Exmouth
Emus everywhere!
I arrived in Exmouth sometime in the mid-afternoon. On the way into town I was passed by a bus full of backpackers hanging out the windows cheering me on 
The Lonely Planet describes this town as a surreal place of glaring sun, wandering Emus and palm trees laden with screeching Cockatoos. They hit the nail on the head with that description, I was barely in town an hour and thats how I’d have described it.
Normally in the bush I never even get close to Emus. As soon as they spot me they disappear but here they roam the streets forcing the traffic to take avoiding measures. I’ve been riding for months now but nowhere has the sun seemed to burn so brightly in the sky as this place. I’ve been riding without sunglasses since the Kimberley so I’m somewhat accustomed to the brightness but here it was ridiculous. I suppose it makes sense that they have a solar observatory on the edge of town, apparently it gets more hours of sunlight than any other town in Australia. And the reason I’ve been riding without sunglasses? They died due to the heat, one of the arms just snapped off while on my head one day. A moments silence if you would as a mark of respect for all their dedicated service in protection of my eyes.
I stayed in a backpackers again. With all these ‘Tourist Meccas’ the parks charge per site for 2 people and not a small figure either. At the place I stayed it was the same for a tent site as it was for a air-conditioned room all to myself with a bed. To say I was confused at their policy would not begin to describe it. A shower and some clean clothes made me feel somewhat human again. I was beginning to feel less like a person and more like a mere part of my bike these last few days. So clean and refreshed I went hunting for food. As I was reading the notice board outside the supermarket who rocks up behind me only Fran from the Pepsi-Max family. Thats like six times now! And that figure is likely to increase as I get closer to Perth.