Parry Creek Farm
Parry Creek Farm Caravan Park was a great place to unwind after the Gibb and to reunite with other travelling families. Though Matthias would probably have felt more comfortable being back in the bush, I was definitely glad for three nights of hot showers and running water. The camp was set next to a Monet beautiful lagoon, home to a 3+ metre salt water croc, which could often be sighted sunning itself on the opposite bank. His presence didn't deter fishermen from casting a line right on the water's edge, even when the croc wasn't anywhere to be seen. We had barking owls in the trees above our camp. The first night I heard them I really thought someone's little dog was making a racket until I learned the noise belonged to the aptly named night bird. I also had high hopes of spotting the highly anticipated Gouldian finch, but it wasn't to be.
I took advantage of the in-house restaurant on our arrival and had a delicious lunch of Indian inspired share dishes (which I didn't share) and the kids tucked into chips. On our first morning we joined guide Alfie for a free tag-along tour out to the Old Telegraph Station Hill and the Marlgu Billabong Bird Hide. The kids picked up some great knowledge about the local trees, birds and some Dreamtime stories. The billabong was fabulous, teeming with birdlife, that even two noisy kids couldn't unsettle. We returned again in the evening to eat an early dinner in the bird hide then enjoy the sweeping views and sunset from the Telegraph Station.
The following day we hit Wyndham, which was packed full of interesting history, but in its present day was a bit worn around the edges. After getting a snap with the giant croc we thought it fitting that we also sample Wyndham's famous croc and barramundi pies. They went down a treat with the kids. The Afghan Cemetery shed a light on the lives and roles played by central and subcontinental Asians (apparently all lumped under the term "Afghan" in the 1800s) in colonial Australia. The Five Rivers lookout was awesome, providing a great bird's eye view of the vast landscape.
