Fun days in the valley.....

Saturday morning dawned hot and sunny but a change was coming and the clouds rolled in with the wind.  We had decided on a day at home so it was the ideal opportunity to see this little town come to life as the community shop opened at 10.00.  Run by a little lady from across the road she wandered up and settled In for the day with her jigsaw puzzles to keep her busy.

We called in to say hello and had a coffee (instant) and had a lovely chat with the old dear before some of the locals started to call in, also for coffee.  The camping kids discovered the ice creams so were very happy especially with Nana there to buy them one.

During that afternoon the forecast storm arrived and the camp ground looked like it would become a swimming pool but luckily it stopped before that happened.  Another family had arrived and pitched a tent that morning so lots of soggy kids for the day. So glad I had walls!

With the rain stopped by early evening everyone seemed to settle down too as it was still very damp underfoot.  I bet the campers were hoping for a sunny morning tomorrow to dry out the tents.

They got their wish and the next morning was sunny though quite cool.  We left for a day on the road checking out the rest of the bird sites no's 7 to 12.  Site no 10 was the tiny hamlet of Glen Alice and we were enchanted by the tiny church and old Cemetery there.

Returning during the afternoon to Glen Davis we found all but one of the campers gone and a few visiting birdwatchers taking advantage of the community shop and facilities.  We settled in to relax for the rest of the afternoon until it was time for dinner.  The large Monitor climbing the tree was a bit of a surprise during our day out.

On Monday morning we had breakfast and then continued on with our birds by numbers going a little further afield to stops 13 to 19.  We finished our drive at Kandos and took advantage of the township to pick up some groceries at the little supermarket before driving on to have a look at Rylstone 6 kms down the rd.  

Returning to camp we stopped at no 12 and here Bill spent time playing with a pair of Masked Woodswallows nesting right above us.  Very cute.  The next stop was home to while away the rest of the day under the awning until time for our walk around town.

Tonight we found a pair of Rainbow Bee Eaters feeding on the ground, Galahs and Rosellas feeding on the many thistles nearby and of course our little friend the Sacred Kingfisher was never far away.

The next morning we woke to another very grey day and as we were set up partly in the shade our solar panels were not getting much sun.  Our power supply was waning so with everyone else gone from the campground we spent a few hours with the generator running before lunch.  We have learned a valuable lesson, with our solar panels on top we need to be aware of not being shaded the whole time. Would much rather the sun keep us running than the generator, still it solved our problem this morning and we were glad to have it on board.

After lunch we revisited some of the bird sights of the first day to see the birds and the fabulous views.  

Wednesday was to be our last day in the valley so we made the most of it first driving to Rylstone to have a look at this lovely little town and then to revisit our favorite bird spots on the way back.  We found two lovely ladies who seemed to be on the same trail as us and together we found quite a few feathered friends to keep everyone happy.  

One of the ladies was visiting from Canada and her friend was from Sydney and as we were getting used too she had never been aware of this canyon before.  It was the Canadian who had told her about it.  Still they both enjoyed their time there and the birds they found.  It was nice to have some company of sorts.

We enjoyed our last night in the campgrounds on our own tucked up again as the weather had turned cold once more.  We had been hoping to see the moon rise over the canyon but with a completely grey sky this was not going to happen.

Waking the next morning we got the surprise of our lives.  It was still grey and we were completely fogged in.  We could barely see the end of the campground never mind the towering walls of the canyon just a few streets away.

As the sun came out and the fog lifted we packed up and were soon on our way driving out of this magnificent place.  I still cannot believe that we had never heard of it but I am now certain that we will return for another visit in the future.  

As we drove back to Lithgow we stopped at the one lookout where you can look down the valley.  Unfortunately the fog was still sitting over the valley but it still looked very impressive anyway.  The sign here tells us it is the Widest Canyon in the World.

From here we drove on stopping that night at a caravan park in Cowra.  After six days in the wilderness there was washing to do and hair to wash.  The day was warm and all this was achieved with a minimum of fuss during the afternoon while Bill was kept busy with his camera and the cute little Red Browed Finches at the Murrumbidgee River.

Tomorrow we are off to Canberra, until then.......