Mingah Springs Station, a place of rest.
Mingah Springs Camp — 2000-09-28
We discover the first fresh tracks of wild camels on the way to Mingah Springs and are rather excited as we didn’t expect to find them already. We look around but can’t see any of them. ‘They were wallowing in the sand here last night,’ I say, pointing to the area. ‘Yes, by the look of the tracks they’re big animals,’ Tanjs replies.
We reach Mingah Spring Station at 11:00 a.m. and have to smile at the sign ‘International Airport Mingah Springs’. We are looking forward to our stay here. ‘I think the people here have a sense of humour,’ I say and lead the caravan on. We are glad to see an obviously well managed farm and all of the buildings and equipment in good working order. ‘It looks like Tracy and Peter are very hard working people,’ Tanja thinks. I lead the camels through an open gate and into the farm yard. A man greets us enthusiastically, it’s Peter. ‘You can let the animals down wherever you like. Over there in the smaller house are a few spare beds, in case you feel like sleeping in one again. Make yourselves at home,’ are his first words and we know we’re in good hands. It is a great relief to be treated with such immense friendliness and we begin unloading the camels in front of the smaller house. Peter joins us, ‘Not long ago I discovered a herd of more than 40 camels down by one of our windmills. They must have come from the desert. I don’t mind them at all, as long as we aren’t in the middle of a drought and they’re drinking all the cattle’s water. Oh, by the way, you can put your camels in the paddock over there if you like,’ he says pleasantly.
Shortly after, our animals have become hay and can relax. We sit on the shady veranda of the farm house and enjoy a cold cola in the light breeze. Boomer, the kangaroo, is also lying on the veranda and watching us with a bored expression on his face. Tanja and I are overjoyed at seeing another kangaroo, of course, and our memories of Shiron are rekindled. Later I lie down on the soft green grass surrounding the farm house and spread my fingers in the lawn, feeling the life in it.
Tracy returns from her shopping trip in the late afternoon. It is a wonderful day and makes up for some of the hardships we’ve been enduring of late. That evening we watch the first television broadcasts of the Olympics in Sydney, I am moved by the highs and lows of the winners and losers. Tracy has cooked for us and we eat like famished lions, then we enjoy a wonderful shower and make our way wearily back to the small house. We are dead tired and relish the opportunity to sleep in beds again after many, many months.
