Bushwalking and Parrots

West MacDonnell Ranges

Today I went hiking with a new friend who is an avid bushwalker, having grown up in the bush of Australia. We went to Simpson Gap, and climbed a portion of the Larapinta Trail. I'm not sure how far we hiked along the trail as it snaked along the outer edges of the mountain, slowly climbing the skirt. We probably walked about 2 or 3 kms up the trail, which never did approach the peak, and loose rock cliffs prevented us from safely picking out our own trail. The trail was pleasant enough, with terrific views as we pushed onward and upward. Much of the trail was in the shade, which gave us welcome relief from the hot sun. The clouds were moving in when we left Alice but as we approached Simpson Gap, the skies were clear and brilliant blue. We had a dingo follow us for a bit, and then as we sat for lunch, we could hear them call each other. There sounded like two different ones answering each other.
     Funny story about the dingo. Or bizarre..I haven't quite figured which. I took photos of this dingo. At least two. I was late getting my camera out but focused in with my wide angle lens and snapped a couple of shots of the half-breed dingo. It was reddish brown with white. I would post a photo of it, but it appears my photos did not turn out of the dingo for some very odd reason. The shots are completely white, both of them. Yes, the lens cap was off. My Rebel doesn't have a live screen unless I'm in video mode, so unless the cap was off, I couldn't focus in the dingo. Which I clearly remember doing. And now I have no proof.

     Funny story turns bizarre - F. and I sat in the pub yesterday for lunch and we were out on the smokers patio when a local Aboriginal woman came and sat down to smoke at our table. We chatted about various things and she told us about coming back from out in the bush recently, and of plans to go back again this week. I told her we had seen a dingo at King's Canyon park, and she told us that dingoes change what they are after you see them, that they don't remain dingoes. Bizarre. And then today I saw a dingo that failed to be captured on my camera. Just a little strange I thought.
     I saw more spiders on the hike, with beautiful webs full of eggs...gross, but beautiful all at once. We checked the rocks for snakes before sitting down as well...lots of tall grass and crevices they can hide in. Tis a bit of a chore to get someone to rescue you from that trail. No road up there, no cell service, and too dense to land a helicopter. So we made sure we were sure footed, and avoided the tall bush. G. had boots on, but I was in hiking shoes, with my ankles exposed.
     After a lovely bushwalk, we had a cold one in the shade of a tree at the park before heading home. We both had things to do this afternoon, so I started packing. I packed up quite a few things, and then my friend F. came over for supper and a scary movie. While we were chatting before supper, some parrots came into the tree outside my living room window, so I managed to grab the camera in time to get a couple of shots. I need to have my camera ready as by the time I got it out, and got the zoom lens switched on, it was nearly about to take off again. They are beautiful and are Australian Ringneck Parrots. They are also known as twenty-eight parrots, because they squawk "twenty-eight, twenty-eight".
     Back to work tomorrow...hope there are no weird dreams tonight about dingos...