I’ll be keeping it short and sweet today. Having seen all that Esperance has to offer yesterday, and feeling a need to keep Bethany quiet, we decided to do as little as possible today, so there is very little to report. We didn’t even take the camera out of its case, so don’t go looking for any pictures to put to my words, there is none.

Thankfully Bethany was at least walking on her sore leg this morning, so we don’t think there is any serious damage, but a day of lazing around is still called for. I don’t think there were any complaints, from any of us, when that plan was mooted.

We did still have to head out this morning though, for Bec to be able to take advantage of her two for one massage deal. I dropped her off promptly at 10:00AM, before going in search of a café at which to get a coffee. I soon found myself at the McDonalds, ordering a supersized mug of java, which I enjoyed while sitting in ‘The Beast’ with the dogs, checking my emails. Sadly, I was jolted out of my reverie and reminded of our imminent return home by an email from a work colleague.

After collecting a suitably relaxed Bec, we headed back to the van to work on a shopping plan for this afternoon. We’re in the habit of ducking into the supermarket on a daily basis, buying just enough groceries to last us for the day. We are however, slated to be leaving Esperance tomorrow morning, embarking on the lengthy journey across the Nullarbor Plain. With nothing much more than small general stores littered along the nearly 1500KM stretch between here and the next major town of Ceduna in South Australia, we need to stock the fridge and pantry with enough supplies to see us through multiple days of constant travel. We are estimating that it will take us either 5 or 6 days to complete the crossing, staying mostly at camp areas along the way.

It was well into the afternoon before we ventured out again, armed with a long list of items that needed to be procured on our shopping tour. Walking through the car park to the supermarket, Bec may have ruined any therapeutic effects this mornings massage had on her however, when she nearly snapped her back pouncing on a fluttering $5.00 note that was wafting along the sidewalk. Half expecting someone to swoop from behind, claiming the money as their own, she quickly handed it on to me, leaving me holding the hot potato as she rapidly sidled off. There was no one to claim it though, so it was deftly slid into my wallet as we continued to the shops. There’s very little detail that I can add to make the story anymore interesting, suffice to say we then trawled up and down the supermarket aisles, loading up our trolley with all of the necessary provisions as well as a couple of little extras for our onward journey.

A stack of groceries rolling about in the back, we gave ‘The Beast’ a sip of diesel, before heading back to the caravan park to relax for the remainder of the day. Thankfully, there wasn’t much left in Esperance that we hadn’t already seen, so we didn’t miss out on too much by spending the day cocooned for the most part in the van.
I used the rest of the day to plan our travels across the Nullarbor, picking out a series of camp sites that we might be able to take advantage of, while Bec kicked back watching TV all afternoon. This went on until such time as we found ourselves getting rather hungry. Even with a fridge full of groceries from the supermarket this afternoon, we had nothing out for dinner tonight, nor did we have any contemplation of cooking for ourselves anyway. It’s rather quite tiring this whole business of doing nothing.

So we plugged an address for a fish and chip shop into Shazza, and headed out the door for a bang up meal of greasy fries. Shazza had barely got her bearings and was taking us to some out of the way shop on the other side of town when what should I see across the road? The typical gaudily lit interior of a fish and chip shop. Spotting a few cars parked outside and a few customers milling about inside, we figured it couldn’t be too bad, so pulled in to get our own dinner. As it turned out, it wasn’t too bad, but could have been better, with our aim of getting a feed of greasy fish and chips well and truly satisfied. I can still taste the slimy grease on my lips now.

That then, was our very ordinary, unexciting day. Before I go though, don’t forget, we are looking at being on the road, crossing the Nullarbor for up to the next week. I would imagine that phone and Internet access will be patchy to say the least, so it might well be this time next week that you next hear from us. In the mean time, keep the kilometre challenge entries rolling in and the messages of good will coming, because we will endeavor to catch up with them all when we are back in the land of reliable wireless communications.

Until next time, stay safe, have fun and don’t forget to write.