TRAVEL FEATURE - AUSTRALIA
LEIGH WILKINS
PLEASE SIR ...
“
Please sir , I want some more ,” I grinned to myself , the irony not lost , ‘ the fat , healthy man ’ was considering asking the young , ‘ small rebel ’ for more , more beer . A few days earlier we ’ d come across Oliver , more to the point he ’ d come across us .
I ’ d stood roadside , doing what the male of the species is want to do , a faint , constant drum indicated a larger vehicle was coming down the road we ’ d just ridden . At this time of the late afternoon a little unexpected yet not too surprising given we were on the Tanami Road and less than 50 kilometres away from the infamous Wolfe Creek meteorite crater .
The drum was upon us , racing down the road , then a billowing cloud of dust surrounded the scene as the drumming sound ceased , replaced with the familiar sound of sliding tyres in the corrugated dirt .
“ NO WAY !” an excited voice yelled . “ What are the chances ? Old John told me you guys had decided to go this way .”
“ NO WAY !” I replied , reaffixing my cumbersome pants . How the hell had Oliver found us in this vast wilderness ?
We ’ d met Oliver five weeks earlier , he ’ d been towed into the camp area of Ellenbrae Station , dragged in from somewhere along the Gibb River Road . He knew all eyes were on him as he ’ d popped the hood of his aging Toyota Landcruiser , set up his camp and sat down to an ice-cold beer from a portable fridge in the back of what looked to be his home . I ’ d watched him carefully , a warm water in my hand , coveting his beer .
Oliver had waited until we ’ d finished eating before approaching , a young kid , respectful and well mannered , yet he ’ d only had one beer in his hand .
“ Hi guys ,” he ’ d offered . “ Do you mind if I have a chat ? I ’ m really keen to listen to how other people travel .”
TRAVERSE 127