Carrawirry
The name of a river, and the name of the cabins I’ve stayed at for the past week. It was a long drive up there, around 4 and a half hours in total, including the breaks and time spent working out where on the map we where (actually, we didn’t have a map of the area…). The place was rather well set up, although the trees around the cabins could’ve been changed a bit to encourage more wildlife (some more flowers would’ve brought birds!!)
There was a wild possum in the roof of the cabin we were staying it, a male one. It had been in some fights, it’s left eye was damaged, and it had blood in it fur in several places. Still, it was a pleasant animal to have around, and slept most of the day anyway.
2nd day we went off walking through the conservation area we were staying in. The tracks were nice, and up high on the mountain side I had reception for a while (long enough for my mum to call home to tell her parents that we had no signal). The walk was reasonably long (only 3.5km, felt longer for the time it took). Several tall trees, intermingled in the younger forest of the area (the whole area had been logged back in the early years of Australia). Also spotted a few birds, couldn’t tell what species they were though.
3rd day we went off on another walk up in the Barrington Tops National/State Park/Forest. The forest here was slightly older in the area we walked, and it was cool under the trees, probably because they kept out the sun. Had some signal while there, surprisingly.
4th day was spent inside as it rained outside. Until then I haddn’t yet been bitten by a leech or tick, and I didn’t plan on being bitten. Rain seems to encourage them to come out, so there was no way I was going out there for a walk. I think I developed a paranoia for thinking that the leeches would be dropping on me. On the walk they day before I called for a ‘leech check’ simply because “My paranoia says I do…”
In the afternoon, a guy came running up to our cabin, soaked from the rain, a large blood stain on his shirt. He told us that he’d rolled his car and his friend was still at the car. My parents drove him up the the house of the cabin owner and got things sorted out for them. About half an hour later, a Westpac heli came along… I suppose the nearest hospital was an hour away by car…
Last day, my parents decided to take a scenic route, around and through Barrington Tops (I swear I saw 4 different types of forest), through some hilly farmland and then through the towns, slowly (or so it seemed) making our way back to Sydney. That car ride was long…
Some things of note on the trip: I rediscovered my fear of spiders!!! Huntsman spider on a window near my bed a night… at least it was only for the 1st night (or so I think….); It rains more up there than it does here in Sydney (or so it seems); Going so many days without much contact with friends… it seems so boring.