A Christmas Tale Blogfest - Camping in the gorges of the Australian outback and a galah or two

Thanks to Ellie Garratt who is hosting the Christmas Tale blogfest. More details go here for more details and more entries.


I wracked what is left of my brain to come up with something as I've already posted one Christmas story. This time I thought I'd take you to the Australian Outback, red gorges, birds and camping.

The Kimberley Gorge WA

Many Aussies head off camping over Christmas - no snow to worry about here! So most camping grounds the length and breadth of the country are full of campers, some who go to the same spot every Christmas and join their extended camping family. Whether it's by the sea, by a billabong, out in the bush under the stars, you can be sure  many Aussies are 'roughing it' for Christmas. Some will eat 'bang up' meals, whilst others will bring along all the makings for a Christmas feast to share.


Now, those gorges I was talking about (there are many more):

Ormiston Gorge NT

      Ormiston Gorge NT

                                               Kakadu NT  

Stanley Chasm, Alice Springs NT

                

Red mounting scales of cliff lead the eye up;

but here the rock has spaces of tenderness

where light and water open its heart. A lip

of narrow green shows where the creek banks bless

a niche for trees and birds. So many birds!

Outside our tent they cross and recross our patch

of vision, hatch the air and double-hatch

in diving curves and lines.

A flock of Australian galahs

Judith Wright, Australian Colonial Poet circa. 1966