Wetherby is a cattle station, about half an hour in from the coast and up into the hills. It’s country, and that means our accommodations are a bit rougher, but still nice. We’re staying in two man tents big enough to stand in and outfitted with mattresses. They call it “glamping” – glamorous camping. The food is great. While we’re here, we’ll have lecture in the morning and fieldwork every afternoon.
There is a peacefulness to this place that is extraordinarily comforting. Despite this being the place where we may see some of the most exotic plants and animals of the trip – we’ve been promised early morning bird walks and night hikes with flashlights to try to see them – it feels so familiar. Perhaps it is the feeling of quietness, laced only with birdsong and cattle lowing and the wind in the trees. No city noises. Rarely cars. It reminds me of backpacking and visits to the country. The mountains to the west recall hiking vistas, and cattle graze in the paddocks nearby.
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