Octagon January, 2017

campers’ kitchen, where we chose to be fed
by and with some of the staff of the station.
The young German couple were still there,
enjoying the outback. I asked Wal if he
would recite his famous “Rindecella” poem
for our guests and he obliged. He is so
clever. I don’t know how he can remember it.
As we wandered off to our room that night
Peter had a nice surprise. Could it be true?
Was it her – but with clothes on? This
blonde young nymph had followed us out to
the car. She and Peter chatted on for a good
while, whilst I unloaded our things out of the
car. She was an ex Mustang driver so she
was interested in our cars. Peter however
was wondering where he could indeed put
her in the car – perhaps if he opened the
boot then he could let her sit there – she
certainly seemed the adventurous type.
Next thing her boyfriend showed up – and
put paid to that. No luck this time Peter! It
wasn’t The Nymph.
The next morning after breakfast together,
we left Anna and Wal saying that we would
probably see them “up the track”, as they
still had to pull down their camper ‘van. Also
they would catch us up anyway as they were
in a more modern car - an MGB GT!
So after Warwick had played his one hole of
golf – which involved quite a bit of walking
around the sheep property, we headed
off. This was the first time he had played
golf amongst sheep poo! (Even for a New
Zealander!).
Juliana & Warwicks Nullarbor adventure
begins.
Bolstered by encouragement from us and
the Robinsons (or was it the prospect of
an interesting golf game) the Protheroes
were now eager to start heading across
the infamous Nullarbor. If they were still a
little hesitant they didn’t show it. Peter too
became a bit more alert at the prospects of
sighting the Nullarbor Nymph. Would he see
her this time – only time would tell!
Caiguna
Near the roadhouse of Caiguna is one of the
many blowholes which appear across the
Nullarbor. They are formed by the chemical
and physical weathering processes that
erode caverns in the limestone bedrock.
The airflow is created by the different air
pressures of under and above ground. This
one at this stage of the day was blowing out
so I threw some dry leaves across its mouth
so that our visitors could “see” the rising air.
The leaves went skyward quite rapidly.
Cocklebiddy
Like most of the places across the Nullarbor,
Cocklebiddy consists of a roadhouse,
Service Station, Restaurant and Motel and
that’s about it. The rooms at the Motel were
large and clean with King sized beds and
the restaurant food homely.
That night at the motel, we were regrettably
introduced to the Royal Flying Doctor
Service as one of our motel neighbours had
firstly to be taken to Caiguna by ambulance,
where he was then to be flown to Kalgoorlie
by the RFDS. Of a day they can land on
the main road, the piano keys are painted
on the road, but this was night time. Juliana
and I took turns at being with the patient
until contact was firstly made with the
RFDS. Then an ambulance had to be made
ready. They keep an ambulance at each
roadhouse across the Nullarbor, just for
these emergencies. That night the battery
in the one at Cocklebiddy was a bit flat so
they started recharging it as soon as they
thought it would be needed. The question
was asked could someone take a blood
test of the patient. Juliana volunteered and
sent the report to the RFD. Anyway to cut
a long story short. The gentleman made it
safely to hospital in time for medical help,
40miles/66km by land ambulance and
260miles/420km in the RFDS. (Brisbane to
The Octagon - January 2017 37