Not all Aussies were oblivious to the beauty of their land. The next morning I prepared my shower. A swimsuit maintained my modesty but otherwise I splashed unsheltered.

Performing such a basic and personal task under the sky further connected me with the earth. Bushes were in flower, one a faint purple and the other pink. Fuzzy golden wattle cushioned my feet against the red earth. Broken rock jittered through the ground like the bony spine of a flame dragon.

A ute pulled up as I drenched my body and the occupants honored me with more than one glance. The young couple's curiosity didn't bother me. The bus tour...now that bothered me.

The bus parked about 10 meters away, close enough that lathering any part of my body suddenly became an exhibition. I stared down a few fish-like gapers as they shuffled slowly, too slowly, after the tour guide. They gathered at the other end of the bay and gazed at the splendid outcropping I had commandeered for my toilet.

I scrubbed as discreetly as possible and just as I was ready to rinse the group shuffled back to the vehicle. Up rumbled another. Three bus loads of people ambled by before the shower was through. Ah, the wonders of two-way radio.