The trip from Oodnadatta seemed endless. I heard pet Sooz ask how much further and guessed by the creak and groan coming from her seat, she needed to stretch her legs.

Pet Pete enlightened us by talking about our journey that day.

‘Not much longer,’ he said. ‘We’ve travelled about one hundred and twenty ks, through the sandy desert and open gibber plains.’

‘I hadn’t noticed the gibber, I must have drifted off,’ laughed Sooz. ‘Did I miss anything?’

‘The gibber is a large stony desert. So I guess you did.’

‘No Sooz, you didn’t miss a thing,’ I was compelled to put her mind at rest. If there was one thing I’d learnt this trip was that one desert led to another and another and when there were no animals to make friends with or watch from my seat in the back, I, like Sooz, drifted in and out of sleep. Silence once more descended over my pets in the front, while Pete drove the Toyota into another valley, the scenery changed yet again and boredom finally took away my conscious state and my eyes closed in sleep.

‘Here at last,’ said Pete.

My eye lids flicked open and an oasis of trees and water shimmered before me.

‘It’s beautiful,’ said Sooz

‘Water and trees,’ I yapped, waking instantly and pushing up to get a better view.

‘We’ll park up, unpack and have a lazy night by the campfire,’ said Pete.

‘Good idea,’ replied Sooz. ‘I’m bushed.’

‘Aren’t we going to explore?’ I asked, but nobody answered, they were to busy making plans.

Sooz laid the blue plastic sheet on the ground, under a grove of eucalypt that hugged the edge of the Eringa waterhole, while Pete and grand Poo parked the vehicles either side of it. I knew what Sooz intended, and objected by bellowing out a high pitched bark when she plonked me in the middle of it. I didn’t want to sit. I’d been sitting all day in the back of the Toyota. I wanted to run.

‘Sooz, Sooz.’ She didn’t turn around, but carried on unpacking the back of the Toyota. I’ll try my forceful voice. ‘Soozzzzzzz, Soozzzzzz,’ the howl grabbed her attention and she turned to look at me.

‘Paddington, be patient. Once I’ve unpacked the car I’ll take you for a walk.’

Walk, I loved that word almost as much as food. ‘I’m bored Sooz. I want to chase something.’ Lola came into my mind. I hadn’t thought of Lola for a few days and I wondered if she missed me. Probably not. Lola didn’t like me, so why would she miss me?

Behind me, the waterhole sparkled under the late afternoon sun and in front of me, the dusty plain held no life. Beyond the plain the land rose and I could see the remains of a house and yards and fences. Wow, a house to investigate. I couldn’t imagine anyone living in a house where there wasn’t a roof. It must be empty.

‘What’s that?’ I hadn’t realised I’d spoken, while staring at the movement of something at the front of the house. It shimmered like an image in water. A memory flooded back from fifteen minutes before, when I’d led Sooz to the waterhole behind me. The perfect toilet spot drew me in that direction and there were trees and bushes for privacy.

‘Sooz, turn around please.’

She’d ignored me, staring instead at the far bank. I quickly dealt with nature and kicked a pile of dirt to cover it, before following her gaze. I too found myself mesmerised by the sight of trees growing down into the water – eerie looking, I thought. I dragged my eyes to the water directly below me and gazed into its depths. My heart leapt in my chest at the sight of a dog looking back at me.

‘Ohoooooooooo.’ I leapt forward to say hello, but ended up doing a double somersault, backwards flip, when Sooz yanked on the lead and nearly strangled me.

‘Paddington, it’s your reflection, silly.’

‘What’s all the noise?’ Pete joined us rolling a stone between his thumb and forefinger. He angled the stone into the water and it skimmed across the surface. I watched my image disappear when the water rippled.

Sooz laughed. ‘He saw himself in the water and was about to jump in.’

‘He could learn a lesson from the dog and bone story.’

‘I think, he thought, he’d found a new friend,’ she laughed.

‘Come on, time to set up camp.’ Pete put his arm around her shoulder, guiding us away from the waters edge and back to the vehicles. I didn’t get the joke about the dog and bone. I filed it away to ask Lola when I got home.

I came back to the present and stared hard at the shimmer. It disappeared. Where did it go? It was another of those strange occurrences and there had been a few on the trip. I dismissed it, after all, it had been a long day and although I’d slept through most of it, the long journey left my head befuddled. I needed a run to clear away the cobwebs.

‘Soozzzzzzzzzz.’

‘For goodness sake, Paddington – Pete I’m taking puppy for a walk.’

‘Sounds like a good idea. I’ll come with you.’

‘Me too,’ said grand Moo.

‘Might as well join you,’ said grand Poo.

‘Let’s go then.’ I yapped loudly. My pets needed a bomb under them – sometimes they were so slow.

Sooz clipped the lead to my collar and I took off at a sprint, leading the way across the plain to the rise. I wanted to check out the house.

‘I believe this house is Kidman property now. Originally it belonged to the Treloar family. I’m not sure if the Kidman’s ever lived here though.’

Good old Pete. He made it his job to know the history about the places we visited, so he could educate us. I’d learnt a lot on our trip because of Pete. I’d heard Sooz say he was our oracle, I wasn’t sure what that meant but it sounded impressive.

‘Looking at the state of it, I’d say it’s been some years since anyone did,’ said grand Moo.

‘I read somewhere the place is haunted,’ said Sooz.

‘As in Ghosts?’ grand Poo laughed. ‘No such thing.’

‘Ghosts! Sooz, what are ghosts?’

‘Last time we were here, I’m sure I saw something,’ continued Sooz ignoring me.

‘You’ve an over active imagination,’ said Pete.

‘Believe what you like. I get a strong feeling of something…’

‘… Okay enough. If you keep this up you won’t sleep,’ said Pete.

I listened to Sooz and Pete’s discussion and wondered what it meant. Ghosts, strange feelings. I thought of the shimmer earlier.

I pulled Sooz through the gaping hole that must have once held a door and we walked into a dilapidated room. It looked like it could have been the kitchen, but I wasn’t sure. The chimney breast showed years of neglect, and the walls were full of holes and the floor long gone.

‘Oh, sorry,’ I said, colliding with a young girl and a medium sized dog. Dog, a dog, what’s a dog doing here? ‘Hello, I’m…’

‘I know who you are, pup,’ said the girl.

‘Grrr…’ said the dog. ‘Can’t you watch where you’re walking?’

The temperature around where we stood dropped and I shivered. I noticed Sooz rub her hands over her arms. ‘I’m sorry,’ I took a step back from the dog. He didn’t look happy at all. ‘Are you here on holidays?’

‘No, you’ve come into our home uninvited,’ said the dog. ‘Do you always enter a house without knocking?’

‘There isn’t a door.’

‘That’s not the point,’ said the dog. ‘This is our home.’

‘But you can’t live here. There’s no roof or windows or bathroom or kitchen. There aren’t any beds – it needs repairing.’

The girl put a finger to her lips. ‘Shoosh little pup.’

I dropped my voice to a whisper. ‘I’m sorry to have disturbed you. I didn’t mean to intrude, but I thought we were the only ones here – I’m so excited to meet you.’

‘You are a chatty little fellow, aren’t you?’ said the girl.

‘Do you really live here?’

I watched the girl turn away and the dog went with her – through the wall.

I couldn’t make sense of it. ‘Sooz, where did the girl and dog go? Didn’t you see?’ I spun in a circle searching for them and put my nose against the wall, testing for a way through. No way could anyone walk through that solid wall, I thought.

Pulling on the lead, I led Sooz into the next room. Empty. I blinked my eyes. One minute they were here and the next – poof – gone.

‘What’s wrong, Paddington?’ Sooz looked down at me and I didn’t know what to say. I must have dreamt it. And so I sniffed the ground looking for their scent and sneezed when a particle of dust lodged in my nostril. I’m definitively awake, and I can’t pick up their scent and the room has warmed since they left. What does it mean?

‘Come on, let’s check outside,’ said Sooz.

She tugged on my lead and I reluctantly followed her through the house to the back door.

Beyond the house I saw the girl and dog walking through the yards towards a grove of trees. ‘Excuse me,’ I howled. ‘Don’t go – wait for me.’

Rushing forward I yanked Sooz off her feet and she obediently followed me.

‘What’s the rush, Paddington? You’re full of energy today.’

‘Sooz I can’t believe you can’t see that girl – over there,’ I pointed my nose in the general direction. ‘Are you looking properly? You need your glasses on. She’s wearing a long dress and a bow’s tied around her neck and a funny hat covers most of her head and a braid hangs to her waist,’ I took a breath. ‘And the dog, he’s sort of like those dogs that ride the backs of sheep, you know, the ones we’ve seen on the telly. Only his ribs are showing, and his ears are tattered like Fred’s in Oodnadatta.’ My words were lost on Sooz, they were leaving my mouth faster than she could understand them.

‘Your pet can’t see us,’ the girl stood under the shade of a eucalypt tree, waving me closer. ‘Only you can.’

‘Why? Sooz is a good pet. She will help you. Your dog looks hungry and Sooz feeds us all r – e – a – l – l – y well.’

She twittered like the blue wrens back home. ‘We don’t need food.’

‘Everyone needs food. I love my food.’

‘Yes, little pup, you look like you do.’

‘How long have you lived here?’ I changed the subject. The word food caused problems for some people and I didn’t understand why.

‘Umm, now let me see. I think my family moved here in the 1870s.’

I tried to remember the current year. ‘It’s 2007. Gosh, your family lived here a long time.’

‘Yes. The Kidman family bought the property, but we remained. We frighten away unwanted visitors. We’ve made it our life’s work.’

‘How long have you done that for?’ I didn’t understand this strange girl and her strange clothes and speech.

‘Grrr you ask a lot of question for one so young,’ said the dog. ‘In my day we knew our place.’

‘But it’s the only way to learn. My mother said…’

‘It’s okay. He’s only a puppy,’ said the girl.

‘Paddington,’ Sooz pulled on the lead. ‘I think we need to head back to camp.’

‘No Sooz. I’m talking.’

‘It’s dinner time.’

I turned to gaze at her when I heard that lovely word. ‘Oh yes, my stomach’s growling at me. ‘Can I see you again?’ I turned to the girl and dog but they’d vanished.

I reluctantly followed Sooz back to camp. The way the girl and dog kept disappearing bothered me and that Sooz couldn’t see them – why couldn’t she see them? Strange!

Back on the plastic sheet I waited, while Sooz prepared my dinner.

‘Here you go puppy.’

I didn’t know why Sooz had to belittle me by calling me puppy. ‘My name’s Paddington, Sooz, and I’m growing up. I’m not little anymore.’

She patted my head affectionately. ‘Sit.’

I sat. This constant game I played just to get my dinner sometimes irked.

‘Good boy. Here you go.’

She placed my bowl in front of me. ‘Yum, thanks Sooz.’ I gobbled down dinner in seconds and looked up in the hope there might be more.

‘Come on, Paddington. I’ll take you for a toilet stop, before we eat.’

Grand Moo clipped my lead onto my collar, and under a starry sky, I led her away from the river and towards the rise and the house. I didn’t need a toilet stop, but got the urge when the pungent smell of a cowpat drifted my way.

‘Oh no you don’t!’ grand Moo pulled me back at the very moment I lunged forward to throw myself into it. Sometimes, I got this urge to roll in lovely perfumed cowpats and fox poo and my pets didn’t understand why.

Damn, I would have smelt lovely for Sooz, if I could have rolled. I continued walking across the plain hoping to find another one.

‘That’s far enough Paddington. We’re not walking up there in the dark.’

‘Please, grand Moo?’ I wanted to see the girl and dog again.

‘No Paddington.’ She yanked the lead and pulled me to a stop.

‘But grand Moo, there’s a girl and dog who live at the house. They won’t mind if we visit. They’ve lived here a long time.’ I told her everything I knew, but she wouldn’t have it. I should have asked Pete or Poo to take me for a walk. They’d have understood.

‘Hello little pup. You should be tucked up in bed.’

The girl stood a short distance away and the dog sat by her side.

‘Hello,’ I smiled at them. ‘Did I tell you my name’s…?’

‘… Paddington,’ finished the girl. ‘I know all about you.’

I didn’t understand how she could know, unless she’d over heard my pets using my name. ‘How do you know about me?’

‘I’ve heard it said you’re the first Bearded Collie to travel through the outback. That’s some accomplishment.’

‘Yes, well my pets brought me along. They needed me to look after them and I had a swollen ankle. But it’s okay now because I’ve rested it. And we have lots more places to visit…’

‘… Paddington, you’re full of yourself,’ said the dog.

The dog sounded grumpy. ‘Can I ask what your names are?’

‘I’m Alice and this is Red.’

‘Alice, Red – would you like to come to my camp and have dinner?’

‘… No, little man. I told you we don’t eat,’ said Alice.

I found the no eating issue hard to understand. ‘But why? If you don’t eat you’ll die. My mother, used to tell my brothers and sisters and me, we had to eat up all our dinner, otherwise we’d not grow big and strong.’

The girl’s laugh sounded like a rippling brook and the dog opened his mouth in a grin that reached his ears. ‘I don’t understand.’ They were laughing at me. Why would they do that when I wanted to help them?

‘It’s okay Paddington. We know you’re being kind and we don’t mean to mock you. But, we died a long time ago.’

My mouth fell open at her words. ‘But, you’re standing in front of me. How can you say that?’

‘Because what you see is an image of what we once were, we’re no longer solid objects like you. Think of us a breath of air.’

‘Is that how you moved through the wall, because you’re lighter than air?’

‘Yes something like,’ replied Alice. ‘It’s been nice meeting you Paddington. I doubt we will cross paths again. Take care of your pets and remember to take time to look after Lady Lola when you return home and learn about the greatness of those who went before you. Ask Lola to tell you about Gromit.’

Gromit again! ‘How do you know about him? Nobody will tell me about Gromit.’

‘Lola will tell you if you ask her. We must go.’

A cold gust of air surrounded me and I remembered the coldness in the house. ‘Alice, Red.’ I called their names, but they’d gone.

I led grand Moo back to camp and went to Sooz. She picked me up and cuddled me against her chest. I buried my head into her neck and breathed in her perfume and her warmth. ‘I love you Sooz.’

She kissed my head. ‘I love you Paddington,’ she said.

‘Do you love me as much as Gromit?’

‘He’s a real smooch tonight,’ said Pete.

‘Don’t disappear, Sooz – promise? Please.’ My heart raced when I thought of Sooz disappearing from my life.

‘What’s the matter Paddington? It’s been a big day for you. I think it’s time for bed.’

Yes Sooz. Can I curl up with you?’

‘Come on little man.’

When we huddled down under the sleeping bag and I curled into Sooz side, I thought about Alice and Red. What had their lives been like? I had a million questions to ask them, but I didn’t know if they would return before we left. Perhaps it’s for the best, I thought closing my eyes and drifting into a world of ghosts and dogs.

 

PINK!

The word invaded my dream. It came from the voices of my pets in the front of the Toyota. I didn’t want to wake yet, as I had to get back to my dream and save Sooz from a dingo.

The dingo reappeared, big, bold and pink.

It sneered at me before looking back towards where Sooz paddled in the shallows of a waterhole. It was crouched behind a wattle, ready to pounce and growled a low throaty warning at me.

I looked back at Sooz. I had to save her, she was my pet and no dingo was going to take my pet from me.

‘Oooooohhh, Ooooooohhh,’ the howl stopped everything. The birds stopped singing – the trees bowed at my feet – the fish in the waterhole lifted their fins in salute and the rabbits ran to their holes.

I wasn’t to be messed with? I was Paddington Bear from Balhannah – fierce, brave and strong.

The dingo looked at me – it didn’t look scared! Its lips curled back revealing long white canines.

‘Sooz, Sooz, Sooz.’ I called to her. She didn’t hear me. Why can’t she hear me?

The dingo turned its fierce teeth towards me.

I suddenly didn’t feel so fierce, but I had to do what I could for Sooz. ‘Don’t you touch my pet!’ I pushed the growl up from my gut and it burnt my tonsils and throat from the power of it.

The dingo’s body shook as it laughed. ‘What da ya think you’re going to do little man?’ It sat down suddenly to scratch behind its ear.

‘I might be small, but I fight like a tiger.’

‘I’ve seen rabbits bigger than you,’ laughed the dingo. ‘What breed are ya?’

‘I’m a pure bred Bearded Collie and that’s my pet you’re stalking.’

‘I’m a pure bred bla bla bla bla…’

‘Don’t make fun of me,’ I showed him my teeth and dropped my tail between my legs.

‘Call them teeth? Now these are teeth!’ He pulled his lips back and I got another glimpse of his incisors.

He was making fun of me – two can play that game. ‘Why are you pink? Aren’t dingo’s supposed to be yellow?’

‘Pink’s the in colour around these parts – you don’t know much, do you?’

‘Pink…’ the dingo’s mocking expression disappeared and Sooz voice came to the front of my brain.

‘Another Pink sign,’ she said.

‘Adam’s signs cover hundred of k’s,’ said Pete.

Pink! My eyes flicked open and I woke with my dream foremost in my mind. ‘I saw a pink dingo Sooz, it was going to eat you. I fought it off and saved you.’ I yawned and pushed into a sitting position to look out the window. ‘Pink, what colour is pink Sooz?’

‘Hello sleepy head.’ Sooz looked over her shoulder and smiled. ‘Pete we need to stop and give Paddington a drink.’

‘Okay. It’s probably time for refreshments.’

‘Thanks Sooz. I’m hungry too.’

‘It’s nearly lunch time. Why don’t you find a shady spot and we can have a bite.’

Lunch! How I loved that word. There were times when Sooz read my mind.

‘There’s another sign,’ Pete pointed and we all looked as we flashed past it.

So that’s pink!

We stopped and Sooz put my bowl onto the ground and filled it with water. I lapped up mouthfuls slurping greedily. While I drank she filled my food bowl with biscuits. I moved from the water to biscuits without lifting my head and gobbled them down.

Once I’d finished, I sat and watched the pets eat their lunch. I was vigilant for any little morsel that might fall at my feet – damn, it didn’t happen today. Once they were finished and Sooz and grand Moo packed away the leftovers, we were back on the track.

‘Not a lot of shade around here,’ said Pete. ‘It’s too hot to be caught out in the open.’

‘It can’t be far to Oodnadatta,’ said Sooz. ‘Look over there, another sign. Stop and you can take a picture of Paddington and me.’

‘Oh Sooz. Do we have to? It’s hot outside and I was dozing.’

There was no getting out of it. She attached the lead to my collar and lifted me to the hot sandy ground. I reluctantly followed her. ‘Sooz, the sand’s burning my pads. It’s alright for you, you’re wearing boots. Sooz, why can’t I have boots?’

‘Come on Paddington stop being a wuss. Pete’s going to take a picture.’

‘Not another one, Pete. You must have taken millions by now.’ I looked up at the sign. I didn’t see what the big deal was. It was another one of those pink signs that talked about the Pink Roadhouse. Why my pets needed to take millions of pictures of pink signs, was beyond me – they had some funny ideas. It was a good job I understood them.

‘We can get an ice-cream at the Pink Roadhouse,’ said Sooz.

‘Ice-cream! Do you mean like that time you gave me a taste of your ice-cream Sooz. Oh, yes please, I love ice-cream. Can I have my own this time?’ I remembered Sooz sharing her stick of ice-cream with me one day before our trip. She saved a bit for me and my tongue sluiced around the stick. I nearly swallowed it and Sooz had been firm about not doing that. The creamy, delicious flavour had left a lasting impression. I wanted an ice-cream.

‘Come on,’ I woofed. ‘Let’s go to the Pink Roadhouse.’

Staring through the window, I noticed the landscape changing. A tyre with something written across it indicated the entrance to a house. Then I saw a shed and another tyre and rusty equipment lying at the edge of the track. People around these parts used tyres for all sorts of things. After not seeing any other vehicles, there were four-wheel drives and trucks motoring along the same main street as us. It wasn’t like the Balhannah main street, which was civilised with tarmac roads and pavement to walk on. This was dusty, dry, windy and hot. On the left, large buildings rose up, with vehicles queued at petrol pumps and people sitting outside drinking and licking I – c – e – c – r – e – a – m – s I salivated at the sight. So this was the Pink Roadhouse, where we could buy ice-cream. I noticed the yard was dotted with bits of bric-a-brac and after seeing nothing but desert for days, I didn’t know what to look at first.

Then I saw a movement, low to the ground a swaggering walk. Was that a dog? My head swung back – yes it was.

‘Pete, stop, stop. Sooz a dog. Pete, there’s a dog. I haven’t seen a dog since Power in Marree, please stop.’ I tried to move but couldn’t. Damn this seat belt.

‘Paddington calm down. ‘Pull over there Pete, there’s shade.’

Pete stopped our wheels and the grand pets parked next to us. The grand pets got out and stretched. Sooz and Pete joined them and they huddled together talking.

I stretched my neck looking for the dog. ‘Me, don’t forget me. Have you forgotten something? Sooz, I’m still here.’

‘I don’t think you should get Paddington out here. Remember what the vet said. No contact with strange dogs. Open the window for him while we got to the shop.’

‘What was that Pete? No… I pulled against the seat belt but the damned thing wouldn’t budge. I played with Power. What’s the difference? I looked after you when the snakes were after you. Why can’t you let me play with those nice dogs? They look nice to me. Friendly – a bit mucky – but I’m sure they’d like me – because I’m very likeable – I won’t get into trouble – I promise – Pete come back.’

I sliced my tongue over Sooz’s hand as she opened the window for me. ‘Sooz, you’ll let me play with the dogs – won’t you?’

‘We won’t be long Paddington.’ She patted my head and walked away.

I watched in disbelief as my pets and grand pets left without a backward glance. ‘It’s not fair,’ I barked my annoyance.

‘Oui, you up there – Oui.’

I stopped crying and looked out of the window. ‘Did someone speak?’

‘You blind! – You city dogs, are all the same.’

I stretched my neck to get a better view. Below my window looking up was the scarred face of a large brown dog. His tattered ears hung around his face and his wet drooping eyes looked like he’d been crying. I’d never seen a tongue as long as his and it hung out the side of his mouth, with drool dripping in a pool at his very large feet.

‘Hello, I’m Paddington. Why don’t you have a tail?’

‘G'Day. I'm Fred. It got caught in the boss's grinder. I nearly died.’

I looked at him in awe. He looked like he was still recovering, with his skin hanging around his large frame. I didn’t like to be rude. ‘You’re looking well – considering.’

‘What kind of accent is that? You don’t sound ocker. Oh I get it, you’re one of those high bred types from the city – a snob?’

‘I’m not. I’m just a pup.’

‘I can see that – you thick or something?’

‘No, I’m still learning.’

‘Hey Sid, we got a right one over here.’

I watched a skinny dog with a long body and short fat legs waddle over. His head looked too big for his body as did his skin and his tongue was longer than his tail. I thought Fred had a long tongue but his mates touched the ground. I licked my lips delicately wondering if my tongue would one day be as long.

Fred’s mate tipped his head back to look at me. ‘Who’s this?’

‘He saiz his name’s Paddington.’

‘You ear long?’

‘Sorry Sid, you are called Sid, aren’t you? I don’t understand your question?’

‘What he means is how long ya here?’ said Fred.

‘I don’t think we’re here long.’

‘You with those oldies, that went to the shop?’ Sid strained his head to look at me.

‘Yes. They’re my pets. We’re travelling through the outback.’

‘Fair dinkum.’ Sid looked at Fred. ‘Well, what’d ya know. I’ve never seen a pup like him out these ways before.’

‘I’m gobsmacked,’ said Fred. ‘That’s some Galah, would be foolish enough to take a puffed up little fuzz ball like him walkabout?’

‘It beats me,’ said Sid. ‘He wouldn’t last long round these parts.’

Galah? Walkabout? They’d lost me, but I needed to let them know I was no ordinary fuzz ball. I puffed up my chest and said. ‘I’m the first Bearded Collie to travel this way.’

‘He talks like those pommies that travel through from time to time.’ Sid plonked his backside down into the dust and scratched at his hairless neck.

‘Do your pets bath you?’ I couldn’t help but notice they didn’t look very clean and in comparison to my lush clean coat, their coats were sparse and flea ridden.

‘Did you ear that?’ Sid’s lips pulled back over his yellow teeth as he laughed. ‘Pets – bath.’

‘What’s a pet?’ Fred’s watery eyelids blinked.

‘It’s like what those kids down the street keep caged.’

‘Oh right.’

‘I do know about a bath – it’s luxury around these parts,’ said Sid.

Fred whirled around and barked a warning towards a dog lurking by the compound fence. ‘Keep your thieving teeth off my tucker.’

I glimpsed a big burly man pouring left over food into two bowls, while another big dog skulked close by looking at it. ‘Is he your friend?’ I asked, thinking the dog didn’t look like he’d have many.

‘He won’t be, if he touches that sanger my truckie friend left.’ said Fred.

‘Sanger?’ I’d never heard of such a thing.

‘We have our regular visitors that looks after us,’ said Sid.

‘I haven’t spent all my spare time building up relationships with the truckies to have some mongrel from the other end of town sneaking my food. You learn your place around here, or you die young.’ Fred lopped away towards his bowl.

‘Come on Sid, dinner’s up.’

‘Hooroo.’

‘Goodbye.’ I woofed, watching them saunter over to their bowls. Another man appeared from the front of the shop and hurried over to where they waited by their bowls. ‘Good boys.’ I heard him say to them as he poured leftover food into them.

‘Thanks,’ said Fred and Sid to the stranger.

I picked up the aroma of meat and pangs of hunger hit.

I looked for Sooz and the other pets. Sooz appeared through the doorway with her arms full of goodies.

Pete walked behind her and the grand pets behind him. After they packed the goodies into the back of the Toyota, Sooz came looking for me.

‘Poor you, you must be starving?’ she said cooing in that voice that made me go all gooey.

‘Sooz, I thought you’d forgotten me.’

Her fingers caressed my head and I pushed into her hand. ‘Look what I’ve got for you. An icy pole.’

She wafted a stick like object wrapped in paper under my nose. I sniffed it. Yeah, Urgh – this wasn’t ice-cream, what was it? I pushed my nose into the wrapper, it smelt sweet and sticky.

‘Let me get the paper off first,’ said Sooz as I tried to eat it paper and all. I impatiently waited as she peeled the paper away and then held it for me to lick. The coldness hit my throat and slid down like silk. It was so delicious, icy on the outside with ice-cream in the middle. ‘Thank you Sooz.’ I looked at the clean stick. ‘Can I have another one please?’

‘Time to hit the road if we’re to find a camp at Eringa Waterhole before dark,’ said Pete.

‘I guess that means no.’ Damn. I looked for the grand pets. They were usually forthcoming with extras.

No such luck. They were closing their car doors and as Pete reversed the Toyota into the street Fred and Sid looked up.

‘Watch out for bunyips,’ woofed Fred.

‘I will,’ I barked through the open window while wondering what they were. ‘Nice to have met you.’

‘See ya next time, Cobber.’ woofed Sid.

‘Don’t be a Dipstick Fred, there won’t be a…‘

I ceased to hear their conversation as Pete accelerated away from the Pink Roadhouse and along the main street.

‘What’s a bunyip? Sooz.’

She obviously didn’t know as she didn’t answer me.

I stared out of the window and watched the town pass in a dusty blur. It didn’t take long, and we’d left the town behind and were back on the open plain continuing our journey north and the only remanence of our visit to the town of Oodnadatta was our banner of dust left in our wake.  

Part 9 of Paddington’s Story will be published on 20th January 2013 

You can download the earlier parts of Paddington’s Story in pdf, epub and mobi formats for e-readers, on the download page, under the More tab.