Flinders Ranges 5

Wed 20th April. Crack of dawn, I emerge from Waggin' Trail to see a huge orange hot air balloon drifting past, wake up O.F. to have a look. No sign of Sooty and I am really perplexed. She is impossible to find during daylight, so I agree to go ahead with our scenic flight & then work out a search plan.

The flight is amazing! O.F.'s knowledge of the area is amazing and she takes over the tour commentary. Our pilot, who is about 17 years old, lets me fly the plane. I turn down the volume on my headset as O.F.'s screams become distracting. Our pilot then entertains us with very steep banking turn and I feel my breakfast threaten to detach from my body. We see how huge and complex the Pound is, and fly over Waggin' Trail!

I leave O.F. to the horrors of the caravan park & set off for Parachilna to start searching for little Sooty. I spend most of the night driving and walking all our stopping points, beeping her locator and calling and waiting, but no luck. The next morning I make up a bunch of flyers and start posting them along the roadsides & in Blinman, stopping & searching each time. Everyone in Blinman is very kind & helpful. One woman thinks she might have seen Sooty near the shop, and suggests I contact her son down at Wilpena to see if he would be able to look for her during the week. I head down to Wilpena; he can't do it, but one of the guys lends me a cat trap and I head back to the caravan park.

Back at the caravan park I discover that O.F. has become a star attraction with the campers following her contributions to the fossil lecture and is even giving digeridoo lessons. I also find out she has swiped a Mills & Boon from the laundry and has been WATCHING TELEVISION. The abandonment of her lifelong bush lore is evident in an incomplete hot rock firepit project next to her tent. We get dressed up and go out for dinner at the Woolshed, which compares unfavorably to our fire pit cooking and we have trouble refamilarising ourselves with knives and forks.

After dinner, I head back to resume my night watch for Sooty in Blinman. Up most of the night, no luck. Everyone is on the lookout and the locals have put the flyers up around town so there doesn't seem to be much else I can do, so I finally head back to the caravan park. After so much long driving & little sleep I am dispirited and exhausted. O.F. is very kind & reassuring.