We speed down the highway, absorbing the vast size of the region. Some road signs direct visitors to look-out points and historic buildings. Other signs offer important advice - Please Obtain Drinking Water Before Leaving Town, Police are now targeting: FATIGUE, Remain alert to Kangaroos and Emus, etc. The land is flat and dry, small shrubs and bushes line the road. We pass camper vans and large trucks towing boats and trailers. Extra fuel and water is strapped to the top of most vehicles. Dead kangaroos are pushed to the side of the road and small lizards jet across the highway before you, tempting their fate. Every 150km or so, a dirt parking lot and Roadhouse sit just off the highway and offer gas and oil, food and drink, and toilet facilities. We stop at each Roadhouse, topping off our gas tank, checking the water and oil in our car, and grabbing an iced coffee for the next stretch of open road.
As we continue up north, not only does the terrain visibly begin to change, but the demographics begin to change as well. Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. This population increases dramatically the further north we travel.
