My journey continued and the weather was continuously hot. I had a tea in Road House, kept by a man with big grey beard. It was an universal bar-motel-gas station-restaurant. The rule is that in smaller places the fuel costs more than in bigger towns and/or cities. The lonelier place is the higher price will be! About 100km further the fuel was much cheaper. Local people can of course choose the right station to fuel, but I haven´t got much experience around here. I recall that in one letter I wrote how polite Australian drivers are. Well, it does not count here in Northern Territory!
The goods on the highways are carried on big trucks, which they call Road Trains. One truck pulls up to five wheelbarrows! Their do not slow down even when driving up the mountains. I saw a Volvo truck or two, but they seemed to be as fragile as city madams comparing to local heavy-monster-macho trucks. Heavy trucks move only on highways and you never see them in the villages, towns and cities.
I turned off the road to look at town named Charters Towers. I wanted to buy some drinking water. Townsville greeted me with cloudy weather. Closing up the town you could feel the temperature getting lower and you knew that the ocean is close by.
I turned to south and after 20km I decided to turn off the highway. I could not be lost, at least my opinion said so. Heading east you will meet the ocean sooner or later. The road got narrower and then it ended! I was surrounded by high grass or maybe sugarcane!?
My eating’s habits in Australia.
You can´t take many food products for a long trip. They get spoiled quickly in the hot environment. Toast is well preserved. On sale there many tastier white breads, but those become spoilt faster. My stockpile is now consisted of 1 tomato, 3 onions and 5 lemons. It is not dramatic because uninhabited places are now behind me. I am now officially on the East Coast. Those 5 lemons by the way are from our Estonian friends in Melbourne and have travelled ca 12000km. 
At first when we got Australia, we bought many food products, including “fast noodles” We had a gas oven, so a chance to make the hot meals was there. One must get a hot meal per day – that is the rule you must obey. I tried to obey, but these noodles were the most disgusting I ever have had. I think to devise those noodles to the next owners of this vehicle! I might add a story why they are so useful…
30th January
Townsville
