myday #19 - 114℉ in Australia + A Dusty Vehicle = One Epic Journey - Part One

The smell of petrol in a hired four-wheel drive is an instant reminder to me that an open road is a place for exploring. Here at @myday, I'm not afraid to go on the odd adventure, and this time it was to the north-west of Australia.

When you arrive and hire a vehicle from 'Budget', in the north, the first thing you will notice is the copious amounts of red dust stuck to it. The fine red dust gets everywhere! I was even expecting to see a cloud of red dust arise from the seat when I sat in it, fortunately though, at the hire company they figured out a way to clean the seats!

Turning the keys on the wreck for a better turn, coughed the engine into life. I was finally on the road.

The parched long stretches of straight highway basked in the burning sun through my cracked windscreen. The distant horizon appeared as a stormy sea, covered in a mirage of hope.

My journey was going to be a long one, so I prepared myself for my zombie state at the wheel. I wanted to get to my destination as fast as I legally could before the kangaroos, cows, bulls and camels decided that the open road was a better place for them than the outback. Hours past and I thought to myself; this isn't a place where I wanted to break down. Maybe I should have got the upgrade vehicle!

Having done some research, I knew where I wanted to go - I was off to Karijini a place filled with gorges and wildlife that drove photographers like me mad. The local flora and fauna were uniquely Australian; it was an oasis. It was just like being at a water trough I passed, expect natural and much much much bigger :)

Part one was just getting there, and these were my views.

With temperatures exceeding 114℉ (45℃) I knew Australia was outside of the dusty air-conditioned comfort of the 4WD. By the looks of the roadside, it was clear to see that either lack of water or a truck took the life of this one.

Passing on a bit further I noticed a creek, that seemed to have a bit of water in it. Stopping to take a break, stretch and observe the surrounds I was perplexed to witness an old car in a tree. What? I thought. How the hell? Then I quickly remember this area was prone to flash flooding something that devastated the area and the roads!

I had to pull out my camera and take a photo. Call it what you want, but I like to think of the scene as rural art!

Eventually, I arrived at the next town before having to stop and take a short test at the tourist centre. The test was the same one the local miners took before they could assess a short cut road which the mines operated on. It took me through what to do when an oncoming car was coming, how not to roll your car on a gravel road and a bunch of other no-brainer general knowledge questions.

I passed the test with flying colours and then continued on my journey to Karijini. To be continued...

All photographs were taken by me.

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I'm Leigh, from Sydney Australia and through @steemit I'm seeing what its like to explore @myday. Not in any particular order, or particular time frame but just parts of @myday through my eyes and sometimes the cameras lens._

If you are interested in reading about myself and my beautiful partner Grace then have a read of myday #0 where everything is explained. If you enjoyed reading this post I welcome you to upvote this article and follow me. Please drop me a comment as I would love to hear from you!