Slightly nervous driving in. The sun, huge on the horizon, signals that there's only a few more minutes of light before the darkness envelopes us. It's not really the fading light that's jangling my nerves - setting up a tent in the dark isn't that hard. But it's the smoke mixed with still mist amongst the trees that triggers alarm.
Driving into the forest, deeper, further. Where is the smoke coming from? Should we turn and go the other way?
The map is showing a litle tent symbol in a place clearly it is not. Hmmm...
The 3-year old's commentary from the back seat is quiet but constant. "I'm scared. We're lost". It digs at the tiny 1% chance we actually are lost and amps it up into something bigger.
The roads are wide fire trails and are marked on the map correctly. So, we know where we are, just not where the campground is. Nothing to do but keep driving on in the half light.
And just before the dirt road kicks back around a bend towards the tarmac, we turn to look right, down yet another fire trail, and spot some tents in a cleared patch. Phew. The safety of others.
If there was no smoke, I'd be seeking the solitude of a bush camp; no rowdy strangers, no toilet, no tank stand. But tonight, maybe it's better to be found. We shall see.
