^^i^i'''] D'OMBRAIN, A Trip to the "Watercourse," 59 



A Trip to the '' Watercourse/' North West 

 N.S.W. 



By Dr. E. A. D'OMBRAIX, :Meiiiber of Council, R.A.O.U., 

 Pymble, N.S.W. 



During a very pleasant holiday at Coocalla, Garali, the resi- 

 dence of Mr. F.' C. Morse, 36 miles to the W. of Moree, one of 

 the many interesting outings planned was that to the region that 

 is known as "The Watercourse." Mr. Morse and the writer 

 in one motor car and Mr. A. Mawhinney, with Mr. Reg. Hays 

 (M's. R.A.O.U.) in another, constituted the party, and loaded 

 up with provisions, mosquito nets, tents, etc., and old clothes and 

 boots (for wading), we set out early in October last year for 

 our destination, some 25 miles away. 



The Great Western plains, after their two years of cxcc>sive 

 drought and subsequent soaking since the drought broke, were 

 simi)ly rolling prairies of growth, in which the Brolgas or Native 

 Companion. Kangaroos, and Emus were easily hidden from view, 

 save for such places where the luxurious growth was not as tall. 

 Thousands of acres of this country rolled away, far as the eye 

 could see, interspersed with trees of manv varieties — for the most 

 part not very tall — Coolibahs. Red-gums. tall, tapering Belahs, 

 and many others. 



Across huge paddocks, the deep ruts cut by the wool teams in 

 "the black-soil plains," the only track, on and on to the X.W. till 

 we reached that part of the Watercourse we proposed to work, 

 ■li::., Direlmabindi. and the area around Curragundi Station. 



At Direlmabindi. we were met l)v Mr. S. Freeman, who has a 

 permanent camp home there, and were given a cordial welcome. 

 Here we were to camp, and we were greeted with the news that 

 ]\Ir. Freeman had found the nest of the White-eyed Duck, with 

 nine eggs, in a clump of rushes in the swamp a couple of hundred 

 yards from his tents. The nest was placed just above the water 

 level, and built for the most part of down from the bird, which, 

 of course, definitely decided the species of the owner. 



After spending some days here we ver}- reluctantly packed up 

 and made for Curragundi Station home paddocks. From this 

 base another section of the region was worked. 



One outstanding fact all over this region is the great amount 

 of damage done to all the aquatic birds breeding on or near the 

 water by botii foxes and wild pigs, and of the latter we saw 

 scores, from '"suckers" to huge boars and sows. A brief de- 

 scription of what exactly is meant by the Watercourse is now 

 necessarv. 



