Movement at the Station.

No.17.   in my series of short stories.

Noondoonia Station

NOONDOONIA Station is 200klms East of Norseman on the Eyre Highway and is in the shire of Dundas

Western Australia.

A friend of mine who owned a large cattle station in the Pilbara had not long purchased several other stations in Western Australia. I called her to say that I was leaving the Pilbara and would not be able to visit her anymore, when she asked where, when, and in which direction would I be travelling? answering with, I don't know where I'm going, though I was leaving in a weeks time and was heading across the Nullarbor Plain.

My friend knew that my husband had passed away 2 years before and that circumstances had made me up roots to search for a new start, as I needed a change of lifestyle and of scenery.

Noondoonia Station was one of the stations my friend had purchased, and just happened to be on the Nullarbor Plain directly behind Balladonia Road house and right where I was heading.

The station was uninhabited and she informed me that it would be a nice place for me to get myself in another head space do some painting and rest up, my being their would help keep the pilferers away from the property, so it was advantageous to both of us.

So there was Movement at the Station I had arrived.

The homestead is white washed over local stone and mud brick. The verandahs completely encompassed the four sides of the house and I attached a painting on North, South, East, and West walls so I was able to avoid the biting sun rays by moving and painting with the shade.

Above you can see one of the art pieces that was painted in the weeks I was there.

Outside the house were a couple of old chairs, and a 44 gallon drum cut in half for a table. Internally the rooms were mostly void of furniture and fittings, though in one room there was an old chair in front of a small table with a radio and receiver for communication, it was very outdated and wasn't in the best condition, some times it took hours to connect a call.

By day and always starting at sun up I would explore the station. On the second day I shot a kangaroo for our meat supply, flavouring some of it with garlic, salt, and Soya Sauce, then drying it for Kangaroo jerky to have whilst out and about.

Painting was my main objective so doing a few hours whilst it was cool was the best idea. It was December so it was very hot 45-48c. Most days I had a midday rest so I would start up the generator to run the caravan air conditioner when the heat became unbearable.

I showered in the caravan as the outside bathroom had been used to hang slaughtered beasts over the bath and the blow flies had filled their bellies with the blood, all walls were completely black from resting full bellied pooping blowflies.

Staying for several weeks resting, reading, painting, and walking, sitting under the verandah feeding the family of Blue Tongue Lizards that visited each day. At first I thought there was only two but I realised that maybe it wasn't the same one I was feeding. I think they invited the whole family and a few of the neighbours. To try and work out how many I was feeding I placed a dob of different coloured Acrylic paint on their head and found that there was a lot of hungry lizards that visited me for a feed of raw egg or a piece of Kangaroo jerky, until I ran out of eggs.

The day I left was a little sad for me though I could see and smell smoke on the horizon and in the wind, a fire was on its way. It was time to pack up and move on to the next stop where I was to meet with friends at Balladonia Station a little further down the highway.