We didn't hear a peep out of marsupial neighbours all night and although we both love birds and waking up to the sound of a kookaburra or the warble of a magpie is glorious, the same can’t be said for the mournful sound of a crow, although my favourite AFL team I cannot stand the feathered variety. They always give me such a sense of foreboding to hear them first thing in the morning.

I put all that aside and we caught up with Prince Leonard again, we could have talked to him for hours, and honestly I think he wouldn’t have minded. He has so many stories to
tell. I always thought he was a bit of folly, but I learnt not to be mistaken; he is one very clever man.   When he was young (16-17) and working for a shipping company after leaving school at a young age, during his lunch break he would read a law book or and act of parliament . He has a passion for mathematics and has written papers for NASA and The Smithsonian Institute.   He even has a star named after him. We were both shocked to know that The
Principality of Hutt River has many diplomats around the world and their vehicles are emblazoned with the emblem and PHR Consular number plates.

We asked him so many questions, but the one we forgot was "how do you become a citizen of Hutt River". We thought it might be a nice place to kick back in when we hit our
dotage – even though there’s nothing there. We’ll have to run that past him next time and hope he gives me the keys to the Roller!

By 11.00am he’d stamped our passports and we were legally allowed to leave his Principality and re-enter Australia.

Once back on the highway, the phone was back in range (ah well back to the "real" world) and the cool conditions we’d experienced at Hutt River were gone and the day progressively heated up with a maximum of 38 degrees.

The road was relatively straight and apart from a change in the sand colour from light to what I call Pilbara red, the only big event was crossing the 26th parallel.

Lots and lots of traffic heading south. 

No rubbish or road kill about, in fact no wildlife at all, not even a bird to be seen which is most unusual. It’s so dry and hot maybe that has something to do with it, they’re reserving their energy for hunting in the cool of the evening.

We stopped at Billabong Roadhouse, a nice stop for an ice cream as there aren’t any towns around. What would we, as travellers do, without the enterprising folk who provide these oases in the desert.

3.00pm and we could see our overnight stop, atop Gladstone Scenic Lookout, the highest spot for many, many, many kilometres. Although it must be the windiest place in the Universe the view across the plain to Shark Bay is amazing and the sunset was mighty fine too.

We were surprised to have phone and internet so we caught up with goings on in the world.

We’re unsure what the significance of the tributes at the outlook are all about.

We couldn’t have our windows open as the wind was too strong it would have blown them away and the blinds in so the genny was on and the air conditioner was cranked.

Slept like a lamb.

Is this the windiest place on earth?