I arrived in Mataranka at an appropriate time on Sunday morning (15 May) despite an incredulous bus driver. “What on earth are you going to Mataranka for?” And when I got off the bus- “are you sure? You ‘right? Do you have somewhere to go?”
It didn’t make any sense because although Mataranka is a tiny truck stop along the highway, it has some fair dinkum treasures hidden all around it. Perhaps the bus driver didn’t know about the little campground I was headed for, as there is another one not far from Mataranka township that is a more obvious choice. I guess I was the only unpowered camper that needed to set up when I arrived.
The Territory Manor was where I met my travel companion for the next few days – Chris (good one, gumtree). Chris works for the Department of Employment in a small Aboriginal community called Palumpa, all the way up near Wadeye NT. Apparently they have a thriving music scene up there too, so I absolutely must visit.

The Territory Manor was full of wildlife – peacocks frogs and kangaroos at dusk. I took a video of the kangaroos, which is how I learned, upon watching them back, that I was at the stage of solo-traveling where I was talking aloud to myself. A travel companion could not have come at a better time. Somehow we managed to score a free home-cooked meal that evening because the staff were having a ‘staff meeting’ to which they had invited us (i.e. a bit of ‘right place right time’). They comprised mostly of backpackers, from Canada, Scotland and Germany. What a pleasure it must be to work and live in such a secluded paradise.

The next morning, after a swell sleep underneath the stars, we visited the Bitter Springs and the Thermal Springs around Mataranka, which were all a bit tame and underwhelming until we came to wilder creek where a sign warned us of ‘crocodiles occurring’. Alas, no crocodiles this time. We headed to Katherine and then west along the Victoria Highway. The trees along the gently winding roads were much taller than in the centre but the earth was still dusty red, and the air was much more humid and intense (and we didn’t have the luxury of aircon… We did, however, have the luxury of windows!) We were stunned by the views while passing over Victoria River so we went back to take a few snaps. We spotted a crocodile snoozing in the river (an actual croc!) The whole of Gregory National Park is lush and green with high plateaus and sheer red rock cliffs, formed over thousands of years when Australia was covered with water. Lucky for us we got to drive back and forth through it after finding two women whose car bonnet had been crushed by a wallaby. We towed them to the nearest roadhouse and set up camp there, as it was too late to drive (safely) to the next town. For the second night in a row it was warm enough to sleep with the canvas rolled down on my swag, and in the middle of nowhere I was able to ogle at the slowly shifting skyscape. I don’t have any pictures of this.

C’est beau, non? How can such pristine and fluid nature be owned when we all only inhabit it briefly?
We arrived in Kununurra WA on Tuesday afternoon (17 May), in time to prepare for a comedy show in the evening. It turned out to be the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, who have toured up in WA for a few years now. I found myself crying with laughter at a few of the comedians, although I’ve forgotten their names, sorry, but I think live comedy is easy to lose yourself in anyway, because everyone around you is laughing and it becomes contagious.
I was slowly becoming anxious that I was having too much fun and relaxing and absorbing things in places that needed not to be absorbed. I felt that I needed to at least be in Derby, because even just breathing the air there would be more relevant to my research than staying in quaint picturesque little Kununurra. I’m completely mad by this stage, so I decided to bid adieu to Chris and board the 10 hour nighttime bus to Derby the following day.