After speaking to Andrew's eldest son Michael and his wife, also from Canberra and also travelling around WA separately from us, we had big decisions to make. Driving around WA as we had planned, was fast disappearing as a viable thing to do. Restrictions on travel were rising around us with some remoter areas closing their local boundaries, and also we did not relish the prospect of either or both of us falling ill in the middle of nowhere. So, do we turn around and go back home?After making this mad dash to cross into WA, not realising how the world would change further in the next few days???? The other possibility was to drive up to the west coast and rent a house in one of the coastal cities north of Perth. Maybe Carnarvon which we had visited and liked. Or maybe Geraldton, a much bigger place with better health facilities and possibly more prospect of something furnished being available to rent?
Michael and Jen decided to head back to Canberra. They had seen and enjoyed the south-west area for a few weeks but their hopes to visit Ningaloo Reef (closed now) and Dirk Hartog Island (also closed) had disappeared. They also have a son at home and a daughter at uni, so that decision made good sense. We have no-one directly dependent on us, being the oldies we are and used to travelling each winter. So, we decided to head north as quickly as possible before it was actually expressly forbidden to do unnecessary travel.
We did not have time to enjoy much along the way by way of sightseeing for two reasons. One, that time was of the essence in getting there and we were driving along the inland route, partly along the wheatbelts of WA, not the most scenically exciting. These are the few interesting things we saw along the way.
A dog cemetery near one of the towns.
A statue of a digger in Moora. Albany in WA was the last point of departure for the Australian troops leaving for WW1.
A beyond blue tree in a field.
The sign accompanying it.
We arrived in Geraldton. Apart from holiday rentals which are very expensive, there were only two furnished houses available for rent at short notice. Maybe we should have gone on to Carnarvon? The one that was 5 minutes walk to the nice town beach turned out to have complications with the tenants being late moving out and would not be available for a fortnight. The house we are renting is very ordinary and driving distance to a much inferior beach. But it was immediately available so that decided us.
This is our temporary safe haven. I think longingly of my nice comfortable house back in Canberra, with Netflix available, all my as yet unread collection of books, all my creature comforts around me and I feel a bit sad. Stranded in this strange city, one of the windiest in the world, probably after Chicago and Wellington. Not knowing anyone and with no prospect of making friends through socialising or playing bridge. Bridge clubs closing all over Australia is one of the biggest disappointments for all of us keen bridge players.
But, as I remind myself, we are lucky. There is a lot of social unrest out there with people losing their livelihoods, the economy spiraling out of control, people contracting the virus. We are currently of good health, we have each other for company, unlike some of our friends who live alone and have to socially isolate with no other person for company, and we are feeling safe again under a roof.
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