Nourlangie Safari Camp, Episode 21

Nourlangie Safari Camp, here is 9SLK
Is anybody listening? (My radio code)
From the Diaries of Flemming Jensen 1968-1969

Saturday, February 29th

Just another tiring hunting day without seeing a buffalo. It is almost beyond belief. My new hunting area had nothing to offer, quite the contrary. We saw not even a trail that indicated that there had been buffalos in the last few weeks.

On the way over to my ’old’ area I shot a wallaby which I gave to the pensioners, convinced that I would get something bigger later in the day. It was, by the way, a female with a little joey in the pouch. It was unfortunate but I could not see that at that distance. It turned out later that I should have kept it for the dogs because I got as I said, nothing. The pups caught up with us and followed us and that did not make it easier. They should not be blamed for today's result, for we saw not any at all. For dinner I had to give the dogs some of the meat that I've taken for myself but they need something to eat. I would not mind that something positive happens tomorrow for example, that there was a plane coming. It's funny to think that every day could be the last. This implied that if Allan or Pat came and it turned out that I would not get anything financially out of my stay, I will take the plane back to Darwin and start over. I feel like a sprinter who unwittingly has started in a marathon. In the radio they just now play ’Are You Lonesome Tonight’ by Elvis Presley and that is exactly what I am. When I think of my Saturday nights in the past and look back in the past few months, it is most comparable to day and night.

Sunday, February 29th

A hunting day I will never forget’ or ’my worst hunt.’ If the day today should have a title so would these two have been obvious candidates. We were at our ’old’ hunting area. It rained and we snuck in cautiously. Suddenly I was standing only about twenty metres from a buff. It lay in the shelter of a tree and had not seen us. This was almost too much of a good thing. Now we had not seen one since last Tuesday and this one was not even as far away from the car. I gave myself plenty of time to aim. Still it had not discovered me even though it looked straight at me. For some strange reason the gun clicked. This was not the worst for I was still not discovered. Furthermore I could not load the gun, it was jammed.

Here I stood, not further away from a long awaited buff than I could spit over and there is a mess with my gun! It was really embarrassing and it all seemed so ridiculous. Only now did the fellow stand up and I could no longer hold Patra. It all happened suddenly. Until now it had given its time but then Patra came rushing. I was ready with the gun but now it was too late. I shot nevertheless and maybe I hit it because it stopped for a moment. I shot again. It did not seem to be hit and continued to flee with Patra in heels.

You could not actually see its ass for its hooves. It all happened in a rush I should say. At the same time a whole bunch of buffaloes not far from the away started to run. I had not seen so many buffalo for a long time. There were even lots of calves. I pursued however, and probably my wounded buff would try to get to the swamp. ’One must not let a wounded buffalo escape,’ says the law, but when I stood in water up to the navel I realized the futility of continuing the hunt. It was reckless of me to go that far but I must have been in a excited hunting mood. That must be the only explanation.

On the way home I felt like a hopeless novice. My previous thoughts that I felt like being a professional fell completely to the ground. When I had recovered myself a little after coming back to camp I felt that I had to get on again. Something must happen. I had to do something on this down trip. We met no more buffaloes and I felt compelled to shoot a wallaby which I cut up to the dogs. That gave me a little satisfaction on top of today's disappointments. The whole afternoon's trip had taken place in pouring rain so was it not for the wallaby the day has been even more depressing.

However it is good to do something that gives you a good laugh later. Is that not true?

Monday, February 30th

Another day without fresh meat. Today I went longer than I ever have used to do. This is something I am very careful about because it is damn easy to get lost. The weather has been like a day in autumn at home with rain and a heavy storm. A large tree has blown away just outside the house but fortunately without hitting anything. Otherwise nothing happens. I hope for a better day tomorrow. Tuesdays used to be good days in my life. Tomorrow begins my fifth week on my own here at Nourlangie Safari. I do hope for a good start.