Page 232 - Mit dem Wohnwagen durch Australien

it. Could it be? Will we be rich beyond believe? I bend down, there is no gain without pain, haltingly extend my hand
and hold.... Gol! Gol...! Gol...! a Golfball. Well, one should not be immodest. The difference is only two letters
between D and F.

We explore the wider and closer environment. Besides Gold, there are numerous mineral springs We decide to try
to replenish our water supply and walk to Deep Spring. Already the first sip lets us know, that this is not for the likes
of us. The water is heavily mineralised and better used for bathing in it. There are lovely forests, after all Creswick
is the home of forestry, and hidden pools. Most of these have been artificially made in order to get enough water for
the sluicing of gold. We discover a nest with black swans sitting on their eggs. A huge flock of white Corellas, white
parrots with pink cheeks fly over us while screeching as if their life depended on it, which it probably does, since they
warn from us intruders. The birds here are very loud. The Kookaburra, who sort of increases his laughs into hysteria,
the many screeching parrots, the first melodious then increasingly rowdy cawing of the black and white Magpies,
the sulphur crested white Cockatoos, the gray/pink Galahs, the emerald green, red and blue Rosellas and the
yellow tailed black Cockatoos provide a constant musical background.

On January 1 we went to the Scottish Highland Games in Maryborough. It can compete with any of the Games in
old Scottland. Pipes and Drum Bands, strong men who toss the caber, throw the sheaf over a 15m high bar, or
heave heavy stones, up to 164 kg over a barrier. As a contrast elegant dancers who show the sword dance at its
best. The very special Highlight of this day is the dancing on the drum. A little dancer sits on a huge drum which is
lifted by two strong men and then held on their shoulders, while the pipes and drums begin and the little dancer
shows a highland fling high above their heads, spectacular. We remember Ronnie, our Scottish friend on Stewart
Island, who sadly deceased last June. He would have loved it.

Not far from here we find the Hanging Rock, a volcanic rock formation with large monoliths, deep cracks, dark
caves and a rock which is held up and serves as a roof over the walkway. The place got it notoriety by the novel
“Picnic at Hanging Rock” by Joan Lindsay, which was filmed in 1975 by Peter Weir. It tells of the disappearance of
three schoolgirls and their math teacher on Valentine ’s Day 1900.

Only one came back, but had lost all memories of what happened at the rock, the others remain unfound until this
day. It is a magic place. The rocks have faces, some malevolent, some laughing, and some just stare at you. You
will be able to read what happened to me there, at a later time.

Catastrophic Code Red – Bushfire!!
The sun is glaring mercilessly from a dark blue sky. The birds sit limply in the trees and breath through their open
beaks. Nature strikes out. Not with rain, hail or inundation, no, with the most deadly hazard of all, with fire.

The temperature has been rising continuously over the last 4 days, from 40 to 41, 43 and 45 C. We are surrounded
by gumtrees and Bush. Everything is tinder dry. The gumtrees shed their outer bark and drop their dry leaves. This
results in a thick carped which is ideal for a fire. The dry, sizzling hot wind comes directly from the fiery red heart of
Australia. It unlocks the aromatic oils and fills the air with the smell of Eucalyptus. Extreme Fire Danger is declared
for our region. Halls Gap, the Centre of the Grampians is evacuated, Campgrounds are closed, and the National
park is out of bounds. It is time to in force our Bushfire plan.

We can hardly imagine what goes on here. Everyone is asked to listen to the local radio all day. Every half hour
there is an update on the situation. At 11 o’clock a fire is seen in the farther vicinity. Should it come nearer to us, we
would automatically be warned on our mobile telephone. The camping employees constantly sweep the dry leaves
away and have rolled out water hoses. The owner of the Campground is also fire chief for the area. He ensures us,
that in case of extreme danger; the fire fighters will station a fire engine here, because the hydrant to refill them is on
campground land. There is no use in leaving, meanwhile the whole state of Victoria is under Code Red.

A hot desert wind blows with increasing force.A fire would spread over huge distances in no time and jump from tree
to tree, while the dry undergrowth would explode in flames. Two weeks ago a town a little south from here at the
seaside was burnt. About 40 houses were destroyed and there were deaths. Two years ago almost to the day, on
Black Saturday, here in the Grampians many houses, people, harvests and cattle fell victim to a runaway bushfire.
During our hikes we saw the black remains but also the green shoots coming out of the blackened stems.