There's Always One

Three started out in contagious health. I've put No.1 first and avoided them like the plague. One woman has improved, as has a second although that's harder to tell as she also has emphysema. The third was The One, a disaster area. She coughed badly and constantly, had “tummy problems” which a couple of times caused incontinence of the worst type (calling on a nurse passenger to help in all aspects, this person herself thus having a bushman's holiday away from an invalid husband) … but when she was on her feet she'd be wanting to help with food set-up and doing the dishes. Ugh! Infection control – not! Rumblings began in the camp.
One night, having lucked out and got a sleeping spot next to her, the coughing was so bad and feeble that I thought, (a) pneumonia and (b) what do you do with a body when you're hundreds of km from anywhere in the outback. Turns out I wasn't the only one thinking that. As days progressed, I lost my irritation (that's me being too kind to myself!) and felt sad for her. It became increasingly obvious that she was in the early stages of dementia. On reaching Broome she was taken to the local hospital and admitted – yes, pneumonia, whatever it started out as. Crunch time for her family whenever she gets home. In the meantime, one woman who joined the trip in a healthy state has caught the bug. It could yet go through the company. Fingers crossed, hoping not.

The Company

There are seven singles in the full group of 26, although a couple of those are travelling with couples. I've done really well as far as seating goes. I managed a window seat first up and was joined by a miner turned farmer, now retired but still working his property. He's a wiry bloke, not too tall …. and is happy for me to have the window seat all the time!!! We talk enough to be sociable but not constantly, which suits me fine. There was some suggestion that the singles swap who they're sitting next to so we get to know each other better. I declined and the farmer said he was happy as things are. Excellent. Not sure how it would have worked anyway – too complicated to get my brain around because there is seat rotation every day anyway and that's working well.
Age range is 50s to 70s. Never did I imagine doing one of these "oldies" tours! All are Australians. They all seem to be pretty well travelled, both within Australia and overseas. I think you could count those not retired on one hand. At first I didn't think there was anyone with whom I would be friends in real life but as we loosen up, there are a couple of off-beat women who would fit in with some of my friends only too well – very funny with what some, but not me, would describe as inappropriate senses of humour.