At Hughenden, outback Queensland, 21 degrees south and 144 degrees east.... And hot.....
Monday 12th I drove 70 km up the tropical North Queensland coast to Mossman Gorge, to visit Mandie and Chris Coxon in their spectacular B&B in the middle of the tropical rain forest. The drive up along the spectacular Captain Cook Highway was hauntingly reminiscent of East Timor, with forested mountains plunging down into mangroves and beaches fringing the Coral Sea - hauntingly reminiscent of Timor, but much better roads! Had to have a dip, safe, no stinging jellyfish at this time of year.... Lots of advice from Mandie on how to get by in the outback - most scary being her roadtrain stories (more on these later!).
Not had internet connections the last four days - possibilities are few and far between...... And veeerrryyyy slow..... So excuse not editing the pictures better - to be viewed in the order the themes are mentioned in the text!!!!
Monday 12th I drove 70 km up the tropical North Queensland coast to Mossman Gorge, to visit Mandie and Chris Coxon in their spectacular B&B in the middle of the tropical rain forest. The drive up along the spectacular Captain Cook Highway was hauntingly reminiscent of East Timor, with forested mountains plunging down into mangroves and beaches fringing the Coral Sea - hauntingly reminiscent of Timor, but much better roads! Had to have a dip, safe, no stinging jellyfish at this time of year.... Lots of advice from Mandie on how to get by in the outback - most scary being her roadtrain stories (more on these later!).
Tuesday 13th After breakfast (also for the local kookaburras!) back to Cairns to pick up the campervan - quite basic to say the least, but ok to drive - off on the first 270 km to Undara National Park with its spectacular lava tunnels, picking up some gear and supplies on the way....
Tortuous climb up 800 m through the wet forest to the tablelands, rolling farmlands, forests and lakes in young volcanics, then out into the dry open forest around Undara - arrived just as it got dark and started to realise it was a long time since I've camped! And how much basic gear I'd forgotten to buy - matches for example? Quite an uncomfortable first night out in the bush, but spectacular stars and a visit from a friendly wallaby.....
Wednesday 14th A morning tour of the a couple of the spectacular lava tubes - tunnels through which lava ran 190,000 years ago, then a reorganisation of the van (lets get this thing organised and still have some fun....) and siesta in blistering heat before a sundowner tour to see the kangaroos, wallabies and wallaroos at their waterhole and then view the dusk flyout from the caves of about 50,000 bats - tiger snakes lurking at the cave entrance to snap up any unsuspecting bats they could catch - quite a show!
Thursday 15th A long 620 km on out into the outback, now finally heading west - at first wondering at all the roadkill - dead roos - along the sides of the road - up to several per km, then I met my first live roo - he just stood still in the middle of the road and I had to brake hard before he leapt off, then I met my first roadtrain - great behemoths with 4 to 5 trailers in tow - up to 55 m long (10 normal cars) gunning along at 90 -100 km they stop for nothing!!! You just have to get off the road (often only a central single file asphalt strip with gravel shoulders on both sides) and hope for the best! And they certainly don't brake for roos.......
Now off westwards through the tropical savannah to see some Mesozoic and Cenozoic fossil sites and exhibits - didnt realise there were so many dinosaurs in this neck of the outback!
Super oppdatering! Wow, høres fantastisk ut å sove under den stjernehimmelen. Nå vekket du nesten reiselysten hos meg også (den har vært i dvale en god stund...)
SvarSlett