Today starts at 04.30hrs and once again I am not alone at being up at this ridiculous hour, there is almost just the same amount of movement as yesterday but not one boat has been launched from the boat ramp so far today........
We are joined once again by the various lizards for breakfast, one even bringing his own breakfast, before setting off for Mirima National Park. We enter at 09.20hrs, it's already 40 degrees and guess what it's a walking and climbing up morning...... Brilliant rock formations that are 340 million years old and lo and behold I take my hat off to the little lady that climbed up to the lookout with me, even though at times there was no safe edging or hand rail. She did call it a day when the edge disappeared down to 6inches of rock to walk along with a 75ft drop, she wouldn't even watch me do it but good on her for getting to the top.
It's too hot for any wildlife and us so off to the town centre for an iced coffee. Now bear in mind the temperature we walk into a cafe and ask for a coffee over iceman, sorry we cannot do that, we do not do ice......... This establishment is not alone in this, it's as if the cut backs have done away with buying ice in, I suppose their take on it is, every thing comes out of the chiller so why bother, everything that is, except proper coffee.........
After a peppered pie and hot coffee we head for Ivanhoe Crossing, where according to the tourist literature, Barramundi fish are queuing up to get up stream, which makes it an Anglers delight if true, we have noticed the Australian tendency to exaggerate where tourism is concerned, one place said, come and see the RARE Red Goshawk, it's so rare it's not been seen by the locals for three years due to drought......... I digress, back to the fishing....... We arrive and find a husband and wife team walking back across the crossing and he is carrying a two foot long Fish, I ask if it's Barramundi and he confirms it is, saying its the third one he has caught this morning but the other two were smaller. The wife puts the fish in an Esky whilst hubby goes out and throws a circular weighted net out, it sinks, he pulls it in and he has three fish in it, he throws two back and gives the other one to his wife, if you are Squeamish turn away now, she then cuts the smaller fish in half and puts the back half on a 3in fish hook and ties that to a fishing line on a spool, something like a giant strimmer spool, by now hubby has put his net away and is laying down rolling about in the water, totally disregarding the 'Do not swim -Crocodiles inhabit this area' sign. The wife explains they throw it out so the current makes it look like a fish swimming against the current so the Barramundi will grab it from behind. She then wanders out to join hubby, throws the line out and plonk, down she goes into the water as well, see picture of how some do their fishing in the heat out here.......
We then go to a different part of the lake, than we are camped on as someone desperately wants a picture of a particular bird, we get there and it's impossible, not only is it too hot, there are loads of bikini clad women, sitting, talking, swimming, eating, drinking oh did I mention they were in bikini's, not that I looked of course........
So back to camp, past a Police road check, for once we did not get stopped, thankfully due to the car in front getting a tug instead....... Shall we go in the pool or sit in air con, that is the 64,000 dollar question..........
It's too hot for any wildlife and us so off to the town centre for an iced coffee. Now bear in mind the temperature we walk into a cafe and ask for a coffee over iceman, sorry we cannot do that, we do not do ice......... This establishment is not alone in this, it's as if the cut backs have done away with buying ice in, I suppose their take on it is, every thing comes out of the chiller so why bother, everything that is, except proper coffee.........
After a peppered pie and hot coffee we head for Ivanhoe Crossing, where according to the tourist literature, Barramundi fish are queuing up to get up stream, which makes it an Anglers delight if true, we have noticed the Australian tendency to exaggerate where tourism is concerned, one place said, come and see the RARE Red Goshawk, it's so rare it's not been seen by the locals for three years due to drought......... I digress, back to the fishing....... We arrive and find a husband and wife team walking back across the crossing and he is carrying a two foot long Fish, I ask if it's Barramundi and he confirms it is, saying its the third one he has caught this morning but the other two were smaller. The wife puts the fish in an Esky whilst hubby goes out and throws a circular weighted net out, it sinks, he pulls it in and he has three fish in it, he throws two back and gives the other one to his wife, if you are Squeamish turn away now, she then cuts the smaller fish in half and puts the back half on a 3in fish hook and ties that to a fishing line on a spool, something like a giant strimmer spool, by now hubby has put his net away and is laying down rolling about in the water, totally disregarding the 'Do not swim -Crocodiles inhabit this area' sign. The wife explains they throw it out so the current makes it look like a fish swimming against the current so the Barramundi will grab it from behind. She then wanders out to join hubby, throws the line out and plonk, down she goes into the water as well, see picture of how some do their fishing in the heat out here.......
We then go to a different part of the lake, than we are camped on as someone desperately wants a picture of a particular bird, we get there and it's impossible, not only is it too hot, there are loads of bikini clad women, sitting, talking, swimming, eating, drinking oh did I mention they were in bikini's, not that I looked of course........
So back to camp, past a Police road check, for once we did not get stopped, thankfully due to the car in front getting a tug instead....... Shall we go in the pool or sit in air con, that is the 64,000 dollar question..........
Up with the Kookaburras
I've Brought my own this morning.....
Mirima National Park
Fishing for Barramundi, Australian Style........
No comments:
Post a Comment