Day 77 Wednesday 26/8/20 Darlington Beach, sunny 20

Bouncing, well not quite bouncing more like dragging ourselves up into the four wheel drive, we explore nearby Arrawarra Headland then head for the hills. Up the Bucca Road to Nana Glen (Russell Crowe’s hometown) and on to the town of Glenreagh to check out the well reviewed Glenreagh Showgrounds.

As lovely as the Showgrounds are in a mountain setting with a well appointed and rustic camp kitchen, at $25 for power and water it is only $6 cheaper than we are currently paying for a 5 star caravan park. The Golden Dog pub is closed for lunch so we grab a rather disappointing pie from the bakery. Surprisingly the highlight of the drive turns out to be hidden in passionfruit. As per usual there are screams of “fruit stall!” and El Prado hits the anchors. He and Woody leap out of the car (when food is involved they can always leap), fossick around then tell us girls that there’s only lemons, tossing a couple in the car. Lemons? They’re not lemons they’re smooth, they’re passionfruit! Delicious yellow passionfruit.

Staying in this park at Darlington we’re becoming enamoured with the nesting habits of plovers as we watch them sharing the nesting and turning the eggs. They’re constantly on the alert for wandering ducks and the duck pairs cunningly split up to outfox the plovers. If a turkey wanders into the general area all plovers will join forces to swoop forcing the poor old turkey to take shelter under cars, caravans or awnings. And while we’re on the subject of birds Musk Lorikeets are nesting in hollows in the gums above us.

The Prado’s roast lamb and vegetables on the Weber. Close your eyes, can you smell it?

As we close up for the night a kangaroo is silhouetted outside our door.