It's raining locusts

It's not so much raining locusts but snowing locusts. Apparently at night (according to Philippa's web research), the Australian Plague Locust is known for being heard 'raining' on rooftops - so we are in for a noisy night. The above is a pic of Dave, who showed us to our cabin and revelled in the locusts as much as we did - we all may feel differently tomorrow.

Today we travelled the relatively short distance from Ballarat to Hall's Gap, in the Grampians, greeted on the approaches by the said locusts. The windscreen soon became splattered and Phil wondered what a Buddhist would do. I have never seen anything like it and the initial wonder and excitement could be likened to a first snow flurry. I dread to think what sort of slush we'll find in the morning.

Fortunately we are staying in a very salubrious cabin which is almost locust-proof, apart from the fragments finding their way down through the extractor fan above the cooker. Having just this moment popped out of the front door to assess the situation, I've unfortunately let three of the 'hoppers' in and having been mildly chastised by my dinner companions (Humphrey and Phil), I hope none of us inadvertently eats one - especially the non-meat eaters - although the windscreen green slime residue is visually more grass-slime like than meat. Talking of grass, most of the green stuff in this campsite in the sun has been stripped down to brown.

The sun has just set at 8.00pm and a huge number of locusts have departed, as the info on the internet said they would. I've just caught sight of a Kookaburra enjoying a late feast on what's left of the lawn outside our window. Flying Long-billed Corellas have also been doing the same. Our wordsmith Phil, has pointed out that the car we are driving is a Corolla?!?

Have just caught sight of a Kangaroo (first this hol), nuzzling locusts on the grass in the dusk - am beginning to feel like I'm actually Down Under. Phil has just read something about snow and travel disruption in the UK and I'm grateful to be here and not there - locusts and all.