Street kid to a Ph.D.: Paul's journey

Victoria is mild in climate, green and closely settled. It's the place where both Doug and I were born and raised until adulthood, therefore, you would expect a feeling of "coming home". Instead I feel a disconnection and a certain sadness. Seeing Paul and Heidi in Maldon was today's highlight. They (like our Mitchell friends Richard and Debbie) believe in minimalist living, buying locally and eating fresh organic foods. Paul's PhD in Creative Dance is almost complete and he also teaches yoga. Heidi is doing well with her graphic design and photography. They are a fine young couple and a privilege to know. Paul came to us as a street kid and did Year 12 while living with us. He is one of the most sensitive, deep-thinking people I know. Always I leave his presence with a little more understanding of what it means to live in harmony with the universe. What a great gift! On the way through to Colac, where we stayed the night, we drove past the first home we ever owned -- 13 acres with the original Ondit railway house. That was in the late 1960s, and by just cleaning it up and reselling, we had the opportunity to move on to something bigger.

Inland New South Wales, the Murray River and Victoria: a downward spiral

Described as "Your Oasis on the Edge of the Outback", the caravan park at Deniliquin seemed idyllic until the mosquitoes, sandflies and locusts moved in. At one stage the inside of the van was literally hopping with locusts. After Siamese Katie had pounced on a few, she left the rest for us to capture. The sandflies were not so easily dealt with as they squeezed through the insect netting and swarmed around the lights -- then as we slept, bit. At least mosquitoes give a warning wine! More insidious though was the heavily chlorinated water supply (river water) which ended up making me feel quite unwell before I realised that cause and stopped drinking it. This has made me even more appreciative of Mitchell's artesian water supply accessed from the Great Artesian Basin 1 km beneath the surface. No pollution down there; no need to add chemicals to make the water safe to drink. Aside from the insects and chlorinated water, however, stately river red gums and ash trees dotted expansive green lawns with well-kept walking tracks perfect for dog walks through dry red gum forests. The discovery of a billabong at dusk was the highlight of my day. As the forest settled itself into the mirror surface, all was calm, all was still.

Culture shock as we head south: less means more

Shopping in West Wyalong supermarket this morning came as a shock. So much of everything. Is it in our best interests to have 30 or more varieties of everything? Much of what was on offer was junk food in increasingly large serves, and with obesity also evident my mind swings back to Mitchell and our three small outback supermarkets. Shelves are stocked with most things but absent is the huge range of choices and junk food. With no McDonald's, Kentucky Fried or Red Rooster, temptation is largely absent, so obesity is less common. People living in Mitchell seem more content. Less consumerism and greed leads towards a more caring community. By having less you actually have more!

A pair of Major Mitchell cockatoos (the first I've ever seen in the wild) perched in trees at Rankins Springs where we had lunch. Locusts are becoming more and more obvious. Our two shepherd's swam in the Murrumgidgee River at Hay and needed wetting down at Deniliquin, due to high temperatures.

The Parkes Radio Telescope, flood waters and road closures

Reminded of the Australian film The Dish, Parkes Radio Telescope provided an opportunity for coffee and interest after stressful flooded road conditions in and around Dubbo. An apple tree growing at The Dish is said to be a descendant of the famous Isaac Newton apple tree and is currently loaded with fruit, even though small. Also growing at The Dish is a plantation of Eucalyptus rhodanthas with large dish-shaped seed cases and exotic red flowers. Whoever planned the native tree plantings around the CSIRO Radio Telescope had an imagination and also a keen interest in eucalypts. We found an exquisite creamy-coloured moth on the doorway leading into The Dish cafe so bought a CSIRO book about moths.
Many road closures and detours, water over the road and rain storms between Gilgandra and West Wyalong made for a fairly stressful day, but we arrived safely. Unfortunately Major became so stressed at the very loud noise made while passing through deep water that he lost control -- the result being diarrhoea in the back of the ute. Trusty vinegar and bicarb soda cleaned the mess and he is okay now that things are back to normal.

Frogs, rain and swollen rivers -- as we head south

Frogs are here in abundance, clearly rejoicing in the rain that continues to fall in and around Gilgandra. Their croaks swing my mind back to Mitchell. Angi's spa is like a magnet to frogs, but she doesn't like the fact that they do their business in her spa. So, every day Rod catches half a dozen or so frogs and takes them to the river to release. After a recent visit to Rod and Angi's we volunteered to do the catch and release. In no time at all we had a large plastic container full of green tree frogs -- all sizes and every shimmering shade of green. One in particular was large and a bright iridescent green. He sat cupped in my hand for five minutes, exquisite and totally calm. At the old crossing we chose a place where tall green grass offered protection and, with our blessing, released them one by one. Life, when confined to a Ford ute and small caravan can get a bit crammed when shared with 2 German shepherds, a Siamese cat, and a pet stumpy-tailed lizard. Yet, the fact that we have everything we need and want, and all within such a small space, makes me wonder about houses and all the unnecessary "stuff" that fills them. With no TV we play Scrabble, write letters and read. There is much less housework and less distractions from the outside world. It's like living in a cocoon.

Castlereagh River is an 'upside-down' river

Although the Castlereagh River is now fast flowing and in flood, normally it's a dry sandy riverbed with its water flowing through and under the sand -- plentiful enough to supply over 10 thousand people in six towns with all their water requirements. Gilgandra means long waterhole. We've never seen it in flood before, so a 4 km walk along its banks allowed us to witness its swiftly flowing current and the debris it carries, including a heavy load of orange-coloured silt. The caravan park here at Gilgandra is set amongst a collection of magnificent mature trees, my favourites being lemon-scented gums whose aroma hangs heavy in the air around their massive white trunks. Crushing a leaf between my fingers reminds me of keeping emperor gum caterpillars as a child and watching their amazing metamorphosis into a large velvety moth. The Castlereagh River is one of the few rivers in Australia that flows east, south, west and then north in the form of a semicircle, like the number 6. Gilgandra sits near the base of the northern part, with Coonamble near the top. At present, 1000 people in Coonamble are ready to evacuate and many roads are closed.

Lightning Ridge population sign a ?

Lightning Ridge isn't the end of the world, but locals say you can see it from here. People from all over the world are attracted to the Ridge and its opals with the newsagent stocking a huge range of overseas papers. The place to buy opal ear-rings is Lost Sea Opals, so I did, and afterwards, at the cafe alongside, and with Major on a lead, we enjoyed excellent coffee and conversation with locals and tourists. We were warned of heavy rain and flooding predicted for the Castlereagh River around Coonamble. Therefore, we packed in a hurry and left Lightning Ridge, hoping to get through to Gilgandra before the river cut the highway. Walgett and Coonamble -- with their barred windows -- suggests a high crime rate and leave an unpleasant taste. It reminds me of the recent run of thefts in Mitchell which have left the residents shocked and anxious. People in Mitchell expect to feel safe and secure and nine times out of 10 they are. But until police catch the criminals responsible for these recent thefts, people in Mitchell are locking up and looking sideways. Even in my wonderfully perfect Mitchell there are times when the community needs to tighten up against an outside element before slipping back into its more usual open, trusting, friendly self. A sobering thought but true as we continued on our way south to Gilgandra. By tomorrow this road will be closed. Already, floodwaters are over it in many places. We will just get through.