The road ahead was going to be a long one...
"Up your arse!"
- Robert
Off to Perth.
I left Confest with one of the party-goers, who took me to Adelaide, and from there I got another shorter ride to Port Augusta, where Dad and I had discussed meeting on the western exit. I never saw him, so I slept that night in some bushes on the side off the Eyre Highway.
Waking with the sun is an experience like no other; especially when you have slept in the outdoors for the night. I hadn't set up my tarp; I'd just slept in my bag under the stars, so the moment morning hit' I knew.
It took a good half of the morning to leave that long, barren stretch of road. At this time, I'd continued my tradition of being totally mapless, and had to assume I was going the right way.
This could have very well ended up being my breakfast
I got a ride with a middle aged woman and her friends teenage daughter, and the back of their car was full of apples. With the addition of some McBites, I had breakfast, and was taken to Whyalla.
I got into town and went to the bank to sort out issues with my lost debit card, then got a ride from a guy who'd seen me outside Port Augusta, to the Lincoln Highway. Something didn't feel right though - I looked around, smelled the air... I was near the sea, surely...
I trudged into town with my bag and guitar, then went into a small local grocer, where I asked directions and bought some sandwiches with the lot. Basically, I'd gotten further away from my destination, and now I had to march on through the whole town to get to the Iron Knob Road on the other side.
By the time I got there I was a stuck pig - It was HOT!
Waiting on the Iron Knob Road
The guy who drove me to Iron Knob was fucked. I could have avoided a LOT of stress not getting in that car - not Wolf Creek or anything, but just crazy. He rolled up in a red sedan and had zebra stripe seat covers. Straight away he asked me to work out his car radio.
"I want the fucken races, but I can't work the fucken thing out!"
I turned on the radio. Music crackled weakly through the speakers.
"Ah it's fucked! I just want the races!"
I continued surfing - all the same, and every time my driver swore harder; I was getting a bit on edge. The ride continued at roughly the same pace; I gave up on the radio and decided it was best to let this guy talk about himself, express HIS opinion on things, and then I'd nod and smile avoiding conflict as much as possible.
Alcoholism.
Fucked liver.
Getting my licence back.
Rehab.
Depression.
Gambling.
The list goes on. Part of me wished the ride had been "serial-killer silent" instead. He dropped me in the town of Iron Knob just outside his place, and I moved on with haste back onto the Eyre Highway, turning down his invite to come in and watch TV.
I couldn't help it... it was very funny to me at the time
I waited; it got dark, and I ate my sandwiches. I needed water, so I hid my bag in the dark and walked into town to find a tap to fill my bottle. Every house had it's lights off, and there was only one shop - this town was tiny and very slummy. I stepped into the little corner store and inside were three men at a table drinking beer.
"Um... hi. I couldn't fill my bottle could I?"
One of the gentlemen stood up and walked over - he clearly owned the establishment. He took the bottle and invited me in. "You staying in town tonight?"
"Yeah, I'm camping out on the Eyre highway tonight." I replied. The store owner came back with my bottle and gave me a sympathetic look. He then walked over to the customer fridge and brought back a two litre bottle of Solo.
Even though I had plenty to drink that night, I didn't sleep comfortably at all.
The next morning, I stood here shivering in the fog as the sun had barely risen on the outskirts of Iron knob, cursing every vehicle that sped past me. Two hours passed and finally I got a ride, but It wasn't the usual ute, fourbie or sedan. Optimus Prime screeched to a halt in the iron riddled gravel on the side of the road, and the door popped open. I was happy Indeed!
I was halfway across Australia now. The sign said so:
Hooray!!!
