Page 28 of Larapinta

Sandra slept really well and managed to put her worries aside; she was ready to face whatever challenges the day brought. She’d only woken once. An eerie howl had filled the silence, and for a moment she’d wondered where she was. But she’d gone back to sleep quickly and slept deeply.

She reached for her phone to try the girls again, but the service had dropped out overnight, so there was no chance of calling them this morning. Wincing as her muscles pulled in her thighs and calves, Sandra dressed and walked over to the fire to stay warm.

‘Was that a dingo I heard howling through the night, Andrew?’

‘It was. I’ll show you all something interesting after breakfast,’ he replied.

Jodie had laid out cereal and fruit, and P.D. was cooking eggs and pancakes on the hot plate over the fire.

Once they’d eaten and Jodie was clearing away, Andrew gathered the group together near the board displaying the map of the track.

‘Even though the terrain is only a little bit steeper than yesterday morning’s climb up Euro Ridge, it’s going to feel more challenging to you as we move further away into the wilderness. We’ll be walking twenty-six kilometres today.’

Sandra focused on his words. She wanted to be prepared, and listened carefully.

‘Maggie’s chosen to miss today’s trek. She’ll go in the truck. At the end of the day, Jodie and P.D. will pick us up in the Isuzu truck and we’ll meet up with Maggie at the old Hamilton Downs Homestead for dinner. Then we’ll use their facilities, and tonight we’ll be camping under the stars in swags. But before we split up, follow me.’ He led them all back to the camp fire and pointed to the ground. ‘Who else heard the dingo howling through the night?’

There were a couple of nods, but Cecily squealed. ‘A dingo? I thought you were teasing when you mentioned them last night.’

Andrew had repeated Jodie’s warning as they all headed for their tents last night.

‘Most certainly not,’ he replied. ‘Follow me and I’ll show you the tracks. The visitor to our camp came in to the campfire first. See where he circled it?’

Paul and Cecily leaned forward, and their eyes were wide. Sandra was really interested to see the tracks. She’d always been fascinated by dingoes. When she and Peter had first been on their mango farm, they’d soon learned not to leave any food out. Even though Emma had been born about eight years after the incident with the dingo and the baby at Ayers Rock, Sandra had been hesitant to have the girls outside when they were tiny. The Azaria Chamberlain incident had stayed with her for years.

‘Now come with me and I’ll show you how he visited each of you.’ From the fire, Andrew led them to and around each tent before following the barely discernible tracks to the scrub where the dingo had headed back into the wild.

Cecily squealed again as they saw the tracks at the entrance of the tent she’d shared with Paul. ‘Oh my God, what if we meet one on the track?’

‘There’s not much chance of that,’ Andrew said. ‘But take heed and learn not to leave anything out at all. They’re very intelligent creatures.’

‘I also think they look like they’re thinking. Their eyes,’ Sandra commented.

Sandra was surprised when Graysen spoke. ‘I’m impressed, Andrew. Those tracks are very hard to see. Did you look because you heard the howl?’

‘Yes, I did hear the howl, but I’m always aware of tracks. I wanted to be sure he was a young adult. Young adults have a solitary existence during non-mating seasons. This guy was a loner.’

‘How do you know all this?’ Miska rubbed her arms to keep warm.

Andrew picked up his hat and placed it on his head. ‘My parents worked for the government and I spent most of my childhood in indigenous communities. I ran wild with the Aboriginal kids and I learned a lot about tracking.’ He spread his hands wide. ‘I love it out here. This is my spiritual place.’

‘It shows,’ Sandra said quietly to Graysen as the group moved to collect their packs for the day.

‘Have fun, everyone. See you tonight.’ Maggie’s husky voice hung in the morning air.

Cecily narrowed her eyes as Maggie headed for the truck. ‘Why trek if you’re going to pull out after the first day.’

Sandra couldn’t help defending Maggie. ‘We all have that option every day. Some of us want to see different parts of the country.’

Cecily smiled. ‘How long do you reckon you’ll last, Sandra? I mean, Sandy?’

‘Three hours to Bond Gap, team,’ Andrew interrupted, his voice brisk again, but the look he shot Cecily wasn’t impressed. ‘Make sure you fill your water bottles and stay near your buddy, and we’ll have a cuppa when we get there. You’ll see the sign with the track that heads to Bond Gap itself. This section of the track is well signposted because a few day-walks join in. For those of you who are energetic, there’s a swimming hole at Bond Gap, so feel free to have a dip, although I don’t think the temperature’s going to get up very high today. They’ve only forecast twenty degrees. I’ll boil the billy where the track heads north and wait for you.’

The rest of the group set off straight away; confidence was building, and they were adept at discerning the trail now without Andrew’s assistance. It had been an extremely cold night and Sandra kept her puffer jacket on as they started out. It wouldn’t be too heavy to cram into her backpack when she warmed up.

As they set off with the cold wind at their backs, winter was in full voice. Birdsong surrounded them as finches and budgerigars welcomed the morning. Sandra hummed to herself as she walked along, feeling good. Despite the cold, it was a crystal-clear morning, promising a cooler walk and clear views as they climbed. She smiled when she noticed Graysen had two cameras hanging around his neck today.

‘Double the photos?’ she asked.