Leaving Fiona, Soph and Tom to adjust to the reality of life without their beautiful husband and father was really difficult. It had been only 18 days since his tragic death but it seemed much, much longer. Fiona needed to create the 'new normal' for herself and the kids, and I felt that would be made even harder with me living with them. So Monday March 9, after lots of hugs and tears, James and I left Seaford to travel the 998 km back to Port Pirie where I had stored the van.
I had pre booked a cabin at Lascelles south of Ouyen to overnight. It meant doing just over 400 km for the day - an easy country run through one of the silo art trails of northwest Victoria. On the way l stopped to get photos at Nullawil and Sea Lake.
We arrived at Wagon Inn Cabins around 4pm and promptly wandered across to the pub....as per my usual protocol.
The 600 km run the next day was fantastic. The first 150 km was on the Calder Highway with very little traffic before we cut across on a minor road at Red Cliffs just south of Mildura to pick up the Sturt Highway which was also quiet. After that the fantastic Goyder Highway took us through some stunning countryside and lovely country towns. With a big food shop enroute, it was a relatively easy trip that saw us arrive in Port Pirie around 6pm.
Plan A was to stay overnight at the caravan park and leave the following day, but when the fridge refused to fire up, which meant packing all my perishables with ice in eskies (35 degree day) and unexpected exhaustion sapping all my enthusiasm to sort out all the crap that had to be relocated from the car to the van, I opted for plan B. Amother night at PP! It turned out to be a good choice, not only giving me time to settle back into my (now strangely uncomfortable) solo existence, but allowing the opportunity to explore PP and get the fridge fixed! A big thankyou to Norm at Northern Caravan Service who showed me how to adjust the fridge igniter, re-rivetted my broken window hinges then told me how to catch Blue Swimmer crabs - bargain at $45!
I felt much more composed and ready to go by Thursday. After a leisurely morning we headed off following the Spencer Gulf northward to Port Augusta, then south down the western side of the Spencer to Whyalla. The Weeroona Bay Football Club charged just $5 per night for a site, so after a bit of sightseeing around the fairly industrial city, we parked up and settled in for the night.
Friday plan B had to preside once again. My A plan to head south on the Eyre Peninsula was thwarted when James spent the wee hours of the morning scratching to get out of the van multiple times to crap....and throw up.....shit!
By morning he had run out of poo and his straining efforts were delivering blood. Fuck me that was scarey....and on Friday 13th! I was on to the local vet first thing and I must say, she was great...and very thorough. Apparently he had haemorrhagic gasto. Five days of antibiotics and a diet of cooked chicken was the outcome. I was one very relieved mum! Given his favourite space is the car I took him for a drive to Iron Knob (he slept as usual) some 50km up the road. I must say it is not the prettiest place I have ever been to and, believe it or not, I just photographed the pub from the outside!
WEEROONA FOOTBALL CLUB gets a 3.5 from me. There are 15 sites on flat gravel beside the clubhouse and footy oval in one of Whyalla's suburbs. A lady comes and collects $5 per adult each day and is a wealth of information aside from being very friendly. The place was full on both nights I stayed, and Thursday the club opened at 5pm for dinner and drinks. There's a toilet, but not much else. The other campers were really friendly. It is right under the approach path to runway 17 at Whyalla airport and the RPT jets are quite low and loud as they pass overhead. As a pilot that ticked a box for me!
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