Well today we are off to Blackdown Tableland. We pack in the extra firewood Bruce has cut, we fill up the water tank and Mal rings Col to discuss the change in our political landscape. They love to chat about such stuff even though they often disagree.

Well Mal is late for breakfast and when he arrives there is a Magic Fruit Cake - well on the way North he got the most generous and tasty gift of a fruit cake from his favourite sister. Of course what did Mal do, he ate it all up - then this morning the cake tin is full again - it is magic - it is now officially called the magic fruit cake. Sue reminds Mal that the only "fruit cake around here is him" - he smiles and stuffs his mouth with another tasty morsel.

The run across to Duringa where we stopped for morning tea - well Mal sees this guy has a plane in a trailer, so he goes over to have a chat - Sue rolls her eyes and mumbles something about Mr Havachat - well Mal gets to meet Peter Welldon who manages a Bush Heritage property out past Bouila - Peter went to school with Darryl Ogden in Tambo - so they chat about all sorts of stuff but in particular the volunteer program Bush Heritage runs where you go out and camp in some amazing country and earn your keep by helping with the maintenance and upkeep of the property. We might look into this it sounds interesting.

Apart from a fuel stop in Dingo, soon we are climbing our way, back and forwards, snaking up the mountain side - the road is narrow and the climb is quite long as the heat of the day is replaced by cooler mountain air. We look out over the plains a soft blue below -

The road into the campsite is fairly rough, but we bounce along and then Sue spots that one of our extended mirrors is about to abandon ship, so we stop and pull it back onboard. Thje campsites are smallish so it is good that Alison has booked one each, side by side. It is a great spot below the tall forest trees the kookaburras and curawongs are waiting. Sue gets her camera out to photograph a kookaburra, he puts up with her for a bit and then decides he has had enough and takes off straight into the back wall of Vicki - boing - he bounces off - regains his composure after he hits the ground and flys off in another direction - wondering what in the Hell has just happened.

We all have lunch and then Alison and Bruce head off for a camp and we wander down the creek to look for insects, birds, rock formations and trees, not to mention the odd wild flower. We come back late in the afternoon.

The campfire is lit, we back potatoes in the coals and Alison throws in a damper for desert. The stars twinkle down as we lay in bed later in the evening. Life has been good to us today - we are very lucky.