Mellow Monday

 

Monday 7 June 2021 – Mellow Monday

Today is officially ‘chill out’ day after two weeks traveling.  It was cold last night – for the first time we snuggled under the doona and didn’t lie on top of it or with a leg sticking out and no need for the fans either.  Consequently we both slept really well and didn’t wake up until it was quite light.  No need to leap out of bed either so a bit of a lie in and finished my book with a coffee in bed.

L made bacon and eggs for breakfast and then we moseyed around camp for a while before it was time for another cuppa and a few Sudoku puzzles.  Most people are up and left this morning so there was only about 3 sets of campers left in the campground by about 10.30am.  It was finally warm enough by then for Larry to be able to convince Jen to dress in swimming attire and we then headed down to the nearby swimming hole which we have never had time to visit (or else it has been too dry) on previous occasions.  It was a windy drive in and a bit longer than we expected but we were surprised (and happy) to get to the car park to find we were the only ones there.  It was than about a one kilometre slog down to, and along, the river bank through deep, hot river sand (think City Beach on a 40 degree day sand) to get to a nice little swimming beach and a big wide stretch of deep river water.

It was lovely to have the whole place to ourselves and we were able to float around (well, Larry not so well as we had left the pool noodles in the car but Jen is quite buoyant for obvious reasons) and not hear anything but little birds twittering nearby.  We eventually got a bit cold so sat in the shallows and ate some crisps for elevenses whilst hundreds of little tiny fish swam all round us.   Very, very peaceful and relaxing.  Eventually feeling we had had enough sun we headed back along the river bank and up the hill to the car and although the sand was just as deep and hot as usual it didn’t seem as bad or as long a trek when you are nice and cool from a swim and still in wet bathers.

As we got to the car parking area two cars had arrived and another was heading in on the track so that was good timing.  Back to camp we made toasted roast beef, cheese and tomato sandwiches with the leftovers from last night and the tackled the arduous task of relaxing in our chairs for most of the afternoon and when that got too hard, Jenny had a little kip on the bed did the trick of a full relax.

It was interesting to see a late model Toureg come in late this afternoon dragging a camper trailer thingy with their emergency wheel on.  They loudly told nearby campers that they had had no end of bad luck blowing 3 tyres even though they had been driving “very carefully”.  Hmmm, maybe something to do with the fact they were driving with low profile road tyres on the merciless, rocky Gibb River Road??!!

The next important task for the day was building up a good campfire and making coals for our campfire meal of apricot chicken curry and mixed berry damper.  J & L had their usual argument about how much wood is a good amount of wood (Jen – “that’s not enough” v Larry  “that’s more than enough”) and once again Jenny was proven correct(no that is not correct)   Still, we managed to get all the food cooked and by a reasonably decent dinner time, so it was okay in the end.  We will be back here next week with H&M and I am already planning another campfire meal for then and I will convince H&M to be on my side about how much wood will be needed so it will be 3 against 1!

                                    

                                    

As usual the campground was completely quiet by 8pm even though there had been much laughter and music earlier on.  We do like an experienced set of campers!  A very clear night tonight with the night sky ablaze with stars and the Milky Way directly above us so it’ll be cool again and another snugly night.