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The Two Dingoes Tour 2000

Tuesday 1 August 2000

Up at 7.00am. We have to get back to Quorn because Lachy has to return something. we look for Yellow Footed Rock wallabies. They are very rare. Must be because we only see one. The drive to Quorn is the start of a saga that will last the whole trip: what music do we listen to???
We drive into the Flinders Ranges with Kanyaka Homestead as our first stop. Here lived about 70 families and 70.000 animals. Founded in 1853, it was abandoned in 1888 after drought and overgrazing made further use impossible. Today all that is left are the walls.
At Kanyaka we are all introduced to "Slags with Fags". Clare, Ngaire and Nicki pose with fags at notable sites.

After Kanyaka we go to Arkaroo Rock where we see some Aboriginal paintings. It is the first of many walks. We travel on to Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges. Most of us do a flight over the mountains. It is very impressive. but the aircraft is very small and I for one still have Concord firmly planted in the back of my mind. The pilot obliges to a group picture afterwards and after another Slags with Fags we are on the road again.
Lachy was right. The 4WD does no longer seems very small. Now that we all know each other a little better, it doesn't seem to matter that we are practically on each other's lip all the time. It is now just small.

We hike through Brachina Gorge where Nathan shows us his butt for the first time. Clare tries some kind of melon-looking fruit that looks quite attractive. It is in fact totally disgusting. The night will be spent at Iga Warta, an Aboriginal community that invites people to stay and learn about the Aboriginal people of the Flinders Ranges. we stop for a beer on the way up and see a lovely sunset. We notice the moon is upside down in the Southern Hemisphere. There are a few tents at the campsite and Clare and Marieke are the first to succombe to wuss-ness and sleep in one of them. Ted cuts up some fine onions for dinner and we have a sing-song with Marieke's guitar. We then wander over to the campfire a bit further up the campsite. There we meet Cliff, an Aboriginal man who tells usa lot of stories about Wilpena Pound. His brother makes damperbread in the fire. It is absolutely delicious with Quandong jelly and cream. After the damper, the men sing us some of their self-penned songs. We have to join in with the definite highlight being "Oh my Wallah, it's rumblin' and tumblin'. Oh my Wallah, is rumblin' like a big base drum". Or maybe the Hokey Pokey?

Ngaire

Pictures of Tuesday