Belair, 9 March 2008

Stars

Evening falls on the Flinders Ranges. It is tempting to head for my swag, yet it is yet to early.

The camp is empty. The peak season has yet to start, when it gets a bit cooler. In Adelaide it is around 38 degrees. Up here it will be above that.

Swagabout Tours

  • campfire dinner
  • sleep in a swag
  • guide with decades of experience
  • small groups
  • kangaroos, emu's, eagles
A million star
experience
Dinner is ready. The guide takes the pans off the camp fire. Now this tastes good, especially with a few cold beers as appetiser.

A couple of deluxe Eco villas mark the entrance of Rawnsley Park. These villas have a sunroof, well star roof would be a better term.

The camping ground just has trees. The starry sky is one giant roof and the first stars have started twinkling. It does not take long for the stars to exceed the number five.

Most stars in the southern sky are unknown to me, yet I do recognize the Southern Cross from the Australian flag. The sky gets darker and darker. The Milky Way lights up as a giant, wide nebula.

The Milky Way is so bright that the black hole near the Southern Cross is remarkable. The Aboriginals have a story enplaning it. The black hole is the head of an ancestor. I am sure I will hear the story some future time.

After a couple of red wines it is cool and dark enough for sleep. There is no moon tonight. But the stars suffice to guide me to my swag.

In the middle of the night the Milky Way has turned a bit. It is like a giant clock, twisting slowly the night away.

At dawn the whole Milky Way has turned 90 degrees. The Southern Cross remains visible a long time, till the sun shines away those stars too. The night is over.

Sleeping in a swag. It truly is a million star experience.

Till next nut,
Nut