On our last night at Myroodah, Harrison played a few songs for Bun and I.  Everyone else had headed off after tea but we really enjoyed hearing him.  He has written a few songs and would like to make a career of it.  We told him about the Country Music Festivals in Barmera and Mildura.

 Couldn't get the two of them to smile for the same photo!

Although we tried to sleep-in on Monday morning, it didn't happen!  So instead we cleaned up inside and out and washed everything, including the dusty curtains!  We ended up leaving just before lunch because we were really ready to get back on the road and try to have a few easy days so that I could feel well again.

We had one free camp along the road and then pulled in to Fitzroy Crossing for 3 nights.  We did the boat tour up Geike Gorge on Tuesday afternoon and yesterday we went to see Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge.  We had really planned to camp there overnight but there was a total fire ban and so we wouldn't have been able to cook tea.  Plus which I have still not been feeling 100% so we came back to the van and today has been a chill-out day. 

This was the only downer for the day....bloody lazy roadworkers who don't pick up the markers from the grader work!!  As this flicked up between the back tyres, the only plus was that it didn't wreck both tyres!!

We went to the Tourist Info Centre to see about the Bungle Bungles and what walks we can do and have booked a 40 minute helicopter tour for Tuesday next week!!  There goes about half of the wages from the cooking haha!

We plan to head off from here tomorrow and stop at a station stay about 150kms down the highway and will probably call into Halls Creek on Monday.

Anyway I'm up to date now as these photos were only taken yesterday YAY!

Cheers

Anne

Still cooking!

I forgot to say in the last post that I am SO thankful that the thermomix is travelling with us, never more so than for this two weeks!  Although there is a kenwood chef and a blender in the kitchen, I have only used Thelma and for all sorts of things.  It has been probably the thing that enabled me to get through the first week because it saved so much time and my energy LOL.

We are going to have BBQ tea on Sunday night as it will be our last night cooking and I'll take some photos in the kitchen during the day and hopefully some photos with the guys in the evening.  They are lovely guys and some of them are cheekier than others but I think they have all been happy with the food so that's the main thing :))

One morning I got to help Amy feed the newest poddy calf, Pan!  She names all of her 'babies' and loves taking selfies with them :)

I finally got the hang of feeding him but ended up having to back him into the corner haha

Amy was a delight to work with and we thoroughly enjoyed her company.  I think she was sad to see us go and not just for the food :)

Below is how the kitchen/dining room looks at 5am before they all arrive for breakfast, this is everything set out for them to make up their smokos and lunches.  Breakfast is at 5.30 and then they are gone by 6.  We didn't usually see them again until 6.30 for tea.

Bun was always around to set the stuff out and help in the kitchen until about 5.30 then he would go off and have his breakfast before coming back to clean up, sweep and mop the floors.  I tended to eat an egg and bacon sandwich if there was any left, otherwise toast was the go once the guys left.  Bun would stick around for the cleaning and then head off while I would get baking for smoko stuff.  Thank goodness for 2 large slow cookers, they really helped in the first week too.  We started every day at 4.30 but sometimes I was still baking or getting tea organised at midday or later.  Then I would be back in the kitchen again by about 3.30-4 to do things for tea.  Once tea was done, it was MORE dishes before finishing about 7-7.30pm.  

The photo above shows where I spent most of 2 weeks LOL!  The window and door on the right are for the coolroom and an extra room opened out from that to where two large chest freezers were, it was also where the meat was cut up from the killers.

The helicopters were around a few times for the mustering and the pilots stayed over one night so I got to see them 'put to bed' and then again in the morning as they were parked up about 20 metres away from the kitchen.

As you can see from the crossing, they are not able to get out this way during the wet!

I did my last cooking day on Sunday and so I spoilt the guys.  I made up 4 batches of scones and Amy, Bun and I took the smoko out to the yards where they were mustering.
Amy was telling us that she did two years studying photography and now she is travelling light with only her iphone as a camera.  I handed over my camera and told her to have some fun so all the following shots are compliments of Amy :)

I know that the guys enjoyed the food and we really enjoyed our time at the station and meeting new people.

That's it for now because I'm about to download more photos off the camera and do another update!
Cheers
Anne