Ahh, how I love to be alone in the country

The problem is, you never really are.  As we sloshed on the paint in companionable silence last weekend, with only bird calls and the occasional very high aeroplane to bother us, I think we both thought how lucky we are.  Then Cher arrived.  I don't mean literally, but it would appear that the neighbour likes a bit of Cher on a Saturday afternoon.  It sounded like a "Best of... " compilation CD on high rotation with the filler tracks skipped: Turn Back Time and that one from Spalsh again and again and again.  Not surprising then that after a couple of hours we were humming along.

Occasionally we got a reprieve as the wind swung around to the east and as the afternoon wore on the music improved a bit with some classy 90s ladies - Sinead, Tori, Kate.  When it stopped and I felt my head explode with the silence.

Sunday afternoon appeared to be a repeat session so I suspect it coincides with the first beer of the day.  Sounds like a plan to me.

Bird Lists

I can't remember any birds from the first visit.  The landholder walked us up through the cleared area - "ideal spot for a dwelling" - through the wood to what is now known as The Callitris Lookout, a stand of Black Callitris on the ridge with views between trees across the Macquarie flood plain.  There were clear signs of Kangaroos, Echidnas and Wombats but I cannot recall a single bird sighting from that day!  Amazing to think we are now up to 65; not that I have seen them all as Tiff, living closer, has had a few extra visits.

Little Bunda

The "official" bird lists started in August 2013 when the land wasn't even ours.  The hunt for The Mystery Pond saw us stray onto the neighbouring property looking for a gentle way down the ridge but all we found was exposed track and a wild pig.  Crossing back over the "border" we were rewarded with our first threatened species, a Diamond Firetail and not much later the second, a pair of Speckled Warblers.  As we trudged back up the hill, we spotted out third, a Scarlet Robin.  Not a bad way to start the list!  Among other sightings that day was a Wedge-tailed Eagle high over-head, a White-throated Treecreeper (now known as Lungs as it never seems to draw breath) and the ever present shadow of a Grey Fantail, stalking us and demanding to be counted.

The Mystery Pond

How Little Bunda Came To Be

Inspired by a friend's sea-change, Tiff and I decided to explore the opportunities for a tree-change, or at least a part-time one.  Luckily with a job that takes her all over NSW looking at people's properties (and an ability to spy on them from satellites), Tiff was ideally suited to sniff out something suitable and in May 2013, whilst doing a flora and fauna survey on a property 40 minutes north-west of Bathurst, she came across the perfect spot.

Part of a bigger property called Bundaburra, Little Bunda was part of a sub-division as it was unsuitable for running cattle on due to its steep topography and dense woodland.  Dense woodland and steep topography appealed greatly to us so we snapped it up.

It didn't take long to agree on a price, but the mortgaging and sale process took a ridiculously long time so it wasn't until October 2013 that we finally settled and were able to really start exploring it.

Time To Paint

When the cabin went up in November, we were told to get some paint on it asap to protect it from the extreme elements Little Bunda is exposed to.  But November and December were busy, January is just too hot so it had to be February.  And then of course there was the colour decision: to blend or not to blend.  Which shade of blue/green/purple/grey?  Different trim or not?  Oh, decisions, decisions.

In the end I went with green (of course) with white trim.  Having been assured that one time would do the whole cabin, I panicked on the drive up and bought another 4 litres; just in case.

Brushes, rollers, drop sheets, ladders.  Check, check, check.  And then the hard work started.  And blimey, was it hard!  Starting on the two most exposed walls made sense but in the afternoon sun, we were both soon sweating buckets and wondering what we had let ourselves in for.  After finishing the first tin of paint, and just over half of the cabin, we decided to call it a day.

The decision then to start putting the bed together was probably not a very well thought out one as the light was fading and we were both tired and hungry.  Luckily, part of the bed turned out to be so badly bent that it was impossible to erect so we gave up, cooked dinner and lay on a blanket under the stars until the cold drove me inside, to my mattress on the floor.

Day two didn't start too early and after the usual morning potterings we got stuck into and completed the painting.  Well almost.  The trim on one window and the door still needs to be done and a second coat will be required, but for the moment "that will do, Pig", as my sister put it.

So what to do now?  A stroll through the south-west corner of the block seemed the perfect plan and we were lucky enough to pick up a new species (number 65) when a Brown Goshawk alighted briefly above us.  Back to the cabin for tea and Gingersnaps and a guest appearence by a gorgeous Bearded Dragon, the colours of sandstone and only 2 metres away.  We watched it as it watched us.

And then it changed colour!  

Time to pack up and head home after a wonderfully satisfying, if knackering, weekend.