Fortunately, Madam didn't stray far from the track, since a move into the country would have revealed more and more items that demanded attention. We could well have spent hours wandering further and further afield, but, with the prospect of lunchtime looming on the horizon we returned to the blacktop and resumed the northward trajectory.
That venture set the tone for the next couple of days. Coming to a promising patch of roadside terrain, we’d slow down and scan the verges as we travelled along much more slowly than would have been the case in other circumstances. In situations where there was space to pull over, Madam would get her five or ten photographic minutes while Hughesy sat patiently, as expected but sans soundtrack since Karen was plugged into the car's cigarette lighter.
Dongara might not be far up the road, but with the late start and delays along the way it was close to lunchtime when we arrived there, and without alternatives before Geraldton, we decided this was the place for a meal. We'd had nothing more than a nibble at breakfast and weren't sure about dinner, so after finding a park and taking the obligatory visit to the local Information Centre to gather the latest Wildflower Intelligence, we lunched at a pleasant little Asian coffee shop.
A green chicken curry and rice and a pad thai (Madam's almost invariable selection in such circumstances) provided the wherewithal to keep us going in the afternoon.
We could possibly have ventured further afield in search of wildflowers, but the morning's efforts had largely satisfied Madam's photographic urges and we were in Geraldton in time to book in to the night's accommodation and make it over to the Information Centre before it shut at four.
Actually, we probably didn't really need to head that way, since checking in at the accommodation revealed that the manager had been in the job for a week, and his previous job had involved managing the Information Centre. He's provided us with a printout of the latest bulletin they'd put together at the Information Centre, and the girls at the Centre didn't give us much new and vital information, apart from another copy of the bulletin.
We did, however, need to be in the area to pick up dinner supplies for Sunday night and scope out the dinner possibilities for Saturday night. There wasn't anything that reached out and grabbed us by the throat as we strolled around the Front Beach and we retreated to the unit resigned to the inevitability of fish and chips for dinner.
We'd also need something to go with the deep fried staple, and the fact that it was already after five and the Woolworths Liquor outlet I'd spotted en route was closed threw a spanner in the works, but once the wonders of Google had revealed a conveniently located and highly rated fish and chippery (Chis and Fips) and pointed out a Thirsty Camel we had the wherewithal to fuel an evening's catching up on writing, watching the election results (for as long as I could stand it) and a lengthy spell of deep slumber before we set out on the Wildflower Trail again in the morning.