Author: Rob

Impacted by the repugnant attitude of The Pests Of Waldrens Swamp it seemed quite natural that the 2AM lout would arrive again in the truckstop section. With a girl in tow, he’s been photographed.

Only did a few burnouts, hung around for three quarters of an hour, and headed north.

Could have been worse. The worry is he smashes up my car.

Lovely rain arrived now, cooler but not cool, and misty gentle precious. Wonderful. 8.50 AM

1.30 PM

More pests. I trundled upstream to the Moruya River spot and was surprised that no cars were there. The scenes were stunning, and I photographed shapes.

Then whoom Four 4WDs pull up, several families, not one person looked with interest at me painting right there in front of them. They had to go around me to park!

Mere metres away the yobbo noises came. Four different electronic pumps, one the loudest I’ve ever heard. Pumping paddle boards and dingies.

Then the bignoting from the yobs. About the gear. About the pumps.

25 minutes later, me still trying to paint in this flesh vibrating noise, I threw my equipment loose in the van and got out of there.

So here I am now at sth side Riverside Park getting attacked by flies as bad as at Quaama. Trying to paint but it is an onslaught.

I really want to be productive after all this pestilence lately.

I don’t know where to go.

7.10 PM

Escaped from Waldrens. A bloke pulled up in a shabby ute outfit who after a while did some work with the bonnet up. Old bloke, wiry thin, taller thsn me unshaven and unkempt. Pn my way to the bin zo say, “I dont know much about them mate but if zi can help you I will.”

“Just changed the pil and put a new filter on “

“Good on you mate, wish I could do that.”

*You stoppin over?”

“Yes I’m staying the night.”

“Me too. I might pull up a bit closer to you if that’s alright.”

“If you can close the gap a bit it’ll stop someone getting in between us and bothering both you and me. Have you stayed here before.”

“No. Batemans Bay is not too far away.”

“You just have to watch for trucks. If they start up in the morning warming the engine you can kiss goodbye your morning.”

“I’m awake at 3 so it don’t bother me.”

Then he told me what does bother him. “If someone stands here, it doesn’t bother me.” He points to the ground adjacent to his ute, right up close beside it. “,If someone stands here it doesn’t bother me. But if someone puts their hand here ” he puts his hand into the ute area, where there’s a tent, “I’ll fucken kill em.”

I was shocked. He meant it. “That’s a bit final ” Isay, trying to lighten it up and he wanted my response.

“So fucken what. I’ll get two weeks. In front of a magistrate I know how to do it too. I’ll get two weeks then I’ll be out and he’ll be dead.”

This bloke might have killed before.

All aggro, he fires up, and he curses me, “I’ve been through things you wouldn’t know nothin about.”

Foolishly, trying to get rapport (I have to sleep twenty feet from him, I say, “I dont know about that.”

And then he’s accusing me fiercely. About putting him down and no one does that. I try to say no not at all, you just did he says, and he’s yelling viciously. Absolutely dangerous unhinged. “I’ve been through more troubles than you’ll ever know.”

Troubles he caused I’m sure.

“I just stopped by to see if you wanted some help.*

“Did I ask?”

I stand my ground and see there’s no cooling him off. I apologise and go to the bins. On the way back I realise there’s no way I can stay near this mentally deranged nasty battle axe.

I start the car and get out of there.

I go down river to the boatramp, but it’s still light and no one is there, there were many before, so maybe the ranger had come.

Then I drive back to Riverside Park and write this. Feeling since that the world is full of threats. What if he comes looking for me?

LESSON LEARNED FROM THE DERANGED BLOKE.

On the road, the rules of engagement are different. Keep everything surface. Relating is totally different. No assumptions. No expectations. No depth or nuance or baseline decency assumed.

Expect loner blokes to have big problems, be nasty, hateful and negative.

Fantasising About Murder

This bloke (from the above interaction) from what he told me has obviously has thought about it a lot, and relishes in the fantasy. I couldn’tget away from him quickly enough. Didn’t arrange for a proper photo, this off the dashcam That ute is dirty red in actual colour. Beware of him.

6 AM and it’s hot already. Night photo taken from inside the van at the truckstop section of Waldrens rest area. Broken sleep.

5 PM

Strange day. Heat came very early, very troubling. Had breakfast down by the river at the quarry. From there to Sth Head for a swim in open surf – but in extreme heatwave air tbe water was icy. I could only bend over and dip my head in. Others also found it too cold.

Filled up with water, back for groceries and chasing shade. Showered later by attaching my hose and showerhead to a tap I discovered, near to my original destination of the Riverside fish cleaning taps. Cold water perfect. Very quiet around town then as the heat and wild very strong NW hot winds had done everyone in.

Now at Riverside Park having cooked dinner and read a big chunk of C’s book. Enjoying the cooler winds coming roughly from the south as expected.

Not sure where to eat dinner. The pest will be at Waldrens and the truckstop bitumen in full afternoon sun is always too hot and unpleasant.

So might eat here, and go there later.

Comfortable weather currently. Only issue is the pest, but I’m ignoring him and won’t confront him about disturbing me.

6.55 PM

Set up at the truckstop section of Waldrens. Flyzcreen up.

Only three concerns are louts using it for burnouts and hitting or harassing me, arseholes parking close, and trucks sitting idling.

Haven’t checked to see if Pest is there but I know his habits. He is.

Anyway, this is it. No one else in the truckstop section, so enjoy it while it lasts, which probably won’t be long.

Still hotter than expected, probably in the tarmac.

Burnouts, but spread over the whole place:

7.55PM

Four, maybe five, cars pull up, two of which were the PESTS OF WALDRENS SWAMP.

If it’s too packed out some might come here. Looks like they’ve brought friends for a full blown Saturday night Social Club and the hell with everybody else.

A sickening sight watching them, like me me me me invaders.

Parasite party. Appalling.

It’s a bad one. About two hours around dawn, 4 to 6AM, are bearable.

Went to Batemans Bay and had a swim – first for the summer and since last summer. I keep forgetting that I can do it.

Saw this in the Bay:.

Swim was quick but good. Late shower at Riverside Park then straight here, arriving Waldrens again at 4.15PM.

6.35PM

A Pest Of Waldrens Swamp – Arrived

Instantly I whipped down the windscreen reflector and drove around to here, the truckstop section.

Repugnant disingenuous parasitic bastard. Full of bullshit.

Don’t want to even see the bastard. Nor his mouthy slippery brother. Who’s not here and may not come.

A curse on the place that Daniel found it. Pest.

7.15 PM

See how it works? If you’re quiet as a mouse and considerate of others, any others that are arseholes ruin your stay while you let them have a good time doing what they want. Because the place isn’t managed, the best way to stop being negatively impacted by the arseholes is to move away. You lose. You go to the second choice spot which could be significantly worse, and the arsehole who turned up later than you and ruined your stay gets to stay.

In today’s case I’m in the truck zone in fullblast sunshine on the bitumen and the arsehole has the shaded quieter grassed area all to himself.

It’s so wrong.

And that prick thinks he’s smart, says so!, doing what he does. Treats it as a free fun house to socialise loudly however he likes. Tough shit if you want to use the rest area.

And the arsehole will be there tomorrow.

The flyscreen and open door. This is what I hoped would attract the disturbing rat back outside.

I woke at about 1AM to the recognisable noise if the creature rummaging and rampaging inside. I couldn’t spot him with a torch to catch it, but caught a glimpse of it to confirm.  Either bushrat rident or marsupial.

In a heatwave, when nigjt sleep is critical- I get this fucking thing.

Just when I nearly had fallen asleep, hence not a threat, the bastard would run again ensuring I’d stay awake, and angry or anxious.

With the heat, and others restless in the area, I was awake until after 4AM then got the dreams of the demons from being so out of peace.

Anyway, I didn’t hear it in the morning nor have all day, so hopefully it bailec before dawn.

Twice, so that’s not good. It can’t become a habit or I’ll never be able to sleep here.

Now, does it come tonight? And do the Pests Of Waldrens Swamp also arrive?

Last pair of bastards I want to see.