June 25^th & 26^th  2017  

Warm weather on both days…with mornings at 5 deg & 9 deg  & highs of 26 deg. This means much less clothing and generally much easier living. Apart from doing a small amount of washing We have enjoyed restful days with a drive through some areas of the park on each day. A great red dune was a source of enjoyment so we walked to the top and then along it’s length. What a view with Ghost Gums, Rattle pod Grevilleas, Desert Bloodwoods and lots Parakeelya plants with delightful bright pink blooms. These are a type of succulent plant. We lunched near the bottom of the dune in the shade of a Grevillea tree. Unexpectedly while walking along the top of the dune my mobile phone received a message so I sent a short message off to Cynthia & John A.

Bright pink flowers of the parakeelya plant.

The decision was made to stay here a third night. This enabled us to explore the 80km Mulga drive in the park which took about 3.5 hours. The information boards were great as they set us along a course to remember the differences between ‘mulga’ and ‘gidgee’ trees, both of which are Acacias. The mulga was showing some bright yellow rod shaped blooms. Then there is the ‘wilga’ tree. I have never known that the correct name is Eremophila or desert fuschia. There are many varieties and evidently the red flowering type attracts birds and the white flowering type attracts ants. Whether we can remember all this info, when we next visit a desert, is another matter.

We embarked on a short walk along a rocky track to Sawyers Lookout. Off we went me in shorts for the first time, water bottle in one hand and a hiking stick in the other and followed by a persistent flock of flies. Luckily it only took a very short while because the view was ‘underwhelming’ to say the least. (underwhelming is a new word for us and this fits the meaning perfectly!)

Roast pork for dinner this evening so we will have a fire to sit around.