Goanna hunting

Another beautiful 5am start today! So that there's evidence of my 5am running, here's a picture of Carly and I on the airstrip. Without the distractions of Sydney life (i.e. wine), it really feels great to start the day with a run and be energised and home, ready for breakfast by 6:30am

As promised, the kids were at school early this morning and keen to go hunting. We picked up two of the ladies and headed a little way out of town only to get a flat tire. This was fun for the kids and they couldn't wait to take a photo before running away to look for lizards before there was any chance that they might be asked to help.

Soon after we reached a spot that the ladies thought would be good and set off on the hunt. These two women are gangster - with their beanies and long metal poles, just waiting to get at a big lizard.

Hunting for lizards is equal parts fun, boring and hot. You have to walk around in the baking sun looking for a fresh goanna hole and then use the pole or crowbar to collapse the caves and dig out most of the dirt before crossing your fingers and sticking your hand in there to grab what you hope is the tail of the goanna and not the face.

The ladies do the best job of course and find two of the three goannas we catch over the three hour period. If we were really out in the desert, the rest of us would have starved today! The woman below was armpit deep in the hole and grabbed the goanna face first, pinching it's mouth shut before dragging it out of the hole and giving it to one of the boys to brain on the ground, quickly ending its life. 

Now comes the real fun - this is your chance to pose with the goanna, rush up to your friends and thrust it in their face, walk around wearing it like a hat and artfully arrange it on burnt out branches of nearby shrubs.

The walk back to the truck was long and hot and once there, we were pleased that we had brought bountiful water and muesli bar supplies with us.

By this time, everyone was tired and hot and the successful hunters were reluctant to share their catch so we headed home to the air con for what is becoming the ritual siesta time and to organise camping gear for the weekend. 

Town disco is tonight, then camping on the other side of the salt lake and at a place called running waters until Sunday afternoon. Can't wait to have a swim and sleep out under the stars

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