Wednesday 8th June
Dawn rose, quick (and luxurious - I found hot water in the campers' shower block!) shower, clean clothes (finally!), breakfast (Weetbix, powdered milk, sugar,, chocolate powder), the horses were saddled up and I was waiting for Terry (helping myself to passionfruit and sourkops). We rode right out to visit some gypsy friends of Terry living on the Annan River -about twelve people living in a caravan in the middle of nowhere. We rode in, children scattering everywhere, scared, but fascinated with the horses. Before stopping for a coffee, we took the horses down to the river for a drink - Sarah started splashing the water (knee deep, sandy bottom) with her front hoof, then suddenly lay down for a swim - Terry, saddle and all!! I laughed for ages! I met the whole tribe, but will have to leave that chapter for someone else to relate in good time.. .suffice to say I felt very much at home with the gypsy lifestyle. We stopped off at Terry's Bus for a coffee, and I picked up my camera before heading down to his swimming hole where we took the horses for a proper swim - they were so happy - we were splashing the cool water onto their backs to wash off the sweat, when Sarah started splashing us in the same manner as before with her hoof! Then Nugget joined in (huge hoofs) and we were very soaked and laughing very loudly.
Terry
The horses were drying off in the shade when the old Holden station wagon of a Rossville couple drove in and got bogged in the sand, so we had to push them out (nearly enlisted the help of the horses!) before relaxing under the sun's radiant energy again. Walking the horses back through the quiet forest and along the road, I felt at peace, and realised just how much I'll enjoy the majority of this trek. Back in the pub after dark, and a stranger wanders in, very similar in appearance to me, except carrying a didgeridoo and backpack - he'd walked from Cedar Bay, and was walking into the night when he stumbled on the Lions Den - a pleasant surprise in the middle of nowhere.
Sitting at a table, drinking bourbon, swapping stories and laughing very hard were Terry, Sharon, John and myself. Later I fell asleep to the sound of the didgeridoo.
Thursday 9th June.
Slept in this morning - sun was up when I went out to give them a couple of pieces of bread. Fiona rocked up with half a pig in the back of her old Holden ute - their dogs got it last night.. .it was HUGE! God help me if I ever stupidly put a .22 slug into one that size! And I'm thinking, maybe I should get a dog to accompany us after all.
I took the horses out for a ride up to the Watkins' to ask permission to fence off a corner of one of their paddocks over the weekend. Sarah stayed behind nicely the whole way, Nugget also very good but always wants to jog along!
Tending to the horses in the evening, Michael's tribe rocks in, and within seconds there were kids all around me and all over the horses. (Quite a few times they've had kids sitting on them when curious camping families learn their story, and want the inevitable photograph, leaving with best wishes.) These kids were fearless, though, tugging their chins and climbing legs! I think they both thoroughly enjoyed all the attention (despite their expressions of boredom and extreme patience!). Then the children discovered the electric fence - that kept them amused for ages, zapping themselves and linking it to the fence that went around the whole pub trying to get someone! For kids that had never seen a school before, I was surprised at their general knowledge - earthing the fence for example.
Had another good night in the pub too, and eventually bought the book "Lions Den" to read and send on to Libby. I read it later that night - rather disappointing, I'm afraid. Just "two days in the life of the Lions Den" type yarn from around the early seventies(?)
