Boulders and wildflowers

Our campsite tonight is among boulders and wildflowers about 20 km North of Meekatharra.

It is listed as a free campsite, in the Western Australian Royal Automobile Club, travel guidebook.  This campsite has been a favourite place to stop our car, take a walk, photos and marvel at the unusual rock formations and the wildflowers that grow so profusely out of the sandy and rocky soils in Western Australia.  

I saw some beautiful wildflowers along the roadside today.   The weather was glorious again, as it usually is during winter in this part of the country; it has indeed been a great day’s traveling driving towards Meekatharra from Newman in the North, on Highway 95, the Great Northern Highway.

We filled up with Diesel and food at  the Capricorn Roadhouse, just out of Newman and I added the audiobook ‘Twilight’, to our 'keep the driver alert', kit, for the trip. I still have the flu and felt like, pampering myself, making the driving experience as pleasurable as it would be possible, and I know that because of the addition of this audiobook to the journey, I probably drove an extra two hours for the day then I might otherwise have chosen to and I was pleased with 1,200 km to drive this week to get that extra couple of hundred km covered on the first day.  This means I can cruise along at my leisure for the rest of the week, sightseeing, relaxing and walking as much as I would like to.

We arrived at this lovely campsite around 4 pm, plenty of time to set up camp in daylight and walk around and marvel at the beauty and ruggedness of this amazing area.  

To find this unmarked free campsite,  look for an outcrop of granite boulders 20 km north of Meekatharra, drive in off the road and around to the back of the boulders for private, level, caravan sites away from the noise of the roadside.

Caution, I never stop at any free campsites close to a town if there are no other caravan travelers also stopping, tonight, two of us pulled in together, and another caravan has since joined us.  

There is safety in numbers, and this is also in Telstra wireless connection range, hence my being about to post onto the internet, even though I’m basically in a remote outback region. Technology is amazing and making travel safer. J  I also look for telltale signs of any potential safety concerns. For example, a lot of broken glass and graffiti would put me off staying overnight, and I avoid free camping on a Friday and Saturday night close to any town.   

Remember that campsites close to towns are a great place for the minority who might abuse alcohol to come for a drinking party. This situation could occur in any town. Western Australia has very strict liqueur licensing rules, there are many dry and alcohol restricted towns, and the Western Australia is making a bigger effort than any other state, as far as I know, to try to prevent alcohol abuses.

Respect these free campsites, take only photos and leave behind only footprints so that these places will remain open for other travelers and your return journey.

Theses free campsites within nature's splendor, are what makes a road trip around Australia, the most memorable and beautiful experience.

Australian Rural-lit and historical fiction author and artist Ryn Shell

Gold: Historical fiction adventure romance, by Ryn Shell, set in Australia.

When I write novels of inland Australia, I add a glossary. I also mention in the blurb and at the start that because the novel is set in Australia, it has Australian words and I give an example: Station = ranch. I still get a few readers complaining about the slang in my books.

There are a large group of readers who believe that modern US version of English words and grammar should be the International default. If you choose to write cosy rather than cozy, colour instead of colour, or words and expressions not in modern US use, then, in my opinion, it is best to tell your readers that at the opening of the book. That's where I let them know there is a glossary at the back of the book.

I'd rather sell fewer books than sell to people who are intolerant of my language. I also get reviews from readers who loved the glossary and learning the Australian words.

I also add the family tree at the back of the book. Readers have commented that they like that.