We’ve spent the night in a quiet and spacious rest area called Barradale in the Pilbara. Surprisingly quiet in fact considering the amount of passing motorists and the road crew who are working on the nearby bridge. I wander over to the facilities and meet a young family who have just stopped. “We’re from Pannawonica” says one little girl “and we’re going to New Zealand. It’s so cold here and Dad got us up at four (am). Would you like to see me do cartwheels?”

Her two brothers are doing double jointed tricks and their Dad explains that they’re off to Gran’s 60^th birthday in Rotorua and Mum will be flying over later.

When they’re safely on their way, I wander into the corrugated iron loo. It looks like there is chaff strewn about the floor but on closer inspection it is moving. There are dozens of small grasshoppers. On the wall there is a large jade and silver coloured one so good I wish that I had a camera with me.

There is loud moaning coming from the cubicle next door, the sign above the drop dunny says “if you didn’t eat it don’t drop it down the tube.” Heaven knows what he ate!

I go back to the car and look up the map, where the hell is Pannawonica?

So much to take in and we haven’t even hit the road for the day.