After leaving Perth we headed east towards Kalgoorie on the Great eastern Highway. Our plans were to stop in Southern Cross the first night but a very small town west of Southern Cross had been getting great reviews on Wiki Camps our bible for this trip.Making a left off of GEH we headed north for 6 km and came to the Westonia airport, a grass strip. Making right we headed into town.

We were greeted at the town Shire (County Hall) boy Shirley. After a G-day her and I immediately started giving each other a hard time. She was my mirror image when it comes to being sarcastic. Shirley lined use up with a camping spot and we were setting into our first night out. Joy and I rode our new bikes that came with the camper around town and even a long ride out to the local gold mine which is why Westonia is still here. After a long ride we took Shirley up on a visit and beer at her place then off to the local pub. I think I am on a mission to try chicken parmigiana in every pub in Australia as every Pub has it. Meeting the local "characters" we called it a night and headed off to sleep.

And then there was breakfast! Joy was chomping at the bit for bacon and eggs. Firing up the camp stove she through the bacon in our frying pan and that's when it started, SMOKE! Too much heat and a pan that wasn't nonstick and we were eradicating the local Shire of the dreaded "Mossies" (Mosquitoes). The bacon was now a part of the pan rather then in the pan. Anyway we scrapped the bits out took another shot with the eggs which turned out not so bad with bacon bits. After a quick visit to the Westonia Museum which included a mine explosion replicator we pack up and headed for Southern Cross.

Only 65 miles away we headed straight for the Shires public pool where we met up with a Australian family on a year long "Lap" (many Australians save up for a long drive around Australia and call it a lap). We got some pointers as they were westbound and us eastbound on what was coming and to look for. Touring the town the next morning on my bike, I have for a long time liked the song Southern Cross and too be in the town of the same name was special.

I got back to camp and Joy was ready for try two of bacon and eggs. This time she had a weapon, Teflon. We stopped the day before and bought a cheap nonstick pan and with that our bacon and eggs were perfect and smokeless.Off we went that morning for Kalgoorlie 250 km later we were pulling in to civilization, we thought. This town is built on a Gold Mine, a big one. So there is a mix of miners, Aboriginals, and tourist everywhere.

We did the Super Pit tour, the tourist mine tour and some bar hopping on my birthday even making friends with a local "Skimpy" girl. Skimpy's are bar maid brought in to "entertain" the miners. They walk around in very little. Our Skimpy friend Amy came and had a drink with us an them invited us to her bar across the street. After about two hours Mick my newest Ozzie friend and I were chatting when Amy showed back up missing her top altogether. Not sure how to feel about Amy just walking up like nothing was going on and chatting. If anything it was an interesting night with many laughs maybe even I got to be the character for the night in Koolgoorlie! ◦

 Just so you know I am struggling with my blogs again this year uploading is again a problem. My notes corrects my grammar and punctuation but eliminates my paragraphs making everything one big mess. I will work on it but no guarantees. Thanks for following...Keith