Dynamic Days & Kangaroo Poo (6 Weeks)

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DAY 42 (6 weeks today)

19th December 2008

The dawn chorus awakes us, it seems there is a competition in full swing between the Kookaburra’s, the Magpies and all the other birds. It’s 6 am and I can wait to get out of bed and see what the morning is like.

Outside we have had visitors fresh Kangaroo poo is around the tent, pellets the size of walnuts, I am delighted.

My first job of the day is to get the fire going again, it is a beautiful morning. The stoves is on I must have my morning tea or I just don’t function correctly until I do.

Caroline is up and while drinking our morning tea we just sit and talk about how the dynamic of the area is so different in the daylight. I can honestly say, with all the hotels I have ever stayed in, I would not swap any of them compared to this morning, waking up in what can only be described as paradise. This truly is back to nature.

Over on the tree line there is some movement, we can see three Kangaroo’ s all with their off spring that are quite large. So they must be over a year old. Once your eyes have adjusted to the terrain you can really begin to focus on the animals and the birds around you that you would not otherwise see.

There are some bright red parrot’s, I am sure they have a specific name, but as yet unable to determine what they are. There is also a nest with the birds that have the yellow around the eyes; I have seen them fight off the Magpie’s this morning.

After breakfast, Andy and I walk up to the falls, they are about 850metres away. We are still some 1000 metres above sea level, the night was cool but not as cold as the nights at Glen Innes and the day is already becoming very warm.

Off we set down to the fence. The view is stunning, the ravine is so vast and the other side of it is a long way away.

While walking a kangaroo appears to be startled by us and bounces past us in haste. We watch it disappear into the undergrowth. Yet it is not long before we come across another Kangaroo and her Joey just basking in the sunshine near a bush. They watch us for as long as we watch them. Deciding that we should leave them alone and move on, we keep our eyes peeled for other wildlife as well as the views.

While walking we see another car come down the road. That is the first car that we have seen since arriving at Apsley approximately 15 hours ago.

We did wonder if there was enough water to make the falls run, however we could hear the gushing water in the distance so felt that we would get to see the falls. We were very high up and the falls were incredibly high.

On the way back to the car, we came across some other people, it seems that this is a very popular spot for visitors. We kept our eyes open for wildlife, but this is difficult with more people around. Andy suddenly said that he could see a Koala, we both looked high into a tree, but on second glance realised that it was a possum. This little possum was hanging onto a very thin twig in the tree that was swaying precariously in the wind. This tree was also fairly close to the edge of the precipice. I do not think he was afraid of where he was but probably was not sure where to go as there were people around.

We saw the same kangaroos again still in the same place as before, looking very relaxed, they watched us walk past.

The sun was hot and we would be thankful for a drink and a little rest at the car, before heading back to Walcha and onward to Gloucester and Port Stephens. We see the Park Ranger and ask him some questions about the area and the wildlife. He tells us that one of the holes that we saw in the undergrowth earlier would probably belong to a trapdoor or a wolf spider. There are funnel webs around, although you would have to be pretty unlucky to get bitten by one of them.

The Park Ranger glanced at our footwear, we were both wearing flip-flops and he said, “You should really wear closed in shoes when walking in the long grass, because of the spiders and the snakes”. We assured him that we had only just taken our hiking boots off and put our flip-flops on, as we were just about to leave.

Back on the Thunderbolt Way, we made our way down towards Gloucester. Hoping to stop at Nowendoc on the way for a coffee and to see if there was an internet café. We both laughed when we arrived there as we found a small building which was their general stores, a church and a village hall, plus one or two houses. I guess there is no Starbucks here then, so we moved on to Gloucester.

We stopped in Gloucester for a late lunch, it was a very quaint traditional Australian town, they seem proud of their heritage, if you look hard you can see the aspects of England in the towns and the countryside, but we are talking about Olde England.

Arriving in Port Stephens in the afternoon, we look for the road that we are doing our house sitting in. Thankfully all of the houses look pretty fabulous, so feel quite comforted that anyone of these houses will be nice to spend Christmas in and look after Nala the Labradoodle.

We are in need of a camp site for 2 days as we start our house sitting on Sunday. There is a few heading down towards lemon tree, so off we romp and come across a Big4, that has 4 stars. A little bit more expensive than the $5.00 dollars we each paid to stay at Apsley Falls, but hey-ho! At least we can have a nice hot shower.

Our camping space number is 8, right on the beach, and we drive round the one way system to get there. Sitting in the truck, we notice a very strong wind blowing in land, which we both agree will make an interesting job of putting the camper up, let alone the awning. Still its got to be done, and necessity is the mother of all invention.!!
The camper trailer goes up no worries, a couple of tent pegs and she’s done, now for the awning its blowing what can only be described as a hooley. We strategically place all the ropes, poles and pegs just where we want then zip the awning to the camper, the canvas sheets is whipping around like a fighting tiger that Caroline is trying to tame, still it gets done without to many dramas.

White Ibis patrol the grounds hoping to find scraps to food, they are scavengers, Caroline had to to go on Ibis watch at Australia Zoo, as they new exactly what time to fly in to the restaurant, so they staff took it in turns to the Ibis out at busy times.

Faye the lady we are house sitting for sent us a text wishing us a safe journey, and said that Port Stevens was boiling hot, the temperature here now is pants degree’s, we want the sunshine or our money back. The weather is dull and very windy, still !!.

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Photos

Kangaroo
Wild Kangaroo at Apsley Falls

Terrmite Mound
Fantstic engineering, this termite mound

Hanging Around
A nameless bird we are yet to name

Mother & Joey
Mother and Joey in the wild,

Lions Lookout
Info on the original Lions Lookout

Aspects of Apsley
Sign board detailing th aspects of Apsley

Apsley Falls
Fantastic view of the falls

Just Lolli'n around
These Kangaroo's were just resting as we walked past

Hanging On
A Possum hanging on a branch with the wind blowing

Big Country
The sky is big and the scenery is bigger

Apsley Falls
These falls are in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park