Gladstone Bay really turned it on for us this morning. There’s a particular kind of stillness you only get in the outback when the wind decides to take a breather, and the water becomes a perfect mirror of the sky. We headed down for a stroll along the shoreline, and the reflection was so clear it was hard to tell where the wet sand ended and the ocean began. Our shadows stretched out long and thin across the ripples, making us look about ten feet tall.

The outback putting on a proper show as the sun dips below the horizon.
The outback putting on a proper show as the sun dips below the horizon.
Our shadows stretching out over the glass-like water during a stunning morning walk at Gladstone Bay.
Our shadows stretching out over the glass-like water during a stunning morning walk at Gladstone Bay.

It’s been great having Sandy and Steve along for this stretch. Lisa and Sandy are getting on like a house on fire, constantly finding something to laugh about. They spent a good part of the morning wandering the beach, soaking up the sun and catching up. It’s nice to see Lisa so relaxed; the salt air usually does the trick, but having good company makes it even better.

Lisa and Sandy having a brilliant time down by the water.
Lisa and Sandy having a brilliant time down by the water.

While the girls were busy exploring, I settled in for a bit of a slow morning at the van. There’s something deeply satisfying about sitting outside with a hot brew and a bit of breakfast while the clouds put on a show overhead. Lisa popped her head out the door to check on me, probably making sure I hadn’t eaten all the good biscuits. It was one of those moments where you just feel lucky to be exactly where you are.

A perfect morning setup with my breakfast and Lisa keeping an eye on things from the doorway.
A perfect morning setup with my breakfast and Lisa keeping an eye on things from the doorway.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a trip into the scrub without a bit of "character building" maintenance. I’d been having a few niggling issues with the electrical connection to the van, so I decided to pull the plug apart and see what was what. As I expected, the fine outback dust had managed to find its way inside the casing, coating the terminals. I spent a fair bit of time cleaning out the grit and tightening up the connections. It’s a fiddly job, but once I saw those clean copper points, I felt a lot more confident about our next leg of the journey.

Getting into the guts of the trailer plug to clear out the dust and fix our connection issues.
Getting into the guts of the trailer plug to clear out the dust and fix our connection issues.

We finished the day watching the sky turn into a bruised purple and gold. The scrub out here is low and hardy, and when the sun hits that horizon, it sets the whole landscape glowing. It’s a dry, quiet beauty that’s hard to describe to anyone who hasn’t sat in it, but for us, it’s exactly why we keep heading back out here.

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