DISABLED DRAWBACKS

The interaction of people in caravan parks, and free stops, can be one of the highlights of travelling.

Simon and Jax, a younger couple, came from Wangaratta, Vic., and they’d just taken a week to drive over the Nullarbor to Kalgoorlie. Yesterday morning Simon dropped Jax off for her to take a tour of the Super-Pit, while he was left a list, he said, of the chores to do. One item was the week’s washing.

Not difficult, you say, as the laundries are well equipped with good washing machines. Except Simon is in a wheelchair. Whilst the caravan park has a bathroom for the disabled, when Simon tried to negotiate the laundry, the steps prevented his access. He enlisted our help, and very soon the washing was done and we all pegged it on the slightly lower line.

While having a cuppa [Jax wasn’t back yet] he told us his injury was caused by falling 50 metres down the side of a cliff when he was abseiling. ‘Could have been a whole lot worse’ he said cheerily.

Their car and caravan had been adapted to accommodate the wheelchair, and they made a great team when hooking the car to the ‘van. They both work, although he’s not a teacher any more, and had 5 weeks leave to visit the wildflowers in the southern part of W.A. They don’t let Simon’s disability hinder their plans.

Then the three guys from Skateboard Australia befriended us. They spent Sunday teaching the local youth how to skate. This morning they headed west, to drive for eight hours out the Grand Central Road to a community past Warburton, to take a new activity and skill to the young people living out there.

RANDOM RAMBLINGS

v  1000 ROAD TRAINS per day leave Perth and travel up the Great Northern Highway.

v  Driving OFF the Great Northern Highway is much less stressful, and you can admire the abundant grevilleas, hakeas and other wildflowers.

v  In W.A. the truckies all talk politely to each other and other motorists on the UHF, and are courteous and helpful … unlike the ones on the Bruce Highway!

v  We’ve observed a mining map of projects in W.A. … it seems the whole State is being mined.

v   “Off-road” to some motorists merely means no bitumen.