Perth and on our way

Hard to believe it was only a week ago that the tent was raised (many thanks to all the support - physical and moral - Banjo and I dedicate the poem just to you) and that we've been on the road for a whole 5 days. Camping going surprisingly well, tent is comfy and easy to put up - easy for me, ie as Nick does most of it. Living out of our car, which is loaded to the gunwhales, is a test of ingenuity and patience and we've got used to being covered in red dust every time we lean against the car to dig for something.
The 2nd night, after hours of exciting dirt-track driving (the 4WD course came into its own when I nearly bogged the car down in deep mud) we didn't make it to our campsite. You really don't want to be caught driving at Skippy o'clock, when roos line the side of the road with the express purpose of jumping under your wheels. So as dusk fell we made camp in the back of beyond (or was it the back of Burke?). Highlight was watching stars appear while sipping a G&T with just the vast Aussie landscape for company. Or almost. Lowlight was a large bull screaming at us from a very few yards away - Bill Bryson obviously forgot to include bulls in his long list of Australia's dangerous wildlife. Eventually the bull plucked up courage to cross in front of our car and join its mate and I plucked up courage to get out of the passenger seat and rejoin my G&T.

We made it to Mt Augustus, the world's largest rock, next morning and spent a magical day there. We scrambled over boulders up a gully to look at Aboriginal rock carvings, and decided to follow the trail upwards. It's not easy to describe the beauty and feeling of timelessness, red ochre rocks and white gum trees silhouetted against the deep blue sky. Then a gentle (comparatively) walk down through scrub dotted with wildflowers.

One thing we're realising is what a vast and unpopulated land this is. Next day we drove towards Coral Bay - 5 hours of dirt roads - and saw just 3 other vehicles. The Coral Bay night was in a vast caravan site, but we were glad of the hot showers and found a good place to eat (yippee! no washing up in a tiny basin).
We're now in Exmouth, having a night in a motel while we sort out the car and get to the laundrette tomorrow (my jeans are so stiff with dust they can walk by themselves). Had a windy night by the beach (had to get up at midnight and take down the awning but the tent stood up to the gusts well - thanks heavens), and in 24 hours saw echidna, goanna, rock wallabies, dolphins and whales, and of course roos - most of the wildlife here seem fatally attracted to the wheels of our car but have so far avoided adding to roadkill. The wildflowers that WA is famed for are just coming out here - just amazing colours and variety. We went snorkelling in the truly eponymous Turquoise Bay.
Tomorrow we're off to a bush camp for a night or maybe two, and then on to Karajini National Park. Nick told me that he thinks I might enjoy some of the guided walks abseiling down into the gorges and climbing back up again. When I stopped laughing I pointed out that living on the roof of our car for two months was just about all the excitement I needed right now.