King Fisher Camp 06-09-11

 

I didn’t think that I would have much to say today since we were to be on dirt roads for 400+kms, but it turned out to be quite exciting.

Started off at our usual 8:00 AM start, Dean and Karen leading. Peter D’s radio was broadcasting but not receiving and Tony asked Dean to stop to tell him same.  Tony told Michael and me to go on and take the lead.  Our instructions were to stop at 10:15 for a break, then it was changed to ‘find a nice river and stop etc’.  We were getting desperate, no nice rivers, Tony then said ‘find a shady spot’

Hmm, the Robinson River crossing appears on the GPS and we decide to try there.  Great, it is really very nice, we stop.  There is already a young couple there with a 5 week old baby!  We begin chatting as we always do and……they are from the Australian Geographic, she (Cath) is the writer and he (David) is the photographer.  They are doing an article on highway 1.  They are interested in us and have us line up the cars, take photos, group photos and some candid individual shots etc.  We may be in the article!!!!  The first part comes out in January. 

Hehe, there is also the chance that we may end up on the editors floor so to speak.  But it was interesting and great fun.

The sad part about the river is that here were thousands of cane toad tadpoles and very many tiny cane toads.  This could lead to devastation of the fish life and reptiles around this river.  We have been speaking to local people wherever we meet them and they are reporting a great reduction in numbers of lizards and snakes.

We are next asked to find a nice shady spot for lunch – a big ask.  As luck would have it, just when we were deciding to just stop wherever we can find a safe place, we find quite a nice spot off the road for everyone with some shade.  Everyone pulls up, we are eating lunch when Peter D says “Michael you have a flat tyre”.  Oh dear.  The pit stop crew (Peter C John and Tony) get to work and it is changed in no time.  This make 9 punctures between us.

We arrive at Kingfisher camp, it’s very serene, GRASS to camp on, we rarely see grass.

Later in the afternoon Greg comes over and says ‘let’s have a look at that tyre’  he and Michael are able to repair it!!!  (with the ARB puncture kit that Michael bought so it has had some use.  I think most of the cars are equipped with same.

The cane toad count for tonight is 148