This morning we spent the time watching the sun rise over the Lost City with the slow glow of light illuminating the monoliths. This was not where we planned on camping but the itinery started to take on less meaning as we settled in to outback time.

I have noticed when you travel in the outback you become much more in tune with the rising and setting of the sun.  Time is dictated by the light from the brightest star than the watch on your wrist. Days of the week start to begin to loose their meaning and dates are constructed numbers.  I wonder what life is like when you retire - when there is no such thing as a work week or school term? I wonder if that why they invented Christian religion so we knew when Sunday was?

(A great view to wake up to - the Lost City - NOT Hux!)

Leaving the Lost City, again a decision was needed. Do we skip Lorella Springs and head straight to King Ash Bay in order to get back on itinery or make the 30km diversion?  We may never get back to this part of the world? I really should go as it is important if I am going to write a story for the 4WD magazine? We can make up the time at the end of the trip by driving the last 1000km in a day?  Throwing the watch out the window we headed to Lorella Springs.

Not far out of the Lost City the sky darkened as the road headed towards one of the ever present fires. The flames laped the edge of the road, it's crackling sound echoing through the car as the smoke enveloped it.  On the road, in the trees, in the sky, were hundreds of black kites looking for any helpless animal escaping the red inferno.  It was reminiscent of the scene from the Alfred Hitchcock movie 'The Birds'.

Having survived the fire, we soon arrived at Lorella Springs, a privately owned wilderness property on the edge of the Gulf of Carpentaria covering over 1million acres (which Hux informs me is actually over 4 billion square metres).  It is a place of eccentric travellers and itinerates who are wanting to find a place of isolation. And isolated it is. 

While there are hundreds of km of 4wd tracks to explore we only had the day so chose to venture out to Nannys Retreat.   The track winds its way for more than hour through the dry spinifex and across creek crossings (more on that later), 2 wheel ruts the only guide preventing you from spending more time that expected out here.

Where the 4wd track finished another walking  track began, which eventually leads you to a majestic boulder strewn mountain range. At the base of the range a spring fed creek flows into crystal clear pools with ferns clinging to the rock edge.  At one point the water is constricted between two rock walls with the gorge no wider than the span of your outstretched arms.

Not only were we hundreds of km from the nearest town, and we were at a place that very few Europeans had visited, but we had the entire gorge to ourselves.  Some primeval instinct must have taken over as clothing was dispensed with as I plunged into the cool water.  I know this is a boys trip, and I should not admit getting naked, but I must say it was one of the most fantastic feelings swimming in a location so remote as this. At least I knew I was not going to frighten a bus load of Japanese tourists. (Note: luckily there is no photographic record of this event).

Exploring more, we entered an immense cave carved from eons of water flowing through it.  Moving through the cave it came alive with the movement of hundreds of dragon flies.

With the setting of the sun telling us it was time to head back we had one more thing to do.  And that was for Hux to take control of the $60,000 4WD and try not to stall it in the river crossing so I could get some good photos.  Luckily I gave him lesson number 2 in how to 4WD.  If he drowns the car he is telling Kathy!  Luckily both car and us made it across safely deserving a cold beer at the bush bar.

The evening was spent around the open bar re-living stories from the trip (although my version seems to be very different) and reflecting that it is days like today where time takes on a different meaning.  It is not about start and finish. Not about deadlines. Not about what you have to do tomorrow.  

It is about savouring the moment as it is. Taking a deep breath and experiencing the now.