Today we prepare to head off to the Gawler Ranges National Park. We catchup with one of the rotational rangers for a quick chat, handover our bird list (a list of native birds we sighted while at Hiltaba) and get some local knowledge about local roads we intend to travel on. We take a quick walk to Pretty Point summit. A walk across the granite landscape with its array of unusual natural sculptured rock formations. We find plenty of flowering plants and evidence of wallabies. Recent rain has filled rock holes and crevices, which rhe wildlife must enjoy in what is usually a dry country.

Before we leave Hiltaba we have a look at the old shepherds quarters and pens for his dogs, working dogs had to work hard and their home was prtty rudimentary.

We are on the track again heading south east through the property known as Yardea into the National Park. Its a granite landscape but many formations are interesting, particularly the octagonal rock formations known as organ pipes. The geologic history is rich, as is the human history and the flora and fauna.

The remains of the early sheep industry is still present and there is plenty here in the park here to explore, one cottage, the old Parney Homestead, is in excellent condition and gives a good feel how early pioneers lived. There is plenty of informative signage to explain life in this country. The dam built by settlers still exists now a haven for native birds. Interestingly, it was the dingoes and rabbits (a feral introduced to Australia) that caused the demise of sheep farming. The region is not without its sad stories and the stealing of aboriginal lands (and its associated atrocities) by early settlers is just such a story and one that continues today chiefly ignored and hence remains as unfinished business for many Australians to acknowledge, reconcile and resolve.

Our camp is at Chillunie, we have the camp to ourselves. This is a bush camp but it has an excellent toilet, a luxury in such a setting. We get a fire going as the sky is clear and its cooling off quickly. We heat rhe blankets by the fire then put them into the swag, the milky way is directly overhead, we can see the micro bats dart amongst the silhouetted tree canopy, we hear owlet nightjars calling and the occasional emu with its drumming like call.