Thursday, October 16, 2015

Sigh…today was the last of the red dirt 4WD driving. No more struggling to hold the wheel steady through rutted sand or jouncing over washboard sections or having visibility disappear in the dust of a passing vehicle. (Geoff’s note: The front number plate on the LandCruiser is missing – having vibrated off on one of the more corrugated roads.)

On our way down the peninsula we stopped in to Beagle Bay where Roman Catholic priests and brothers built a church decorated with shells showing mother of pearl in the early 20^th century. By chance we arrived just as elementary and high school students from the church run school next to the church were attending a mass to celebrate the beginning of the 4^th term. The student band and choir led the singing and there was a liturgy that sounded familiar. They sang The Aboriginal Lord’s Prayer. It truly felt like worship.

This is our last night in the tent that has served us so well. Given the increase in humidity and heat as the northern part of Australia makes the transition from the dry to the wet season, I’m glad to be moving south in a few days. I can appreciate though that your body can become accustomed to heat. No need ever for sweaters, gloves or winter boots. This kind of life comes with a welcome informality and freedom.

Tonight we walked out to Cable Beach for the sunset and saw the iconic camel train. Every evening tourists ride camels along the beach as the sun is setting across the Indian Ocean. Camels were brought to Australia as reliable forms of transport across the desert. Some have become wild while others have ended up on postcards in Broome.

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