31st December
5.02am
Scotland Island, NSW
Morning comes quickly. I awoke at 4.48am in the faint light of dawn. Kookaburras were laughing in the trees all around. There are no streetlights here and it is almost of the grid. Almost, not quite. There is a low growling in the distance, some animal of the bush, wild and untamed makes it's way across the hill behind the house. We lie beneath our mosquito net and the sun races into the sky for the last time this year.
Crawling on the roof, in the walls. I discovered a possum staring at me through the ceiling boards last night. This place is beautiful, mystical and of another time. Within a swim of the mainland, you wouldn't want to do it though. Bull sharks have been spotted in the water. Less intelligent and more aggressive than the Great White they would tear you up without a thought.
The nature is so aggressive here compared to the UK. I feel like Uncle Travelling Matt from the Fraggles, reporting on the unknown. With the light on last night some of the freakiest bugs were drawn to the light. It was exciting and freaky at the same time. I've had to tackle 2 snakes and had a huge, and I mean fricking huge, Huntsman Spider crawling on my face when I slept. I can think of far nicer creatures to wake up to sitting on my face, the long legged red head being one ;) Anyway, my track record with the wildlife of Australasia is not the greatest, so coming to an island where the bugs and Arachnida are 3 times the size of Sydney Suburbs is exciting with macabre undertones. We are having a party tonight, the others will get here sometime this afternoon.
We are not really that far from the city, although if you were here you would feel lost in time. No large firework shows, no harbour bridge. Hello 2014, I can hear you calling.
(Photos may follow, I'm fortunate I can even post)