Birthday at the Wilderness Lodge

I had no idea where we were going. Just told to put on my hiking boots. It took a while to arrive, we went off our property then off-road in the Can-am.

I didn’t have to worry about police pulling us over, there wasn’t another soul around in a 15 km radius. The track was long, rough going through hills and scrubby forests overrun with native vegetation. Bushes and plants seem to envelop the 4 x 4; it was like travelling through a green tunnel.

One short guy, dressed in black and white, did reprimand us once we arrived. First name Willie, last name Wagtail. We’d trespassed on his territory.

Stopping at a shady clearing by a babbling brook, the water was so clear, trees were reflected in it. Tadpoles swam over pebbles before hiding from me in the shadows. While my husband unloaded everything, I hopped along stepping stones and wandered around the scrubby eucalypt forest.

A small band of wild goats bleated from the cliff tops. It was so musical my daughter thought it sounded like…