3.2.11 – Grappling with gripples

3.2.11 – Grappling with gripples

The best view in the Hadley Homestead is from the toilet window – right across the deep valley to the tree covered hills opposite.  Early in the morning, a trip to this venue revealed a view of clouds filling the valley below, like whipped cream in a bowl.  Later, this turned to soft mist as we walked out along the orange rubble of the track, past dew covered grasses and spiders’ webs trembling with crystal droplets.  The sun was bright but gentle.  A lizard slept in the yellow grass. 

Fence fixing

Geoff was fixing fences today, and with his dry sense of humour, tutored us in this skill.  It involves tightening up the stretches of barbed wire and electric fence with an instrument which looked more like an implement of medieval torture.  Then the wire is cut, tightened and rejoined using a small widget called a Gripple, thereafter reconnecting the electric fence with a kind of screw clip – this last was my job.  We are now experts, and available for hire to anybody in Millport or Glasgow who wishes to have their fences tightened.  We moved along checking the fence, either crunching through dried thistles, or bouncing along in the truck.  ‘Remember to shut the truck’s door or snakes might get in’.  It appears there are two main types of snake here – Red Bellies, which are to be avoided but will usually slide away, and the Browns, which will rear up and strike.  If they succeed, it’s a case of helicopters to hospital as a major emergency.  But you seldom see them, thank goodness.

In the afternoon, we drove for over an hour long yellow dirt tracks, through groves of Blue Gum trees, occasionally with orange termite mounds visible, past little dams gleaming brilliant blue in the dun coloured fields.  We arrived at Tuena, a gold mining town from the 1850’s. Very quiet in the afternoon heat.  The old General Store was full of memorabilia – aged bottles, brown, green and white, a glass case containing equipment for bleeding a horse, heavy wooden counters.  It was also not full of stock.  Business must be tough, as there are only 35 currents residents in the town. As a former shopkeeper, I can sympathise.  Down a grassy slope was a little deserted house – a timber frame packed with red baked mud.  The furniture still in it, although it’s obviously many a long year since it had an inhabitant.  Across the road was the Gold Miners Inn – the oldest wattle and daub pub in New South Wales, built in 1860.  Amazingly, our shop was already 25 years old when it was built.  Large, dim and cool, slightly chaotic but extremely informal. During the gold rush days, there were 23 pubs in Tuena, the friendly and chatty owner told us.  She used to live in Sydney but got fed up with traffic and mortgages. 

Brown snake

Bill and I strolled to the creek where the gold panning used to go on, culverts built by transported convicts.  Fran and Geoff wait in the truck.  We wandered back up the track.  Suddenly, Bill grabs my arm – ‘Snake!’  And there it is – about four feet long, curved across the path, head raised about 6 inches, head moving from side to side, tongue flickering.  And it’s a Brown.  It’s between us and the truck. We step back and then freeze.  It fixes us with a yellow eyed stare.  Geoff shouts ‘What’s wrong?’ ‘Snake!’  ‘What colour??’  ‘Brown!’  We and the snake continue to stare at each other.  Then gradually it lowers its head and suddenly slithers rapidly through the rustling dry grass and is gone.  We certainly seem to be dicing with death on this holiday.

Kangaroos at dusk

We’ve already met an anteater (echidna) by the roadside, sharp short spines and an astonishingly long flexible grey nose. In the approaching dusk, back at the Homestead, we go in search of kangaroos.  There they are, in two and threes, bounding and springing, then stopping to peer at us with obvious curiosity.  And an unexpected treat – some wild boars, black and stubby, dive into the undergrowth to escape the truck’s approach.  Snakes, lizards, ant eaters, wild boars, kangaroos – who could ask for more?