As the group drove along from the Kings Canyon, Camel suddenly pulled the bus up by the side of the never ending road. It was time to gather in firewood for tonight’s campfire.
The group gathers firewood for the bonfire
Lewis the Lion stood back and watched on as the group worked really well as a team, snapping down withered branches from trees that had been scorched under the Australian sun. The men in particular seemed to relish the challenge of finding and gathering fat tree trunks and branches before carefully passing them up to Camel who stored and fastened them carefully on top of the trailer.
The trailer has the wood stacked on the top
With the shenanigans of the detour to the Outback Hospital, the night was quickly drawing in and Lewis the Lion watched on as the red sun seemed to mirror and sweep across the red landscape.
The sun starts to set across the fields
In the dark, the campers eventually reached an open patch of land where they would set up camp for the night. They really were in the middle of nowhere with no lights and no toilets. It was back to basics as flash lights and head torches were pulled out of rucksacks.
The wood is piled high on the bonfire
It wasn’t long before a fire was roaring away as the logs and branches where stacked like a pyramid in the centre of the camp, scattering heat and light to the campers. Camel was a master at preparing the dinner in no time at all, burying the steel pots into the earth beneath the fire. A delicious chilli con carne, potatoes and vegetables were enjoyed by the hungry hikers.
How a swag looks unrolled
The camp that evening would not involve tents but rather each camper would have a swag bag and a sleeping bag. Lewis the Lion had never seen a swag bag before but soon learnt that it needed to be unrolled, unzipped with a sleeping bag placed inside.
Lewis the Lion and some rolled up swag bags
The swag itself was made of a thick coarse material, a bit like a sleeping bag with zips at either side, with a foam mattress inside. He learnt that they were familiarly known as ‘Matildas’ in Australia as they were used by the many wandering farm labourers as they travelled from farm to farm finding work. Indeed one of Australia’s most famous songs, ‘Waltzing Matilda,’ had been written about these travelling farm workers as they would dance with their swags by a campfire of an evening.
It wasn’t long before Lewis the Lion, along with the other campers exhausted from the daily activities, had got into his swag bagmready to sleep out in the bush. With the warmth of the campfire, Lewis slept on top of his sleeping bag to start off with, making sure however that he was well zipped up in his swag as he didn’t want any encounters with any of the Australian nasties during the night. However, in the middle of the night, the light of the campfire had dulled into nothingness and when Lewis the Lion awoke briefly, the only light available was that of a million stars twinkling above his head. Quite magical! It was colder now so he wriggled into his sleeping bag and then looked up to see some familiar constellations: the Southern Cross, Orion’s Belt and The Plough. He smiled a deep contented smile and then drifted back to sleep.
Meals are prepared out the back of the trailer
They were awoken at 5:30 the next morning as they had another long drive ahead of them today heading towards Kata Tjuta or the Olgas. Camel, efficient as ever, had soon made another campfire with the remaining gathered wood; enough to heat water for a welcomed cup of tea or coffee at any rate.
Lewis the Lion and the bush campfire
Lewis the Lion took a moment to savour the moment as he looked on the incredible colours of the landscape in this breaking dawn.
Helen wears her head torch by the smouldering bush bonfire
What an adventure to have camped out out in the Australian Outback like this and he still had another night of it to go. He truly felt like the luckiest little lion under the stars!
Here are the words to the famous Australian song.
Waltzing Matilda
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled:
“You’ll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me.”
Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You’ll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled:
“You’ll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me.”
Lewis the Lion thinks that some of the words in this song are strange. Can you find out what they mean? Can you find the tune to this famous Australian tune Waltzing Matilda and perhaps even sing it?!
