Tuesday 10 August 2021 32km paddling
Evening moon and star on the darling river 
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
We met Brad Davis from Myandetta Station coming up river toward his homestead in a tinny (def: small aluminimium boat with outboard motor). We drifted down the river together chatting about the river, wildlife, goats, his farm, the challenges working for NSW Parks etc. He suggested we could stay at their Farm Stay 20 km further downstream (about the 60km mark). As we drifted we passed a large red gum, considered the largest and oldest (300-400 years) on the river. Apparently when the river is lower it makes a fine photo with people standing in the hollow in the trunk to provide a scale. Brad said it was a pity the river wasn’t a bit higher as then we could use a shortcut to cut out Big Bend. We tried the cutoff at 40km but the water was too shallow.
The largest and oldest River Red Gum on the Darling River
Normally passing weirs requires a portage because of the highly dangerous, aerated water immediately downstream. However, we paddled over the weir at 54 km with no real difference to the river flow and could only tell there was a weir there from the warning signs and some bank infrastructure. The shortcut we took immediately prior to the weir was flowing strongly, with perhaps most of the water taking the shorter route.
Tales from the River
While in the Chairman’s lounge at Sydney airport, the Senator noticed a young woman sitting alone. He approached and asked:
“Can I shout you a drink?”
“What do you mean ‘shout’?”
“It’s an Australian term for ‘Would you like me to buy you a drink?’”
“But I thought drinks were free in here”
“Indeed they are, that’s the joke”
“I see, in that case I’ll have a lemon soda”
On returning the Senator asked of the young woman, who happened to be Pink, a reasonably famous singer who the Senator clearly had no idea who she was:
“So what do you do?” to which Pink replied:
“A dancer, and you?”
“I work for the Government” he replied.
After further conversation the Senator said:
“Look, here’s my phone number, if you’re ever back in Australia and want to catchup or see the sights or whatever, give us a ring.” Pink then wrote her number on a piece of paper for him.
After Pink had boarded her plane, the lounge staff said:
“We noticed you were talking to Pink, Senator, was that an interesting conversation?”
The Senator of course had his trousers laundered and lost Pink’s telephone number. His daughter was devastated and furious that he had been talking to Pink and had lost her contact details. His defence was that she had his number so she should’ve contacted him.