We passed through Cloncurry at morning tea time after waving our ensuite goodbye in Mount Isa. 

It was freezing overnight and we ended up with Caleb in our bed early this morning as he was absolutely convinced he was starting to freeze, “like ice blocks”. 
So, it was nice to sit in the warming sun and enjoy a coffee at the local park. Cloncurry is the home of the Royal Flying Doctors Service and home of the nicest Petrol Station attendant we have come across on our trip. We fill up with petrol on a pretty regular basis, as you would imagine, and most times with the caravan. This lady attendant was interested in where we had been, where we were going. She wasn’t in a hurry to collect the dollars. Ray was really impressed. If you are ever in Cloncurry, the Ampol Service Station is the place to go!

It was a long drive onwards, the music blaring and Caleb quite comfortable in the back seat with his Lego. This kid can play for hours, creating, inventing and then demolishing and starting again. 

We stopped for a break at Julia Creek, another small outback town. Next to the public toilets was a chair that the town had made out of mosaic tiles. It took 400 hours to make, each tile was individually cut, there were over 27,000 tiles used and it is the most uncomfortable chair in the world! (In our opinion). But…it made for some great photos and what a great community project! Imagine being able to see a piece of your Nanna’s favourite tea cup forever more set in concrete for everyone to admire.

There was a playground next to it with a slide exactly the same as the one in the Year 3 playground back at the school that I taught at in Melbourne. When I used to do yard duty in this area, it was a constant struggle to stop the students running up the slide instead of using it as it was intended to be used, for sliding down. 

Tired and stiff from sitting in the same spot for hours in the car, I decided to give it a go, thongs and all. I made it up the slide surprising myself and was just starting to feel jubilant when I hit my head on the bar at the top, slipped and fell down the slide. I copped 3 bumps on the way down which will no doubt be bruises tomorrow. Still smiling, and hiding my soreness we left the park and my dignity there. I can now appreciate what I must have saved an endless amount of children from at school during all those long yard duty sessions. Ouch!

We pulled into a free camp on the side of the road for the night. It was windy but we even had a little bit of green grass! The sunset was spectacular and the stars so clear. We really were in the middle of nowhere. We were in bed by 9pm and let the tooting of the passing road trains put us to sleep. They love to blast their horns when passing roadside campers. We are just happy that we can provide some entertainment for them while they toil through the night.