Friday morning at the Cue Tourist Park. The usual comings and goings. We are delighted to be staying another night before we turn Lily and Digger ever northwards. I am always both amused and perplexed by travellers who use Cue as an overnight stop only. There is such history in this tiny Murchison town.
Any visitor should begin with the interpretive panels in the rest stop area just south of the caravan park. Then there are more stories on the very stylish rubbish bins, the vista of the stunning sandstone buildings, the central rotunda, the slightly worn Club Hotel and the beautiful Queen of the Murchison guest house and cafe. The excellent visitors centre and museum is a marvellous pit stop for any history buff. Nearby are the remains of Day Dawn with its spectacular sandstone hospital ruins and Big Bell which was abandoned in the 1950s after being home to eight hundred and fifty people for almost twenty years. The Great Fingall head frame stands guard over the derelict mine, with the ornate mine office a ghostly reminder of a booming past. Further afield is Walga Rock, known for its rock art and an energetic climb or the Aga Khan emerald mine at Poona, which is deserted once more after having more lives than a standard cat.
Yesterday, we had the laziest of mornings. We enjoyed multiple cups of tea and coffee in our fabulous Yeti cups (a huge thank-you to Cal and Bron for our designer camping mugs), caught up with current affairs, washed a mountain of dishes and began two loads of washing. Mostly we sat at our table in quiet reverie, the dogs snoring on the bed. We rallied after an excellent lunch and travelled to just beyond the edge of town for a very gentle two-hour spot of fossicking.
As ever, the Cue "resource centre" did not disappoint. We left the dogs in their crate next to Lily so they could see us whilst being perfectly safe. We prodded and poked, collected and discarded in the glorious winter sun. I removed all but one layer of clothing for the first time since we left Beverley. I led the canine clowns on a walk to the fabulous off-lead town oval later in the afternoon to wear them out. Then, I chatted with family Kim, Elise and Jonathon, who had constructed the most impressive Taj Mahal I'd ever seen emerge from a camper trailer. We finished the late afternoon around the fire pit with an extended family of grandparents, mum and six kids, who had arrived to undertake a spot of prospecting.
I created a splendid omelet for dinner, followed by a bit of chocolate and a couple of vinos. When Michael took the dogs out for last ablutions, I was asleep before they returned. We all slept until morning with only minor interruptions. Bliss.
This morning is crisp and sunny again, completely normal for winter in Cue. Another load of washing is waiting to be hung out, the pile of dirty dishes will be cleaned and then the rest of the day - a potter around Day Dawn and more fossicking will be just the ticket.
What we have been given here in Cue has been the opportunity to just stop. We have both experienced episodes of quiet and private musings, whilst remaining in the vicinity of each other. This has meant the chance to share feelings and memories in a safe environment without the usual interruptions of our typical and busy Beverley lives. Just gold.
My own mind has travelled far and wide. I have found myself remembering my efforts to please Mum, including a disastrous four months I lived near them on the Sunshine Coast. I had thought I'd be happy there, and heal our fractured relationship. Alas, this was not to be and I scuttled back to Perth with my tail between the legs and promptly suffered a breakdown. But if I hadn't gone, I never would have known whether this adventure would work or not.
My duplex in the northern suburb of Marangaroo also included good and not-so-good times. However, that was where I ended up, quite to my astonishment, with the love of my life twelve years ago. Then came the genesis of my affair with the Outback, our move to Beverley and the establishment of the East End Gallery and the building of Station House. Quite the rollercoaster ride.
Back to a very relaxed present. Cue represents the advent of our unwinding. For a pleasant start, our hayfever is diminishing, as if Pip's reverse sneezing. I expect Michael's asthma will improve as we move out of the cold nights. We have another five weeks of this rejuvenation and renewal. On Sunday, at Newman, we will cross the Tropic of Capricorn and enter the Pilbara. We will not return south of the Tropic of Capricorn until the end of the first week in August.
Stay tuned for the next exciting instalment!
The Great Northern Highway to Meekatharra was still pretty dodgy in the late 1990s!
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