This is the hotel at Parachilna, a typical old Aussie pub. 

We arrived at dusk on Saturday, and had a drink in the bar to unwind.  It was a good drive, but right at the end there were a few kangaroos with no road sense.  The wildlife is always a hazard on out back roads, luckily we managed to avoid them.  If I lived out here I would probably drive a great big 4WD like the one in the photo.

The decorations in the bar were decidedly rural, including this magnificent skull. 
Once it was dark they lit a fire out the front, and everyone stood round with their drinks, toasting themselves in the heat and admiring the night sky full of stars. Two of the guests were setting off the next morning on a 6 day bushwalk, which sounded wonderful.  The scenery is magnificent, and when you cover it on foot you have  time to admire it properly.  There are two pilots based here who offer scenic flights, and they were interesting to talk to as well.

One of the features of this pub is the food, which features 'feral' meat; goat, camel, emu, kangaroo and rabbit.  Seonaid has always been a cautious eater, so the menu was a bit daunting for her.  We settled for antipasto, which was unadventurous, but delicious anyway.

In the morning I wandered around by myself while Seonaid was touring the whole place and learning more about the job. 

I watched the pilots fussing over the planes before the first flight of the day; if I was brave enough I would go up in one of these tiny planes, but I'm a chicken.  About 10 years ago I had a very scary flight in a little 16 seater, and once it was over I vowed I would never again fly in a plane where I could touch both sides at once.
I was reading this information poster when I noticed something interesting.

 At first I only noticed the men, railway workers from 1905,

then I saw there was a child in the photo as well, and when I looked closer there is a dog curled up at one man's feet.  It really brings those times to life, to think of the family life behind this image.  In those days it would have been a rare privilege to have your photo taken, and some mother was probably tickled pink to have her child in the photograph.
We were on the road again by lunchtime, and had a good trip home. It's great to get away from everyday life and visit some place new. 

Seonaid was impressed by the hotel and the people who run it, and decided she'd like to give it a go, so this weekend we'll be going back to get her settled in the staff quarters.  I'll miss my girl dreadfully, but I'm sure she will have an amazing time working in this incredible spot.  And I'll  visit as often as I can.