Starry nights in the Shannon

Every morning we woke in Denmark was suppose to be our last, but on Monday May 13, we decided it was time to move on. Given the strong winds that we’d endured, we were a little reluctant to move on to the Shannon NP, where the camping area was amongst some very large trees. Our timing was perfect. We arrived at one of the most beautiful campsites we had been to thus far. Set amongst some enormous eucalypts and pine trees, a toilet block with showers complete with wood stoked boiler for hot water. 

What’s more, it was virtually deserted so we found ourselves a level site and collected some fuel from the wood pit for our evening fire. Now OJ, like most boys is interested in fire, it’s a primitive instinct, and he was very willing to lend a hand with the fire lighting. I think it was also the thought of roasting marshmallows that reinforced his resolve to get the wet wood to burn. We hadn’t had too many opportunities to have a fire given the restrictions over the warmer months, but it was certainly starting to feel like campfire weather and this we were in the perfect setting for it. 

It was our first still night and we sat around the fire warming ourselves till quite late. The sky was amazing on windless and cloudless night with only a thin sliver of a moon to detract from the brightness of the stars. 

We set off on a walk to Shannon Dam the next morning. It was graded as an fairly easy walk and the kids decided to ride. The sky was blue as we set off and we were all in the mood to see more of this old growth wilderness. The rain over the past days had brought out a peaty damp smell in the undergrowth and the trail was covered spongy underfoot with a thick blanket of decaying leaf and forest material. There was fungus and moss everywhere. So many minute environments existing in synergy with one another - under fallen trees, within the hollows, in the dug out burrow of some forest dweller and high up in the canopy of the trees. It’s hard not to feel alive in such a place.  

An afternoon taking it easy at our near perfect site after our morning hike was in order. We ran the gennie to power up the battery, showers were thought of, and I stoked up the wood-fire boiler. A bit of left over pumpkin soup and a hearty vegetarian past for dinner and it was once again time to gather round the fire for the evening. 

A third day of reasonable weather and we took a drive to some falls that were recommended. We figured that they would be raging after all the rain, but they were a little disappointing. On to a herb farm for a bite to eat and then a loop via Walpole to do make some calls and check our mail. Josh lined up a bit of work for July on the east coast and it was back to our haven in the Shannon. No phone, no TV, just a pleasant glass of red, the solitude and quiet of the old trees...and the nagging of the kids.