Hitching from Karratha to Broome with Sharon

Today is Sunday September the 6th 2010.  I am staying in the Grand Central Backpackers.  It is ghetto, old school building, not converted into a hostel very well but it was convenient and my walk to the train tomorrow will be extremely brief.  Anyhow I am here to start my blog from Karratha onwards.  Karratha was going to be on the blog but it might have to just get added later since this section is much more exciting.

It was early in the morning on Thursday August 26th 2010 when Sharon and I slung our packs and set forth from the house we had been living in for the past few months.  A sad place to have called home.  We trekked towards the main highway with little hope of finding a ride out of town, with most cars passing us seeming to merely be heading for work in the LIA (Light Industrial Area).  We made it just past the LIA when a ute pulled a U-turn to pick us up.  Apparently Jake decided on a second thought to come back and pick us up so that his Karma would be good.  Even with everything in the back it was a bit crowded in the front, and the person who was sitting in the middle had to change gears.  Jake was heading to Newman to check out a second hand motorcycle since none of his were running at the moment.  When he picked us up he offered to take us to Port Headland, which was the last town before a long stretch of nothing on the way to Broome.  We didn't realize it at the time, but PH is actually 50km past the turnoff to Newman, but he seemed happy to have us along and hopefully he got the good Karmic vibe he was looking for and everything worked out for his bike.  Sharon was shocked when we stopped at a roadhouse for a stretch and Jake got himself a beer while we were there.  I had ice cream.  A few more kilometers down the road he decided to also stop and get another out of the cooler he had in the back.  When he offered each of us a beer, I figured that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em and that it would be one less beer for him to drink and drive with.  He drove us all the way up to the main truck stop in Port Headland so that we would be able to get a ride from there.

We had a little break, got some lunch from the roadhouse, and then went to go over to the highway.  Before sticking our thumbs out, we decided that it would be a good idea to ask the truckies who were pointed north if they didn't mind a couple passengers going with them.  This is when we met Martin.  He and his friend were hauling a load up to Broome.  There was a bed in the back that one of us had to sit on, but we both ended up taking advantage of this luxury and had little naps.  I suppose I slept a bit awkwardly, you can decide for yourself.

I woke up in a place called the Sandfire Roadhouse.  I was shocked to see the intense contrast of dark green plants and bright red sand, the name was quite suitable.

 I rode shot gun the rest of the way to the Roebuck Roadhouse mostly swapping stories with Martin.  He had previously run import companies in both the U.S. and Australia with his ex-wife.  He fell back to trucking for a little while since they split less than a year ago, but plans to go back to the import business once he gets things sorted.  After he dropped us off, he even asked around the roadhouse there to see if anyone would take Sharon and I into Broome.  While I waited with my thumb out, after dark, in oncoming headlights, Sharon went and asked a vehicle stopped for fuel if they were able to take us.  The couple ended up shifting around all their luggage so that they could put the back seat up and take us into town, and even dropped us directly at our hostel.  They were quite an interesting duo!  Daniella, Frog and their son Banjo.  They were originally from Victoria, but spent 9 months out of the year on a boat in the Kimberlies fishing for Barramundi.  During the wet season they would go back to Victoria for the summer there!  Now that's dedication to chasing the sunshine!

That's all for this post, but stay tuned for an update of what happened in Broome and the Ride back south with team Chubb and Chauncy!