THURSDAY 30 MAY     HUNTERS GORGE

It seemed very cold overnight, and we needed to really snuggle in under the doona, but it became a fine, sunny day. I guess that is the nature of the interior country at this time of the year.

The bush flies, in large numbers, became very sticky and annoying, through the day. Fly nets called for.

Watching the waterhole “unfold” in the early morning was lovely – so peaceful and serene. The morning light shone on the bluff opposite – it seems to be at just the right angle to get light on it most of the day, so it was nearly always spectacular.

When there was no wind, the bluff was reflected in the water. When the wind was blowing, the waterhole had a variety of colours, from pinky-orange, through yellow to brown, even a blue.

The pelicans cruised slowly past, going first one way, then the other, occasionally fishing for something.

This place was so worth the trip in.

We stayed around the camp all day, just enjoying it.

The two men from NSW that we’d encountered on the way in, came from their camp at Gumhole to fish here, further up from us. They caught fish. John went and fished, too, and talked with them. They caught four perch, and then gave John their leftover prawn bait. He then asked them to the van for coffee and we talked for a while. One of them has a wife who will not travel with him, even though he’d bought a caravan of her choice. It is so hard for me to fathom some women! So he travels with his mate, and they were off to the Kimberley, via the Tanami Track.

After they had gone back to Gumhole, and after we’d had lunch, John caught a couple of small perch, and a bigger one. They were very fatty to clean, but would do for two meals.

I read, and watched the birds. A group of spoonbills had flown in and more pelicans. There was a pink-eared duck on the water, and more Pacific herons had come. I saw a snakebird (Darter) catch and eat a fish – it manoeuvred the fish round and round, as the heron had done, yesterday, then down it went. I could see the bulge go down its neck. Then it went and perched on a log – guess it was digestion time! There were some cormorants perched on branches and logs, for a while, with their wings spread out, drying.

Late in the afternoon, we went for a short walk, up as far as the camp area extends. There were some wired-off revegetation areas. We saw no other campers. The NSW men had told us there were some others camped at Gumhole, but they’d not found them very friendly.

Tea was fish and fries. The perch was very nice to eat.

After tea we sat huddled close to the fire – the night was cold.

The feral cats were prowling around again. I saw two tabbies and a ginger one.

The moon rose about 9pm. About 9.20pm, John saw, above the ridge behind the van, a streak of bright green light, with bits shooting off the streak, like fireworks rockets. It went down at an angle behind the ridge and disappeared. We thought it might have been a little meteorite?