‘Well,’ he said, wadding the plastic wrap from his sandwiches and draining his cup, ‘maybe we ought to be starting back. I’ve a couple of creek banks I need to check out on the way. And I don’t want to make you late. It’s been nice having company though.’

‘I’ve enjoyed myself,’ Tilly replied, getting up, ‘despite the road! I think I’ll have a dig at Matt about it. He’s in charge of the grader.’

‘A man of many parts,’ Connor quipped. ‘Anything he doesn’t do?’

‘Not much if it’s mechanical. If he’d finished high school, I’m sure he could’ve been an engineer. Or maybe an inventor. Binboona would be lost without him. Sophie says so, and she ought to know.’

Connor didn’t hurry their return. They stopped twice beside the banks of steep, narrow creeks still trickling with wet season run-off. Growth along them was vividly green in contrast to the russet and gold of grasses on the flats.

‘You’d think they’d have dried up by now,’ Tilly said. ‘Nothing’s fallen from the sky since the start of April.’

‘It’s seepage water, coming from the higher ground,’ Connor explained. ‘The country’s a sponge, so it takes some draining when the rains finally stop. Ah,’ he said with satisfaction, ‘I thought there was a chance . . .’

‘What?’ She stared around at the rampant growth, wary of snakes.

‘Look up. Hang on while I grab the glasses.’ He brought them from the vehicle and offered them to her. ‘In the fork of the ti-tree there – what do you see?’

She focused the binoculars, saying, ‘I can’t . . . oh, yes, I’ve got it. Wait! That’s not an orchid, is it? There’s not much to it.’

‘It’s showier when it flowers, though still pretty hard to spot. It’s a dendrobium. They call it the Onion Orchid because of the little bulb it grows. You’ll have to come back later in the year though to see it in bloom. Round late August should do it.’

‘Well, thank you, Connor.’ Tilly handed the glasses back. ‘I didn’t expect you to go out of your way to find one for me, though. I suppose a photo wouldn’t be possible? You can barely see it with the naked eye.’

‘I’m afraid not. I’ll just have a quick squiz a little way up the creek. Moving water can spread a lot of seeds. If you’d rather wait in the vehicle . . .?’