Outback Adventure - Part 3
The trailer pulled by the van held more than backpacks. It was a seemingly magical box, as each of its three doors - back, and two sides - held surprises. There were two coolers (esky in local parlance*), a full scale barbecue; pots and pans; cups, plates and cutlery; cleaning bins and products; enough food for 21 very hungry people for 3 full days (9 meals); and on top, 21 swags.
We pulled up to our campsite for the night in the dark and were given a lesson in how to unroll and roll a swag.
A swag is a canvas sleeping bag with a plastic bottom, a light mattress and a flap that you can flip over your head in the case of a light rain - highly unlikely given where we were. Inside we found a sleeping bag and a light pillow.
Our swag lesson complete, the group set to camp. It turned out we had a great group in that everyone took on a role to help out. No complainers or whiners or stick-in-the-muds.
The three Brits who had moved to San Francisco to work for Yahoo! set up the barbecue and cooked the food. Elvis from Zimbabwe and Rachel from England chopped veggies. Kate from Ireland who now lives in London, set up the buffet. Bjorn, an astronomer, pointed out stars.
Within an hour a chicken stir fry was hot on our plates and the questions began.
So, we're sleeping out under the stars, right? What about snakes? Spiders? Dingoes? Man-eating ants?
Yes, you're sleeping under the stars, Marc told us. He also told us that he would sleep on the camping table, which made some of us nervous.
Yes, there are snakes. This area is home to the second most deadly snake in the world. But they won't bother you unless you bother them. Yes, there are spiders. This area is home to the second most deadly spider in the world, the red back. There's probably one sitting under the bench right now. But they won't bother you unless you bother them. Dingoes? Yes, and they'll steal your shoes whle you sleep if you're not careful. Ants? Yes, they're everywhere. Ants are the most organized creature on the planet. They may take it over one day.
I sprayed the deet-based bug spray, Bushman's, on the ground around my swag and put my shoes in at my toes. It was warm, but dry, the scent of eucalyptus swept past with each breeze, and stars I'd never seen before sparkled in the sky. It wasn't long before I was asleep.
* "esky" = eskimo? If anyone knows, leave a comment.
The trailer pulled by the van held more than backpacks. It was a seemingly magical box, as each of its three doors - back, and two sides - held surprises. There were two coolers (esky in local parlance*), a full scale barbecue; pots and pans; cups, plates and cutlery; cleaning bins and products; enough food for 21 very hungry people for 3 full days (9 meals); and on top, 21 swags.
We pulled up to our campsite for the night in the dark and were given a lesson in how to unroll and roll a swag.
A swag is a canvas sleeping bag with a plastic bottom, a light mattress and a flap that you can flip over your head in the case of a light rain - highly unlikely given where we were. Inside we found a sleeping bag and a light pillow.
Our swag lesson complete, the group set to camp. It turned out we had a great group in that everyone took on a role to help out. No complainers or whiners or stick-in-the-muds.
The three Brits who had moved to San Francisco to work for Yahoo! set up the barbecue and cooked the food. Elvis from Zimbabwe and Rachel from England chopped veggies. Kate from Ireland who now lives in London, set up the buffet. Bjorn, an astronomer, pointed out stars.
Within an hour a chicken stir fry was hot on our plates and the questions began.So, we're sleeping out under the stars, right? What about snakes? Spiders? Dingoes? Man-eating ants?
Yes, you're sleeping under the stars, Marc told us. He also told us that he would sleep on the camping table, which made some of us nervous.
Yes, there are snakes. This area is home to the second most deadly snake in the world. But they won't bother you unless you bother them. Yes, there are spiders. This area is home to the second most deadly spider in the world, the red back. There's probably one sitting under the bench right now. But they won't bother you unless you bother them. Dingoes? Yes, and they'll steal your shoes whle you sleep if you're not careful. Ants? Yes, they're everywhere. Ants are the most organized creature on the planet. They may take it over one day.
I sprayed the deet-based bug spray, Bushman's, on the ground around my swag and put my shoes in at my toes. It was warm, but dry, the scent of eucalyptus swept past with each breeze, and stars I'd never seen before sparkled in the sky. It wasn't long before I was asleep.
* "esky" = eskimo? If anyone knows, leave a comment.
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