Monday 9th November

We make a plan one day and change it the next day. The schedule is loose and easy. So we ditch the plan to stay, pack up and head off on a day of glorious sunshine. We are off to Dunn Swamp further North in The National Park.

We unfortunately see five dead wombats, killed on the road. They would be hard to see at night and coupled with the fact that people don't slow down at night the end result is inevitable.

We have an early lunch at the railway kiosk at Kandos railway station. The train wasn't due for another six days so we passed on waiting. We did over the Kandos shops and drove up to Rylestone before we could access water at the showgrounds.

The drive out to Dunn Swamp is pleasant open country with dead dingoes decorating several fence posts along the route. We looked for firewood but in vain, it was all pretty clear.

Well Dunn Swamp is not really a swamp at all anymore. They dammed the river so it is now a dam. It does look pretty and the water birds and reeds create an attractive landscape with very clear water.

Mal started calling it Dumb Swamp when the camping restrictions were so onerous. Camper Trailers, caravans and motorhomes - way up the back away from the lake. Tents up close and in the best spots. Finally Mal worked out that probably caravans and such discharge must more grey water than a tent so they are deliberately placed as far as reasonable from the waterside. The lake is used as a water supply for the nearby towns so it is reasonable when looked at from this perspective.

In the afternoon Mal sat by the lake and did some drawing and Sue discovered some swamp hen chicks - so she got all maternal and took baby photos for their little scrap books.

The sun set gently over the hills and we walked back up the hill in the gathering dusk to do the tea and shower thing. Did I mention Vicki the Luxury Eco Resort (LER) has a hot shower. So nice.

Tuesday 10th November

Sue woke up, muttering, "swamp hen chicks, must see if they are all right, must go now".

Mal was considerate enough to insist she change her PJ's before we traipsed the 800 meters of so to the location of the reed beds. They were all there, those little chicks. Two to each of the three mothers. Small black fluffy chicks that could hardly clamber over the bent reed storks. The mother hen would look for the centre of a reed plant, then using considerable effort, tear out the centre reed which is about twice her height. She would then drag the removed reed over to the chicks and chew off the bottom white section in bits and feed it too the chicks.

On the walk back to camp we spotted our neighbours paddling along in their inflatable double kayak. Mal thought at the time it was a solid plastic item it was so stable and competent.

So Mal popped a few photos of them because the reflections were so liquid and smooth. Mal went over to see Janette and Ken and offered to send them the photos which will happen. Because Sue was not with him, but back in the camp, Mal told them that the reason we don't have a boat is because Sue is afraid of the water. The reason being that she did not see a body of water larger than a coffee mug until she was twenty.

Well of course Sue overheard this naughty tale and boxed his ears when he got back to camp as she had every right to. She had seen a bath tub full of water. How Mal exaggerates.

After breakfast, yes breakfast, we had to see the chicks on an empty tum. We went off for a walk to the weir and then down to the Long Cave loop and back to camp. Well we were gone all morning and it was mid afternoon and quite hot by the time we were trudging our way back to camp. It was at this point that Mal discovered why it was further back than on the outward bound track. It was obvious, like a piece of railway line, the track had expanded with the heat and was obviously longer.

To celebrate this discovery Mal fell into the lake fully dressed and cooled off. He is as mad as a hatter Sue is sure of it. Well any doubt was removed following his discovery the next day.

We lit a fire, baked potatoes and Mal cooked up a savoury mince meal in the camp oven. Yum Yum.

Wednesday 11th November 2015

The day was planned, painting for Mal bird photography for Sue. A busy schedule was planned by both.

Mal spent all morning in his studio (table under tree) and Sue disappeared over the rocks chasing Lyre Birds. Mal tried his hand at a savoury damper which he managed to burn the bottom of. Better luck next time young man.

Then in the afternoon Mal went off to Cockatoo Forest and sat in Mosquito Lane and did a drawing. He then scampered up Pagoda Rocks and was inspired by the formations and excitement of the location.

He came back to camp like a school boy with a new toy, went for a swim and convinced Sue to go and watch the sunset from the rocks.

Well while it was not as hot as the previous day, Mal discovered that it was much steeper walking up to the rocks than it had been earlier in the day. Yes of course the reason was that the earth had turned around and it was now a steeper climb. Truly that man is brilliant.

The damper on the outing was that the clouds that looked promising at lunch time just got thicker and thicker and the sunset was a milky affair with barely a touch of colour.

We sat by the fire in the evening and looked back on another great day. Now what will we do tomorrow?????