Natural Beauty

Sunday 23^rd September

We rose early and walked to the chooks’ pens. Not too hard to find in the dark with the four big roosters loudly crowing the whole community awake. We fed them our collected food scraps and then made our way to higher ground where we sat and watched the sunrise. Such beauty as the dawn light silhouetted the graceful gums. For me it’s the best time of the day. 

After an early breakfast we were collected by one of the teachers and headed to the river, with a ‘tinnie’ following behind on the towbar. We effortlessly slipped the small aluminum boat into the river at the local lagoon. This lagoon or water hole as the locals call it, is the size of a small lake and extends for 1.5 kms. Early morning and the water was like a mirror.  Not a ripple on the glassy surface and a beautiful reflection of the rich growth lining the banks.  We slowly made our way upstream. In the clear deep water there were plenty of fish to be seen. David threw a line over the side and let it trail behind the boat.

What a perfect way to spend a Sunday morning, our last in this magical land. The sun was warm, the sky (as always) blue, blue, blue and the air filled with the sound of cicadas, birds, a wild pheasant in the undergrowth and a pandanus tree filled with a colony of squabbling fruit bats.

Suddenly David’s line whipped and he hauled in a good sized Barra. Barramundi are plentiful in Robinson River and taste delicious. Back in Melbourne they ‘cost the earth’ and lack the flavour. He was very happy!

As we ventured on in the tinnie, the lagoon narrowed back into a river, which was still deep but even more picturesque.  The tropical atmosphere is hard to describe. I would have imagined flies, uncomfortable humidity, snakes and crocs at every bend, but no, this was paradise.  Only delicate dragonflies were present. Not a fly or mosquito to be seen. Huge old paper bark trees provided shade over the river and many different green hues were reflected in the water.  I was experiencing a wonderful morning bathed in natural beauty.

As we headed back to the bank, calls from children swimming welcomed us, and some of them gathered around to see our catch. They too were carrying Barras, just freshly caught, and were on their way to a fire that we noticed burning on the bank. Lunch was about to be cooked.