Chapter 39: Hughenden to Julia Creek

Saturday Week 15

Dave and Jill both said goodbye to Peter at the jetty on Dunk Island, before catching the water taxi to Mission Beach. Jill was crying as she turned away from kissing and cuddling Peter. Naturally, Dave sought to reassure her telling her she could stay if she wanted.

"I'll be alright in a few moments, Of course I'm sad to be leaving Peter like this, but I am also very happy at the prospect of the time I'm going to spend with you, so please don't think I'm disappointed to be alone with you. It is simply that I've been with him for almost two years and now I don't know when I'll see him again" Jill sobbed on his shoulder, tears streaming down her face, leaving his shirt wet.

"Don't worry, it might be only two weeks, though I must say, selfishly, I hope it's much longer" Dave told her as he held her in his arms.

"Believe it or not, despite my tears, I hope Peter gets to do at least three months and then joins us on the road. I am really looking forward to living with you as your girlfriend and travelling with you. I ended up not really enjoying working on the island, so I hope that down the track we can have our threesome again. But for now, I am looking forward to it just being the two of us and sleeping with you every night. I do love you Dave, you know that, don't you?" she said smiling warmly at him through her tears.

"Yes, my darling and I assure you that your love is reciprocated. I hope it's many years before we have to part again" Dave whispered to her.

"Oh Dave, I can't wait to get to the RV so you can show me how much you love me. I know we are going to be just so good together."

The water taxi trip was brief and soon they were in the 4WD. It was a long drive in the small 4WD, but this time Jill shared some of the driving, making it seem a lot shorter than the trip up. That and the fact he had such lovely company with him on the return journey.

Dave stopped at The Lynd Junction for some lunch, because this time he didn't have sandwiches with him. Just before dusk they were pulling up beside the RV and unloading Jill's possessions into the RV.

As soon as they were inside, Jill stripped off, saying "this is how I like to be in this wonderful place, naked and available, so I expect that you are going to take advantage of me" Jill said hopefully.

And Dave did!

Sunday Week 15

Dave woke up with Jill in his arms, feeling so happy and content with the world. He lay there thanking his lucky stars for his life and the wonderful women with whom he had and was now sharing it. Soon he felt Jill stir and said to her "good morning my love. Welcome to the rest of our lives together."

"Hello darling Dave. I know we are going to spend lots of time together, but I feel like making love to you right now, so please roll over and let me."

Dave was happy to oblige and even happier nearly 15 minutes later as he spurted his love into her.

"So what's on the agenda for today, my darling" Jill asked when she had got her breath back.

"We're off to Richmond after breakfast to study dinosaurs. I've already spent time in both Winton and here looking at Dinosaur artefact, as the area between the three towns is known as the dinosaur triangle." he told her, then playfully smacked her bottom lightly and told her "after you get up and cook me breakfast, lazybones."

"Yes master, I hear and I obey" she responded jovially, getting up and preparing breakfast, while Dave used the ensuite, coming out dressed, ready for the day.

Jill refused to get dressed, though, until it was time to go and even then she put the absolute minimum amount of clothes on, a T-shirt and panties.

It was only 112 kilometres to Richmond, which Dave expected to take about an hour and a half, so he was in no hurry to leave as he leisurely enjoyed a second cup of the plunger coffee that Jill had made.

Around 10 am Dave settled his account and drove west along the Flinders Highway, which was also known as the Overlander's Way, to Richmond, a town with a population of only 800.

Once he had parked the RV and unloaded the 4WD, he and Jill got into the 4WD and went to the Information Centre. As he drove them there, Dave was suitably impressed, as was Jill, with the beautiful bougainvillea-lined streets, parks and gardens. It certainly was a very attractive town and he saw the sign which indicated that Richmond had won Queensland's Tidiest Town award in 2001.

The Information Centre was at the Kronosaurus Korner, the major award winning attraction in Richmond. Here Dave and Jill were told that this was the only museum in Australia primarily dedicated to displaying marine reptiles. There was also the very special dinosaur, Minmi, with impressions of its fossilised skin. The brochure claimed that it was the best preserved dinosaur in Australia. Alongside, Dave and Jill saw the Richmond Pliosaur, also the best vertebrate fossil in Australia.

The centre was home to nearly 400 exhibits dating back over 100 million years, when Richmond was part of the inland sea in Gwandalan from which Australia was formed.

Dave was impressed with the hand held audio-guides that enabled a self-paced, self-guided tour of the centre.

Across the road, Dave spied a butcher shop that looked promising and here he was able to buy some nice meat for their next couple of dinners.

After they had taken their meat back to the RV, Dave drove them to the edge of town to see Lake Fred Titon, which boasted sandy beaches, shady playgrounds and a surprisingly beautiful lake with a 1.2 kilometre circumference. They enjoyed a brisk stroll around the paved walking track admiring the attractive gardens as they went.

Dave spent a little while driving around the streets, as he liked looking at the different styles and standards of homes in the various towns he visited. Not just the odd posh home, but also the old and new homes of both worker and middle class.

Then it was back to the RV to cook the beautiful T-bones that Dave had bought earlier with which Jill cooked boiled garlic potatoes and buttered broccoli. Dave opened a nice bottle of red wine to accompany the meal and after both had eaten and cleared away the dishes, sat there sipping on the rest of the bottle.

That night, as Dave and Jill got into bed, both naked as he planned they would be every night from now on, Dave enjoyed just cuddling and kissing her, knowing that he didn't have to make love whenever they slept together, because there would be many nights ahead.