DAY 63 – Geraldton

Not Such A Good Morning Geraldton!
 
Low 10°c (50°F) – High 22°c (72°F)
48km
 
Today was the day I really should have just stayed in bed.  At around 7.15am I got up and given there were still a few things on the line under the awning I thought I would just sneak out and see how wet they were still. As I stepped out of the caravan, my left foot slipped on the edge of the step, I landed on a half turned ankle which completely rolled over and down I went onto my left knee and shoulder, on the way down hearing a sickening crack.  I was so pained, winded and shocked that I couldn’t move for a short while but eventually called out to Shane for help because I couldn’t get up unassisted.
 
Fast forward a few hours later and a long wait at the Emergency Room at the local hospital, a quick examination and an x-ray, I was relieved to hear there was no break but some serious soft tissue damage and a bad sprain.  I must admit that having a moonboot fitted and tested while in the emergency waiting room wasn’t the most pleasant experience and despite me saying I doubted I would be able to walk in it with its 1 inch heel because my right leg is already shorter than my left due to a long term issue and subsequent hip replacement, they sent me on my way to hobble out as best I could with no instructions other than rest but do some walking to help it heal and I shouldn’t drive until I could walk on it properly which would likely be 10-14 days.
 
Back at camp and it was a depressing remainder of the afternoon trying to work out what to do.  Shane has had virtually no experience towing and as we’ve discovered over the last couple of weeks, the WA coast is a really windy place which makes towing not only difficult but at times dangerous, not to mention some of the drivers we’ve encountered along the way.  The only option was to extend our stay another 10 days and hope that I’d be able to drive by then.  I like to relax occasionally but doing nothing and keeping that foot elevated for 10 days is not something I’m happy about.  Thankfully after a conversation with the manager at the park we are booked in for the duration and a lovely gesture of a reduced tariff coupled with a spare bandage in case we needed it.
 
Shane went for a walk down to the end of the van park which sits on the edge of the ocean and got some really pretty sunset photos but that was about the extent of any pictures for today.