My favourite part of this leg of the trip was when we turned left at the Georgina River to the Camooweal Billabong - from daylight to dark we watched the birds and animals -Terns, Eagles, Kite Hawks, Willie Wagtails, Peewees, Cormorants, Dab Chicks, Water Hens, Brolgas, wild Canarys, Monitor Lizards, Ducks, Herons, Aust. Coot, Sulphur Cockatoos and probably many more we could not see. They went about their business scouting for food, socialising, fighting over whose patch it was, all this enchanted me causing me to disregard the fact there was no radio, TV, power or water - there was so much entertainment there for us.
The boys got out the fishing rods and the crab pots and we had a feast of red claw.
One day we went to a nearby depiction of a Drovers' Camp - saw pack horse bags, how the camp was set out, the fire that the cook had to use. Our guide was a retired drover - he was thin and wiry - explained about a method of rope branding consisting of 2 sets of fences, with a gap through which the rope and drover could control the cattle.
We learned that there were lead cattle who also took care of rounding up the stragglers !
4,000 head of cattle , 800 horses and 60 stockmen.
There was a portrait gallery - one of Ted Egan - who was instrumental (along with others) in setting up this excellent depiction.
We continued to watch the wild life over 4 days - such as a pack of black Cormorants diving for fish, moved out of the river to hang out their wings to dry - meanwhile a white ibis came and fished in front of them.
I remember beautiful evenings sitting outside listening to the creatures on the Billabong, I did not want to leave - but it was decreed otherwise.
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