Gas bottles = excitement

Never in my life was I so excited to see gas bottles than I was when we arrived at a place that I was sure started with M but Pod Boy thinks was Dunkeld. I just knew when I saw those bottles that there would be warm running water and that there was a great possibility that there would also be showers.

I had a shower the morning I was due to fly to Australia, it was 0430 and I knew it would be the last guaranteed shower until I came back to NZ. We spent my first night in Oz at a friend's house where we crashed after a night of camp fire chatting, drinking and digiredo playing (I surprisingly enjoy playing the dig, and Pod boy's really good at it so it's nice to chill and listen to the haunting sounds in the night sky). We showered in the morning before leaving for our outback adventure.

We knew it would be difficult to find showers as we were going to be in the bush, but I wasn't too worried. I enjoy a cold bucket wash and I figured if worst came to the worst I would heat some water and wash with that. I wasn't counting on the truly cold weather that we had though.

On day two of no hot shower Pod boy bought a shower pump (we'll blog about that later because it's epic) and used it with freezing cold water that night when we parked up. I was too chicken to use it, not least because it was raining, pitch black dark and we were in a (I thought) scary section of the forest.

On day three of no hot water I began to freak out quietly inside myself. I've thought about this since, and the freaking out was less about the shower situation and more about me not being in control. I usually don't mind not showering, a good wash is often a better way to get clean than a shower. But for some reason day three of no hot water was a dreadful day for me.

I began to get a stress headache, I was grumpy, I didn't want to talk, my hair needed washing, I felt like everything was going wrong, I was worried that my blisters (oh! I haven't told you about them...I'll do that later) would be getting infected and I was just generally feeling out of sorts. Then we drove into the phantom place we can't remember the name of and pulled over so I could use the toilets there. I had already decided that I would go into the disabled bathroom and strip off and have a proper wash in the hand basin regardless of whether there was hot water or not.

Pod boy took pod dog for a walk while I put my toiletries and towel into a bag. I then dejectedly began to walk over to the toilet block. On my way I noticed some big gas bottles outside the block. I picked up the pace, gas bottles = hot water which often = shower. I was right! Thankyou place starting with M that isn't Dunkeld*. I put my stuff into the shower cubicle and rushed out and yelled at Pod boy that there were showers, I used code so the people around wouldn't all rush to the amazingness that is free showers. I then went into my shower and luxuriated under the hot water.

* Pod boy's almost certain it was Dunkeld ("I bet my left nut"), I'm not convinced it is Dunkeld so my left everything is not being bet at all! Next time we travel I promise to note where we stop and where we find exciting gas bottles.

P.S. My blisters...I decided to wear high healed knee high boots on the aeroplane. Bad idea! I ended up with two massive blisters on the balls of my feet. One got infected, the other just kept filling up with serous fluid. I think this was a sign that I am truly no longer able to wear heals for any significant length of time and I will therefore not be bringing all my 10s of shoes over with me when I move into the pod. I can hear Pod boy breathing a metaphorical sigh of relief at this prospect.