2000/02 Australia trip - Murramarang
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We went back to Eden for lunch, or rather Devon Tea at a sprawling restaurant cum antique store on the Wharf, where we acquired an Australian Centennial plate.  

	Eden harbour (0.21)

From there it was a long drive north towards Ulladulla.  We decided to camp at Murramarang Park mainly because it was the closest park to where we were at sunset.  It turned out to be a very special place.  The only campground was at Pebbly Beach, at the end of a very rocky narrow road. 

It wasn’t clear where you were supposed to camp, who was allowed to camp, or who you were supposed to pay.  We set up on the edge of the forest overlooking the ocean.  We only had time to walk a little on the beach before dark but it was already apparent that this was a beautiful place, cliffs, rocks, sand, forest and surf all coming together.

	Murramarang (26.12)

 
Wednesday February 16th
When I woke up it was inky black but with a line of red along the horizon, so I got up with the idea of a sunrise photo.  As I stepped out of the camper I bumped into something.  The flashlight showed that it was a grey kangaroo, one of about a dozen that were mowing the grass around the camper.  I thought they’d all hop off as soon as I shot a flash picture, but it didn’t seem to bother them at all. 

When the cockatoos in a nearby tree suddenly started screaming the whole mob came hopping towards me, passed me, and then stopped a couple of feet behind me.  They seemed to be treating me as their protector (or as something to get eaten first).  Then, when some of them were lying down looking out over the ocean, I knelt down to get a picture and felt a hand on my shoulder.  I touched the hand and found it was a lot furrier than Sandie’s.  I think the kangaroo was just being nosey.  However, I decided that was a bit too friendly – those guys do a lot of energetic scratching and I wasn’t eager to pick up any of their personal problems.

            They stayed around all morning, including a few joeys.  They’ll climb back in the pouch even long after they’re too big for it, so we saw a poor mother struggling to carry a joey that was almost her size.  It was treating her like a chair, and all its legs were poking out at odd angles.  All the time I was out there with the kangaroos, there were parrots and cockatoos and kookaburras buzzing about.  Sandie could see animals and birds and ocean without doing more than sit up in bed!  Eventually the ranger showed up and we paid for the campsite.  As he said, the park didn’t have much in the way of fancy facilities but it was a very special place.
           
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