awning for the first time, under which we could protect ourselves from the warm, gently rain. With chairs next to a table and a small lamp we were admiring the starry sky and soak up the silence.
But what was the best part ?! Steaks. Fresh, genuine Australian steaks straight from the farm. For $ 5, everyone got a packet of meat with steak and a sausage, and for the morning we bought 12 fresh real rural eggs!
What a taste .....
Late in the evening we moved to the awning of our car to drink a beer and not disturb anyone at night with our talking. We stared at the stars for a while, patted full bellies and went to sleep. In the morning we got up and our court chef prepared breakfast (acctually, I feel sorry Marcin, he is always preparing food gor everyone during trips, but from time to time nothing will happen to him 😊). Scrambled eggs with 12 fresh eggs and a cup of coffee made everyone feel good. We packed our stuff, thanked the host for the nice reception and promised to give the best reviews of this place wherever we could. I don't know about the others, but I haven't done it yet. This place is so secluded, atmospheric, peaceful and quiet, without wild crowds that I think I will keep it a secret. So, you guys don't tell anyone! 😊
And finally, for lazy people that they don't want to read all this post, a summarizing short clip:
Music: Going Up The Country - Cannet Head
Comments