Murrumbidgee

We set off for the river at Darlington Point for a sundowner, passing numerous stubble burning fires on the way. We wound through the gums to find a quiet river beach on a bend in the Murrumbidgee, a kingfisher flew from tree to tree. On the ground were a party of parrots, who dispersed on our arrival. We arranged ourselves like an African hunting party, overlooking a waterhole, and spread out the picnic. 

The impression was of intense peaceful quiet. However, the reality was a birdsounds treat: The carolling of Australian Magpies, the laughter and cackles of Kookaburras, the raucous screech of Corellas overhead and the quiet calls of the nearby parrots who hung about in the tree we were under and then gathered down by the river to drink. There are over 70 species of parrots living in Australia, so being precise is tricky, but we think 'our' birds were "Turquoise Parrots". On the way home a kangaroo hopped past us as we made our way back to the road through the River Gums; the full moon reflected on the river. In the 40kms home, the windscreen got so plastered by insects we could barely see out. Their collisions with the glass sounded like rain; and as a we passed creeks where the insects are bigger and fatter, the noise of their demise sounded more like hail! We passed Santa being pulled by kangaroos - probably just a Christmas model but with reduced windscreen visibility, you can't really tell.