I am camped by a river lined with River Red Gums, commonly know as Widow Makers for their propensity to fling off branches for no apparent reason.

The wind has come up and the RV Shuffle is taking place as people move their homes on wheels out from under the shade of these magnificent old trees into clear open spaces.

The ones I have seen drop though have been on still, hot days without a breath of wind. They make a mighty cracking sound as they separate from the tree and then it sounds like a herd of elephants crashing through the bush as the branch makes its way to the ground.

The only time I saw one fall onto a campsite was in Broome, WA, where it landed on a 2 man tent and absolutely flattened it. Fortunately there was no one home at the time.

So the unwritten rule when travelling is ” Don’t park under trees” – or you may make someone a widow!

That’s the safest place to park – out in the open!