TRAVELLING TO THE ‘BACK OF BEYOND’

We departed the beautiful Gold Coast on Friday 4th May, heading to Bundaberg where I enjoyed live interview with Rick Whittle on ABC Radio prior to an Author Talk at the Bundaberg Library. This was the first of a series of talks on our journey to promote my book, ‘Back of Beyond’.

Bundaberg was a great success, even though a long weekend, I had an enthusiastic and welcoming audience with good book sales. Most of the 18 people came from hearing the radio interview.

That afternoon we arrived in Gladstone to collect a caravan to tow behind Anthony and Shelley’s Toyota Land Cruiser, which we had borrowed for our trip North.

There was tension in the air as we hitched, with the help of a friend, our home on wheels and set off on the open road. We soon relaxed as we hit the open road and rolled along. Our first night was spent near the Botanical Gardens in Emerald, a free camp site, along with several other more experienced travellers.

‘We’re novices,’ I heard Rick explain to our neighbours, as if they hadn’t realised! ‘It’s our first night,’ he added, much to my embarrassment!

Any thoughts of the tranquillity and peace of the Bush soon disappeared when we realised we were set up between a busy railway line and an even busier highway! Naturally the trucks all travel at night. Consequently it was an early start when daylight finally arrived, with one slightly grumpy author on board.

Longreach was to be our next destination. We booked into a Van Park, meaning we could hook up to 240 volt power. Rick has a sleep apnoea machine and I was sick of his snoring and very happy to plug him in!!

We actually unhitched the van here, enabling us to park in the town centre at the Library where I was to present at 10am the following morning. I was dreading the ‘hitching’, ‘unhitching’ business, knowing my patient husband would lose his cool with my useless hand signals directing the vehicle towball to sit right on top of the towbar of the caravan, but first, an Author Talk at the Library…………interesting!