Ok guys, apologies for many spelling mistakes but am having to write this in a real hurry before the shop closes! Also haven't had a chance to upload the pics onto Facebook yet as this computer only has one USB port and I'm updating my MP3 player right now but check them out in the next few days, there's some real beauts on there!
Right. Am now reporting from the beautiful, if small, town of Exmouth, WA. I've travelled a long way since my last blog (1270km to be exact) and taken in a lot of sights along the way....
My bus left bright and early on Saturday morning on what was now, for me, the other side of town. I stood outside the flats, swaddled in scarf and bobble hat (with very cold wrists and ankles due to a freak clothes shrinking tumble drying accident!) waiting for my taxi. And waiting. And waiting. At 7.10, feeling mildy panicy now as the woman in the office had assured me that the bus would be leaving at 7.15 with or without me, I threw myself infront of the next car to come around the corner. As luck would have it, it was a taxi. We arrived at 7.15 on the dot and, in my haste to get into the office and alert them to my presence, I managed to wedge myself and my backpack in the door. Twelve heads turned to witness my ungainly half entrance. My fellow travellers. Embarrassment. Just then, an absolute spunk (as the Aussie's would say) came to my aid. "G'day. My name's Benno and I'm your driver!" Weak kneed and misty eyed, I followed him to the desk, signed something he put infront of me (it could've been my death warrant for all the attention was paying to it), then out to the bus, accompanied by (I jealously noted) several other equally doe-eyed girls!
Once we were underway, introductions were made and it looked like we had a good group going (including Scottish Brian - an absolute cutie, if a little short for me!). The first day was actually quite unremarkable. We visited the Pinacles Desert - an odd collection of sandstone peaks, randomly placed in the middle of the bush - which was kind of boring, ate lunch in Dynamite Bay (far too cold to swim in) and headed straight for Kalbarri, our first stopover point. Benno took us to Finlay's BBQ where we got fed proper Aussie damper (a very heavy but delicious bread) and the biggest platter of fresh seasfood I have ever seen. Then we all got very drunk around the campfire and proceeded to sing made up songs and tell off colour jokes well into the night!
Day Two was something of an outback day. We went to the gorges and 'Nature's Window' - a hole eroded through a bit of rock with a spectacular view behind it. Then we all fell off a cliff. Literally! Benno took us abseiling. Very much surprised myself by agreeing to do it. Last time I abseiled was at Blacklands Farm when was 8 and I remember crying the whole way down! Although that time I didn't have Cal (ruggedly gorgeous abseiley man) holding onto me at the top, and Benno holding onto my rope at the bottom. Was actually really excited about leaping off cliff but feigned fear so I could stay at the top and flirt with Cal a bit longer!! Eventually had to go though. Halfway down, I froze in fear. Was it because I was dangling 20 yards above the ground? No. I suddenly realised the Benno would be getting a full on view of my Singha Beer inflated buttocks bound up tightly in a very unflattering harness! "You alright Disco Jocks?" (yes the nickname has followed me) the Love God called up from below. "Erm, yes" replied shakily. "But I have to ask, does my bum look big in this?" Voice bouncing off walls of gorge. Many poeple hearing (including Cal) Much hilarity. Figured it would be better to be the butt (pun intended) of the joke on the ground rather than in the air, so finished descent. As Benno was unlcipping my harness, he whispered in me ear 'Don't worry Jocks, I thought your arse looked delicious!' Was torn between gagging at the cheesiness or collapsing with lust. Did neither. Instead ran up the cliff for another go with Cal! All in all, abseiling turned out to be a very enjoyable experience!
Our second stopover was the town of Denham, populated by 700 people. Was expecting a hostile backwater with Deliverence style banjos playing in the background but obviously had forgotten was in super friendly Australia. Denham turned out to be a charming little fishing village where everyone says hello to each other and we got our second big fish feed in as many days. Then we all got very drunk and proceeded to sing made up songs and tell off colour jokes well inot the night!
Day three was dolphin day! We went to the innappropriately named Monkey Mia (no monkeys in sight - just dolphins and narky pelicans) The dolphins came right up to the shore to get fed and were no les than a metre from my legs! They are just soo cute. Then we went to Ocean Park Aquarium where a delicious little 20 year old lad named Darren took us round. Unfortunately found it very boring as have gained some fish knowledge from DMing and knew everything but didnt like to say so just enjoyed looking at him! We ended up leaving very late and after a 5 hour drive we arrived in Coral Bay, very tired and snappy and hungy. Benno cooked up a storm on the barbie (FYI - kangaroo = yummy) and, well fed at last, we then went to the beach where we all got very drunk around the campfire and proceeded to sing made up songs and tell off colour jokes well into the night!
Day four. We left Coral Bay at a respectable time, with respectable hangovers. I was starting to feel a little knot of anxiety in my stomach as we neared Exmouth as it was here that I would be jumping off and looking for work. My spirits plummeted as we entered the town. A bank, a Post Office, a supermarket and a bottle shop. Thats about it. But lots of dive schools. Hope restored. We spent the afternoon on the beach and snorkelling in the bay (rubbish - nothing to see) Passed the time by doing lots of splashy splashy flirty flirting with Benno in the sea, all the while being observed with dagger eyes by the rest of the female clan (ha). For dinner that night Benno took us to a nice little Italian (the only damn restaurant in the town!) and having spent 4 days in sweaty tshirts and socks I decided to make an effort! However, as I haven't been in the sea since the 1st May (the 1ST!!!!) I couldn't bring myself to wash the salt out of my hair, it felt so good. Thought I had managed to pin it up in a dishevelled but sexy chic kind of way until Brian made some comment about electric sockets! Quick dash to the ladies to wet flyaway fringe and squat under handrier for speedy fix!
After dinner, where I had had a lengthy discussion/argument with Benno about the lack of live kangaroos he had shown me, we were walking past Exmouth Sports Ground (surprising amount of courts/pitches for so small a town) when Benno suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the others and into the darkness of the cricket ground. Immediate suspiscion and senses on red alert. Balled free hand into fist in case he tried anything funny (after all, not a big bloke and could easily take him if goaded!) Then started imagining Wolf Creek style horrors (but quickly dismissed them as psycho in WC old and ugly and carried lots of offensive weaponry! Benno - weapon free!) Still, nevertheless unsure, yanked my hand from his and demanded to know what he was about! "Sssh' he said, and actually put his finger to my lips! This time balled both fists as was expecting more cliched cheesiness which would deserve punch in itself! But as eyes became accustomed to the gloom, I realised that we were in fact surrounded by kangaroos. Many of them. Big ones. We stood there for ages watching them watching us. They were wary at first, and a few bounced off but mostly they just ignored us. I'm guessing there were at least 100! We followed them a bit further into the bush. I was, by this time, being piggy backed as I was only wearing flip flops and leggings and didnt fancy coming into contact with an angry taipan or redback. Unluckily, either I was too heavy for Benno and he was too polite to say, or he tripped over but we suddenly crashed to the ground and all the roos swiftly departed, looking not unlike all those bouncy balls in the Sony Bravia advert a while back! But I was happy. I had seen my roos! Taking a shortcut back we arrived back at the hostel at the same time as the others where we then got very drunk around the campfire and proceeded to sing made up songs and tell off colour jokes well into the night!
Woke up early on Wednesday morning to see Benno and the others off. Aah Benno. Hate seeing him leave but love watching him go, if you get my drift 
After they had gone, I hit the town, CVs clutched in my sweaty paw. Long morning short; no DM jobs. Suddenly felt very VERY alone. Desperately wanted to call home but the bastarding time difference wouldn't allow it. Was a low point. Called the Easyrider office and booked onto the next bus outta here. Leave Saturday.
Went diving this afternoon and was fanny tastic! Got over my irrational fear of octopus - there was so bloody many and even managed to steel myself to take a few photos! Also saw some harlequin shrimp which I have wanted to see for ages - they look like some sort of 60s throwback! Check the pics!
Right have to go am being booted out of cafe. Hope you enjoyed the read! Will let you know how the Exmouth - Broome journey goes!
Disco Jocks? Hahahaha Love ya man xxxxxxxxxxx