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After many months travelling, camping in Queensland. Morningbird and Littleflower returned home after their six month autumn/winter sojourn. However after being away so long, it is difficult to adjust back into civilization after going bush, tribal primitive for the best part of the year. Our adjustment plan was to drop down to Woody Heads National Park, Iluka, NSW for a few weeks of ease back into the swing of things. Woody Heads is our favourite local escape, many a camp over the years has seen us unwind and sit back and relax with max in this rainforest/ocean camp. The world heritage listed Iluka rainforest is special, because it is a littoral rainforest, meaning the rainforest extends right to the ocean. With its stunning array of rainforest species anchored in sand dunes, so rare, the only other world heritage listed littoral rainforest in oz is the Daintree in far north Queensland. So one can see why this one is so special and unique. The other big grab for us is the natural bay with its kilometres of beautiful deserted beaches. We grab a makeshift canopy, coffee, lunch, good books, beach towel, and vella, set up camp on deserted beach, Robinson Crusoe style.
We spent hours with the smell of the sea and marvelling at the ever changing skyscape. Sea Eagles and Ospreys roam the sky, dolphins patrol the bay, its just magic to be a human blending in with the other 99.9% of creation doing its thing. Global warming and rising sea levels occasioning in big storm events, bring the beach side tall melaleuca trees out of their sandy earth homes, crashing onto the beach, the giants fall. A bit of primitive ingenuity and its not hard to weave a canopy of fallen tree material over the horizontal super structures for the beach side afternoon retreat.
So the beautiful day begins with our traditional yoghurt fruit breakfast in the park, we then pack coffee, obligatory port and good shared reading to the boat ramp. With the waves crashing against the man made rock breakwall, its entertaining to watch the early fisherman return from their morning adventure on the high seas. They display much skill in negotiating the waves and rocks to land and load their boats onto the waiting boat trailer. We have thought about issuing scorecards as they complete their car, trailer, boat reunion.
So now its probably lunch
time, meander back to camp, do the lazy camper thing, more layabout stuff, exactly what are the poor people doing right now. Yes I can see that you are probably green with envy, oh well its a tough job, but as they say "somebody's gotta do it." Did I mention spend the afternoon on the beach Robinson Crusoe style, laze around in make-(not)-shift shelter, smell the sea and touch the sky, as we drift into the mystic of our private beach side paradise found.Great way to wind down. As the sun kisses the distant mountains on the western horizon we head back to camp some time in the late afternoon.
Time to prep dinner, one of our traditional favorites is the old vegies in foil on the camp fire trick. Collect free firewood from wood dump, make fire, wait for coals, we only want a cooking fire not the yobbo inferno of most of the other camps. We have a little steel cooking cage, just for this. Now I am only going to write this once, so pay attention folks, after very much experimentation with time and temp., I can definitely state, that in the cage on the coals,
its fifteen minutes per side, and you will have perfectly roasted vegies, fish, whatever, to unwrap like little pressies. Divide the tateys, pumpkin, onion, garlic, and now its time to watch the lashings of butter melt into the roasted delights.
Moon is up, stars are ablaze, nocturne is the opposite of earth morning. Boot the fire up a little, now we want warming fire, pour the wine, set table and chairs by fire, hot roasted vegies, fine wining and dining under starlight, does it get any better than this? Well actually. now its time to lay back under the stars on blanket, warmed by the fire, we gaze and are amazed by the heavenly delights of the nocturne sky. Check the constellations and marvel at all the stories across the sky, it really gets one to thinking, how us little creatures amazingly fit into the great grand scheme of things.
We checked out some other good little free camps around Iluka, we had camps outside the bowlo, down by the fisho co.op jetty, and also headed up river to find a picturesque nature reserve, check the sunsets!
Sadly Its the last morning of our Iluka camp, and
the last morning of our vagabond freedom, for a while. Under a warm spring sun we packed up the van and headed off to Sedges Reef Hotel Iluka. We indulged a final toast to our amazing adventures, before heading back to civilisation for the summer chrissie break. Its Melbourne cup day, got a great tip from Harry the local, as he was heading up the ramp of the hotel, to whack on his plunge. We overheard him tell good friend to put it all on Koonoomoo in the third. Morningbird and Littleflower obliged. Final salute, fire up the freedom machine for the final leg of our journey home.
We arrived home to warmly greet the long lost family, house all done up french restaurant style, little dining tables each with red and white checked table cloth, obligatory eaties, candles ablaze. We arrived just in time to catch the third race at flemington on the big tele. And its Koonoomoo, racing past the finishing post to greet the judges with all others in her dust. nice little pay out at $27 the win and $7 the place, lets just say we cleaned up nicely. What a way to rock back
into civilisation after seven months on the road. All Cashed up and recharged, we can hardly wait for our next exciting adventure, kicking off March 2013.
Love to all and thank you for sharing our adventures of Oz, stay safe, be happy,
Morningbird and Littleflower
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