In paradise

Marion Downs-Camp – 06.09.2002

The prospect of a shower and soon reaching Marion Downs Homestead gives us new energy. We leave our camp at Gap Creek just a few minutes after 7:00 am. We hurry over the stony track with long strides. A cloud of dust approaches us again around midday. A jeep stops next to us. Our hosts are delighted to get out and greet us. “This is my wife Leanne, our son Angus and daughter Clara,” Robert introduces his family with a friendly smile. “That’s Sebastian, our camel leader. The small, strong one behind him is Hardie, the carrier of our proud dog Rufus. Then comes the strong Jafar, who was the youngest and thinnest at the start of the expedition. In fourth place is the friendly Istan, who survived pneumonia last year. Then comes the wild Edgar, the water carrier, who we trained last year at Anna Plains Station, and finally you see the stubborn but good-natured Jasper, who still hates his nose leash to this day. We also trained him at Anna Plains,” Tanja introduces our crew.

We soon spend an hour chatting with the friendly family. Little Clara is allowed to stroke Sebastian from time to time while the bright Angus feeds our boys a few half-dried bushes. “It’s still 15.8 kilometers to the Homestead. When will you be there?” Robert asks just before they leave us alone again. “If nothing comes up at 3 p.m.,” I reply. “See you then,” he says and gets into the jeep. The children and Leanne wave goodbye to us.

“There’s a house with air conditioning, a kitchen, a shower, a bed, a washing machine and much more waiting for us, Leanne told me when you were talking to Robert.” “What, a whole house? Wow, that’s much more than we dared to dream of. Yay!” I cheer and quicken my steps to breathtaking speed. “Yes, and there’s even a cook. We can look forward to a good meal tonight,’ Tanja tells me with a laugh. “I just can’t believe it. Hooray!” I’m delighted and would love to run even faster, but our overworked bones can’t manage any more.

In a good mood, we hurry through the dry land and actually reach the homestead of Marion Downs Station at 3 p.m. sharp. We unload our boys next to the beautiful house of the Headstockman. Leanne and Angus help us carry the equipment onto the covered terrace of the house. Then our camels are allowed to move into an enclosure not far from the large tool sheds and barns where vehicles of all kinds and motorcycles are stored. They shyly follow me into the enclosure, which is bordered by solid metal bars. At the drinking trough, they immediately fill their bellies so full that you would think they were balloons with four thin legs sticking out of them. Robert brings a huge roll of hay with a tractor so that they can eat their fill for at least three days.

After our comrades are well accommodated, we take a look at the palace that Leanne and Robert have made available to us for our stay. On the east and west side there is a covered terrace surrounded by fly nets to keep the annoying flying pests away. We enter a living room in which a large kitchen area literally invites us to cook. In the bedroom, we are greeted by two beds with freshly made-up bedding. Not far away is the toilet and a bathroom with bath and shower cubicle. The washing machine is in a small laundry room and three other rooms are apparently intended for children or guests. As if moved by thunder, we walk through our house with our mouths open in amazement and almost exploding with inner joy. It’s actually meant for the headstock man, but because he’s not married it’s empty at the moment and we can stay here as long as we like. “This is paradise,” says Tanja.

After Tanja has showered, I tear off my dirty clothes and jump into the bathtub. It’s almost unbelievable, just a few minutes ago we had to watch out for every drop of water, and now my whole body is lying in the clear, lukewarm preciousness. Although I have never bathed in champagne in my life, I am quite sure that this bath, filled with fine drinking water, feels a thousand times better. A storm of thoughts races through my brain and gives way to a feeling of happiness that will never be forgotten. It is strange how close exertion, suffering, death, heat and agony can be to peace, joy, vibrant life, pleasant temperatures and well-being. It is a narrow path, a tightrope walk between heaven and hell and we humans usually create our own prison. Although I am one of the happiest people on earth at this moment, I am aware that it is also beautiful out there, behind this thin wall of a house. It depends on what attitude you have towards it.

I let my hands glide through the water, splashing like a small child and looking at my wiggling toes. There is no doubt that there is a lot of suffering and misery behind the walls of such houses in the cities. No doubt most of us no longer appreciate what it means to bathe our entire body in drinking water. I would love to take all the people who have forgotten how beautiful and precious it is to be able to wash and bathe their bodies with water whenever they want to, to the great deserts of this earth. I’m sure it would change her life, because it changed my life too.

At 18:00 we find ourselves in the Jackeroos lounge. A TV is on while some of the young men who work hard during the day are playing pool. Although everyone knows who we are and where we come from, we are looked at somewhat cautiously. Nobody really dares to talk to us. When Leanne and Robert arrive, they invite us for a beer. We learn that the wrestlers here are only allowed to drink three beers in the evening. Twice as much at the weekend. Hard alcohol is prohibited on the ward. Unless the boys drive to the small town of Boulia, 70 kilometers away, where around 200 people live. If they want, they can drink there to their heart’s content. As we have visited a few stations in recent years where there is no alcohol ban, we know what terrible consequences a loose tour can have. In some cases, drunkenness even leads to death. It is a dangerous job to chase cattle through a fence while drunk, to drive trucks or clearing machines or to sit on the cross-country machine to drive in the herds.

We sit down with the wrestlers. A tame young cow walks past outside and sticks her head in the door. “Moo!” she bleats, apparently wanting something to nibble on. Kurt, one of the Jackeroos, comes running up and teases the mooing roommate of the community. She accepts his funny challenge to fight and runs after him. She would love to pick him up with her head, but Kurt is too quick. “The boys are always teasing our tip truck,” Leanne explains with a laugh. “Why is it called a tip truck?” I ask. “She fell off the back of a van when she was very small. Angus named her that. She’s been one of our pets ever since,” explains Leanne.

At 19:00 Norman the cook rings the dinner bell. We all walk together to another building where the farm kitchen is located. The evening meal is sumptuous. In addition to meat, there are also lots of vegetables and salad. Tanja and I really crave fresh vegetables, salad and fruit. We can eat as much as we want. For dessert, Norman put chocolate cake and vanilla sauce on the long table. I’m lucky that hardly any of the wrestlers want anything sweet and I enjoy three pieces of the freshly baked cake.

After a long and pleasant conversation with Leanne and Robert, we walk to our house. Rufus, who has his bed on the terrace, greets us with his tail wagging. Although I enjoy most nights out in the wilderness, although there is hardly anything better than looking up at the endless starry sky just before falling asleep, I look forward to an ordinary bed. Not a single moth disturbs our sleep. Not a single tiny fly sticks to my sweat and the air conditioning cools the bedroom to a fantastic temperature.