Nourlangie Safari Camp, Episode 6 - Flemming Jensen

25 August 2015

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

In the previous episode, our intrepid hunters managed to get not one, but two cars bogged at Nourlangie.

Thursday 9th January 1969

I once asked a car dealer what difference there was in the British Land Rover and Japanese jeeps, the Toyota and Nissan.

‘If a Japanese car is stuck, try to get it free and it's damn hard.’ It was the weight and he alluded that the Japanese cars are considerably heavier than Land Rovers. That we have had to admit!

Allan ordered a plane over the radio but given the season they could not say when they could come. He would be told over the radio.

We tried to shoot a buffalo but he slipped away unfortunately. We had no luck with the kangaroos too. The problem is that they hide well and are hard to spot so they usually discover us first and disappear. The only thing you hear is boing, boing when they jump.

From what I understand from Allan, he is in current economic difficulties which he among other things also wants to try to solve when he goes to Darwin. However he is the only heir and his mother is quite prosperous from what I understand, so he can probably get a little ‘advance.’

From the other side people have been talking about making the Nourlangie area as the centre of a national park and this would at least bring an end to Allan's safaris forever.

Friday 10th January

Pat and I worked most of the day to get the Holden free but failed even though we got a jack under the rear axle and had raised it slightly. The rain still rushed down most of the time and made everything into mud and impossible to work in.

We did not have time to go hunting so the dogs had to be content with sirloin steak for eighty cents a pound from Darwin! Fortunately we do not have Darwin prices here, but still. They got about seven pounds. This was meant for us but the dogs should also have something to eat.

Saturday 11th January

Yesterday Pat and I worked in vain to get the Holden free. Today Allan and I went up early and once again to find happiness. But slushy did it become again and made it impossible. However we recharged the batteries so they could be used to send telegrams to Darwin. We do not yet know when Allan can get a plane. The weather is all important. When we have good weather here it is bad in Darwin and vice versa.

It's fun with Allan and Pat because they're two great individuals and they always try to prove to each other that they are right separately. It must of course be difficult for someone like Allan who has been a leader in the military to fight against Pat. She is really good at everything and she is usually right and Allan isn’t. He finds it hard to admit. It will be fun to see tomorrow who will be coming to fix the water pump because it would not start tonight.

Beer o'clock with Allan Stewart, on the typewriter at Nourlangie Safari Camp.

Sunday 12th January

Allan and I had decided that today we would shoot a buffalo. A nice one, so we started before daybreak.

We came down to an open area where we knew that buffaloes cross to get to from their pond, a large marsh area. Here we found a trail which we followed and suddenly he was standing right in front of us. He was a tough fellow. It took seven bullets before I could give him the decisive shot in the neck. It was a buffalo in the right age of seven to eight years. He had been kind enough to lie on his stomach so we could take meat from both sides.

When we took what we needed we began the long journey home with the meat. I wore it over my shoulders in the Chinese style. It was hard as hell. Allan had knives and guns.

When we got home Pat gave us a frosty reception as we had, or I had, used one of her towels to protect my shoulders against the wood lever. We were simply in too good a mood to take her seriously.

Later that day we tried to make the water pump work. First Pat tried while Allan sat in the boat and gave good advice, much to the annoyance of Pat. She gave up after that and it still would not start when she was finished. Then Allan tried while it was Pat's turn to be adviser to the irritation of Allan. I sat behind the boat and amused myself inside with the scene.

Allan gave up too and they agreed that it might be the piston rings. We rowed back. Now we had to save water. When it was evening I went down to the lagoon and washed myself and took a swim. It was simply wonderful. Just that one should always beware of crocodiles.

I am getting a little accustomed to that.