Darby River - Millers Landing

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The Darby River and Swamplands

 

We were greeted by this rather comical Purple Swamp Hen.  It looks like a chicken on stilts, can't fly, can't swim very well but is great at striding across marshland on enormous feet

 

The swamp hens quickly made themselves scarce and as the Darby River petered out we climbed the track over the spectacular dunes to a beach where the bluffs were so eroded we thought they may tumble down and bury us

 

  Being from an island nation ourselves, we have always loved the sound of gulls over an ocean.  Here Gulls and birds of prey soar and glide on the air currents around the Bluffs and over the beach.   As has happened so often on these walks, we were alone

Millers Landing via  5 Mile Road

The only wild life we saw on the way down to the beach via the banksia and woodland trail and dunes,  were these swamp wallabies. They are the only living members of the genus Wallabia. Sometimes called black wallabies for their dark grey coats and black tails.  They also have a distinctive white strip on the cheek.   No wombats, echidna or emus that others reportedly saw.  It was too early for the massed evening grazing

 

Continuing through the Southernmost mangrove in the world we came to a sheltered bay where 200 or so black swans were floating around.  Sitting at the waters edge trying to look innocent were two pretty blue jelly fish.  This is the only beach we have seen so far without pounding surf,  just gently lapping water, black swans and us, if you ignore the jellyfish

I Spy the Toora Windfarm

 

Walking back we came across many more wallabies

Unfortunately they also saw us

This male and female had a joey with them but took off when we got too close

Father first with joey in hot pursuit and mama making up the rear.  This was the last we saw of them

I had so been looking forward to encountering roo and wallaby, but they just didn't feel the same way about us

Sawtells Inlet Tidal River en route home

Our shakedown trip was over, all our equipment performed perfectly and three months on the road with a tent is not so daunting anymore.   As for The Prom,   I can't imagine a more wonderful place for our first Australian camping experience

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