In the Neighbourhood

There are lots of interesting people in Carnarvon once you spread your social circle outside the Gascoyne Hotel carpark. I met Mark the optometrist, who is only in town a couple of times a month, and he fixed me up with some new frames for my glasses for only sixty bucks! He is a travelling optometrist, so he carries his entire "clinic" around in portable kits, plus a stack of boxes of frames for all occasions. His rounds take him to places like Meekatharra (pop. 17, including the sheep), Nanutarra ("home of the umm, nothing"), Newman ("where 1500 km of hot terrifying desert meets the sea") as well as some of the remote aboriginal communities. He says it's not uncommon to arrive at some of these places and find no one in the town - like, NOBODY. Tumbleweeds. Eerie silence.

Lisa runs the Carnarvon Menswear Shop and is an expert on what brand of socks the mining workers prefer, and remembers most of the town's bloke's sizes as well as what colours & styles they like. I know you are asking yourself, "But do they sell underpants?" and of course the answer is "no" as men's underpants have not yet been introduced to WA.

I popped in to the Aboriginal Medical Centre to see Candy, we will probably have a bit of a "gal's day out" next weekend with her sister which would be fantastic. I'm also getting pally with Linda & Jackie who live at the caravan park - they work as nurses long enough to save up for their next bit of travel. Linda has a BIG hearty laugh which you can hear from anywhere in the caravan park.

I have also met William the pug who has that Smokey-like regal air of mystery & otherworldiness, and the most expressive eyebrows you have ever seen. We are pretty sure he is a person in a tiny dog suit. He communicates by snorting. He lives with Black Cat, whose real name is "The Tall Man" (!!!).

The new gearbox has arrived! I'm settled in the trailer now, with my tent set up as the stock market field office. With no schedule and perfect weather, I'm content to hang out in Carnarvon for now. When Ian comes back from his first shift we are thinking of driving up the coast and inland & ending up at the mine site so I can check it out. Google Weeli Wolli Creek if you want a preview of the terrain.

Tomorrow: snorkelling at "the aquarium" at Point Quobba; fingers crossed for dugongs.