the road to Alice

Straight flat out road. Pointillist landscape dotted with bushes. Now I understand the Aboriginal paintings. A bit. Vast distances-endless horizon. 3000 km by car. Roadkill Kangaroos. The bluest sky. Burnt trees in the distance. Sandfilled creeks. Roadhouses. Farms of gold submerge the few eucalyptus trees. How's it goin'. Sudden hills drag your eyes to them. Saltpans. Chasing mirages. Hot desert wind. RED sand, I tell you, RED sand. Flies. Cattle/sheep stations. Flying Doctors. War Memorials. Akubra hats. Roadtrains thundering. The Q-fly problem: fruit paranoia. Small cosy pubs with redone oldstyle jukeboxes. Crossing a time zone, gaining an hour. Tourist traps. Upside down stars, and the elusive sunset. Minetowns, Sheeptowns, Ghosttowns, Smalltowns. A couple of Meteorite craters, with signboards. Prickly lizards. Rest- Revive-Survive signs. Saying Hi to the driver of the oncoming vehicle, because it has been a bloody long while since you last saw a human. I'll never think of Australia in the same way again.