After driving for nearly 600km from our home in Perth, we chose a free camping stop Lake Douglas, 12km south west of Kalgoorlie. Following the signs for 3.5km off the main road, we arrived at a secluded camping spot with a toilet, however, decided to turn right from the dirt road and camp on the side of the lake, which offered a more picturesque view.
Unhitching our caravan was the first job the men had to do, while the kids set off gathering wood for a camp fire. Having a mobile connection at the place was very helpful, as I had to call my husband (who didn’t join us for this trip due to work commitments) to get his help with unhitching over the phone.
That first night in the early days of July was our first test of survival. Quick meal of pasta and canned meat was followed by hot tea near the camp fire, which was everyone’s favourite pass time. Sitting around the campfire was probably the highlight of every evening. We sang songs, talked and kids played games. As time went on, it was getting colder and colder and I started to think of unpacking and preparing the bed for the night. The temperature kept dropping.
I found that the only way to stay warm at night was to use multiple layers. I had 5 layers of clothes and 3 blankets on top, plus beannie and I had to cover my face down to the nostrils with a scarf because my nose was so cold that I couldn’t sleep. Upon waking up in the morning, I checked the temperature inside our caravan. 2 degrees! It is the lowest temperature I had to sleep in. However, we survived and even managed to get some sleep!
Kids were quite excited to get up in the morning and discover ice on top of the tent. For someone who has not seen real snow, this thin layer of ice was a pure delight!
Having breakfast out in the nature, with the sun out and beginning to give some of its warmth was quite a pleasant experience. But it is time to move on to our next destination!
See you at Morapoi Station, near Kookynie!
