I drafted a post last night but then accidentally deleted it, so I’ll have to cover two days this time.

Yesterday’s highlights included seeing some Long-tailed Finches (lifer) near our lunch spot, slipping over and half falling into the river while piggy-backing Max and carrying the camera, and seeing some unusual orange gum blossoms.

The best part, though, was the great campground at Big Horse Creek, which was set amidst boabs and wattles and other wildflowers, right on the bank of the massive Victoria river. We arrived early enough to have time for a walk and some photography before tea. Standing on the bridge over the middle of the river, with the sun setting over the river in one direction and the almost-full moon rising over the escarpment and the river in the other direction, we experienced one of those wonderful “this is why we came” moments.

Today, our sixteenth, we finally made it to WA, travelling to Lake Argyle. We passed lots of towering rocky bluffs and dykes on the way - quite spectacular. Also spotted some Grey-crowned Babblers (another lifer) near the border quarantine post, the are very cute the way they move on the ground, jumping with feet together, bounce, bounce, bounce.

Today we checked out the Ord River Dam which creates the lake; tomorrow our companions are cruising the lake and we are cruising the river below the dam. I had a lone swim in the pool, which was a chilly 15 degrees thanks to the pool’s refrigerative design, but it was still warmer than Roma. The lake itself is reportedly 26 degrees, so we’ll inflate our boat tomorrow and go for a row and a swim.