Day 38 – Mount Barnett Roadhouse

I woke with Nature’s alarm clock at 5:30 and rose at 6 – otherwise there was no water pressure and no hot water. I went to the ablutions but still no water. It came on about 6:10, so then I had my shower. I had some drink and then headed off onto the Manning Gorge. I crossed the Rubicon (well, the waterhole) on a punt with two others and then walked with them along the walk. Conflicting information arose – different places said 1 ½ hours return and 1½ hours each way. As it turned out, 1½ hours each way was correct. I left at 6:45 and got there at 8:05. I didn’t walk all the way, but near enough. I returned after 10 minutes absorbing the scenery and photographing it. I was one of the first to return, so passed a few who wanted to know how far it was (as it turned out, I wasn’t far wrong). I got back to the waterhole at 9:10 (Lynn was in swimming) and was back at camp by 9:15. Later in the morning I drove up to get a hamburger for breakfast (very filling) and about noon drove up with Lynn for her lunch (also a hamburger). During the day I was drinking a lot, a quite a bit of water. A couple from the Variety Bash of WA drove in, but after talking to them, they didn’t know an ex-student of mine who is involved similarly. Lynn went back into the water and I spoke to a couple from Austria who have become addicted to visiting Australia (in the early evening he entertained the camp playing a saxophone). Then I spoke to a chap from Perth and his friend who had been studying drama in Sydney and was interested in motorcycles, owning a Honda 250 Spider. Back at the camp we spoke to neighbours who had the same tent and swapped ideas. We had some tea, I loaded up photos and wrote up my blog and later we were off to sleep.