Day 7 - Kinchega National Park

22th of April

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Today we are so decided to arrive early. Just a pit stop in Broken Hill, to fuel the car, lunch, and buy more water.

We continue the road and at 4pm we get to a magical place along Darling River, shaded by red gum trees, next to the Darling River... The river is habitat for abundant bird life. Truly impressive to be surrounded by hundreds of cormorants soar above the water, black ones, white ones... On the opposite river bank an edge tailed eagles sits.

We have plenty of time to set up our camp, which feels like a big house under an the amazing ceiling of gum tree leaves. We leave the NP to collect dead wood along the road, and drive along the lake which is filled up high, the trees are up to their middle in the water. And look those special foot steps.... Who has been here?

And then finally our first campfire... wonderful!!! Nothing better than staring into the flames till all wood is gone and then take the last warmth quickly with us in the sleeping bag, as it promises to be a cold night. Stars are amazing, between the obvious ones thousands of almost invisible ones.

We hear some plunges in the water. Jumping fishes?? Next day we discover it were diving cormorants looking for fish!

The morning is chilly. Thomas brings the hot ashes to live again. Thank you! What a blessing to sit around the fire with such a view around us. The white breasted woodswallows stick together on a branch above us, looks like they enjoy eachothers warmth.

While breaking up our camp a curious emu comes for a visit. When I approach for a picture he runs away like a chicken.

Before leaving the NP we chose to follow the River Drive in direction of the Homestead Historical site, a little further into the park. We follow the muddy road along the river, every couple of 100m another camping spot, but all empty we have not seen anyone since a day. While explaining the kids about four wheel drive being able to drive through mud and sand... it happens...

The universe teaches our kids that parents are not always right.

We are stuck in the mud....

We are courageous and full of confidence, we will solve this! Thomas immediately in action running through the bush collecting branches and bark, ... cleaning the mud from the wheels

I get the easy job, pushing the gas, a couple of centimeters forward, and then again back. We try to create some space to push some bark under the wheels. After more than one hour no progress...

I start to give up. This is not working. We should try something else. Shall I walk/run to the Homestead? How much km from here? What if I don`t find it? There is no map. What if nobody`s there? How will Thomas know where I am? There is no network coverage at all. Bad idea... We stay together. We have water, food and tents for at least 2 days. We will have to do it ourselves.

In the meantime Thomas didn`t pause a second and continues his muddy efforts: digging around the wheels, adding bark, collecting wood in the bush. Our spectators get a bit bored...

And again, a bit forward STOP digging, cleaning, adding bark.... a bit backward STOP cleaning, more bark ..... Another 10 tries... forward, backwards,...

More than 2 hours later... YYEEEESSSS! I didn`t dare to hope it would happen.

We turned 180 degrees around to take the same safe way back where we came from and leave the park as quickly a we can.

In the next village Menindee we discover that the park has been closed due to the heavy rain of the previous days and the bad road conditions (yes indeed). We entered as we didn`t get the message as we had no network coverage. But maybe it is a good thing after all as sleeping all alone on the banks of Kinchega was probably to most magical night of our trip.

That explains why we were all alone....! And lucky we have missed those heavy rains :-)