East Pilbara Day 47 - Eel Pool Adventure

Day 47 - Tuesday 7/8/01
Start - Eel Pool
Stop - Eel Pool

Last night we ate Catfish Laksa!

All we did was catch a 2kg Catfish - fillet it and add it to a simmering pot of coconut milk and add a jar of laksa paste served in bowls over hot japanese noodles - not bad for being low on food.

This morning we were enjoying our last few pieces of bread when we heard a vehicle approaching our camp - and they had the hide to drive right into our camp and get out of the car!

After introductories between ourselves and the four new arrivals we were quite happy to share our spot with them - they were after all workers from the nearby Woodie Woodie manganese mine and they had brought a picnic brunch that included eggs, bacon, steak, onions, bread etc.

We shared our fireplace, gave them some stubby holders and they left us with enough supplies for another 2 days - thanks Donna, John, Steve and Trev.

Donna worked in admin, John and Steve were operators and Trev was a "labbie". All from Perth, they worked two weeks on, one week off and fly in and out of work on Woodie Woodie's own jet.

We were just starting to all get along fine when Donna needed to return to work for the start of her shift. I think they may have come back to camp for the night only for the site regulation that company vehicles can't be taken offsite overnight and staff aren't allowed private vehicles onsite... reminds David and I a bit of boarding school!

So our new friends left and then another car arrived - but this on was a paddy wagon with 2 cops in uniform, but they were just out for a "road condition check up" from the local police station at Nullagine, some 3 hrs drive away. They kept their distance, toss in a line, cooked up a bbq and then headed back to town. We had a quick chat about what we should do for the census night since we were having in a bush camp and they suggested we drop into the cop shop in town when to fill out the necessary forms.

Here's a pic of Leah, showing how she has leant to crawl out of the tent. No obstacle too big! seems to be this little 9mth old's motto.