Friday, 9/21

     I am posting this latest installment of our blog from a campground in the Warrumbungle NP.  As I sit facing the surrounding volcanic plugs and dikes I'm watching kangaroos engaged in fisticuffs and listening to Cockatoos screaming obscenities at each other.  These Aussies are a contentious bunch!

     Now back to the blog...

Kayaking the mighty, shark-infested, Clarence River

     Before breakfast we watched birds from the terrace, White-faced heron, Crested Pigeon, Magpie Lark, Spur-winged Plover, Australian Pelican, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Welcome Swallow, and Rainbow Lorikeet. Then fried eggs, bacon, fried tomato and toast for breakfast.

Blue-faced Honeyeater

      After eating I squeezed myself into one of their kayaks and explored the mangrove swamp near shore, then crossed the shark-infested Clarence River (probably not actually infested, but they were around, not that I saw any) and paddled along the island shore. I saw a few birds, then recrossed the river and popped myself ungracefully but dry from the Kayak.

The brave adventurer heading out into dangerous waters

      While I was gone a pair of Rainbow Lorikeets were admiring themselves in the mirrored windows of our bedroom, allowing Kim and Diana to view their vain posturing.

Rainbow Lorikeets admiring themselves

     For lunch I sauteed prawns in garlic and butter while Kim deep-fried some sweet potatoes. The prawns tasted like little hunks of lobster tail, yummy! We'll be buying more when we get near the ocean again.

A walk through the rain forest

     Kim dropped us off at one end of a rain forest reserve and we took a slow stroll through it, looking for but not finding koalas, but admiring the trees and birds.

The Rain Forest Strangler

See any koalas up there?

Sea slugs and sea eagles

     We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the rocks exposed at low tide along the Pacific Ocean. Kim and Diana found bubble shells, anemones, and sea slugs, as well as spotting a furtive blue ringed octopus, which has a deadly bite. Overhead a white Sea Eagle soared on the offshore breeze.

Low tide

Don't get your feet wet!

This photo taken just before Kevin got drenched by a much bigger wave

     We got back to the condo in time to drink wine and watch the end of sunset. Then Kim fixed us lamb and chard spaghetti. Can't get enough of that lamb. Interestingly, what we call chard, Aussies call spinach. And what we call spinach they call leaf spinach. And don't ask me the differences in pumpkins and squash, it's all mixed up and very confusing. I'm just glad I actually saw the sheep at Kim's farm, or I wouldn't know for sure what Australian lamb is.