Postcard from Kimberley: On the road again

 

On the bus the trainee guide decides to play a game. Called two truths and a lie. He says three things about himself and then asks us to decide which one was a lie.

All of us tourists then say two truths and a lie about themselves. Everybody else has to decide what was the lie.

The truths turn out to be: winning a tango competition, winning a tennis tournament, sky diving, bungee jumping, meeting Alan Bond etc. Everybody is proud of their truths and would love to talk further about their truths.

The lies are all said quietly and dismissively last or second last.

The game is a success. Everybody played whole heartedly and everybody bonds closer together.

 

Driver: I’ll have one person at a time up here next to me. If they fall asleep, they have to shout the bar. They are to look out for animals. Rory can go in the back where he belongs.

Driver: A lot of the cattle stations are realizing they can make more money flipping hamburgers and selling beer They still have to have cattle. The law says they must be an active cattle station. Not just tourist station.

Driver: We are in a dead zone for IT. Our TV (The TV displaying the road ahead for us passengers) is not working. We will have a look at that this evening.

Driver: I’ll reward one person at a time. One person sits next to me in the cab.

Driver: We are coming up to an area which they are grading. This bridge has been fixed since the wet season.

Driver: We are coming up to another caravan. Eat their dust. Hopefully they will do the right thing and we get passed them.

Driver: Will this lollypop man let us through?

In the Kimberley the stop-go man is called a lollypop man. Grading and maintaining the dirt roads is a major activity. Every lollypop man leads to us stopping and the driver commenting.