Camps 5, the Good Book.

Saturday, camping equipment stowed, everything washed, repacked and we were on the road again. A lot of driving followed, through plump, benign agricultural districts, lush red-brown soils, sugar cane, mangoes, the works. Just north of Childers we literally screeched to a halt and turned right on seeing a sign to The Flying High Bird Sanctuary.  Who could resist an establishment with such a name? http://www.flyinghighbirdsanctuary.com/It was excellent fun.  Over two acres of one huge free-flying aviary full of thousands of exotic and native birds.  Did I mention that along with trees, plants, skinny dipping and funghi, birds are one of my favourite things? Once I did a bird course in Canberra with the very knowledgeable Ian Fraser, don't miss him if you live there.

 In this aviary the birds seemed healthy and active, madly flying laps and chattering all the time. There were some exquisite birds. Hard to get a good photo, very shady and they just won't sit still!

These two babies were doing what all fledged baby birds do, scratching at the down feathers.

A cockatiel.

A princess parrot.

These two parrots are South American Quakers.  They were bold and rather too attentive.  This one was interested in gently tonguing my wrinkles. I wonder what they tasted like. David's watchband and crocs came in for a gnawing too. I wasn't wearing my crocs, so the rabbit chew marks have not been augmented.

We drove on, and found a place to rest up using the Good Book, Camps 5 http://www.campsaustraliawide.com/index.php This useful publication lists cheap and free camping places Australia wide, and it pointed us to Sharon Nature Park, about 15 Km out of Bundaberg, which was our next stop.  This free stopover place was well equipped and popular. We wonder if the Qld government provides these places mainly to help accommodate the itinerant rural workforce. Well, the itinerant grey nomads are happy to strap on.

There was a nice foresty walk nearby, down to what we assume is the Sharon River.

At the end of the walk was a sign which spoke volumes about. the. resident. landowner.

We saw a little snake on the path and heard whipbirds very close, a male and his mate, call and response, to our left and our right. These are quite secretive birds, rarely seen, but I wonder if this is one, taken near the walk, very high up in a tree, and just quietly scolding something with a longish calls. But it seems too pale underneath. I thought it was a cuckoo, or a koel but the stripes go the other way.  Any ideas?