The widescreen TV was already on when the knock came on the door this morning. There wasn’t such a spectacular sunrise this morning – am I getting picky? The buffalo either didn’t bother with us this morning, or had come by when I was asleep and I didn’t hear a thing. Either could have been true. There was still so much wildlife just a few metres from the cabin – hard to put into words what it is like to wake up and see those sights and hear those sounds. Just makes you want to stay in bed and just look and so nothing more. No chance of that if you want breakfast though. After opening my birthday cards – Paul had very carefully transported them from the UK, and thank you so much for all the lovely cards – we set off for breakfast. “No present” he said “But you can choose your own didgereedoo from the shop”.
The air boat ride this morning was very refreshing – when it speeds up it actually gets quite chilly. Not when it slows down though. Again, the birds were everywhere. A few more from yesterday to tick off the list – for those that were ticking lists – including green pygmy geese and the jabiru. There were huge flocks of geese on the plains – hundreds of them that all took off as we got closer. The Magpie Geese are the ones that do all the honking. A few birds of prey soaring high in the sky, but none so close this morning. We stopped to have morning tea at another café this morning – Darter Pond. Looked very much like yesterdays, with the water like glass and showing a perfect picture in the water of the trees above. I could just imagine all the roots being pulled up and the trees walking, just like in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Spooky. Lovely chocolate cake this morning. Everything here is home made, and it tastes it.
We then made our way back towards the lodge, when we saw one of the other boats had stopped. They had spied a crocodile on the other side of a mud bank. We pulled up but couldn’t get so much of a good view, so those in our boat decided that it would be a good idea to get around the other side of the mud bank. I think Justin was a bit reluctant, but did it anyway. We got a real good view of him sunning himself on the bank, but when we got within a few feet he slid back into the water and effortlessly swum away.
We got back to the lodge, and after a short while lunch was served on the deck again. Another couple of hours to while away, before we got in the safari vehicle with Lauren for a couple of hours tour. We saw more new species of bird – and a tree that fruits strychnine. Might come in handy if you need to get rid of someone in a hurry?? We saw the blue kookaburra and a couple more jabirus – then we went to a large billabong that doesn’t dry out at all in the dry season. Just driving around the edge – we see a croc’s head. We drive so we are quite close, but Paul decides that he wants to walk down to waters edge and get a closer shot. He got out of the vehicle, and started to walk towards the water – and the croc’s head disappears. He scuttles back – and within seconds the head appears again. This happens a few times. I think the croc thinks that Paul is dinner, and as soon as he gets close enough to the edge he will have him. Unfortunately for the croc, Paul gives up and decides the pictures we have already will do!
Back to the lodge for canapés whilst watching the sun go down – delightful! One of the Walton girls saw a wallaby go under her cabin and die – I suppose they have to die somewhere. It was sorted out very quickly – wallaby on the menu for tomorrow then! The one hair dryer that they have here seems to have done the rounds, as no-one seems to know where it is. Al finds it and brings it to the cabin – can’t manage without that hairdryer! Lovely dinner again this evening – but I am getting full to brimming with all this good food, I really need to go back to my porridge and soup!
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