Banned on the Run, Day 71 – The birds

Day 71 Thursday 20/8/20 Coraki

The days are getting noticeably longer, we’re waking earlier and it doesn’t get dark until close to 6pm now.

We’re greeted at the door each morning by Mavis the duck who is very large due to her strict morning ritual of begging at each door. In the evening you can set your watch by her rapid cross river swim for happy hour nibbles. Heaven knows why she is called Mavis, by her size I think her name should be ‘Xmas’.

An early stroll around a few more streets and a fascination for the mix of houses and other buildings in this town, it will provide fodder for sketching for months to come.

Woody washes the van and inspires El Prado to follow suit. A magpie catches drips from the hose.

We’ve got smoke haze from an out of control fire up in the Tweed valley.

It’s hard to ignore a duck on the doorstep

A strong dusty wind comes up and forces us inside for most of the afternoon. VeeWee and I walk around town and meet local artist Joanne Burgler who has a studio on the Main Street. We had been admiring her work, some of which adorns the walls of the pub. To see more in her studio is a treat but well out of our price range. This woman has corrugated iron in her veins, I’ve never seen it better captured. Her work with the fine detail of rust, fibres and grasses is exquisite.

The wind drops in the late afternoon and we manage a few drinks under the awning.

We book Darlington Beach.