lightning strkes and flat tyres

Al had just gotten back from a long stint at Ethabuka battling the fires when lightning again struck, this time at Cravens Peak where our homestead is. The storms were awesome, we both jumped out of bed at two in the morning at the lightning crack that sounded as if it was on our doorstep. Checking the internet the next morning, fires covered the properties surrounding us plus our own. It's all been on since then, trying to fit school in around the constant phone calls, radio calls, e-mails and internet checks has been mad, besides feeding extra people who have come to help. Luckily for us, (not for her) lovely Helen has been visiting. The kids and I picked her up last week. There was a dust storm blowing so luckily we decided to stay in town the night. The next day found us hours from anywhere when a tyre blew. Not just flat, but ripped to shreds. I managed to pull over in one piece but was a bit shaken. We found the jack, but nearly shed a few tears when a bolt snapped off the wheel. I tried to radio out but couldn't raise anyone. I had no satellite phone on me as they were in use for the fires. We hadn't seen a car. It was hot too, and all the kids were starting to whinge. A night in shining armour appeared in a fuel truck. I jumped in front of him and begged for help. Didn't take much luckily. Much to my feminist disgrace, he helped enormously, and told me I could drive without a wheel nut. More disgrace and potential disaster to come when the car fell off the jack, missing my head my millimetres. I started shaking a bit then! Finally we got back on the road and limped the couple of hours home. The fuel truck was incredibly coming to refuel our station (10000L of diesel), so I knew he'd come back through eventually which eased our minds a bit. Tail between my legs, we eventually arrived home to give him a carton of beer and much gratitude!

a peaceful night camping...

At what point should you be concerned that dingoes are going to eat your babies? I'm not sure, but I was fighting sleep listening for them the other night as we were camping on the western side of the property. Zave was in a portacot, but I ended pulling him in to my swag with the excuse that he was cold, but I secretly didn't want anything to snatch him. Then I woke again later hearing a whoop whoop whoop, getting louder. What the hell? Theres no way it could have been a vehicle, was it a mad wind aproaching, a whirly whirly? We were camped on the outside edge of a big gorge that is engraved everywhere in petroglyphs which are ancient aboriginal rock carvings, caves and tool remains. We were going to stay closer to the gorge, but it didn't feel right. As we pulled up into it the day before after some mad 4WDing, a barn owl swooped up out of the rocks in front of us. We figured we should leave the spirits in peace and camped further down in an old creek bed. So was this noise from old Aboriginal spirits awakening. I actually remember thinking that this was more feasible than a vehicle out here. I sat bolt upright and bravely called out for Al to wake up. Sound asleep, he didn't stir. Finally, I realised the noise was moving beyond me, and craned my head up to the myriad of stars above, to see a tiny light flashing across the sky. God, its a plane! I felt like I was from 'The Gods must be crazy' movie. Still, it was just so silent there that the noise of the plane made this weird vacuum like whoop through the air. I woke up a bit bleary eyed the next morning...

fire... or floods

The fire that was threatening has all but gone out. After a long couple of weeks, we can relax until the next lightening strike. Now there is actually rain forecast, should we start thinking about being flooded in? It can happen any time, earlier in the year managers were stranded here for 3 months...

blood on my boots

We had a good trip down to Ethabuka last week. We were a bit stressed about the bushfires and were heading down to the other property we look after to clean it up a bit in case the fire hit. Soon after we left our homestead 2 feral cats ran across the track in front of us. They didn't run much further! As they were shot with a camel gun, it was easy to see what was inside one of them, small lizards a bird and 2 rats. Thats all by 7:30 in the morning! It felt good protecting the thousands of native animals these cats and their offspring would have consumed in their lives. Two hours later we were nearing Ethabuka homestead when we spotted camel tracks, these soon led to 7 majestic beasts in the gidgee forest. It's always a bit sad getting rid of these proud creatures, but again, very good for our land. We also took the time to cut some meat out of them, massive slabs of backstrap were loaded onto the back of the ute. Karma got me later though as I was trimming off the plentiful fat from the meat, the knife slipped and I sliced my thumb to the bone. On reaching the Ethabuka house a rabbit ran out, soon to end his life also. Al picked up the rabbit and we talked about saving the meat, then we compared it to the massive slabs of camel in the back and realised it probably wasn't worth our while.

Fire in the Simpson

It looks like theres a fire approaching from the South West. It's shaped like an enourmous red cross bow, stretching almost the entire width of the Simpson Desert, with the arrow lined up straight for us. The NAFI site on the internet will show you the fire site, which appears to have burnt more than a third of the Simpson Desert already. The fuel load is so high after all the rains, that it's unlikely to stop by itself. Ethabuka will get hit first, it's currently about 70 kms away. We've got a grader going in to make earth breaks around the borders and through the middle. 80 percent of the property was burnt out just before we got there last time, and it sure would be nice to not incinerate the remaining 20% which hasn't been burnt for a lot longer, and is Channel Country vegetation, which is very important in terms of its conservation values. Not that the dunefields aren't. They carry one of the highest diversities of reptile diversity in the world, not to mention all the small cute and cuddly species which still manage to exist out here. The dunefields are currently looking stunning, and it's hard to imagine them returning to the red wastefield with blackened stumps that they were 8 years ago. Cravens Peak would be next to burn, which doesn't bear thinking about. It doesn't make me feel so good either, being so remote with the kids and such a big fire eating it's way towards us. I do keep imagining the enormous wave of rats running in front of the flames! But really, they would probably go to ground, and the wave will really be full of camels. Al should stand out there on the border with his shotgun....

Home Schooling

Yesterday Asha and Clay made a 1m patch outside where she could guage change in the patch over time. It was marked out with string and ice-cream sticks, and Asha spent some time choosing where she should put it, depending on which flowers were in it, where ant trails were, or amongst some quartz rocks. she eventually decided on a sandy patch with white glittery pebbles, because then she could check out the tracks in the sand the next day. She carefully swept it smooth, then Clay had a go, then she did it all over again and stood up the sticks again. Next morning she raced out as soon as she was up to check on it. Very excited, she ran in to tell us that were kangaroo tracks and a track that she thought was a wild pig! It was in the house yard, so we would have been surprised, but Al went outside and told her it was a baby camel track, which wasn't very helpful but did keep her enthusiasm going. Luckily we did see some camel tracks later that morning so could show her what they really looked like. They have seen them in the flesh also, Al took them out  from Ethabuka a week or two ago and they came across a small herd. The kids came back to the house and told me all about how Dada had shot the camels and cut them up. They decided not to eat them that night though.  We bought them both bikes in Mt Isa, and they are so proud of them. Their parents were very stingy and bought them a bit too big, but they've figured them out and perch up on them very proudly, shooting off on our morning walk towards the dunes, Clay with his head bent right down low, going as fast as his legs can possibly go. Zave with his head craned around the backpack, trying desperately to keep his eyes on his big brother and sister who have disapeared into the red horizon.

Back after a trip down South

Back 'home' again after a whirlwind trip back to Tasy. My head is still spinning from it, but it was incredible to get a good dose of Tasy magic to keep our spirits high. Thanks so much to everyone who helped, housed and supported us in order to enable Al's book to be launched amongst the beautiful community that it deserved. What would we do without you all......
I know you don't need more rat stories, but think of it as therapy for me.....I arrived back home to some barely alive seedlings, which I carried out of the bath tub reverently. Outside, I turned on the hose to give it a soak, the water burst up in every direction, the rats had eaten the hose! Throwing it aside, I nudged the watering can, it still had water in it judging from the weight. I heaved it up and poured it onto the seedlings. Big chunks of hair fell from the top as a horrible thick brown liquid squeezed from the end nozzle. I dropped it and ran, but as the smell was enough to make my head spin.  I knew I had to deal with it. Tipping it out behind the back fence, it gave a whole new meaning to liquid fertilizer. 1, 2, 3 then on a lot of nudging, 4 rats fell out, in various stages of decomposition. My stomach is pretty strong, (except in pregnancy!) but I was bent over head in the bushes 3 times after that. Alright, that is it I promise, no more rat stories. They are on their way out now anyway, they have virtually gone from properties to the South, and are finished at Bedourie (our closest town.) Our turn must be next.... The air is smoky here from massive bushfires to the North (might need Mat to build us a bunker...), the animal numbers are dropping a bit as the heat increases. It is still beautiful though, and I am looking forward to seeing a bit more red soil.