We slept in swags all week at Running Waters. Yes, I was tent-less. Swag camping is a common thing in Central Australia where rain isn’t usually a problem much of the time. Here’s what my swag set up looked like.

The swags were made of canvas, are king single sized, and inside was a full bed set-up – pillow, mattress, sheets, blankets, even a doona. So yes, it was rather cosy in there, and with a hot water bottle, I was very snug.

The advantage of being in a swag is that you have the moon and stars for company every night. I found waking up with the galaxy above me very soothing. And of course I’m there to witness the beautiful sunrises every morning.

I saw the colours change minute by minute in not just the sky, but the trees and cliff too. It was magic every morning.

A series of water holes separate the camp site from the cliff face. It was our source of fresh water, and made for a freezing refreshing dip in the afternoon. By the water were boulders of various kinds, pebbles, sand, grasses, and logs from past storms.

The reflections on the water were delightful, particularly those of the trees.

They were particularly beautiful in the early morning when all was calm.

The trees at Running Waters were eucalypts of course, but very different ones to the ones found in the east. On the sand flats are the river red gums – red because of the colour of its sap. Here is a magnificent specimen.

They tended to grow in strands so there was plenty of shade by the water hole.

On the rocky escarpment were the ghost gums. They grew more singularly.

Sometimes they grew in the most unlikely places, like half-way up the cliff-face.