It was a beautiful week, not short on challenges for our little family, but also well endowed with fun and inspiration. To start with the challenges:
Challenge #1: Fitzroy Crossing is hot.
Most days we were there hit 40 degrees and most nights didn't get below 20. Which is a big part of the reason that the campground (totally packed a couple of months back) now looks like this:
Challenge #2: Fitzroy Cossing has ants.
We live in the tropics. We know ants. Or so we thought. The progressive invasion of our camper trailer started as soon as we parked, and rapidly escalated until the third night which we spent being ant-stung persistently from dusk to dawn. Luckily they somehow missed the baby, so at least one of us got some sleep. We are not hardcore campers - we spent the next two blissful nights in an airconditioned motel room.
Challenge #3: Fitzroy Crossing is a bit of a drive away.
395km with not much in between. Two roadhouses and a bridge, a couple of hills, and many boabs. On the way there LB only slept about 20 minutes, but was miraculously happy most of the rest of the time. The way home was even more miraculous: she fell asleep as we left Fitzroy and woke up THREE HOURS AND FORTY MINUTES LATER.
So much for the challenges, now for the fun and inspiration.
First, Bun-gu sandbar in Geikie Gorge National Park. We drove in here Monday morning for some pre-work R&R and discovered a secret little paradise. Big shady trees along the shore, a sandy river bottom that gently slopes in, and water such a perfect temperature that LB nearly fell asleep in her mum's arms in the middle of the river. I swam around looking for freshwater crocs, but no luck. No luck sighting the freshwater bullsharks that reputedly live here either. We left reluctantly as the morning wore on, wishing that this little oasis was just a little bit closer to home.
Over the past couple of months Little Bird has started to enjoy watching animals. She loves walking down to our local park to laugh at the dogs running around, so the Fitzroy River Lodge was a great little home away from home for her, with it's resident mob of agile wallabies and a herd of cattle wandering around. She was almost jumping out her skin trying to chase after them, and she loved our little morning and evening strolls along the river bank spotting birds.
The biggest highlight for all of us was the people we met. I spent a few days working at the Baya Gawiy Buga yani Jandu yani u child and family centre (recently given a brief reprieve from having it's funding ceased) and Mel would come with LB from time to time to sit in the play area, playing with local kids and yarning with their mums and grandmas. We also met Bob, a man with a quiet, gentle presence who would sit in the campground carving designs into boab nuts. He sat down at our camp a couple of times for a cup of tea, and we bought one of his carvings for LB before we left. The most memorable time in the week, for me anyway, was our trip to Wangkatjungka, a remote community south-east from Fitzroy Crossing (check out this great video). Kids there showered affection on Elsa, and she loved laughing, playing, and dancing with them. I just felt so happy and privileged that our little one can experience a different side of life, and a strong culture still being lived far from the cities and towns.
All in all - a great week for our family, we're hoping it will be the first of many similar ones (apart from the ants).
* LB chilling in the car at the end of an epic week
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