Thur 19/01/17
We had a lazy afternoon at Sue’s house, sat outside noodling on the guitar (Dave) and inside reading (Kip) while Sue was busy whizzing around on her ride-on mower.
There’s something very restful about wooden houses; we rarely see them in the UK. Sue told us that the temperature can get down to as low as minus 10c in the winter but only for short periods and most days you get some sun to warm things through. There’s also a big wood burning stove to see you through the night.
There’s always the threat of forest fires through the summer and everyone has an evacuation plan. Sue’s only had to abandon ship once and thankfully her house was spared.
The view from our bedroom window this morning.
We played Braidwood folk club that night in the old Anglican Church hall. Again a wooden building with wonderful acoustics but “tragic toilets”. Sue’s words not ours. We daren’t use them.
The drive back home to Mongarlowe was interesting – we’d been warned to keep a look out for kamikazee, jay-walking kangaroos (not one) but we saw quite a few healthy looking wombats and a couple more wallabies. These were bigger than the wallabies we’d seen before. Red-neck wallabies, apparently, but we don’t think that can be right – there wasn’t a single check shirt or banjo between them.
The next morning we said our goodbyes to the lovely Sue and headed off for Humph Hall, Sydney.
Latest wildlife count:
Kangaroos – dead, lots. Live, none.
Wallabies – loads, two types, old hat!
Wombats – half a dozen or so (cute).
Possum – one, possibly, Kip thinks so.
Dolphins – some, but not since Ballina.
Eagles – a few more, near Lake George. No idea what kind.
Crimson Rosellas – dozens, usually in pairs, absolutely stunning!
Fairy wrens – lots. Electric blue.
Plus countless ibis, butcher birds, magpies, kookaburras, bush turkeys and sulphur-crested (noisy b****rd, wake you up in the morning) cockatoos.
winter wilson 