Category: 2Cs Not OverCs

Wednesday 9 October

Garry is up this morning and looking surprisingly sprightly.  He has bounced back well.

Cherrie and I go for an early morning walk.

We pass the local mechanic

I’m intrigued to know how you can leave without picking up your butt

We keep our eyes down in some areas

And steer clear of others

The boab trees are huge, and quite wonderful

And the mangos are just ripening

Later, we six take a leisurely walk through town, going our separate ways.  It’s hot and steamy but the pearl shops are very nicely air conditioned.  And the wallets are tightly closed.

We return home for lunch and a swim in the pool.  Garry is particularly enjoying his swim and relaxing in the rhythm of his strokes.  Until he realises both hearing aids are in.  Fortunately he’s brought his old, spare, ones with him.

Buoyed by all of us being well, we head off to Cable Beach for sunset drinks and dinner at the nice looking restaurant on the beach.  Never judge a book by it’s cover they say.

The sunset was spectacular though

 

The dinner was less so.  Very ordinary food, but lovely company.

Then Watto started to feel unwell.  We were ready to go home and that’s what we did.

Thursday 10 October

Awoke early to a message from Watto that she and Graham have both been struck down by the Great Southern Rail lurgy and could we please get them some lemonade and Gastrolyte, which of course we do.   Garry is unwell again too.

After cheering Di up by referring to her as ‘the sitting duck’ Cherrie and I drive to the Broome Port and walk along the pier.  It’s very pretty country here and the water is the most magnificent azure colour.

We have a gorgeous swim at Cable Beach where the water is warm (26 degrees) and very salty.  It really is a most beautiful beach, and not a snake in sight.  Returning home mid-morning,  the Taylor’s have not been sighted, poor things, Garry is bed so it’s just Cherrie, me and the sitting duck relaxing at home.

When everyone is better we may go for a camel ride.

What could possibly go wrong?

Sunday 6 October

A very quiet day in the comfort of Watto and Graham’s home.  A small bowl of white rice for me, just as we do for the dog when she is sick, and a piece of toast for Cherrie.  We keep them down.  This is progress.  Garry and Di land in Perth at 3.30pm and Watto collects them from their airport hotel and brings them home for dinner.  She has made chicken soup for us and a delicious looking moussaka for them.  Her freezer is full to overflowing, since there was a family dinner planned for last night but we had to pull the plug on that.

We are all tired so the McDonald’s take a taxi to their hotel at abut 8pm (11pm for them, of course) and I go to bed.  Cherrie follows soon after.

 Monday 7 October

Mercifully we feel well enough to fly today.  We meet Garry & Di at the airport and fly to Broome.  I have not eaten anything, not prepared to take the risk with a flight, but I make it fine.  We collect our cars at the airport and drive to the house which will be home for the next week.  Another ‘luxury’ experience with a list of defects as long as my arm.  I have long arms.  But the property manager deals quickly and efficiently with as many as she can and I save the rest for a letter.

We knew the house overlooked Roebuck Bay but what we didn’t know was that the main view is a caravan park

Having delivered our bags to our various bedrooms and surveyed the pantry we head into town where we ALL partake in lunch.  Cherrie and I eat an actual meal.  No grog yet.

The Coles Supermarket is very devoid of fresh food but we gather enough for a BBQ dinner and plans to check out Woolies tomorrow.

Another early night.  Another grog free night.

Tuesday 8 October

A RETCH-ED START Garry has caught the bug.  He has been throwing up, and the other thing, all day.  Cherrie and I feel dreadful that we have passed this on to him.  We were so careful not to touch anyone or anything that could contaminate but clearly we have failed.  Watto, who is a very senior nurse, tells me not to beat myself up about it (and she’s tough…if there was something to beat myself up about she would most certainly encourage me).  Under her supervision we are all on a OCD hand washing routine now and praying that no one else succumbs.  Great Southern Rail has a lot to answer for.

Cherrie and I read and relax today, we even have a swim in the pool.   We had to wait for the pool men to come and extricate the bag of rubbish from the bottom of the pool, remove a few toys and the odd badminton shuttle, turn the heater off, which was set to a rehabilitating 32 degrees, vacuum and correct chemical balance.  It was actually quite a pleasant swim,  but exhausting so we had to lie down again!  Interrupted only by the man to fix the lock which doesn’t work and replace the 7 light globes which have blown, along with some other minor fixes.

Meanwhile, Garry is confined to bed and Di is tending to him and reading.

Watto and Graham go to Cable Beach

And swim with the snakes (told you she was tough).

Hopefully tomorrow we can start with a clean sweep.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-05/massive-gastro-outbreak-on-the-indian-pacific-train/11576620

Wednesday 2 October 2019

We’ve paid an obscene amount of money to take the Indian Pacific from Sydney to Perth.  We knew we’d be spending a lot of time on it.  Due to depart Central Station at 1.20pm, we commenced the departure at 2.50pm.  This is a bit of an experiment this trip, according to Zeph, our guard, (probably referred to as a concierge in this class), because this is the longest train ever.  It has 38 carriages, which means that it doesn’t fit into Central so carriages have to be shunted on at Redfern and Clyde.  As I write this, it’s 4pm.  We are stationery at Clyde.  Clyde is 17kms from Central.  We’ve been on board for 2 ½ hours.  We are due in Perth on Saturday afternoon.  We may be there by Monday.  Perhaps.  No wifi on the train, so this blog will be posted when next we get signal.  All hail to the NBN.

Still at Clyde, we go up to the Lounge at 4.30 and started drinking.  Nothing else to do on the train!  Our new best friends, a Swedish couple celebrating their 25^th wedding anniversary are Lars (Larsh) and Aase (Arse-a). Finally, the train moves.  It’s 5.30pm. We weave our way up the Blue Mountains, just in time for nightfall.   We introduce the Swedes to Aussie wines (good list) dine with them,  and describe what they would see if it were daylight.  Before we make our way back to the cabin and the made up bed we are advised by the ebullient female crew that we are behind schedule (d’oh) by 3 hours and not able to partake in our previously booked Broken Hill tour.  However, we will be allowed off the train to stretch our legs on the platform.  Cherrie says no!  She’s gone looking for a leash.

We glimpse Bathurst as we turn in for the night.

It’s a long way to Perth.

Thursday 3 October

Awoke to red country.  Cherrie dons her complimentary dressing gown and proceeds to the little tea station down the corridor and makes us a cuppa.  Its 6am and we have no idea where we are.  A couple of hours east of Broken Hill.  We tried for Broken Hill last year, but only made the Swan one.

At 8am we pull into the station.  The train is too long for this very long platform so we are directed to a carriage up front to disembark.  And against all advice from many, disembark I do.  Carefully, and obediently.

We walk the length of the platform

and admire the cultural sites of this outback mining town

As we pull out of Broken Hill we spy a huge solar farm.  Panels as far as the eye can see

 

This is the first of many renewable energy farms, solar and wind, we see across SA 

Through red, rocky, rough country where the odd sheep is picking at dirt, into SA and lush cropping country.  Such a difference in a relatively short time.  We’ve eaten lunch, waved our Swedes off on their Barossa side trip from Two Wells (none sighted) and now en route to Adelaide, where everyone has to leave the train while the cars are serviced (wheels changed etc).  Disembark 3pm, embark 9-9.30pm.  We have chosen a tour of the SA Museum as our side trip, with dinner there.

Adelaide’s Gift

We are bussed to the Museum, where we undertake a fascinating tour of fossils, animals, Aboriginal artefacts etc, all of which had come from areas through which our train travels. It was a delight and our volunteer guide was great. Canapes and champagne (I use that term lightly) followed, and then upstairs to the Pacific Art Gallery for dinner and a lecture from a particularly dull scientist whose speciality is terrestrial invertebrates.  Don’t get me started.  I did ask one question, which was immediately dismissed.  Our scientist had spent some time in the Antarctic.  I have always pronounced it Ant-artcic but I have noticed recently that others pronounce it An-tartic.  His answer was that the Americans say ‘Anartic”.  Thanks Dr.

We are hurried back to the bus and arrive at the train terminal at 8.20pm.  Where we sit until 10pm.  Hopeless.  Back on board, Adelaide’s gift kicked in.  Apparently, there is a virus out of Adelaide which has occasionally made its way onto the Indian Pacific.  Novovirus.  It seems that I might have been the one to bring it back.  Without too much detail, it is a doozy.  Vomiting and diarrhoea all night.  6 hours straight.  I was in isolation all day Friday, which suited me fine.

Friday 4 October

With me laid low, I missed the two off board excursions today.  30 minutes in the town of Cook, population 4.  Men.  Not much in Cook,  40 degrees at 1pm.

An incentive to obey the rules of the 4 men.   Cook Jail

We’re now on the Nullabor.

Tonight is dinner under the stars at Rawlinna.  Cherrie says it was an amazing feat of logistics.   There are no platforms at Cook or Rawlinna, so all passengers are corralled to one of 4 doors to disembark. Train staff set up two long tables to seat the 250 passengers, white cloths, wine glasses, food cooked on the train and served on platters.  Roast lamb, potatoes, pumpkin, coleslaw and mint sauce.  Not many stars because of clouds, a sliver of moon and a nice experience.

Saturday 5 October

We’ve crossed the Nullabor and passed through Kalgoorlie in the dead of night.
Awake to marginal farming country with sand and salt.

I emerge from my bed to the restaurant for a cup of tea and half a piece of toast.  However, within minutes of breakfast, Cherrie falls ill.  The gift that keeps on giving has taken her hard too.  What a pair.  Not the beginning of the holiday we had planned, but at least we’ve got beyond Day 2.  Unlike the last attempt.  We both spend the day in bed, and our dear friend Watto (well, Watto to us, Christine to everyone else….her maiden name was Watson, see?) collects us from the train with bowls and towels at the ready. I am feeling more human now, Cherrie has a way to go.

The Indian Pacific is a fabulous journey with wonderful staff who have looked after us very well.  The train has been behind schedule most of the time, due to the extra carriages which have proven to be more of a challenge than anticipated I think.  The only criticism we can make is the time management, everything else great.  Regrettable that we missed half the trip due to illness but it could have been worse!  We are now tucked into a comfortable bed in Perth, with wifi at last and so a post.

To Broome on Monday.  No disasters planned.  Illness behind us.

55 weeks after our last attempt to cross the continent, we’re having another go.  This time on the train.  Cherrie says I’m not allowed to get off the train!  We are meeting last year’s travel companions, Garry and Di, in Perth and reuniting with the parents of last year’s bride (the whole reason for that trip, but of course we missed the wedding because of the little mishap) and the six of us are heading to Broome.  There may or may not be blog material, but given our track record of travels with the McDonald’s the odds are high.

We board the train on Wednesday.  A blog may follow.

Cheers!