9 September 2012 - St George Tourist Park, Western Downs, Queensland

Today we have spent a lazy day in the Sunday sunshine after having stayed up later than usual watching yet another rugby test. Over dinner we learned on the news that the All Blacks had crushed the Pumas but here in Australia viewers were more intent on watching their own team come up against the Springboks. The game was played in Perth and as a result the broadcast did not start until about 10 pm, normally my bedtime. I watched the first half but had no stamina for the second. It was a surprise therefore to learn on rising this morning that the Wallabies had conquered after all. I was glad for Australia and of course glad for myself; a happy Australian is much better than a depressed one.

The noisy miners were even noisier than usual in the tree beside our door this morning however I suspect it had nothing to do with sports celebrations. We decided to stay another day so after sorting payment out with Mein Host, we set off for a walk along the river to the town.

Despite the terrible devastation wrecked upon St George during the three floods within the last two and a half years, the river frontage is quite lovely. We wandered down to the Jack Taylor Weir below the bridge that takes one on west to Cunnamulla and Mitchell. This is all part of the Sunwater irrigation system here and the weir was started in 1953. Further upriver is the Beardmore Dam built almost twenty years later.

The site of the magpie assault near the Balonne River crossing

As I was lining up my camera to take a photo of the weir and bridge over the Balonne River, I was attacked by a nesting magpie, twice. Now this happened to me about six years ago when my husband and I were cycling the Otago Rail Trail in New Zealand. Then I was hit hard twice and for all the time after that until I came to Australia, I have despised magpies. But then on arrival here, charmed by their tune and quirky personalities, I had fallen in love with them. (Note the word “had”) I understand that it is that time of year again but why me? On my instruction, Chris picked up a stick and held it over my head while I completed my task, and then we set off along the river bank, me dorkishly holding the stick vertically above my head as a deterrent. We were subsequently left alone, however I was so distracted by the whole affair that I forgot to look for the koalas that are apparently in the gums along the river’s edge.

We popped into the Information Centre, now open, and browsed through books and leaflets showing photos of the recent floods and spoke of other matters of St George, before setting off again into the main street in search of the bakery. It was closed as the woman in the Information Centre suggested it might be; the baker sometimes liked to sleep in on Sundays. Perhaps he watched the rugby too?

We found both the superettes open and decided to give some Turkish bread a try. On exiting, we noted a motorhome parked out on the road bearing the NZMCA wings motif high on the cab. I suggested we go greet these fellow members of New Zealand’s Motorhome Association which we did by calling out, “You haven’t got your number on the badge”. Imagine our surprise when Stanley and Kath of Kerikeri, whom we have met several times at association rallies, should turn their heads and ask for ours. Although not well known to us, I did clearly remember that they stored their motorhome over here in Australia and came over for several months each year to make the most of the warmer winter climate. We chatted for some time and found that we were both heading in the same general direction toward Lightening Ridge. We may well bump into them again in the next few days. What a small world this is!

We returned to the caravan park and decided to cancel our plan to drive to the Beardmore Dam this afternoon. There is still residual flood damage about and it is not quite the lovely recreational spot as it was pre-November 2010. No doubt time will heal the scars.

The Turkish bread did not excite us much although we decided it might be fine consumed with a slushy stew or bowl of soup, but then I did not bother to check the use-by date. Perhaps that was the only problem with it?

We were delighted to catch up with Larissa and her family and learn that they are all now recovering from their winter ills and chills that have kept the children from school for too long. And then we settled down to the weekend papers. A perfect Sunday afternoon!