FRIDAY 24 JUNE     PUNGALINA

Up early again to do the last big group breakfast. There were all the usual items plus most guests wanted the hot cooked offering: fried tinned ham, creamed corn, baked beans on toast.

I finalized the drinks tally in the book, for guests to settle with O or A.

After breakfast, the group headed off, in the billycart, to the plane. Their next stop was Mt Borraidale, in the NT. They were effusive with their thanks and comments written in the guest book – which was set out on the table beside the tent, along with general information about the place for their perusal over their time here.

 

I think they were genuinely regretful that their stay here was not longer.

Some comments from the book:

* Don’t want to leave. Hope to return. Love and thanks to all.

* Outstanding. Thanks to all.

*Memorable moments in our lives.

* Our second trip. Witness to the wonderful improvements and assistance given by W, A, E, M, Wendy and John. Thank you.

* Fabulous place. Wonderful people. Thank you.

I was quite surprised at how much I was valuing the feedback in the guest book. Guess it was just good to have all the hard work appreciated.

No tips from this group though!

We all saw them off at the airstrip. Watched the plane disappear into the distance. Could not feel too much of a let down, though, because there were still guests to look after, and M to continue to show the place to.

The mail plane came in. What I had thought was a small grocery order tallied to $232.60! Usually I did not see the invoices for the weekly order, but today it was left in with the goods. I was amazed at the cost.

The two remaining guests relaxed at the camp for what was left of the morning, and went out with O, sight seeing, after lunch. I think they really enjoyed experienced the camp in relative solitude.

 

I quickly made a sponge cake from a packet mix, for tonight’s trifle dessert. Made up jelly.

I felt able to experiment a bit for lunch, with only the two to feed. Made a pull apart loaf of bread, with some herb and cheese filling. Great success – to be repeated. Served it with leftover cold zucchini soup, salads, zucchini slice. Fruit and cake followed.

Fortunately, there was a good sized queenfish in reserve, in the freezer. I was able to wrap that in foil and bake it for tea, with jacket potatoes and sour cream, salads. Dessert was wine trifle – very well received.

During the morning, the pilot guest offered to take M up for a flight in his plane, which was an aerobatics one. They flew over much of the property, often quite low down. As they came back towards the airstrip, pilot saw the billycart, being driven down the airstrip. He presumed it was O, and said to M that he would give him a fright. They came in really low and at quite a speed, roared over the billycart then climbed steeply. Because of the noise of the billycart engine – and a degree of deafness – the driver didn’t hear them coming behind him and got one hell of a fright when this plane suddenly roared over, just above his head. The only problem was that it was W driving, not O, and he was none too impressed, to put it mildly!