Day #8 - Stirling Range National Park

We left Wave Rock and headed south towards the coast along a minor road which was nice for the (lack of) cars but no parking bays to have lunch. So we pulled off into the gate of a property and setup our chairs and made sandwiches… and it was a lovely quiet spot with views for miles. Then wouldn't you know it … along comes the farmer from a million miles away on his tractor ready to do some spraying!!  He came down from his tractor and said hello and we said sorry we were in his drive-way and he laughed and said no worries and he would spray a bit away from us!!  I was embarrassed because I had just frisked a few pieces of stale bread and the tomato scraps in front of the van! … otherwise I would have actually liked to talk to him (he was young and rather hunky!) I wanted to tell him I was sorry he had to work on Easter Sunday but I think there were lots of people who had to work on Easter Sunday! (I know the apples in Lenswood are ripe) .

Stirling ranges as backdrop and a mighty-fine looking van in the foreground!

So into the Stirling Ranges we drove and stopped at the small campsite  for "off-grid" camping - no power, no shower but a flushing toilet with kangaroos lolling about (I think every campsite in Australia has at least two resident kangaroos who just appear seemingly out of now where).

The resident kangaroo (baby not in photo)

 There was also long-billed black cockatoos dropping HUGE gum nuts from the surrounding trees… makes the acorns falling front he oak tree in Lenswood seem like raindrops.  They use their long bills to get into the gum nuts for food and then when they are finished - cahplonk!! - the ground was littered with them. 

The gum nuts!

The couple who came to collect our fees ($5.00ea for seniors) were volunteers who "work" at parks around the state. They had been here a month and "worked" at lots of  different parks (different parks have different length of stays) - they provide their own caravan and food but get to stay for free!! For some reason Joseph seemed to think this was a wonderful thing??!!

Off grid! - not an outlet in sight!

Second off-grid night and I'm ready for the coast!