Camping Downunder

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I knew it was going to be a good weekend when from the other car, on the drive to Crows Nest National Park, Katherine (a friend from work), took many an opportunity to dangle the Aussie flag, a hatchet and toy guns out the window, while sporting a corked aussie hat, or white hard had with the Aussie flag taped to it.

They gave me a bit of a hard time for asking why I hadn't seen a kangaroo, koala, crocodile or dingo within 5 minutes of arriving at the site, but they did find my a sloughy Billabong to have a dip in - and I mean sess pool! It hasn't rained here in eons, so the waterhole was very murky and crawling with life (of the amoeba variety), oh and don't forget the eels. We did see a couple of cute rock wallabies though, so between them, the possoms, kookaburas and bush turkeys (yes they have real gobblers walking around the campsite) - I got my wildlife fill for the weekend. The scenery was beautiful, though much different from what I'm used to at home, especially with the drought. Did I mention we're on Level 5 water restrictions here and are only allowed 4 minute showers??! The forest, better and more appropriately known as the bush was full of spindly Eucalyptus and Pine trees, with the odd cactus kicking about.

So how does Aussie camping differ to camping in Canada... Well, there is still lots of beer consumed, so that's not different, same with strapping on the feed bag for the entire weekend. Although, I did have to introduce them to smores, and they introduced me to eating sweet and condensed milk out of a tube - YUK! Instead of having to tie up your food for bear protection, you have to protect it from the possums and turkeys. Nothing like waking up to a turkey trying to peck its way into a box of crackers. Its a good thing my aim is so bad because those turkeys would have had a massive headache from all the firewood I was throwing at them! I guess, really, its pretty much the same as camping at home, but we have more water, and go figure, more campfire restrictions!

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Photos

The ragged bunch
The group of us at the end of a very long weekend, Crows Nest National Park.

The Billabong
The sess-pool of a Billabong that we went swimming in.

The Rock Wallaby "Rocky" and I
So named, because, well he lives on the rocks, and he looks like he's always ready for a fight, so I thought I'd see what he had in him!

The keep promising, but still no kangaroos!
I'm thinking of taking one of these signs home and post it just for a laugh...

Comments

[Gary G]

Things that kill you in Oz.
I was watching this National Geographic show last night on Australia. You should see all the critters they have there that can do you in. They've got lethal jellyfish. What they bump off, the great white will eat. In the tidal pools are blue-ringed octopi that can do you in in a couple of hours. They have god-only-knows how many different kinds of spiders, snakes and frogs that can poison you. Watch where you step!...........but have fun!