Palm Springs

As the sun was up we thought we would join it as the canvas wasn't keeping its warming glare out so up for a cuppa and look around before bacon and egg sandwiches and journals for the squids.

It wasn't long after brekky we ventured around the sight a bit more and of course a swim or two.

Sometime before lunch we had some visitors pull up near us and they joined us in the springs and we talked to the younger girls befor the older sister and parents joined us .

That was the start of an awesome day all round for us as they took is in and told us about this place and the land around here as the kids played the older ones talked and shared stories , I must admit it was such a warm feeling and it was great the kids were mixing in with some true locals , as it turns out our new found friends were Traditional Owners of this land and Purnululu ( Bungle Bungles ) and after a day and walkabout around the springs and a nearby house where a market gardener lived they invited us to their camp in Purnululu for no charge in a secluded camp away from the tourist mob .

Bonnie and Malcolm Edwards taught us and the kids a lot in one day about this place that no guide book will tell you , so when they said we wold love you to use our camp I was over the moon , their camp was right on the Ord river a short distance past commercial operators camp and we could stay as long as we liked but I'm sure 2-3 days will be an immense opportunity to explore the land in a way most tourists don't and also do the usual tourist haunts with a new gained insight into the way true locals see it .

We learnt a few stories from the area both good and bad and about some plants and local history , I won't go into much detail except to say the feeling of home like much of the top end and Central Australia seemed to be very real here , things just felt right I can't put a finger on it but some of the things we thought that we would have loved to do but just never really knew how to do now seem to be just happening , perhaps it's all just time and place .

the time came for photos , a swap of phone numbers , lol and bloody Facebook yes even here and details to pass onto their brother the ranger in Purnululu .

As they left the boys went fishing for turtles and managed to get a beautiful size cod but as I already had a lovely silverside on I said put him back , much to the disgust of all the kids , I should have let them keep and eat it .

Tea was beautiful and a bit of a treat we actually have never eaten silverside camping before and lapped up the mustard cream sauce and steamed carrots, corn and spuds .

After tea around the fire we discussed our awesome day as we ate a choc  marshmallow ball Shahla and mum had made prior to tea .

Noisy night out here with wildlife but now we had our sights set on the next few days and couldn't wait.