Blown away in Hattah Kulkyne

Revisiting this beautiful bush camp beside the floodwaters is a joy. Red gums are notorious for dropping boughs, so we camp at a respectful distance. Gen heads off bug hunting and finds a weevil on a tree being kidnapped by ants.

In the morning we emerge. Gen takes pics of sand wasps mounting a high speed digging raid on the ants.

She patrols the lakeshore for a host of dragonfly exoskeletons, and flies, including a fly mimicking a spider wasp.

We also attract a family of magpies who amuse us with their antics.

The temperature builds over 36 degrees, so we prepare for a hot night with the rear doors open and screened with a mosquito net. The phone battery beeps on overheating alert, so we place it in the eskie. The winds rise to a roar and rains thunder down. At 3am there is a ripping, crunching sound as a big, heavy red gum branch drops off the tree to hit the ground like thunder.