New photos have emerged of Barnaby Joyce frolicking in a thermal pool with his pregnant lover Vikki Campion when he was Deputy Prime Minister.
The controversial couple were pictured together near the Yarrangobilly Caves – remote part of Kosciuszko National Park – about 2pm on January 13.
The getaway, on a scorching hot day, came weeks before their affair was exposed, sparking the biggest political scandal in years.
‘I saw he (Mr Joyce) was with a pregnant woman and a younger guy,’ the photographer said.
Everything’s going swimmingly! Photos have only just emerged of Barnaby Joyce and Vikki Campion together at a remote thermal pool in January just before their affair was exposed
Ms Campion was spotted floating on her back relaxing – as Mr Joyce chats to her brother who joined them on the visit to the thermal pool near Yarrangobilly Caves in Kosciuszko National Park
The couple’s weekend getaway came on a ‘scorching’ hot day about a fortnight after they holidayed together at Palm Cove on the Queensland coast
‘I didn’t give it a lot of thought,’ the member of the public who spotted the couple said. Weeks later, after the scandal was exposed, the reality of it all sunk in
‘I just assumed it was his daughter and her partner…so I didn’t give it a whole lot of thought.
‘But when she started climbing on Barnaby’s back and then I saw her kissing his neck, I realised that was not his daughter.’
One of Ms Campion’s brothers joined the couple on their swim. Entry to the pool is free.
Daily Mail Australia contacted a spokesman for Mr Joyce about whether any expenses were lodged for the Saturday getwaway.
The Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA) has yet to release a report detailing parliamentarian expenses for the first months of 2018.
Two days after the swim, Mr Joyce was in Parkes, in the NSW Central West, for an infrastructure announcement. It’s unclear if Ms Campion accompanied him.
The photos were taken a fortnight after Mr Joyce was spotted holidaying with his partner at Palm Cove, in Queensland.
The pictures were taken two weeks and one day after the couple holidayed at Palm Cove, near Port Douglas in Queensland
A tradesman pulled his phone out and started taking photos when he realised the then-Deputy Prime Minister was present at the Yarrangobilly Caves’ thermal pool
The couple are believed to have gone on a coastal road-trip along the Queensland and NSW coasts through late December and early January.
Ms Campion concluded her employment with backbench Nationals MP Damian Drum in December, reportedly after a period of stress leave.
It is understood her redundancy package stopped paying out weeks ago.
Mr Joyce admitted Ms Campion was partner in early February.
He has protested public scrutiny of his private life.
At the weekend Barnaby Joyce (pictured with Vikki Campion) revealed he can’t be certain he is the father of his pregnant staffer’s baby
The political couple splashed about in the pool – which is fed by a natural spring
The pristine Yarrongabilly Caves thermal pool is heated to 27 degrees Celsius and is accessible by a short walk
But, in a surprise intervention, he told Fairfax Media last weekend the paternity of Ms Campion’s child was a ‘grey area’.
He said the couple were away from each other during much of the critical conception period.
However, he added: ‘It’s mine, on the record, there it is.
‘And I can say, even if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t care, I’d still go through this.
‘I’d still love him.’