Mary's Pool, Western Australia

We had to go up on a hill to get the satellite dish to bring in the TV signal

With such long distances between towns, these socalled 'free camps' are a welcome sight. They allow the weary traveller to rest free of charge overnight. Male and female toilets are provided but there is no water or electricity.

At sunset, we counted 52 rigs

This doesn't pose a problem to most tourists - like us, they either have a generator or solar panels and water tanks are built into the caravans.

Expecting a picturesque pool with cool, clear water on a 35C day, Mary's Pool turned out to be a dry river bed with a crocodile warning. I won't tell you what I thought, but it rhymes with bucket.