Showing posts with label galah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label galah. Show all posts

Tuesday, 26 May 2015

Road Trip: Down by the River

Oh wow, guess I got sidetracked.
So back to that trip away a bit over a fortnight ago (9th May).
Last time I blogged about it, I left you back in Chillagoe. I think it is time we moved on.


So after stopping at the smelter we headed out of town. We were going to look at some other things but decided to head to our next stop instead.


Mr Sparky even stopped long enough for me to take a few snaps of the landscape.


He knew of a good camping spot about 25km our of town.


And that is how we ended up at the Walsh River.


This is a pretty popular camping spot for people heading on their northern trek but we ended up being the only people there.


The whole river to ourselves, how awesome was that!


First things first we went hunting for some wood and got our fire going. Our spot was definitely claimed.


I bet if we went there now we wouldn't find the place anywhere near as deserted. Going by the caravans around town, the northern migration is rolling through.


Considering the minimal wet season it was pretty exciting that the river was still slowly running. It does pretty much come to a standstill as it gets lower.


As our camp was ready we went for a wander up river.


We found some nice, uncomfortable, rocks to perch on and watch the water and chat.


Because the water was so still the reflections were really good. The water was also really clear meaning you could sit and watch the fish. It was a bit like sitting in front of your fish tank.


As the sun was getting lower and lower Mr Sparky decided it was time to go back and get ready to cook some dinner.


Oh my, you should have seen me scrambling over all the rocks. I looked like a flailing brolga.


I, as per usual, got left behind and then sidetracked on the way back. Not that it mattered, we hadn't gone far and it wasn't like we were on a schedule.


I spotted some funny, pink, beauties hanging out in an old dead tree.


Ah, galahs, something I miss so much having grown up with the sound of them.


They were all paired off.


And they were doing a great job of giving each other a wash down.




As the sun got lower, hang on I said that already, as evening crept closer, we decided it was time for a dip. It had been a pretty warm day and that water had been looking very inviting but Mr Sparky in a show of being sunsafe didn't want to get in until the burning heat of the sun had turned down a bit.


The river made for a great bath, in fact it was pretty much bath temperature.


It was so nice floating around and watching the water soften as the sky did.


It cooled a fair bit as the dipped below the horizon but it was by no means cold.


We hung around in our wet clothes after toweling off a bit. Sorry, no skinny dipping here. Neither of us wanted to chance it with the fact that someone else might rock up.



It was so nice just watching the colour leave the sky with the light of a campfire. Sooo, relaxing.






As we toned down the fire a bit Mr Sparky, our camping chef, started cooking our steak and pasta meal. It probably would have been smart to cook while it was still light or to bring some serious lighting with us but then we would have missed out on the not having a clue about what our meal really looked like part. Sometimes that is safer.


We ate, we watched the stars, we enjoyed the silence (well except for the fairly regular passing of trucks). It all sounds very romantic and peaceful really. I'll leave you with all that soppy thinking until the next part of our camping adventure.

Do you 'do' camping?
Are you wanting to sit and watch the sunset and the stars just as much as I am right now?

one mother hen

Photobucket 

Thursday, 2 October 2014

The End of the Weekend Jaunt



Again I was up before the sun on the last morning of our tripping weekend (we had a long 3 day one) otherwise known as up with the galahs. Can you notice a pattern in my sleeping habits? Are you a morning person?


Being awake before the sun is up makes me want to go out and be part of the early morning and capture the start of the day.







Now if you remember I was in Mount Surprise. So up for the early morning photo offerings were plenty of trees, plenty of trucks and ...


truckloads of Galahs (not literally of cause, just flocks really).











 
Now I think galahs are some of the silliest birds going, maybe that is why in all fondness someone who does something a bit silly is often called a silly galah. They were certainly active and enjoying the morning, silly antics and all.







After relaxing with his morning coffees Mr Sparky had joined me as I walked back into the middle of town and we decided to check out the railway station in the morning quiet (well except those galahs, noisy things they are).


It was pretty cute and even had a display of old tools and photos with information about the building of the railway.






It was then time to hit the road again.


The landscape changed from browns to greens and from flat to hilly as we made out way onto the Atherton Tablelands. We did the Ravenshoe bakery stop for breakfast, I was sooo hungry by then. Not only am I a sunrise person, I am a eat as soon as I get up person, after some sunrise photos that is.



We did our obligatory strawberry farm stop for a punnet of some big, tasty strawberries.



We then did the me squealing over brolgas fast pull over so I could get photos move. Honestly, I am like a kid in my excitement over seeing things like this.






Then is was down the dreaded Gillies Range and past the cane fields on the outskirts of town before heading into Cairns city and home.




So that is it (phew, finally), the end of out weekend jaunt to Charters Towers and back in a super extended version. It was a lot of driving, a lot of fun and just plain relaxing to get out of the city. Do you like a good driving weekend or holiday to see new sights?