You Can Check Out Anytime You Like - But You Can Never Leave

Surprise! My road buddy Jason unexpectedly arrived this morning amid much excited barking and hugging. Fifteen minutes later I had him hired on in the kitchen, the only job interview question being "How long can he stay?". So he's now slaving in the kitchen while the dogs gleefully trample dirt in both our buses. He's just come from wild times in Karratha with lonely miners and also a genuine feral outlaw who moved into his bus out at New Beach after not even bothering with a pick-up line. He's very happy with his new job and pleased to know that there may be additional cash opportunities via the men's shower block once the road crew arrives next week.

So I've been going around singing "Welcome to the Hotel California" with improvised Overlander lyrics. At least this means I can hopefully retire from cooking those hideous giant plates of mixed grill & fending off groping truck drivers in the kitchen.

It's raining AGAIN and has been very hot & humid, you'd think we were in the tropics. Every couple of hours I go round swamping out red dirt & mud from our room and the public areas and the dogs help by tracking it all back again (that's when they're not rolling around in Lake Effluent out the back).

Duncan on the sausage roll production line, Raelene cranking out soup

Smokey helps make up beds in the motel unit

"I don't do bathrooms"

Russell, uber-lord of the Overlander - "Are you sober enough to use the deep fryer?"

Centre of our little compound

Jason & Gooch emptying their portaloo before going to make burgers

Gooch has a big stretch before not working in the kitchen

Roadhouse dogs - "Which stinky puddle should we roll in next?"

Our old buses back in wagon-circle formation