Started the day in Narrandera, where the researchers from the ANU were back to trap an adult parrot so they could put a tracker on him.
They wanted the male of the species … and the researcher explained in a sympathetic tone that the poor dad was only trying to feed his family and was out gathering food and when he came back he would be trapped.
He set a trap in the big tree next to where we’d parked and told us…
“You two camped right next to the birdiest tree in the whole area.”
I replied, “That’s got to be a quotable quote, may I use that?”
He asked where we were traveling to —and how long we’d been traveling.
I told him we met a week ago and he replied, “Cute,” which made my gut go – yikes!!!!!
In Wagga Wagga, we checked out a freebie camp on the outskirts.
Too many people.
Drove to The Rock instead, where we camped at a sports ground.
I asked my co-traveller if I could walk his dog. On the far side of the grounds, I saw women preparing cakes and unwrapping plates of food on a trestle table. One of them called out that they were having Bingo this afternoon,
“Would you like to join in – it’s a fundraiser for the CWA.”
I joined them for EYES DOWN at 1pm.
Prizes were arranged on a small table with the BIG-WIN prizes on the left and the SMALL-WIN prizes on the right. All grocery items.
Would you believe I won Bingo twice? And again, with a smaller prize?
I chose chocolate for my big win, and a cup of noodles for the small win. When I returned to my table, my quip, ‘That’s dinner and dessert tonight,’ was met with chuckles.
On the second BINGO win, I chose a bottle of honey — perfect, as I’d run out of honey only this morning.
The ladies I sat with were delightful and very helpful in explaining the varieties of small win Bingo:
Ice cream – three on top row, two in the middle and one on the bottom
The pyramid, – one on the top row, two in the middle and three on bottom row.
The railroad tracks – one full line at the top and one at the bottom.
After two hours of bingo, coffee, tea and homemade cakes were served — all supplied by the CWA members.
As I enjoyed homemade carrot cake, I introduced myself to the president and the bingo caller.
The president told me her grandfather came to THE ROCK in the late 1880’s, and her mother was born in 1910 — and she herself had lived in THE ROCK for seventy-three years. She kept her age well and carried herself with pride — she’d been a member of CWA for fifty years.
But when I asked about the CWA, I was told there were a huge number of branches in NSW and it’s been running since forever.
They added, “We do craft. Oh, and cooking,” then trailed off, exchanging glances as if unsure how much to disclose.
Okay, those are the facts, but I wanted the human story.
Was CWA about community?
Networking?
Connection?
Eventually the president said she could bring me books, after I said I’d be here for a couple of nights.
I called my friend and told her where I was, and that I was traveling with someone.
I also chatted happily about the afternoon playing Bingo.
“OMG!’ she said. “You’ve shocked me!”
Until I told her that the prizes were grocery items. (For context, I have known her since I was twelve years old.)
Dinner was barbecued meat and salads. I shared my store-bought lentil salad, and he shared corn-on-the-cob and steamed snow peas.
In bed I spent the rest of my evening guffawing at Facebook reels with two radio jocks who tend to crudity but in hilarious fashion. I had to cover my mouth as I roared at their stories.
A perfect first day at The Rock.
Living on the road is not just about passing through towns. I love digging under them — mining humanity for those rare nuggets of gold. I fell asleep feeling richer for having arrived.
Christine Writer 