Transport to warmer climes.
Having just arrived at Cape Jervis by ferry from Kangaroo Island, we need to fill up the car with provisions.
With no grocery store in sight, we drive to the local gas station. The normally so quiet city has a large explosion of people. In the background, furious engine noise is heard and people are crowded together. We look there in wonder, but do not quite know if it is a private event.
In the shop / petrol tank we managed to find some supplies. The clerk struggles a bit with the barcodes and calls for more assistance to the mischievous cash register.
She apologizes profusely and explains that it is her first day at work. At the same time, they have a bigger event going on - around the back of the store, so it's really busy.
There is free entry and we must be very welcome - we thank you very much for the invitation and go there curiously.
Around the back we can see a large square, with a track set up by large straw bales. Lots of spectators, good weather, cold beers, adults and children in a wild race on... garden tractors - ride-on lawnmovers.
We burst out laughing and stand by the straw bales. The participants go into it with heart and soul. Grown men practically throw the tractor around the bends. The engines rev up and the ground splashes backwards.
It is taken very seriously and on closer inspection, we can see that the garden tractors have been upgraded with motocross engines of different types, depending on the level.
What we first thought was a local fun event - turns out to be a serious race. With organized championships and associations.
In our search for warmer weather we pass Mount Gambier. There is an old volcano where there is now a beautiful lake in the crater. It's bitterly cold and drizzling, so it doesn't invite you to go for a long walk around the lake. But it is beautiful.
An estate agent's stone's throw away, is the Umpherston sinkhole. Many, many years ago, the earth collapsed and left a hole, which the wealthy James Umpherston in 1886 decorated as a beautiful flower garden. At that time there was also a lake in the hole where they could have a rowing boat. The lake has disappeared, but there is still the garden that he gave to the residents of the area to give them a break from the oppressive summer heat.
It's only just spring, so we have to enjoy the flowers. But the evergreen trees and bushes now also do well. The hole is probably about 20 meters deep and ivy hangs like big green tendrils.
On our way further we pass the Coonalpyn silos. They are large 30 meter high grain silos that have been decorated with paintings by 5 local children. Usually the cars just drove through town without stopping. But after the silos have been decorated, people are now stopping and taking pictures. Festivals are held, camping is held and people spend money in the city.
We drive in the direction of Wagga Wagga (pronounced Wogga) where "The Rock" is located (no relation to Dwayne Johnson) and we have time to go hiking. It goes up quite steeply, we quickly gain altitude. We meet a hiker who is on his way down. She cheerfully asks if we can talk and if we can get some air. With bated breath, we convincingly try to say "yes".
She laughs and explains a little about the birds she has seen and asks if we have noticed the flowers on the way up. There should be breeding falcons right now. We continue up and can enjoy the view. Swamp wallabies (small kangaroos) jump around on the rocks, but we don't see any falcons.
Can you spot a kookaburra (laughing bird) from 30m away? Sus could do that – and Johnny slowly crept closer until it flew and sat in the open.
In the early morning, a pack of kangaroos had taken over a field next to our campsite. The handsome young males had to practice boxing.
