The way home.....to freezing

---

Mon 6th we reluctantly packed up and headed south- we couldn't delay the inevitable any longer. We were aiming for Bladensburg NP, near Winton where we have stayed previously. This was a fairly long and uneventful drive and we arrived there just before dark, which was good as we needed daylight to recall where we camped last time. Luckily for us this had,  just a few days before, been reopened since all of the floods and so we were conscious of taking it easy to consider the road conditions. After a short drive in, we found a beautiful spot, on the open red dirt plain, adjacent a gully and dotted with stunning lush mulga vegetation. This open space, vast landscape camping was the sort we really loved. It would have been even beter if the northern warmth had come with us, but alas that wasn't the case and as we soon found out, the worst was yet to come.

We awoke the next morning to a spectacular sunrise and heard the calls of the Chestnut breasted quail thrush, so although we didnt have long we were compelled to go out in search of this bird, and several others of his mates!! After a lot of searching and stalking we came across them, and their friends- Spinifexbird, Bellbirds, Spinycheeked Honeyeaters. As is our dilemma, time is always against us- we would have loved to stay and camp a few more nights here. Again dragging our heels, we headed off later than planned. To make matters worse, on the drive out of the park of course there were Australian Pratincoles 1 m off the side of the road who were begging to be photographed- arghh what were we to do??? We couldnt disappoint and so took the time to get the shot. This of course,  made us very late. We needed to get down to Blackall, as the day after was going to be a huge day of driving and we had camped in Blackall before, along the Barcoo river. The daylight was quickly fading and we still had another 30km to go so the driving was even slower to ensure we avoided stray animals crossing. We pulled into Blackall in the dark and although the camp area was quite full, we managed to get a spot down the back. We were very tired, so after a quick setup,the Barcoo hotel was calling us for dinner. It was terrific- we walked there, enjoyed a yummy Barra, chips and salad and then briskly walked back in the cool night air. We couldnt believe the temprature change- we were in for a cold one!!!

Next morning,  Wed 8th, we heard the sound of people stoking their campfires and the noticeable dew on the campo- the air was crisp to say the least.  Chris and Merlin went for a run while i started the pack up and got breaky ready.  Although they had a great run, they were almost ill with the cold- we were not aclimatised to this at all!! After getting warm clothes on and putting hands on the boiling billy, we eventually thawed enough to fold up the campo. Today was a huge drive- close to 600km so we couldnt dilly dally. We headed off and warmed up along the way in the car. As we were bush camping these final few nights, and didn't have the luxury of warm weather to enjoy bucket bush showers, we thought a shower might be in order. We found a fantastic free shower at the Charleville showgrounds and each had the best warm shower- i even got to wash my hair- it was such a treat. We made some lunch and then quickly headed on our way towards Eulo, just north of the qld/nsw border.  Here Chris was aiming to come across Bourke's Parrot, Blue Bonnets and Mulga Parrots. We got into camp late in the day but with plenty of daylight to find a great spot, tucked away. This was a generally open mulga landscape, with red dirt, and plenty of eremophilias. We set up and for only the second time on our trip- got a fire going. We couldnt believe it- we were definitely on our way south!! The fire became another photo opportunity for Merlin. During the trip, apart from taking photos of birds, reptiles mammals and frogs, he started dabbling in photos of landscapes and other subjects but with an artistic and sometimes abstract edge- which look amazing.

In the morning we had beautiful birdsong but freezing temperatures, so the fire was stoked again. Chris and Merlin set off in search of Bourkes Parrots in the hope of getting photos, with me wandering along quietly behind. They didnt have to go far before they came across a group of 6 feeding on the ground.  With patience and slow stalking they managed to get in close enough to get some shots of these unusually softly coloured birds. Comprising of pastel blues, pinks and browns, they are a smaller and chunkier parrot with a slightly jerky gait, in comparison to their more upright and slender relations. After some time enjoying the views of the Bourkes and the striking Mulga parrots, I headed back to camp to find a terrific surprise. Ross and Jan were due home and so the previous night was our last dinner with them at camp. They had decided to drop in and see us (& the birds) one last time before heading off. So we had a lovely morning tea with them. It was sad that they were heading off. Although none of us had planned we would get to spend so many spots together on the trip, it had worked out that way and so we were so used to them being there and having fun with. Their leaving brought home how close we were to being home again and trip coming to an end. Even though it was sad we were confident we would be catching up with them again in either late August or perhaps Oct when our paths would cross on another adventure.

Thursday was spent enjoying camp, birdwatching, taking photos, going for rides and running. On Friday we needed to head further south,  so we decided Bourke would be a good stop as it enabled us to enjoy the morning at camp and therefore leave later, as well as the added bonus of a Parkrun on Saturday morning. As there were no bush camps along the way we made our way to the caravan park. It was a very quiet park, even though it was completely full. However, the combination of trucks, barking dogs and roosters having conversations at 2am (who knew they did this?? I thought they only spoke at dawn!!), made for a restless night. Apart from that disruption though, it was a good night. Parkrun was great (although very cold) and provided another training session for Merlin. We came back to camp, had breaky, warm showers and then packed up- we were headed for Gundabooka NP. We found a terrific little spot all on our own, with great birds, space and fragrant vegetation. We went off exploring and then once back at camp Chris heard Bourkes Parrots while we enjoyed the spectacular sunset and had dinner. The night air was crisp so we knew we were in for another cold one and prepared a fire. The next morning our thermometer (& the ice on the footy) confirmed it - at 7am it was minus 0.4- imagine what it got down to overnight!! We stoked the fire, had breaky and then we all went off. It was such a beautiful and surprisingly peaceful spot that we decided to stay an extra night here. The next day was much warmer ( no frost and i'm sure it only got down to about 4 overnight!!) and we spent it looking for birds, doing work and riding around on our bikes.
We had a big drive ahead of us the next day so after an early morning look for birds and bike ride, we packed up and sadly said our goodbyes to Gundabooka- it had been a great camp. Today we were headed for Cocaparra NP as Chris has camped here previously and in the hope we might see or hear some of the rare Glossy Black Cockatoos. After a big day on the road we pulled into camp just on dark, with enough time to set up, get a fire going and prepare for dinner. It was a beautiful night, despite the chill in the air as we had a stunning full moon and this, above the outline of the box and pine trees, made for a lovely sight.
Our last morning in NSW was finally here. We went for a walk up Mt Brogden to look for the Glossies but unfortunately, although some were heard overhead in the distance we didn't get to see any. Again the cold hit us, and so once back, we packed up and headed off in search of some more at other places. Unfortunately it was not to be, so we started on the trek to Killawarra. In keeping with the tradition from previous trips, we decided the last night would be spent camping in Killawarra forest not far from home. This was our special place and we were looking forward to having our last night here- even though it was likely to be freezing!
We got in on dark, set up and got a fire going. It was cloudy but with a full moon which was lovely. In the morning we awoke to the familiar sounds of our local birdsong. Luckily, as we were having breakfast we saw, and then heard, the brilliant flight call of the Swift Parrot. These amazing birds are close to our hearts and sadly, dwindling in numbers and so to see them again, (and after going for a walk), in a good size flock was so memorable - a great way to finish our trip.
It was a fantastic trip, full of surprises, fun and with many highlights and unforgettable experiences....amazing people and wildlife.....so hard to come back (particularly to the cold), but we are so lucky and now looking forward to the next one...... Stay safe and well everyone and go enjoy some great adventures JCM xx?

---