Went to the inaugural Quorn Quondong festival today. For those (like me) not familiar with Australian bush tucker , a quongdong  is a small red fruit with husky exterior that grows on a low bush. Because it’s a parasite (growing on the roots of other plants) it’s extremely difficult to grow commercially.  It has a sweet/tart flavour and so is used in both sweet and savoury dishes. We tried the jam (with scones and cream of course) – quite unusual but perhaps not my first choice.

The town was buzzing from the get go- absolutely packed with locals and ring ins alike – many who had arrived on the gorgeous Pitchie Richie stream train that runs from Port Augusta to Quorn (we actually tied to get tickets to do the trip to PA but you need to book months in advance).

Stalls ranged from local artisans, plant growers and food trucks – most with an emphasis on Australian bush flavours.  Wattleseed featured prominently  and apparently has incredible nutritional value/ rich in protein, fibre and carbs. David bought some for his sour dough making kit- so stay tuned….

The festival was sponsored by the ABC with Costa as a central feature. The focus for the day was on land care and what all of us can do, regardless of where we live) to rejuvenate and nurture the land during climate change – very thought provoking.  There were also some fabulous indigenous speakers including Bruce Pascoe, author of Dark Emu who spoke about indigenous approaches to fire prevention and landcare- and more broadly about his experiences as a indigenous man.

Weather was a bit relentless oscillating between sun, wind and showers. Stopped counting how many times I took my puffa off and put it back on again!  We had planned to stay into the evening but by 5 we were freezing and exhausted and scurried back to the tent for a rest.

After a dinner of nachos cooked in the camp oven we are ready to hit the sack for an early start tomorrow- packing up and heading to Parachilna en route to Arkaroola. David has picked a free bush camp in some old ruins for our overnight tomorrow- let’s hope it’s as lovely as it sounds!