Overnight in Meeka. Like many caravan parks this one was on the Great Northern Highway. RIGHT on the GNH. And we had the distinction of the closest sites to the GNH. To say the draft of passing trucks shook our beds is not exaggerating.
I have it on the good authority of Paul Kelly that 57 trucks passed in the night. I guess he’d know coz he lay in his swag counting them as they ruffled his hair in passing. If you ask him, he could also tell you how many fuelled up at the neighbouring BP too. *sigh*
A quick stop in Foodworks to restock and we’re off to Cue and Mt Magnet. Brett has arranged a visit to some aboriginal sites around Cue after which The Touring Party will split.
* Reg and Coral will head for Perth.
* Eardleys, Seinors, Cooks, Brett and Paul and Tania and Daz will head for a bush camp out of Cue and then resume the tour to Sandstone.
* The rest of the group (Stratfords, Gerry, Des, Pais, Wayne, Jeffree’s) will head straight for a overnight in Sandstone.
In Cue we encountered a person who could only be Mrs Congeniality’s mouthy, disgruntled relative. Gawd. What a dragon and not good for town relations.
We headed out to Big Bell. A ghost town 30km from Cue. The most incongruous Art Deco pub still remains. It’s very sad to see unique outback heritage abandoned, rotting and trashed by vandals.
From here we went to Walga Rock which has wonderful aboriginal rock art despite the attempts by authorities to preserve it. Then finally the drive up to the Wilgi Mia ochre mine where Brett had been given permission from the Elders to visit.
We approached in the dusk and promptly took a wrong turn ending up in a beautiful, but tricky site. The track deteriorated quickly and with no opportunity to turnaround the bigger vehicles were quickly hemmed in. Brett found a spot for the Cook’s big van to await daylight. The nimble As had no problem, but it was still a miracle that there were no punctures or mishaps.
Campfire, beers and a quiet night recovering from the journey.