I love our sunburnt country

Saturday August 25^th   

At times it seems I am in one of the lands at the top of the Faraway Tree. Things are not quite as they seem or not quite as I expect them to be. It is now easy to accept that what has been planned may or may not eventuate, so I was not disappointed when our fishing/turtle trip did not proceed.  In fact, I still have trouble with the thought of catching a turtle to eat. Instead I went into a rare cleaning frenzy and enjoyed the fact that anything I washed… large mat, our concrete floor, 2 loads of washing and windows, dried within minutes, as the day started to warm to a 33oC temperature.

I had just finished when one of the teachers arrived in his 4W drive and asked if we would like to go looking for wild pigs. Off we went along a ‘short cut to the highway’, a rough little track with several gates and half a dozen water crossings. He said we could cover 12kms in half an hour! Sometimes we needed to slow and make our way between herds of cattle, as we drove through striking scenery where white barked eucalyptus rise from the long grasses and pandanus trees line the watercourses. These are protected trees due to the many uses the indigenous people have for them; their leaves are excellent for weaving. We passed signs indicating Sacred Ceremony Sites and warning of a $20,000 fine if one is found trespassing beyond that point. It is important that these areas are respected and the owners of this land can feel secure in knowing that their ancient ceremonial meeting places remain undisturbed.

We stopped to look for pigs and found plenty of evidence but did not see one. Instead we cooled off in a picturesque section of the Robinson River. Wading in the clear water I asked if I should be worried about crocs. No, only ‘freshies’( the freshwater variety ) here, nothing to worry about.  What magnificent country this is. Surrounded by rocky ridges the plateau is abundant with trees and undergrowth. The vivid reds, greens and browns shine against the deepest blue sky I have ever seen.