The Camera Man Has A Rant & Wandering In The Wilderness.

Left: Scalextric? plastic and right metal Lincoln Logs? both painted by me.

This is a true indulgence. I don't usually include much non-toy soldier stuff on this blog but today I make an exception.

BELOW: THE EXPEDITIONS (not the Beersteiner and Fezian/Bogavanian ones)

 A week ago I ventured, alone, into the Victorian Mitchell River National Park, complete with 13k pack, not that heavy but heavy enough in hot weather and carried, for a few days, up and down rocky hills. I found all my lost aches and pains. I lost my camera on the first trip and went back for a day trip to where I thought I had left it.

The spot I thought I might have left it where I paused on the track, returning to my car.

  

    This creek led to the river, near my second campsite, where I swam my usual couple of ks.

  My second campsite near the creek. I had a Temu mosquito netting zip up with limited roof and a floor. The yellow bit is a fly from an old tent, which served me well the last night when it rained.

  The blow up mattress from Temu was supposed to be superlight but it was the heaviest thing in my 13 kilogram backpack.

  I wear sandals walking and this one had the Velcro give out so I tied it up with string. Handy stuff, a ball of string and I knew that from reading Doctor Suess's My Big Ball of Sting when I was  a child.

  The first camp site was not where I had aimed for. I arrived at night and was greeted by the loud honk of a deer, so loud it sounded like a car horn. Kinda scary, as I didn't know, then, what it was. (For international readers, deer are not native to Australia).

                              This photo was taken near Billy Goat Bend, my starting point.

So, having returned home I could not find my camera, so a few days later I headed back with daytrip pack. I knew where I had taken the last photos with the camera. Near the start of this second trip I picked up a 30 something hitchhiker. George had been hitching around for 15 years. He had two huge back packs, a small backpack, a puppy and the baggage was over 50 kilograms. I offered to take him into the national park which he was happy to do. No, I didn't murder him. My name is not Ivan. He did offer to be my sherper and carry my gear.  He flaked out under some trees, on his mattress while I searched for the camera.

  After NOT finding it we headed back and I showed George a first rate swimming hole before dropping him off at Stratford picnic area close to the Avon River. George also composed a song about me. (He busks to get the dollars he needs, but with no rent, or power bills I guess they are mostly for food). Last I heard from George he was camped in the dunes at lakes Entrance but he was headed for Daintree, and eventually Ayers Rock.

  So I needed a camera as I use one a few times a week. No, I don't use phones for that as i get the cheapest on possible and the photos are crap. I lose my mobile phones every few months so no way will i buy one much over $70. Even second hand cameras can cost heaps so I tried Temu and bought one for $70. My old camera was a Canon with use of old fashioned rechargeable batteries and it served me well. This new one came in about three days and was all plastic - ok that's ok compact and light. Then I saw the tiny memory card, easy to lose and which had to be put in a card holder before placed in the adapter for my laptop. I found it difficult to sus out the workings and kept making blurry videos instead of snaps. Next my laptop rejected the corrupted' device. I know there is plenty of corruption in China, so much they execute people for it and probably harvest their organs, but they can keep their corruption over there. I was hating this camera.

  NEXT DAY... The best way to find a lost object is to buy another one because then it will turn up! My old camera was in the wooden bread box I keep on my desk which is used to collect my bills and receipts! Thankyou to whichever gods are listening but couldn't you have let me know earlier?! Oh well, I met an interesting traveller and it gave me a story to tell!

  MEANWHILE... The electric clothes drier conked out. Curses. Well until five or so years ago I got by perfectly well enough without one but now I got used to it. So I bought another one. How everyone casually says: 'Oh dryers last around five years'. How come my washing machine has lasted between thirty and forty years and my bicycle I have had for over twenty years? A pox on dryers!