We long for peace and quiet and a place of peace

Gap Creek Camp – 05.09.2002

After a terrible but rainless night, we pack up our camp. We leave the nameless creek in a north-easterly direction without incident. Running on the track is much easier for us than over the sand dunes or the sea of stones. We are making good progress. The landscape is unchanged. To our left and right, an eternal, dry wasteland stretches out. It’s frightening how hostile it can be here in the outback and how the appearance of the surroundings changes from one day to the next. In the early morning, the clouds were pushed back again by the hot wind. The sun has been brutal and merciless for 11 days now. It flickers across the plain. Sometimes we even think we can make out a large expanse of water, but as we get closer the mirage disappears.

After 28 kilometers we reach a crossroads. We turn east and follow Gap Creek. Suddenly a small truck comes towards us. I lead the caravan to the side and stop it. Two men get out of the cab to greet us. It is the headstockman (head of the Jackeroos) of Marion Downs and his brother. “Please tell Robert that we’ll be setting up camp for the night near here at Gap Creek. He wanted to visit us at camp with his family. He is always welcome,” I explain in a friendly manner. “We’ll tell him,” the two reply.

After we leave the track to pull our boys to the riverbed, the two wrestlers (cowboys) look after us. Then we lose sight of them. Gap Creek is also completely dry. Large stones don’t make it easy to find a camp. There is hardly a square meter without rocks and boulders. It takes half an hour before I discover a narrow strip of earth on the raised bank that allows us to scurry away from the camels.

Shortly before sunset, an airplane roars over our heads. “That must have been Robert,” I say tiredly. “Did he see us?” “I don’t think so. If he had, he would have let us know with a wiggle of his wings. He’s probably been out all day and is only now coming home. The two wrestlers apparently couldn’t tell him that we were camping here at Gab Creek.”

As we do every evening, we lie down on our camp beds at around 19:00. Before I hopefully flee from the moths and tiny flies into the land of dreams, I look at the sea of stars and think about the infinity of the universe. “I’m longing for a shower,” Tanja suddenly says. “Me too.” “Do you think we can get a good place to stay on Marion Downs? A place where you can write down all our experiences in peace?” “Oh, I tell you, that’s what I want with all my heart. I’ve been dreaming of a cold shower, fresh fruit and vegetables and, above all, lovely people…” “I have a good feeling.” “Me too. Hopefully we can stay for two weeks. It would be good to be able to repair everything that has been broken in the last few weeks. Especially to finally give our tortured bodies the rest they need,’ I say quietly, looking at a shooting star. “We’ll know tomorrow.” “Yes, we’ll know tomorrow.”