Gabriele Steindl: Professional Kitesurfer & Freelance Writer - Action, Lifestyle & Travels

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Python at the campsite!

Our stationwagon packed like a box of sardines  –  about 200kg of gear in the boot and on the roof  –  Martin, Jo, and me are heading up north out of Perth. First destination: Lancelin, a wind- and kitesurfspot about 120km away. Another quick stop at the hardware store to buy some more utensils which we need for our first ’test-camping’ in civilised sourroundings before we hit the more remote outback: cockroach & fly poison, inflatable airbeds, knifes etc.

The drive to Lancelin is quicker than expected. A tiny rural aussie village, not really beautiful, with only one supermarket, a bottleshop  –  like in the States, in Australia one can purchase alcohol only in these dedicated stores and have to be kept in a paper bag on the street  –   a hardware store, a small coffeehouse, a couple more little stores and 2 caravan parks, all around white sanddunes and turquoise water. We chose the one closer to the beach.
It takes us a little while until we figure how the tent has to be put together as it turns out to be much bigger than we had assumed. SICK, a sleeps 6 (alternatively 8!!) person tent with an additional ’outertent’ simply perfect to store all our surfing equipment and kitchen utensils.

Mhhhh, the first night I’m sleeping like a baby, uncomparably better than in any of the backpackers that we stayed at in Perth… how else could it be with the sound of the Indian Ocean in the background! The next morning I have the first encounter with the true locals. Me, strolling from our tent to the washing rooms … a fat iguana (skink? not quite sure about the english word for it) right outside the door blocking me from entering. Grrrr, I’m trying to scare the reptile away with some small pebles, however: no chance. The skink is not moving a single millimeter. After about 10minutes a second joins the party, to me, they looked like a couple and most probably the female could persuade the male to stop punking random tourists and they buggered off, allowing Gabi to enter the washing rooms.
We feel super cosy at our campsite and are chillin’ until the wind sets in during the early afternoon. Off to kite, yippiiieee!

After a really good fun session, back at the camspite, the early morning encounter with the skink was well topped by a 1 ½ metre python chillin’ out yet again, close to the bathrooms. This time even our Australian camp-neighbours got nervous and went to get the campsite owner Brian. Brian was super cool about it, caught the python with a plastic broom and carried it away in his truck into the dunes.

A well exciting first day out of the city … I’m already now curious to see what’s next to happen here in the outback of Western Australia.

So long,
Gabi