End of Dry Season Trip, August/September 2004

Bush Camping - August So dry, no water, no shower, bees - don't want water, just sweat and tuna oil. Generator, no power, doesn't work - engel, no fridge, doesn't work Corellas hiccupping all day and night, bats and black cockatoos. Putting you off? Ahh but look at the view from the camp!  ----->

Don't worry, its not that bad. But I had to have a whinge didn't I? Caught so many animals in the sandplain this trip, they just kept coming. Chameleon dragons now recorded here, lots of frill necked lizards, blind snakes, geckos, leristas bloody leristas, legless lizards, tiny little skinks. Heaps of mammals too - MARSUPIALS (have pouches) - striped faced dunnarts Eutherian mammals (don't have pouches just like humans) no cats this trip but did see them regularly:  RODENTS     - tiny delicate mice, only 10 grams                      - western chestnut mice. Lots of males this time, bit of a bachelor pad.

VOLLIE'S for August Perdi - Artist Cassandra - what a trooper, lasted the whole month, even downed a beer bong! Trish - life saver. Hope the plant cards don't disgust you too much Marty and Chris - well what can I say. That damper just didn't work out did it guys?

Not really any disasters this trip. We got a flat but with a bit of grunt work from Cassandra and I we got it changed. No way I was going to owe anyone a case of Beer.

September, Back at the Vollies Camp

Four new vollies (Ann, Gill, Jane and Karlie) came out for September and we started the trip off with moving Termite Ents named Mario and lots and lots of Corella shit and scrawching which continued for the rest of the month. With two vollies leaving early due to illness (come on, own up, you were sick of counting fluff?) Karlie and I were left to finish the work, counting plants and packing up. We trooped on and were rewarded with a walk up Piccaninny and a four course dinner from the chopper pilots, thanks Sammy. Ah but so much more happened in that time. Animal captures were low, which was a shame cause we were treated to a visit from the Purnululu Park Council. Unfortunately we had no goannas to show off but Ranger Lindsay got to play with a rubber snake. Thanks to everyone for coming out.

To add to the stresses some 'TV GUY' wanted to film the animals, but as we were unlikely to have any DANGEROUS snakes or scorpions and they woke me up at 9:30 at night without any promise of donations they didn't get to film us. They could have filmed Lauren's dead ants, but they musn't have been photogenic enough. Thanks for your help there Lauren. (Lauren's looking at the effects of fire on Ants.) Other than that, we got a bit of work done, caught a few animals - see piccies, counted a few spinifex hummocks and chased the entire cast of starwars around the bush in the middle of the night. What you say? Well no I'm not referring to the Star Wars party but the desert mice who were being radio tracked. Queen Armidala held Banquets everymorning, plenty of forage around there, while Darth Vader held a war council with Jabba the Hut and consequently crossed the road in search of the wookie - Chewbacca.

Finally I should mention the pilots. Thanks boys we had a ball. This picture is from the Daquiri party. We won't mention what happened the next morning Sam. Warning to future vollies, watch out for the pilots! Also hiya to the tour guides who said hello as they drove past us. And Christy and Helen this years visitor centre girls and Lindsay and Brendan. Thanks for everything.

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