A Dingo ate my Pancakes

You can image just how horrible it would be to face a ravenous dingo as you were about to tuck into a big stack of pancakes. Its jowls exposed and dripping with saliva. The smell of Pal on its breath. A glint of malice in its bloodshot eyes. I thought about this scenario as I drizzled maple syrup over the delicate fluffy morsels, my own jowls drooling saliva and like the dingo, my breath smelling like a freshly opened can of Pal. Nothing comes between me and food. But why am I concerned about dingos, you ask? Well, as it turns out, they are a thing at Karijini these days. We have spotted them on three occasions as I type this from our campsite in the Pilbara. We needed a break from Dunsborough as it was getting colder and wetter. Unfortunately it has been cold up here too. The instruction is not to feed the dingos anything the size of a baby (too soon??) and to give them a little loud encouragement to leave. I have been at the ready and have a copy of the latest budget by Albo and his mates that would scare any dingo to a tax haven in the Caribbean. They are by nature political beasts and will go after poor mum and dad investors but are too scared to bite the big corporations who are dripping with fat and rich flavoursome excess.

Our camping trip has taken us on an exciting journey through amazing inland towns that would be awesome for storing hazardous nuclear waste. I judge a town on its coffee shops, if they don’t have a coffee shop, they should be earmarked for nuclear weapons tests, can there be more god forsaken places?! We are currently camping at the Karijini Eco Retreat. It has been spared from damnation by the amazing coffee on offer at the restaurant. I had to endure three days without the delicious nectar of the gods, only resorting to coffee bags from the supermarket to keep my vital organs functioning. Oh the depravity!  

So we have been walking lots and going in and out of the gorges. There has been a lot of construction work going on over the past few years to upgrade the park. Some good, some bad. It is getting very gentrified and gone are the days when you had to endure horrible dusty gravel tracks and death defying climbs down into the gorges. As I get older I am more appreciative of what has been done and in most cases it has been made to fit in to the landscape.  Unfortunately what is missing on this trip is lots of water. The gorges are very dry, the worst I have seen it. For this reason I have brought with me a lovely block of Cheeky Monkey East Coast India Pale Ale. That has relieved the dry dusty tonsils and given me more confidence on rocky ledge faces.

We have a couple more days here before heading to Cheela Plains Station. I thought it was Sheila Plains Station so I was a little excited that I could get my washing and ironing done, but alas, my wife told me the days of misogyny are over. Well fine! She can sort the dingos out by herself. I’m going to be painting my nails and reading “Little Women”.

For the record I am not sexist, and I know the important role that dingos have in the Australian outback. It is really great to see them making a come back.

My new exhibition is only a few weeks away. It is called "A Moment of Stillness" and it features twenty eight new pieces made when I was being very still. Must have been long exposures! Actually it is about stopping the noise, the clutter in your head, the urge for coffee and cake and to be at one with your surroundings. Once the shots were taken, with my full concentration, then I could visit my favourite coffee shop! I am very happy with how it looks and hope you can get into the Saltwater Gallery in Busselton for your own"Moment of Stillness".