tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6647089284214063762024-03-13T01:15:55.143-07:00 Of Cockatoos and KangaroosDoughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-88886532768278117482017-03-01T03:07:00.001-08:002017-03-01T18:56:30.766-08:00Walk a Mile - or two - in my shoes ...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn991jmmIsXFY6hV5Wpt5dmD47UAqEv_rWiIH861whgR09WREO7Q783LZPZf1_HEWPdNrybuqkO-QxLvUHbVbCc7vYY2wDhyphenhyphenppv60vsP4SoFNtptUFiRY4e0t7llqXdH8BE7GRC4toGqoP/s1600/5A+Tasman+Island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn991jmmIsXFY6hV5Wpt5dmD47UAqEv_rWiIH861whgR09WREO7Q783LZPZf1_HEWPdNrybuqkO-QxLvUHbVbCc7vYY2wDhyphenhyphenppv60vsP4SoFNtptUFiRY4e0t7llqXdH8BE7GRC4toGqoP/s640/5A+Tasman+Island.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Tasman Island from cliff edge</span></b></td></tr>
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After having <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/881156262" target="_blank">a pleasant stroll</a> up onto the lower slopes of Mt Wellington, Di and I thought it would be good to follow it up with something a bit more extended. Two immediate choices came to mind: <a href="http://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history/M/Mt%20Field%20West.htm" target="_blank">Mt Field West</a> or the trip out to <a href="http://Cape Pillar walk" target="_blank">Cape Pillar</a>. While a lot of folks do these two walks as overnighters, we've become quite enamoured of covering ground quickly via lightweight day hikes, and both walks work quite well as day trips. We find that by travelling this way, especially during daylight savings time, we get the best of both worlds in that we can savour the bush as much as we like and experience the joy of movement that is missing when one is carry more weight. The downside is that we don't camp as much as we might otherwise, but our old joints don't mind the trade-off, especially not carry the extra weight needed if you're camping.<br />
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My bad ankle was a bit sore after the walk on the mountain so I thought it might be prudent to avoid the scree hopping required by the Mt Field West walk, even though it is significantly shorter. Cape Pillar has the advantage of being a bit flatter as well. So that settled it: Cape Pillar it would be. Here's a look at the route we intended to take ...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1djmFFurO2LwXyh5XwdcFRJUPJ6u88mQ2TOHjR1HlYSpgpHfH7oEF_l4iY0iGuDc9YBaaSTJfXfMuNHtxtTNNezSlu6e3_zMDt0YUa6slb_HUmli3A00536g-AHow3sQ_cI-v_0h42JR/s1600/Fortescue+to+Cape+Pillar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1djmFFurO2LwXyh5XwdcFRJUPJ6u88mQ2TOHjR1HlYSpgpHfH7oEF_l4iY0iGuDc9YBaaSTJfXfMuNHtxtTNNezSlu6e3_zMDt0YUa6slb_HUmli3A00536g-AHow3sQ_cI-v_0h42JR/s640/Fortescue+to+Cape+Pillar.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Fortescue Bay to Cape Pillar</span></b></td></tr>
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Setting Off</h3>
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It takes about an hour and a half to drive from home in <a href="https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/Hobart+TAS/Fortescue+Bay+Camping+Ground,+Tasman+National+Park.,+Fortescue+TAS/@-42.9628383,147.3636972,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0xaa6e7584e52ccfed:0x503c94dd0de1530!2m2!1d147.3271949!2d-42.8821377!1m5!1m1!1s0xaa6da4927c07ca25:0x8eb6f0828a67fc31!2m2!1d147.963316!2d-43.143503?hl=en" target="_blank">Hobart to Fortescue Bay</a>, where the track starts. We got out of the house a bit after 6:30, stopped at Sorell for breakfast and were on the trail by 8:20 (light traffic allowed for a bit of speedy driving 😉). Trail runners or lightweight hiking shoes work really well for this sort of endeavour ...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbtC2c8fE8NDIMH3wKg4jU3b0nUPEArBD8nhZXkAZT05aBOREXy3eHLZ1d2W7rTCNLkSK1bFU3Z917tswK3JXc9GcQ3S_WISWRWgaJ-3xQDwKl6hLwpzMc-mGyMC97JKI_X74uTpJa5gL/s1600/1A+Ready+to+go.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbtC2c8fE8NDIMH3wKg4jU3b0nUPEArBD8nhZXkAZT05aBOREXy3eHLZ1d2W7rTCNLkSK1bFU3Z917tswK3JXc9GcQ3S_WISWRWgaJ-3xQDwKl6hLwpzMc-mGyMC97JKI_X74uTpJa5gL/s320/1A+Ready+to+go.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Speedy blue shoes</span></b></td></tr>
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The start of the track is clearly marked ...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyIeJqsL0HW71xKJmRMZI9LSC-vpVtuy2DFbFI4lt3ZH-jNTGJbUYaAsy-dIFADStv4EtS6bqxTIMMsf55fw3C7ZhIFVNmYTSRw8ADeNUvXiWS83pW05djhQ_EbIN3luNjXFC-9KQahfsD/s1600/1B+Track+start.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyIeJqsL0HW71xKJmRMZI9LSC-vpVtuy2DFbFI4lt3ZH-jNTGJbUYaAsy-dIFADStv4EtS6bqxTIMMsf55fw3C7ZhIFVNmYTSRw8ADeNUvXiWS83pW05djhQ_EbIN3luNjXFC-9KQahfsD/s400/1B+Track+start.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Heading towards the light</span></b></td></tr>
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A warm overnight meant that the temperature when we started was in the mid teens, so we warmed up pretty quickly. A few hundred metres after the start a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-fR3JvaT8k" target="_blank">Green Rosella</a>, endemic to Tasmania, flashed through the trees in front of me.</div>
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A little further along we walked past this absolute beauty of a mushroom ...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdGwzTm24qP_YHY8F3CCK3gkByzRIzjT-jF-HtIW9D1TVCGYsn57CXhEkvl5zVD_KtRYsZ_mIAQilALf6oXjcPZsNuLfPJjJQ1fk4vbdI6CQXPxDeQDo2wu5pLc7KOHGNPhP5AgjoJwbB/s1600/1C+mushroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdGwzTm24qP_YHY8F3CCK3gkByzRIzjT-jF-HtIW9D1TVCGYsn57CXhEkvl5zVD_KtRYsZ_mIAQilALf6oXjcPZsNuLfPJjJQ1fk4vbdI6CQXPxDeQDo2wu5pLc7KOHGNPhP5AgjoJwbB/s400/1C+mushroom.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Delicious but we're in a National Park!</span></b></td></tr>
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The track rises gently to begin with, so we were in shade to begin with, keeping the temperature comfortable. A good-sized wallaby bounced along the track in front of me but wouldn't stop long enough for a photo. </div>
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Zipping along through the eucalyptus forest, we were at the end of the access track and at the major T-junction that leads Three Capes walkers towards Munro hut and the route to Cape Pillar ...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKiFHfH0XGdEnQ8k3nBKRRVvpwLCwQfhsJyqXg9l2tTJagt6gPvUJ8ePf6RbSsn3TMJnhNsw5IonJPrdnECMXjaZ6e3KkmgcSNgMXGVjj72cnwj6sJgIUYpvVUBNewkLzikuCQdf6pS15m/s1600/1D+track+junction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKiFHfH0XGdEnQ8k3nBKRRVvpwLCwQfhsJyqXg9l2tTJagt6gPvUJ8ePf6RbSsn3TMJnhNsw5IonJPrdnECMXjaZ6e3KkmgcSNgMXGVjj72cnwj6sJgIUYpvVUBNewkLzikuCQdf6pS15m/s320/1D+track+junction.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Track Junction: turn right for Cape Pillar</span></b></td></tr>
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Towards Munro Hut and Cape Pillar</h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">A couple of hundred metres along the track there is a station for disinfecting footwear of the <a href="http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/biosecurity/plant-biosecurity/pests-and-diseases/phytophthora" target="_blank">Phytophhera cinnamoni</a> disease ...</span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8eLB-fwZkK2PXtXMACcwGTGENr_KSTtUgzRcHc-Q9lqIZB1_Wpsf33aoheHk9A8VAqT2Z-PMTfcE69ldhqRVSGdI0FPZ_c-t8oeKvjsveKv7S3tp8C5T3ukBW6AqX34HmPvrfjhDmfqb/s1600/2A+boot+washing+station.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8eLB-fwZkK2PXtXMACcwGTGENr_KSTtUgzRcHc-Q9lqIZB1_Wpsf33aoheHk9A8VAqT2Z-PMTfcE69ldhqRVSGdI0FPZ_c-t8oeKvjsveKv7S3tp8C5T3ukBW6AqX34HmPvrfjhDmfqb/s400/2A+boot+washing+station.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Doing the right thing</span></b></td></tr>
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From here it is about another kilometre and a half to the Munro accommodation complex ...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfcq6oLRG_OspjQuohZSG4WXSupiXpK4aaAlsmKrTGWOfq-j4_c4pAMJcfW-VDdRISZzZz5Oe3NsUx0aStNILDdHU5p4lpGIaMj54kZuKvTnwjLfwGvu0Ez3_d4JMfBMYXmC6WGg5cDko/s1600/3A+Munro+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfcq6oLRG_OspjQuohZSG4WXSupiXpK4aaAlsmKrTGWOfq-j4_c4pAMJcfW-VDdRISZzZz5Oe3NsUx0aStNILDdHU5p4lpGIaMj54kZuKvTnwjLfwGvu0Ez3_d4JMfBMYXmC6WGg5cDko/s640/3A+Munro+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Viewing deck, outdoor food prep area and main kitchen/dining area</span></b></td></tr>
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From the view deck on the left, which faces north, there is a great view across to <a href="http://kyofuu.deviantart.com/art/Cape-Hauy-561382057" target="_blank">Cape Hauy</a> ...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqGXBsAGAswf6HE-Vf8vXV_-9irTjAxf55l3GRWUc-SZQZirlbUR3WeRx2NDDNFevi8iJQrUju3pvLLaklLhr7F9628l-83PJWkstkclM_I2p6wPYVdoHJZ5j2NL0gYlTlQNmh3vBIgxO/s1600/3A1+Cape+Huay+from+Munro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqGXBsAGAswf6HE-Vf8vXV_-9irTjAxf55l3GRWUc-SZQZirlbUR3WeRx2NDDNFevi8iJQrUju3pvLLaklLhr7F9628l-83PJWkstkclM_I2p6wPYVdoHJZ5j2NL0gYlTlQNmh3vBIgxO/s640/3A1+Cape+Huay+from+Munro.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>View towards Cape Hauy</b></span></td></tr>
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The first time we saw Munro - almost exactly a year ago - we were staggered by the luxuriousness of it. Here's another view of it ...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuGe40wmOiPV6Ax_7aMU3jUwMQoH1wL8AmNHSBmTHqHyHweAqA8CL7FSLscKPspQGPL8LT4mFFzmy191e2wifIUMAygkAqA9lsDMZ3d7QDHzm44nld_pf9874XZnYBXXGEYcU915pF8Tl/s1600/3B+Munro+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuGe40wmOiPV6Ax_7aMU3jUwMQoH1wL8AmNHSBmTHqHyHweAqA8CL7FSLscKPspQGPL8LT4mFFzmy191e2wifIUMAygkAqA9lsDMZ3d7QDHzm44nld_pf9874XZnYBXXGEYcU915pF8Tl/s640/3B+Munro+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Munro meals and mingling area</span></b></td></tr>
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The accommodation units, consisting of conjoined four and eight bed rooms, are hidden behind.</div>
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By now we were about 9 ½ kilometres into our projected 32 kilometre walk. After a short break chatting with the resident Parks Ranger we were back on the track. Boardwalks have been used extensively in areas where the ground underneath is sensitive to erosion or compaction. Occasional artworks have been inserted to add a bit of quirkiness and break the monotony of the boards ...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZMP9TfBC4elre1XoV6KHmDhaimVCUtLzXgKaAMwSA1k_cmCCndvWxASZzrnlR0Xs_0bL5YpFuQz99rrRDad3dODQ9QKt7OGhSfpQHfQNKa0_LJ1Vsh7g_w7L4SOQmulJKn8VL4E4NIly/s1600/4A+Track+art+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZMP9TfBC4elre1XoV6KHmDhaimVCUtLzXgKaAMwSA1k_cmCCndvWxASZzrnlR0Xs_0bL5YpFuQz99rrRDad3dODQ9QKt7OGhSfpQHfQNKa0_LJ1Vsh7g_w7L4SOQmulJKn8VL4E4NIly/s400/4A+Track+art+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Eye wide open</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdsxVAa_s2yXe0ZIfB9gMzUpdID3XfQBtyX_X9Pn5-IcfV_ruYJZGUYZdLOwVEzmHNVC4Z7gI0zoietKTmM98rK3yolgv7xQnA3t4zmFfKCg56JONCnAH9fmUuSmqO11OP6gUiPYW1PYX/s1600/4B+Track+art+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdsxVAa_s2yXe0ZIfB9gMzUpdID3XfQBtyX_X9Pn5-IcfV_ruYJZGUYZdLOwVEzmHNVC4Z7gI0zoietKTmM98rK3yolgv7xQnA3t4zmFfKCg56JONCnAH9fmUuSmqO11OP6gUiPYW1PYX/s400/4B+Track+art+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Colours of the rainbow</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBI5yhvx6r4mwP0N418R4y_ropScE0qAReol_lhyjBmOKwXEyit-btpaMARJnn55QKzbT_TKbo8q-dbLr0vmosnXZMfWnWSRJ8VXDGUL_kEH1OWyFhl6RFFTV3gX_ayJpi-yJTrMABD8cH/s1600/4C+Track+art+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBI5yhvx6r4mwP0N418R4y_ropScE0qAReol_lhyjBmOKwXEyit-btpaMARJnn55QKzbT_TKbo8q-dbLr0vmosnXZMfWnWSRJ8VXDGUL_kEH1OWyFhl6RFFTV3gX_ayJpi-yJTrMABD8cH/s640/4C+Track+art+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Feelers?</span></b></td></tr>
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The vegetation along the way alternates between dry eucalyptus forest, copses of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksia_marginata" target="_blank">Banksia marginata</a> and <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?q=coastal+heath&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiurM3O9rTSAhVK02MKHXupAt8QsAQIKQ&biw=1423&bih=1067" target="_blank">coastal heath</a>. At one point as we were entering a section of mixed scrub from open heathland Di got me to pause so she could photograph some large Tea Tree shrubs still in flower ...</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xC4ejSfxLJNg3sOCABcZR9irAdNnjOH0q86oJxl1ozs4wtfnaSlV4AtocwtJZm7fO_iXXNsA6VGfHfg41Vq8e1jW7p-wJSo5sHt0EUBzMjAdkxved44L-Lk9moYwa4bmHQLmzDTqRKLA/s1600/4C1+Tea+Tree+in+flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xC4ejSfxLJNg3sOCABcZR9irAdNnjOH0q86oJxl1ozs4wtfnaSlV4AtocwtJZm7fO_iXXNsA6VGfHfg41Vq8e1jW7p-wJSo5sHt0EUBzMjAdkxved44L-Lk9moYwa4bmHQLmzDTqRKLA/s640/4C1+Tea+Tree+in+flower.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Tea Tree in flower</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Soon we were on the edge of earth, high above the sea below. We were greeted by more artworks ...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0JahwjKfTvP9zsJvlAu9rM-pPPOp84oz18OU0J6x6_tV6p20oljmOMBlatUrTFZ91A9HemP2qIWmmRoTYDLK3wy18FVcR7ARqtoraqH-abzaOqrHGs-aTKrawGdQF5eAfR-A6R1VcErK/s1600/4D+Track+art+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0JahwjKfTvP9zsJvlAu9rM-pPPOp84oz18OU0J6x6_tV6p20oljmOMBlatUrTFZ91A9HemP2qIWmmRoTYDLK3wy18FVcR7ARqtoraqH-abzaOqrHGs-aTKrawGdQF5eAfR-A6R1VcErK/s640/4D+Track+art+4.jpg" width="451" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Arrrrh, Matey!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCoP-gd1xsS_Pw4puFNHpGKBUHqZKqIpBQMfMDn0Ys1TyrYi4g1JkLH6-sglnHMrY2Do4d25Xka-J4SCqkvzoqSPqwltn6ZL2TWfDXpkJlSEZjJ0Wqtr0i08SqoLgOz7G1OaichWcJ1X5/s1600/4E+Track+art+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCoP-gd1xsS_Pw4puFNHpGKBUHqZKqIpBQMfMDn0Ys1TyrYi4g1JkLH6-sglnHMrY2Do4d25Xka-J4SCqkvzoqSPqwltn6ZL2TWfDXpkJlSEZjJ0Wqtr0i08SqoLgOz7G1OaichWcJ1X5/s640/4E+Track+art+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Ever to be remembered ...</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
... and soon thereafter our first glimpses of Tasman Island ...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBg6ijc6-_BbhScutIy5p72gElhi-7-YuUwymf95nAwobWd6OYejvgFdlPPIY6UpKir-Ogny2ZIIafnTcajULOFnK_OJULBd7dXoZCNVMVcQO-Sun3_4FpInvI2KC9oDs_XJEdW2Z2K8oS/s1600/5A+Tasman+Island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBg6ijc6-_BbhScutIy5p72gElhi-7-YuUwymf95nAwobWd6OYejvgFdlPPIY6UpKir-Ogny2ZIIafnTcajULOFnK_OJULBd7dXoZCNVMVcQO-Sun3_4FpInvI2KC9oDs_XJEdW2Z2K8oS/s640/5A+Tasman+Island.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Tasman Island and The Blade</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
While this view is pretty good, the really spectacular vista is from the top of The Blade (which can been seen to the left of the island in the photo above) ...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_3vzq3WbvmbxBjG6_Hcvi1SE8R5Ni9hbMot54rzz7_HUCi1ot8vG6jfJDq6HwTB2yLrsvPH0N6u56iu9FPXIdz5L0_GU-f_qlvzgFjBWlt_VcQ9LRJc2sMpyTQCciP77o4X5PwFWjP0U/s1600/5B+Tasman+Island+from+The+Blade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_3vzq3WbvmbxBjG6_Hcvi1SE8R5Ni9hbMot54rzz7_HUCi1ot8vG6jfJDq6HwTB2yLrsvPH0N6u56iu9FPXIdz5L0_GU-f_qlvzgFjBWlt_VcQ9LRJc2sMpyTQCciP77o4X5PwFWjP0U/s640/5B+Tasman+Island+from+The+Blade.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Tasman Island from The Blade</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After spending a few minutes drinking up the scenery we headed back along the track to find a quiet place to enjoy our lunch. Along the way there are great views to the west, looking down onto the Trident, across to Crescent Beach and Mount Brown, and the <a href="http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=1536" target="_blank">cape that's missing</a> from the Three Capes Track ...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXg8HZjvdLwYyrjZO1b7pkSSf4XDwlk58gu-gY3VTxcWA2XqmeV1lisSXv398vKin9CRpc3NeaS5MTxIOMMOqUYU-z4d5aqcesSGDorZ4fLhJRg5xy2v7P-X-S8k99ueytmhsw7NE0ojQ/s1600/6A+Cape+Pillar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXg8HZjvdLwYyrjZO1b7pkSSf4XDwlk58gu-gY3VTxcWA2XqmeV1lisSXv398vKin9CRpc3NeaS5MTxIOMMOqUYU-z4d5aqcesSGDorZ4fLhJRg5xy2v7P-X-S8k99ueytmhsw7NE0ojQ/s640/6A+Cape+Pillar.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Looking west</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The grand vistas are wonderful, but occasionally one's attention is drawn to something rather innocuous but nonetheless rather beautiful ...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GqoK3Znvca87V_MFoz5iXm9yWYcU_VM7KEDE1QSKWEAUa-OhCj5X3UlUnzf9XgjevZXsaopM_w-Hvi71hFHNZ7RtPy5My9u5uLqy_PChwoYff5cnfU2Mq8l4WlYMTBjT4tsxq4rH2NjE/s1600/6B+Young+sprout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GqoK3Znvca87V_MFoz5iXm9yWYcU_VM7KEDE1QSKWEAUa-OhCj5X3UlUnzf9XgjevZXsaopM_w-Hvi71hFHNZ7RtPy5My9u5uLqy_PChwoYff5cnfU2Mq8l4WlYMTBjT4tsxq4rH2NjE/s640/6B+Young+sprout.jpg" width="438" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Young sprout?</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Lunch ... and a bit of a Detour!</h3>
<div>
With our stomachs growling, we decided to just plop ourselves down trackside at a flat rock in a bit of shade and tuck into some food ...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HbQ2Nvrh-ugEoQ3aC4aY5xWnEEqAY2Z1_9ypmhlYbPIBT7wRSRlGt1BzW4wEOt-zE76TGo1TbVzR0PZ1fUY2PltwoIkbR5LBAC3dtPgy7Jvt47hhP9h_lhIrpCn6wjpSJMQ_TM7elb4y/s1600/6C+Lunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HbQ2Nvrh-ugEoQ3aC4aY5xWnEEqAY2Z1_9ypmhlYbPIBT7wRSRlGt1BzW4wEOt-zE76TGo1TbVzR0PZ1fUY2PltwoIkbR5LBAC3dtPgy7Jvt47hhP9h_lhIrpCn6wjpSJMQ_TM7elb4y/s640/6C+Lunch.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Ahhh ... Lunch!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Revitalised, we hit the trail again. There was the occasional banksia flower adding a bit of colour ...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbApP9lTlbQKwmeGzhsc7wWWIgFm5JLHIxzGvZgMhMKfgRmVfAJfJlyL3r9Mb95F6awRZiCs4Ka4wMhiwVYjyGRosyIOWKGeyjPCFBzcAZ4MbJz2dUiPTcp_y1bsX997DzvK2D8uynOOF/s1600/6D+Banksia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbApP9lTlbQKwmeGzhsc7wWWIgFm5JLHIxzGvZgMhMKfgRmVfAJfJlyL3r9Mb95F6awRZiCs4Ka4wMhiwVYjyGRosyIOWKGeyjPCFBzcAZ4MbJz2dUiPTcp_y1bsX997DzvK2D8uynOOF/s400/6D+Banksia.jpg" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Banksia flower</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
... and great views to the north towards Cape Hauy, with <a href="http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=3495" target="_blank">Maria Island</a> and the Freycinet Peninsula visible in the far distance ...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbW9y3fkeggFAUWJ-0JMk1ZffKt-JVot6W9i6M-iC0eMMEJFLbRH_L_IHo7s2tkYYF0oGTOvU-lIpMy0MfazmBBDljWHlA1KP7L4U2l41A2qHo8_O8Ela_Aq-DiBLLl-XaK1T5QSuyZYs/s1600/7A+Cape+Huay+again.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbW9y3fkeggFAUWJ-0JMk1ZffKt-JVot6W9i6M-iC0eMMEJFLbRH_L_IHo7s2tkYYF0oGTOvU-lIpMy0MfazmBBDljWHlA1KP7L4U2l41A2qHo8_O8Ela_Aq-DiBLLl-XaK1T5QSuyZYs/s640/7A+Cape+Huay+again.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Views to the north</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We paused again at Munro to have another bite to eat and fill the water bladders in our day packs. By this time we were more than two-thirds of the way through our journey and pleased with our progress. We were a bit curious about Retakunna, the next hut north along the Three (or is that Two?) Capes Track and discussed the idea of making the short detour north to have a look at it. As we were still feeling pretty frisky when we got to the turn-off we decided to head along that way to have a look ...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxviAn-GhSkoGt1GuCb8ArIR6ytZ-uA_oBQtJMPId1dW98zxram1Ki3MMXZNkaTH2YzILZA1F7y3kWc7z1VIc20AEl4GZvbwmHMhyna9W8GhLPSi4r-F0mrkB2-4LconYJYXaLw49qISj/s1600/8A+Retakunna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxviAn-GhSkoGt1GuCb8ArIR6ytZ-uA_oBQtJMPId1dW98zxram1Ki3MMXZNkaTH2YzILZA1F7y3kWc7z1VIc20AEl4GZvbwmHMhyna9W8GhLPSi4r-F0mrkB2-4LconYJYXaLw49qISj/s640/8A+Retakunna.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Retakunna signpost</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CTSJe31xQbSJ7kSzaYMEopSNd3xLycql0hhtuqpDnezfrFxIIFvzsBZcj1efzWCzIeR0zJXMeQduY8stRj1fKgUO2LX8FzQItLC_zSrc8mRv7ch9u1UNw-M1QVK_Qmvj5DLNOOWGcNsq/s1600/8C+Retakunna+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CTSJe31xQbSJ7kSzaYMEopSNd3xLycql0hhtuqpDnezfrFxIIFvzsBZcj1efzWCzIeR0zJXMeQduY8stRj1fKgUO2LX8FzQItLC_zSrc8mRv7ch9u1UNw-M1QVK_Qmvj5DLNOOWGcNsq/s640/8C+Retakunna+3.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Retakunna accommodation block</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In the backs of our minds, both of us rationalised that it wasn't that much farther to keep going and do the loop to Fortescue Bay rather than head back along the way we'd come. Besides, if we continued onwards we'd be on some track we hadn't walked before. It didn't take more than a couple of seconds for us to decide to head into new ground and go the extra distance.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Some very pleasant walking followed, on a mixture of boardwalk and hardened ground. After a couple of easy kilometres the track started to rise more steeply. Some fantastic track work has been done along here, with excellent series of steps making for easy climbing. Mt Fortescue, the high point of the entire Three Capes Track is an indistinct peak that levels off at just under 500 metres. Once the track reaches the top some excellent views appear back towards Cape Pillar and Tasman Island behind ...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7CNZIkRw-TURQ_eUwoGnnoOVZrii0QNlVvIxcMDYc_XnDQ2su5vnYwNLdOh5WIlB-Dl5qa2GaIIqP1LiYqa9zNOCYJOhOhDBo83xDcxH3_RVXwokv_-s9gw3m77cBQSffb8knMuNVk9X/s1600/9A+Cape+Pillar+and+Tasman+Island+from+Mt+Fortescue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7CNZIkRw-TURQ_eUwoGnnoOVZrii0QNlVvIxcMDYc_XnDQ2su5vnYwNLdOh5WIlB-Dl5qa2GaIIqP1LiYqa9zNOCYJOhOhDBo83xDcxH3_RVXwokv_-s9gw3m77cBQSffb8knMuNVk9X/s640/9A+Cape+Pillar+and+Tasman+Island+from+Mt+Fortescue.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Cape Pillar and Tasman Island</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We normally think of our wonderful endemic <a href="http://www.birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/black-currawong" target="_blank">Black Currawong</a>, with its unique clinking melody, as a bird that prefers our higher mountains, but every once they surprise us. As we were walking through the forest at the top of Mt Fortescue we came across a cheeky fellow that let us get quite close before flying away.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There is some more traversing along cliff edges and at one point is another quirky bit of art ...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gpMmvduoTdxF-3yNBEAI5eaVmz72dUL9Y2TeWRL8UNh8y0UEuLBQwdJwb4OsUcvqbcaTn4I0GYfcGGu3IXiKaieDex3drT57CU_-lb5aD5ddQaRDkrP2jFRgzu-Yat9Z-iplkSesSpFs/s1600/9B+Trackside+artwork+on+Mt+Fortescue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gpMmvduoTdxF-3yNBEAI5eaVmz72dUL9Y2TeWRL8UNh8y0UEuLBQwdJwb4OsUcvqbcaTn4I0GYfcGGu3IXiKaieDex3drT57CU_-lb5aD5ddQaRDkrP2jFRgzu-Yat9Z-iplkSesSpFs/s400/9B+Trackside+artwork+on+Mt+Fortescue.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Ten Thousand ... Whales???</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The track descends fairly steeply off Mt Fortescue, again utilising some excellent runs of steps - two of which you can make out if you look closely at the next photo ...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuSg5HHvukdwAo5gDYbN7HP_az7xOkCMsjVa-vbbJc_rFdMTwWvp_cbfAgO9aklnRe9v7KPMSdE5C9oq2GFlQAPtUnj1dQFRB1k9GCAVy70DtEWuxMGn5cpW2q9uJjPxPOydiBNcDvEzO/s1600/9C+Manferns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuSg5HHvukdwAo5gDYbN7HP_az7xOkCMsjVa-vbbJc_rFdMTwWvp_cbfAgO9aklnRe9v7KPMSdE5C9oq2GFlQAPtUnj1dQFRB1k9GCAVy70DtEWuxMGn5cpW2q9uJjPxPOydiBNcDvEzO/s640/9C+Manferns.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Man ferns and steps</span></b></td></tr>
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<div>
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<div>
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<div>
After descending for a while through this small, beautiful area of <a href="https://www.steveparish-natureconnect.com.au/nature-centre/wet-sclerophyll-forests/" target="_blank">wet sclerophyll forest</a> we emerged into more dry terrain again. Before we knew it we'd passed the junction of the track that leads out to Cape Hauy and were heading northward towards Fortescue Bay. Di spotted a couple of our favourite birds - the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo - and tried to get a picture. Moving that bit too close she prompted them to take to the wing but did get some evidence of their presence ...</div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluHcDuFse9_G9cMqkBhP5IuPTpS_r3E4QeExTf6bZB6t_3leYqjTxHXOAQBV99C-qdMy7gzLvBC1UsTL7w3b5yrSrCpQlN_EGC3kPziBWiGeap43MtKd2-2grny3wmtBRE89BiPNz0h6s/s1600/10A+Cockatoo+in+flight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluHcDuFse9_G9cMqkBhP5IuPTpS_r3E4QeExTf6bZB6t_3leYqjTxHXOAQBV99C-qdMy7gzLvBC1UsTL7w3b5yrSrCpQlN_EGC3kPziBWiGeap43MtKd2-2grny3wmtBRE89BiPNz0h6s/s640/10A+Cockatoo+in+flight.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Cockatoo in flight</span></b></td></tr>
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<div>
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<div>
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<div>
Despite being in the home straight after covering quite a lot of ground and looking forward to sitting as opposed to striding, we were still appreciative of the jewels of nature that presented themselves from time to time. Here's an orchid that Di spotted ...</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYa5qAG08vS_y7xvawMXs75kuebcyF7DGtUuV6IgW5JdDIL5W5_3S_9zWh-J1s0xFsSLj4_1q0ySzMtLr-RlrZefbzEBGqdHjqj9k01ic-RUqNOvEtNRr-JzzQ2gTDJH7Cm_qL0CvLopk/s1600/10B+Orchid.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Orchid</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYa5qAG08vS_y7xvawMXs75kuebcyF7DGtUuV6IgW5JdDIL5W5_3S_9zWh-J1s0xFsSLj4_1q0ySzMtLr-RlrZefbzEBGqdHjqj9k01ic-RUqNOvEtNRr-JzzQ2gTDJH7Cm_qL0CvLopk/s1600/10B+Orchid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b></b></a></div>
<div>
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<div>
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<div>
With our destination getting quite close we encountered this tempting rest spot ...</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbrNdSAr3kZ2SgW0p2quCAqS7dunw8r6scy8rjQONbq4-VOpJkIpWpfXjwu7aos137j-ZmZrvyKStyRqUDRoeNIVPoNKM6IG9GhEgg4xGV59vWp5dvFNtALyrh3-TqL8yQcEXu9LYMIHv/s1600/11A+At+Rest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbrNdSAr3kZ2SgW0p2quCAqS7dunw8r6scy8rjQONbq4-VOpJkIpWpfXjwu7aos137j-ZmZrvyKStyRqUDRoeNIVPoNKM6IG9GhEgg4xGV59vWp5dvFNtALyrh3-TqL8yQcEXu9LYMIHv/s640/11A+At+Rest.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Are we there yet?</span></b></td></tr>
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<div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
... but Di soon had me up and moving again. </div>
<div>
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<div>
And, just a few hundred metres further along the track at this new installation, we saw the familiar, always beautiful beach at Fortescue Bay camping area beckoning ...</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhsSo5EV2y0FfUrWYrujeKQB5SkqZE_Yi6B58rGfvJJS2BwD6vH4BhOBP8GCYhqLwzr0tgT8HhJuivWn08tBYsasyFemVmhUZVViGSAUNdK1QBAiCYjzwmKnod7DJ29dWB4CccRLRHyGW/s1600/11B+Fortescue+Bay+in+sight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhsSo5EV2y0FfUrWYrujeKQB5SkqZE_Yi6B58rGfvJJS2BwD6vH4BhOBP8GCYhqLwzr0tgT8HhJuivWn08tBYsasyFemVmhUZVViGSAUNdK1QBAiCYjzwmKnod7DJ29dWB4CccRLRHyGW/s640/11B+Fortescue+Bay+in+sight.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Nearly!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<div>
We only had about a kilometre to go and, as we always do, we finished with a burst. (In this case, it helped that it was downhill the rest of the way!) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When we got to the car, Di's phone said we'd covered exactly 37 kilometres (she actually didn't start recording until we were a few hundred metres along the route!) and were moving for 7 hours and 13 minutes. For what it's worth, my watch (which always tells me I've travelled less than what both my Garmin and my phone say) recorded the journey as 36.1 kilometres.<br />
<br />
Anyway, here's the actual route we hiked ...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNcx4SwMpi_0Zeej36Mt1Zz3B8J6Wo07yQzNCdhCFcnvcwr18SaluSlXRkUeUYxqEffrv6BxiCs0RkemD-dmlic8AKHPrVp16_ZnsMTDXA0xm_LQX8AINyPOnZ6ec6XhSqFGq8aGsg-K2/s1600/Why+not.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNcx4SwMpi_0Zeej36Mt1Zz3B8J6Wo07yQzNCdhCFcnvcwr18SaluSlXRkUeUYxqEffrv6BxiCs0RkemD-dmlic8AKHPrVp16_ZnsMTDXA0xm_LQX8AINyPOnZ6ec6XhSqFGq8aGsg-K2/s640/Why+not.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The </span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><b>southern extremities of the the Tasman Peninsula</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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(For reference purposes I've zoomed out so that you can see Cape Raoul as well. It's the cape at the southwest extremity of the map. It makes for a great walk in its own right and was meant to be one of the "three capes".)<br />
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And for any of you readers who are techno geeks here is a graph produced by my watch, showing elevation vs time, with the gaps represented time when we weren't moving ...</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9eDdlc0YKHMimQ9mYmjJ-Lz_24aZxQHdIa7yINAZ7-yWN3ZA1YS5VVV4ukJFhGBJzZWaVkoiGs3p33NoOibDdNNAUQN9C1jjAE3w6MOqXzvmx9HOxv3S_07aT5UD5NRGW9mzZYtHXvV40/s1600/Walk+Graph+showing+elevation+and+time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9eDdlc0YKHMimQ9mYmjJ-Lz_24aZxQHdIa7yINAZ7-yWN3ZA1YS5VVV4ukJFhGBJzZWaVkoiGs3p33NoOibDdNNAUQN9C1jjAE3w6MOqXzvmx9HOxv3S_07aT5UD5NRGW9mzZYtHXvV40/s640/Walk+Graph+showing+elevation+and+time.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
... and if you're really geeky, <a href="http://www.movescount.com/moves/move144682620#calendar-month=2017-03" target="_blank">here is a link</a> with more data on ascent/descent, speed and other useless information. </div>
<div>
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<div>
All said and done and techno geeky stuff put to one side, it was a magnificent day out and about in the land of cockatoos and kangaroos. Thanks Di for coming with me on yet another excellent adventure.</div>
Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-1943907999072036412017-02-17T13:14:00.001-08:002017-02-17T13:14:30.642-08:00A Sortie South for Di and DougThe Boss and I had been discussing some trips we could do, combining a bit of riding, doing some <a href="http://www.worldofwanderlust.com/the-absolute-best-things-to-do-in-tasmania-top-50/" target="_blank">Island Dreaming</a> and making use of our <a href="http://www.ultimateoffroadcampers.com.au/" target="_blank">Freedom Machine</a>. A short trip we thought might be fun would be to do a bike/drive relay to Southport one day, have a hike day two, then ride/drive back on day three. On Monday evening, after having a look at the forecast Di said, "What about going to Southport <b>tomorrow</b>?" "Okay," says I, and we started packing.<br />
<h3>
Day One: Cycling Relay ~ Hobart to Southport</h3>
<div>
I asked Di whether she wanted to ride or drive first up. She said she wanted to ride down past Dover through to Southport, which meant that I got the first cycling leg. We decided that the best spot for the changeover would be the lovely town of Franklin. Here's a screenshot showing the route and its cross-section ...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7AbWyIOO2Vp75CAeKghr3KK1R4SZQjvJRIfDt_Wiqyehbnl9ndoyBOkUiunkBOssIojtnUbg7CREs8wUU9apCvIW4k-ME0tS4nf4eBFPJxPlqh451EZhPskzuF-8uQ7jdSAAZtVD9Gjy/s1600/Home+to+Franklin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7AbWyIOO2Vp75CAeKghr3KK1R4SZQjvJRIfDt_Wiqyehbnl9ndoyBOkUiunkBOssIojtnUbg7CREs8wUU9apCvIW4k-ME0tS4nf4eBFPJxPlqh451EZhPskzuF-8uQ7jdSAAZtVD9Gjy/s640/Home+to+Franklin.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Home to Franklin</span></b></td></tr>
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... and a few photos I took along the way ...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfvCaxRl0gkG7JVC8b-Uj1TB8U1Hyvv2dXCqtCCoJSlZnJCF0y31wYtgUHHqYax7538KHbkP6ADxT9QfUdAPGJBC8VUnb-uL2HNyaaq6j6gG-ZguSnQ-8whzTHkpXc3MYgaFUTHWsBH4V/s1600/A1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfvCaxRl0gkG7JVC8b-Uj1TB8U1Hyvv2dXCqtCCoJSlZnJCF0y31wYtgUHHqYax7538KHbkP6ADxT9QfUdAPGJBC8VUnb-uL2HNyaaq6j6gG-ZguSnQ-8whzTHkpXc3MYgaFUTHWsBH4V/s640/A1.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Apples ripening in the Huon Valley</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UZRnwWcHWX5fG1J99mfjTKhIt8d_JG94YL8XxT2N_dJ2CvNGtdBJmTHMt0wbMdI1-XNDMLi1w4EEePgbKwVRXN-NiADeS4XDViyuvtovCmVkMlWdIAFU0kASYechMa9X3Wsh6zWskSa2/s1600/A2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UZRnwWcHWX5fG1J99mfjTKhIt8d_JG94YL8XxT2N_dJ2CvNGtdBJmTHMt0wbMdI1-XNDMLi1w4EEePgbKwVRXN-NiADeS4XDViyuvtovCmVkMlWdIAFU0kASYechMa9X3Wsh6zWskSa2/s640/A2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">St Cuthbert's Church in Ranelagh</span></b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRo1VChZKg903WQbHbxFanxzyF9ass3PwzT4m2i5VLN3PvMitYgDsxYq-JdvX5Bp2r5Um4v7NMw437W47lFeF0_mQtG8pFrd_CjTQI9z5kqGF2HuEuoArIUCu59SQRIdvK6vh1f4XEwAmQ/s1600/A3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRo1VChZKg903WQbHbxFanxzyF9ass3PwzT4m2i5VLN3PvMitYgDsxYq-JdvX5Bp2r5Um4v7NMw437W47lFeF0_mQtG8pFrd_CjTQI9z5kqGF2HuEuoArIUCu59SQRIdvK6vh1f4XEwAmQ/s640/A3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Huon River at Huonville</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLRxtdUeM2JKhw0VfwbfSyqzU8_m9Q7D8S0KAmcjyWLj6U09dm84eSPC0OwUlkGXx07RwIAXT2hgpEwRXZDvz-oEBVxYo5lZRxCAh7RJ-nHC_byD3Go0rAoSjG9MixJ7L9-uposIfGaSD/s1600/A5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLRxtdUeM2JKhw0VfwbfSyqzU8_m9Q7D8S0KAmcjyWLj6U09dm84eSPC0OwUlkGXx07RwIAXT2hgpEwRXZDvz-oEBVxYo5lZRxCAh7RJ-nHC_byD3Go0rAoSjG9MixJ7L9-uposIfGaSD/s640/A5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Boats at rest south of Franklin</span></b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YEcxFXLlKtk7TgiCUvn9EyZXOBQdLA5MXr6_DS908AzD_-PB5CvC0ZU8GDIqyPXudRf0OfMlacQtK60T4kWC2MHOe-DmGaSIsxeOPBKxhwXHjmxqM8G5zIBrJ8ge7g6A5REQZqsmuvlm/s1600/A4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YEcxFXLlKtk7TgiCUvn9EyZXOBQdLA5MXr6_DS908AzD_-PB5CvC0ZU8GDIqyPXudRf0OfMlacQtK60T4kWC2MHOe-DmGaSIsxeOPBKxhwXHjmxqM8G5zIBrJ8ge7g6A5REQZqsmuvlm/s640/A4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Passing the baton to Batten</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXej6fJkEuK0WywcwKD1qFa18-w-47JL65BsmR6op9xyuV1TNVJkMFd9hyphenhyphenbYQIdBqitXytO4S6OUB1eLXnxAtQy-VKSZwk6_-onHEbjVQvS4QJ1GV3gGVy3W72Q9flYUlXfmjX4Vm2qvb/s1600/A6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXej6fJkEuK0WywcwKD1qFa18-w-47JL65BsmR6op9xyuV1TNVJkMFd9hyphenhyphenbYQIdBqitXytO4S6OUB1eLXnxAtQy-VKSZwk6_-onHEbjVQvS4QJ1GV3gGVy3W72Q9flYUlXfmjX4Vm2qvb/s640/A6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">My turn to drive</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Di's ride was just a bit longer than mine, but with slightly less elevation gain. Here's her route ...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2iUGZw5G9sT01aXiwVr1EY7LVcHiBStclKKQ0IBaRg1grvUZ3QUCp-RYt5BVjrNvQOvUczfvl891AyPEZgF_e9jl6fUnZaNHxeO-FMChQfwJ0-gYdAjyf8vJrxU_wsDdylhUqlM5JOPy/s1600/Di%2527s+ride+day+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2iUGZw5G9sT01aXiwVr1EY7LVcHiBStclKKQ0IBaRg1grvUZ3QUCp-RYt5BVjrNvQOvUczfvl891AyPEZgF_e9jl6fUnZaNHxeO-FMChQfwJ0-gYdAjyf8vJrxU_wsDdylhUqlM5JOPy/s640/Di%2527s+ride+day+1.jpg" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Di's ride from Frankin to Southport</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Along the way Di took this great snap of <a href="http://hikinginsetasmania.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/adamsons-peak.html" target="_blank">Adamsons Peak</a> as she was leaving Dover ...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibJMBZa7p6BFOe0cw_jijoghdog7XL3HCvdJZ6g1fTrg0BtArgSR3w4LhYMEuh2bsTq7MHcsYKtUJS-vnR5xOkA1OhyphenhyphenuOejooTTwR9QrsZgNIKz5nSlWuRVGVwu5BhOegXWiiQBZGIWzz/s1600/A7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibJMBZa7p6BFOe0cw_jijoghdog7XL3HCvdJZ6g1fTrg0BtArgSR3w4LhYMEuh2bsTq7MHcsYKtUJS-vnR5xOkA1OhyphenhyphenuOejooTTwR9QrsZgNIKz5nSlWuRVGVwu5BhOegXWiiQBZGIWzz/s640/A7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Adamson's Peak</b></span></td></tr>
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... and this lovely snap of a clutch of boats tucked into a very quiet spot near Esperance ...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRoMVw_J0LK6xWE6lBVwnjubxpSgixGoXYbTIA1H7r_-CsxpmdtNu8pBKrlcYZnXTfoAg3ONGqWiH9wcuAj4NdP7czGXBwEHNDsXFMkEOZOFuOX8U76xC11eNN58gtBS9mkAdzabEQp3M/s1600/A8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRoMVw_J0LK6xWE6lBVwnjubxpSgixGoXYbTIA1H7r_-CsxpmdtNu8pBKrlcYZnXTfoAg3ONGqWiH9wcuAj4NdP7czGXBwEHNDsXFMkEOZOFuOX8U76xC11eNN58gtBS9mkAdzabEQp3M/s640/A8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A quiet corner</span></b></td></tr>
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<br />
While Di was nearing Southport I set up at the the camper on an unpowered site at the caravan park, and when she arrived we locked the bike's under the bed ...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTIl_uETCqp_JhdUJQVdjnfSYCINEmIZlnnwi31Vrj-MClEPsYsCMViNPvZfvip4ZtpGnL4Wo4-555AfPhhxZWnyOO7LPxKRozLqOyHKhEF3iIC0Vg3oDoeSqcEwshsKwUZYiWDbSvOmJ/s1600/A9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTIl_uETCqp_JhdUJQVdjnfSYCINEmIZlnnwi31Vrj-MClEPsYsCMViNPvZfvip4ZtpGnL4Wo4-555AfPhhxZWnyOO7LPxKRozLqOyHKhEF3iIC0Vg3oDoeSqcEwshsKwUZYiWDbSvOmJ/s640/A9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Home sweet camper</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had a quiet afternoon drinking beer and reading. Then it was dinner and early to bed ... always early to bed in the camper!<br />
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<h3>
Day Two: Walk to Lion Rock with a side trip to the Whale</h3>
<div>
The first thing to do was drive to Cockle Creek, where the <a href="http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=2265" target="_blank">South Coast Track</a> finishes and the return journey to South Cape Bay begins. The latter is one of the <a href="http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=1315" target="_blank">60 Great Short Walks of Tasmania</a> and has, justifiably, become very popular. (BTW, the list of walks with directions, maps, etc is now available as an App from iTunes.) Here's what the route to Cockle Creek from Southport looks like ...</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiS0pn2ylwTyJn13mRLKMSG2sM-JQ328THZ4LREgfIa5Nl7RTKbBmWfejf7Z4lY5F0KlcOoXaVv0rZs_juq8-hgVsjCCKKktxY94yU7tZAKRQshDpVjG-blrm375u6m11OriJCqT1Y5wi/s1600/Southport+to+Cockle+Creek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiS0pn2ylwTyJn13mRLKMSG2sM-JQ328THZ4LREgfIa5Nl7RTKbBmWfejf7Z4lY5F0KlcOoXaVv0rZs_juq8-hgVsjCCKKktxY94yU7tZAKRQshDpVjG-blrm375u6m11OriJCqT1Y5wi/s640/Southport+to+Cockle+Creek.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Southport to Cockle Creek</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
South Cape, that narrow bit of land jutting out into the sea at the bottom of the map, is the southernmost point on the Tasmanian mainland.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
From Cockle Creek it is about 7 ½ kilometres to Coal Bluff, which overlooks South Cape Bay, and about another kilometre along the beach to the campsite at the other end and Lion Rock. This little corner of paradise is a popular destination for intrepid Tasmanian surfers who like their adventures away from the madding crowds at more popular beaches. there were four young lads with their tents tucked in behind the dunes at the other end of the beach when Di and I arrived and sat down to have our lunch.</div>
<div>
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<div>
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Here's a look at the route into South Cape Bay ...</div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsc4-kBMtZbwN9Q7kRyLPAgsm07vEYrR7lRp10wIns2FUTbLEdIkKbVC0jli-q188YOg1LI35cj54X909CQVeEWB0so-LUq5_-ySXx-_Y9Rji9zRMFgcN5A406iShL2x-YSk0Ww2VAcnf/s1600/Cockle+Creek+to+Lion+Rock+and+the+Whale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsc4-kBMtZbwN9Q7kRyLPAgsm07vEYrR7lRp10wIns2FUTbLEdIkKbVC0jli-q188YOg1LI35cj54X909CQVeEWB0so-LUq5_-ySXx-_Y9Rji9zRMFgcN5A406iShL2x-YSk0Ww2VAcnf/s640/Cockle+Creek+to+Lion+Rock+and+the+Whale.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Cockle Creek to South Cape Bay</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Unfortunately, as you can see from the satellite image, there is a fair bit of clear-fell logging taking place right on the edge of the World Heritage Area. We - well mostly Di - took a few photos along the track ...</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAuBnYiKjZI0YbF_GMadfJ5C3iVY9BADwgFwhBwpmUT_Pd-1ZepUKLobOgRSkfqhDXUfR1nanRyS7t9VU40HRpTEmZxwTisBiih2g7Pk1BVasdn-0S8edjvaYcARImdFxO0WN09kpf7ru/s1600/A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAuBnYiKjZI0YbF_GMadfJ5C3iVY9BADwgFwhBwpmUT_Pd-1ZepUKLobOgRSkfqhDXUfR1nanRyS7t9VU40HRpTEmZxwTisBiih2g7Pk1BVasdn-0S8edjvaYcARImdFxO0WN09kpf7ru/s640/A.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A Trio of Currawongs in a dead tree at the mouth of Cockle Creek</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<div>
The sign for the track is a little way into the bush ...</div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFh-t-yarUN9G7tNgtWHTsOsHjnj-DLHk0MdY2v83VsvOdE_maU4UiBkdlIYt6kv5hdqsW1PKDGdNUaPaSS4VLpGFBXctON3H4CR2ia15Lfq3kmscuBQWTLa4dORZaTV85K_O7q0RyM-SO/s1600/B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFh-t-yarUN9G7tNgtWHTsOsHjnj-DLHk0MdY2v83VsvOdE_maU4UiBkdlIYt6kv5hdqsW1PKDGdNUaPaSS4VLpGFBXctON3H4CR2ia15Lfq3kmscuBQWTLa4dORZaTV85K_O7q0RyM-SO/s640/B.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">It's this way ...</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<div>
Initially the track is through mixed regrowth forest, but then gets into buttongrass and low scrub, where duckboards help keep one's feet dry when there has been a bit of rain about ...</div>
<div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmG_yYvZH0W9IEIrqAA3TeITQ4QjidCg2u4fa1yDoDDuXOXyAO9AOjfrc4tQZV_gvmII1H9C0p-diUJsWeAx3m7piSWBs-7yKFHb6NmgRMn3CDOaxnPr0CAxeMgx9Raon41ZZUJtGsD70/s1600/C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmG_yYvZH0W9IEIrqAA3TeITQ4QjidCg2u4fa1yDoDDuXOXyAO9AOjfrc4tQZV_gvmII1H9C0p-diUJsWeAx3m7piSWBs-7yKFHb6NmgRMn3CDOaxnPr0CAxeMgx9Raon41ZZUJtGsD70/s640/C.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
<div>
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As the coast gets closer, the soil becomes sandier and you get into some forest, with a couple of creek crossings ...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_r4SBCnlguuAg051xlDU7FLN1woK_dC2EnFRV04buNF3Kdo0T5O3bg0k8a3D9ebtNZlpfQdE3Nb7oLyuBITrIBVeReo6iWrX-wXQo4dIrVewS3Om2Gk_dDIEpU-8aAconJFWgwagINx1c/s1600/E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_r4SBCnlguuAg051xlDU7FLN1woK_dC2EnFRV04buNF3Kdo0T5O3bg0k8a3D9ebtNZlpfQdE3Nb7oLyuBITrIBVeReo6iWrX-wXQo4dIrVewS3Om2Gk_dDIEpU-8aAconJFWgwagINx1c/s640/E.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
<br />
When we arrived at Coal Bluff, where the track bursts out of the forest and the ocean becomes visible, there was a group enjoying an early lunch ...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HhhbG6NTXJqw5HzebEgJGase8qpTZDfRcG7VvJK4Mpa0slPF_Kwih3YCIGb6OrbgTI_-6DYbv_jLPOpH2gMkNkus3J8TruubS3bFAKf9RP97hpJTZzhceTY0zK2SFIxHMtVo0xSOmSYY/s1600/F+South+Cape+Bay+from+Coal+Bluff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HhhbG6NTXJqw5HzebEgJGase8qpTZDfRcG7VvJK4Mpa0slPF_Kwih3YCIGb6OrbgTI_-6DYbv_jLPOpH2gMkNkus3J8TruubS3bFAKf9RP97hpJTZzhceTY0zK2SFIxHMtVo0xSOmSYY/s640/F+South+Cape+Bay+from+Coal+Bluff.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>South Cape Bay</b></span></td></tr>
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<br />
It was fairly overcast and across the bay Lion Rock looked somewhat menacing ...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqP8Ydqf91-uqfpj2pz-lvPtTpDsd_OUB2u2W_ZCZos6Ayqa2H4FsAjQxq8POxowHjnZAckk2WC4mItxZ0oF4XDgnuQ51atNmquf6JB28cKggDgA598FYSWg7KqrpYPvgtxMIXcq0-7yCx/s1600/F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqP8Ydqf91-uqfpj2pz-lvPtTpDsd_OUB2u2W_ZCZos6Ayqa2H4FsAjQxq8POxowHjnZAckk2WC4mItxZ0oF4XDgnuQ51atNmquf6JB28cKggDgA598FYSWg7KqrpYPvgtxMIXcq0-7yCx/s640/F.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Looking across to Lion Rock</span></b></td></tr>
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... but almost immediately the sun came out and cheered things up. The waves breaking over the rocks below the bluff made for a pretty scene ...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWX1gx9EJrHaM9hJ2-ErUEKkJdJtnWmDzmXDzFv4apjTBpKQOOv13T0FHfij3FbOKn7HnZOjTHsBSXy-6grXjR3SN46ZPJhK6K0kzapnVfhjQggHaqnb5xXNEfWrPyr0POmSbGeZIYqhq/s1600/G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWX1gx9EJrHaM9hJ2-ErUEKkJdJtnWmDzmXDzFv4apjTBpKQOOv13T0FHfij3FbOKn7HnZOjTHsBSXy-6grXjR3SN46ZPJhK6K0kzapnVfhjQggHaqnb5xXNEfWrPyr0POmSbGeZIYqhq/s640/G.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">South Cape Bay with Southwest Cape in the distance</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
... and Lion Rock itself became much more benign ...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja36GPgpQUL5XOnAdPNwQacbClGY2-VmV2L9AVJQ4vLSYiZ4TAXCrabJTja_QGipHzKwVO2xsXZxRMgo1Bipvf6sSCihA_NxT04K2iTgVeZ4qTw7GOqtrtCi7PLqSnlVjaXu0UaPrcQQoG/s1600/H.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja36GPgpQUL5XOnAdPNwQacbClGY2-VmV2L9AVJQ4vLSYiZ4TAXCrabJTja_QGipHzKwVO2xsXZxRMgo1Bipvf6sSCihA_NxT04K2iTgVeZ4qTw7GOqtrtCi7PLqSnlVjaXu0UaPrcQQoG/s640/H.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">That's better!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We walked along the beach to the other end where the rivulet comes out and enjoyed the view back towards the bluff ...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiImC05ukQKiveGGYRduH8lewv2eNr6ZRQXxNzflnyeifPdhySGIfAHzCyRy7JHEERVDeshZaaxvutvXJ03GPsl-E-lW3kdDcrOqDXPOVuO-1tKkU095FEqeZKhe-TRQ1Eh35Z3tMKaYvs/s1600/I.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiImC05ukQKiveGGYRduH8lewv2eNr6ZRQXxNzflnyeifPdhySGIfAHzCyRy7JHEERVDeshZaaxvutvXJ03GPsl-E-lW3kdDcrOqDXPOVuO-1tKkU095FEqeZKhe-TRQ1Eh35Z3tMKaYvs/s640/I.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Looking back to Coal Bluff</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
... and had a closer look at Lion Rock ...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkJe04pHrlgQkT7lzY5Tus4Lr3uMjUBrWgdOockZMNlbJ2bNEsbUm-e0pWgPgVAPeAQhT7DcyaLO2VzcxppEP1Z6xygKGsgUwuMfpAWX0fa1i1E1V2mwZ97GGIzOcO4wDPEYtDGgVKwUD/s1600/J.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkJe04pHrlgQkT7lzY5Tus4Lr3uMjUBrWgdOockZMNlbJ2bNEsbUm-e0pWgPgVAPeAQhT7DcyaLO2VzcxppEP1Z6xygKGsgUwuMfpAWX0fa1i1E1V2mwZ97GGIzOcO4wDPEYtDGgVKwUD/s640/J.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Lion Rock</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Apart from the four surfers who bobbed up out of their campsite to say hello, we had this end of the beach all to ourselves. it was a pretty pristine and peaceful scene ...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ut6sEnMtnrQ/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ut6sEnMtnrQ?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
There was a mysterious old piece of machinery lying in the sand that we hadn't seen on previous visits ...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsMcGIvJbKezOpv2hhIY-Wk99stFcXnGaEvNpIhljUY45KatjdLAt9toVnm8Alyno7qNs9lqOji5ZV_VOYlw04zyrWWJoqUh8hnsF2-WwGKxlC9GmendpLz0jq9H2qpB-wHZC03OLQFuo/s1600/K.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsMcGIvJbKezOpv2hhIY-Wk99stFcXnGaEvNpIhljUY45KatjdLAt9toVnm8Alyno7qNs9lqOji5ZV_VOYlw04zyrWWJoqUh8hnsF2-WwGKxlC9GmendpLz0jq9H2qpB-wHZC03OLQFuo/s640/K.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">What can it be?</span></b></td></tr>
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After lunch we headed back to the base of the bluff where Di took a couple of photos of isolated bits of vegetation growing in cracks ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeb3xzGj_B0bpxKZHpQbzb_F88neaVuf3q7ZUz8H1BlZYWG5B9yDtFUOEzXlZ6BLy_gcCYyj9RXw5GMOguety1OpbxWWX3ImTDDpkn74x0Lel0NG2aBuVy2x-QayokLPA9hrbBc0ZJ1Vtz/s1600/M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeb3xzGj_B0bpxKZHpQbzb_F88neaVuf3q7ZUz8H1BlZYWG5B9yDtFUOEzXlZ6BLy_gcCYyj9RXw5GMOguety1OpbxWWX3ImTDDpkn74x0Lel0NG2aBuVy2x-QayokLPA9hrbBc0ZJ1Vtz/s640/M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Up the new, sturdy rock steps (which have replaced the rickety ladders) we went and back along to the start of the track.<br />
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Not quite fully done in, we thought it might be good to walk the kilometre or so along to the whaling memorial. Just a little way along the road there is a huge old flywheel which was used in the sawmill that once operated on the spot ...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTm380m4bi-c87qmTui2tF7xxgzWZbURYC-xCv8f_fxBQzoJUNbuUyUNJIdi6slqetaCnyjV-JOdABpzh3yazKhMUGNe90ooKTrzgobCvvCIgcu1OlIugeN0f9FixVDvXlW3SJdh7p-0kf/s1600/N.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTm380m4bi-c87qmTui2tF7xxgzWZbURYC-xCv8f_fxBQzoJUNbuUyUNJIdi6slqetaCnyjV-JOdABpzh3yazKhMUGNe90ooKTrzgobCvvCIgcu1OlIugeN0f9FixVDvXlW3SJdh7p-0kf/s640/N.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A reminder of the early logging days at Southport</span></b></td></tr>
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The purpose of the flywheel was to generate enough force to allow the saw blade to cut through the dense timber of the mighty <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?q=Tasmanian+Swamp+Gum&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjdyovXgZfSAhVQQLwKHTf4CvYQsAQILQ&biw=1854&bih=1071" target="_blank">Swamp Gums</a> that once covered the landscape around Southport.<br />
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The site for the whaling memorial is quite picturesque and I really wished I had a good camera with me to better capture the scenery. Here is a view looking over to Adamsons Peak, which looks very different from this angle ...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Adamsons Peak in the distance</span></b></td></tr>
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Swinging one's view slightly south and westwards, one can see the wonderful Pindars Peak and the Coxcomb Ridge on Mount LaPerouse ...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AUMyksib54x9oXmRL2G060uRyiOB6H8KTjfhr2fNislffYG0G4BcDzstZrtVbYPEdS0vvup3PFNetKbotgrs2ZGR2Ge3eupgvab7ex9bek0StHTuqYYfSfjG9rbLRCUYW4hQlNd-OcZ-/s1600/P.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AUMyksib54x9oXmRL2G060uRyiOB6H8KTjfhr2fNislffYG0G4BcDzstZrtVbYPEdS0vvup3PFNetKbotgrs2ZGR2Ge3eupgvab7ex9bek0StHTuqYYfSfjG9rbLRCUYW4hQlNd-OcZ-/s640/P.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Pindars Peak</span></b></td></tr>
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The whale sculpture is quite lovely ...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVYD9I-wafz55QrtIK1GypPrEmxsu43oMw8FnH05W4cKjDj1DrsFY11Tg6IprbU9qOZWMbwWe4K327ytDrSLktrXove53NZ1RzfmNmRqD7XfdPavfuzDMbvzgasIvPmS7vlUduhEIuk6M/s1600/Q.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVYD9I-wafz55QrtIK1GypPrEmxsu43oMw8FnH05W4cKjDj1DrsFY11Tg6IprbU9qOZWMbwWe4K327ytDrSLktrXove53NZ1RzfmNmRqD7XfdPavfuzDMbvzgasIvPmS7vlUduhEIuk6M/s640/Q.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Once, this spot teemed with whales ...</span></b></td></tr>
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... and I couldn't resist taking this close-up of its eye, barnacled eyebrow and all ...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63EnAwG4P6sAiNdDb2PGc2nwgM9LXEeNY7uunKr79E8CjWZAns-K6iTXJH-vWekTA_49fd50mQdmgPOx6Ww1TKBldLGJhzOCh2v6D5hGy4-Wf7bLvpockPB-Tvihqhm8TLSJDMcqDi0XO/s1600/R.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63EnAwG4P6sAiNdDb2PGc2nwgM9LXEeNY7uunKr79E8CjWZAns-K6iTXJH-vWekTA_49fd50mQdmgPOx6Ww1TKBldLGJhzOCh2v6D5hGy4-Wf7bLvpockPB-Tvihqhm8TLSJDMcqDi0XO/s640/R.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Take a closer look</span></b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/867798308" target="_blank">According to Di</a>, by the time we got back to the car we'd walked 19.5 kilometres in a touch over 3 ¾ hours so we thought we'd probably earned a rest, a beer and an afternoon snack.<br />
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Day Three: Cycling Relay ~ Home to Hobart</h3>
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It was my turn to take the baton. With a fair bit of wind overnight the canvas on the camper was good and dry so pack up happened nice and quickly. I had about 55 kilometres ahead of me, which I was quite looking forward to as I hadn't ridden the stretch of road from Southport north to Dover for perhaps 20 years. Unfortunately the wind had swung around to the north, meaning I was going to have to ride into it for the whole distance to Franklin. With cool temperatures, shade on the road and a climb of about 4 kilometres - albeit at a relatively benign gradient - to start with I felt it hard to hit my rhythm. Here's a look at the route ...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiQN6kELllBWz___AkHgsyxfcT0PEmZ03KQ05scdS1Emxfu055dPlUqTX1eDD_2q9I_nX_gXVe0SZiMdCEmWpWfJ5HV5-Lge8T6btkQAi6T1YBXHHtioo4GOmgtaLFPiuIIgOOcU7hwq1/s1600/1A+Southport+Relay+leg+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiQN6kELllBWz___AkHgsyxfcT0PEmZ03KQ05scdS1Emxfu055dPlUqTX1eDD_2q9I_nX_gXVe0SZiMdCEmWpWfJ5HV5-Lge8T6btkQAi6T1YBXHHtioo4GOmgtaLFPiuIIgOOcU7hwq1/s640/1A+Southport+Relay+leg+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Southport to Dover</span></b></td></tr>
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At least there wasn't much traffic on the road and the last part of the ride was relatively level. With the headwind I didn't feel much like stopping for photos but wanted to get a snap of this old Combie Van at the bodyworks on the southern edge of Geeveston ...</div>
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By the time I got to Franklin Di had her bike off the back of the camper. She wasn't quite ready to go so I continued up the road for a bit before looping back ...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Along the Franklin waterfront</span></b></td></tr>
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With the biennial <a href="http://www.australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au/" target="_blank">Australian Wooden Boat Festival </a>- purportedly the largest wooden boat festival in the Southern Hemisphere - happening in Hobart over the past weekend and the <a href="http://www.woodenboatcentre.com/" target="_blank">Wooden Boat Centre</a> located in Franklin, the town was quite busy both on both days we went through. Di was ready to go when I got back to her so I rode north about a kilometre with her to see her off then doubled back to the car again.</div>
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There has been an upsurge of apple growing in the Huon Valley and through to Cygnet, partly in response to the opening of of Asian markets and partly due to a growing appreciation of apple cider. A number of boutique cider producers have sprung up, including Frank's Cider in Franklin ...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrG9tcmVwHaX4yCCqMKGMWufvbPhwGDcWn1DieFEesjfMd95WJy7ad6wfHc-RDUEDz40OpR5qIGm3-Gvqes1r1FyPOn9hqmjdsZJQpYcOILu_9ecJoLQKmBzRdFqXk3kVcEFTL9oy6Uqv-/s1600/2+Franklin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrG9tcmVwHaX4yCCqMKGMWufvbPhwGDcWn1DieFEesjfMd95WJy7ad6wfHc-RDUEDz40OpR5qIGm3-Gvqes1r1FyPOn9hqmjdsZJQpYcOILu_9ecJoLQKmBzRdFqXk3kVcEFTL9oy6Uqv-/s640/2+Franklin.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Free Tastings!</span></b></td></tr>
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At 45 kilometres, Di's ride home from Franklin was the shortest of our tour but the hardest as it had the most elevation gain. Here's what it looks like ...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Di's ride home</span></b></td></tr>
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She was pretty happy by the time she got home, partly because she set a number of personal records, including some demon descending on the tight bends of Strickland Avenue ... and partly because I'd managed to park the camper on the shed (more difficult than usual because of a car awkwardly parked on the street) and get everything in from the car by the time she'd arrived. </div>
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And of cockatoos and kangaroos? Well, sadly the only marsupials we saw were dead on the road, particularly a proliferation of <a href="http://www.woodenboatcentre.com/" target="_blank">potoroos</a> on the drive from Southport to Cockle Creek. On the other hand we were in a part of the state where Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos abound, and heard lots of them calling around our camp in Southport and on our walk to South Cape Bay. And as I was leaving Southport a couple of them landed in a tree beside the road to farewell me. </div>
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Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-10859366743092417172016-10-03T23:47:00.002-07:002016-10-03T23:47:49.468-07:00Recent RamblingsWe have covered a bit of territory since my last post. As the main reason for our visit to the North Island was to spend a bit of time with our grandchildren, perhaps a first up photo of Di with them would be appropriate ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqmKaVnTu4_cDF9vtuVlLAirIJc1pKKSJS3ky-iLVDQ3oF-do4O6o2QHntx-N9RXeuu-OoUjDVWp6RNMuI0aTREG21CY76vpznAwrpnzhchMttgDp53ClDsvKrNfqweu2hRM9FS2x98sO/s1600/Di+with+kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqmKaVnTu4_cDF9vtuVlLAirIJc1pKKSJS3ky-iLVDQ3oF-do4O6o2QHntx-N9RXeuu-OoUjDVWp6RNMuI0aTREG21CY76vpznAwrpnzhchMttgDp53ClDsvKrNfqweu2hRM9FS2x98sO/s640/Di+with+kids.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After leaving Gilgandra we made a beeline for the Queensland border so we could be close to Brisbane to pick up our little darlings. A search for camping not too far from Brisbane but also reasonably close to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granite_Belt" target="_blank">Granite Belt</a> of southeast Queensland yielded the <a href="http://www.bigriggen.com.au/" target="_blank">Bigriggen Park</a>, which boasts bush camping and a great environment for kids. We liked it so much when we arrived that we decided to book an extra night. Here's a photo of our camp set-up, with the kids' tent pitched under our bed (some might say a bit too close for comfort!):<br />
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The camping was great, with lots of room for the kids to run around.<br />
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We did one walk to the top of <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/725293792" target="_blank">Mt Edwards from Lake Moogerah</a>. Asha, full of beans, was the star of this walk, going to the top twice: once with me and once with Di. There wasn't a lot to photograph but I did make one picture of this interesting fungi which had grown around a leaf ...<br />
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From Bigriggen we moved to Stanthorpe for a couple of nights so we could visit Bald Rock National Park. (In retrospect we wished we'd gone to camp there, but we couldn't get any info on the camping and we thought, like the campgrounds at <a href="http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/girraween/" target="_blank">Giraween</a>, it would be full during the school holidays.)<br />
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On the way through the Border Ranges we stopped for lunch at a little town called Bonalbo, where the kids also burnt off a bit of energy stored up in the car ...<br />
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Our little hike to the top of Bald Rock was fabulous, with wonderful views on a stunning spring day. Here's a photo of Di and the kids near the top of the peak ...<br />
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On the drive back we passed this amusing sculpture ...<br />
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A fantastic wind had come up by the time we got back to Stanthorpe so after lunch we got out the kids' kites and flew them both right out to the end of their strings. Asha and Zae were just a bit nervous about the kites being so high in the sky so we reeled them back in before they vanished into the stratosphere.<br />
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The next day we shifted to Girraween, where we had managed to snag just a couple of days at the end of our week with Asha and Zae. It was a scintillating day when we arrived so we wasted no time getting camp set up and then <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/730402425" target="_blank">walking to the top of the Pyramid and back</a>. We took a few photos along the way, but my favourite is probably this one ...<br />
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On our last full day at Girraween <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/730402446" target="_blank">we hiked to the top of Castle Rock and then along to have a look at Turtle Rock</a>. Although it was a bit showery and cool, the kids didn't complain at all and we had great fun scampering to the top of Castle Rock and tip-toeing back down dodging the puddles. As you can see if you look closely at the next photo, the spring flowers are starting to come out ...<br />
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The irises are especially beautiful just at the moment ...<br />
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After dropping the kids back at the airport we stopped in at Scarborough for a visit with our friends Max and Prue, enjoying dinner with them and their extended family. The next morning before leaving we went for brunch with them and Nev and Dot, who were also down in Tassie last summer for a "rendezvous".<br />
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While it would have been nice to join Max and Prue for an upcoming camping trip we really wanted to start our slow journey south and do a bit more riding in new territory, so we headed off across the border to <a href="https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Kingscliff+NSW+2487/@-28.2610744,153.5374383,10z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x6b90ff53eb345dcb:0x50609b490442ff0!8m2!3d-28.2645938!4d153.5776602?hl=en" target="_blank">Kingscliff</a>. We had a terrific ride there through some lovely rolling terrain. You know you can only be in Australia when you see signage like this ...<br />
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Yesterday we moved further south to the quaint little town of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellingen,_New_South_Wales" target="_blank">Bellingen</a>, where we are currently camped in the showgrounds. Today we had <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/733604125" target="_blank">a very interesting ride</a>. Some quite rough sealed roads; a bit of dirt; despite no long hills, quite a lot of up and down and then, finally, a lovely descent back into the heart of the town. Here's a photo of Di getting to the top of one of the hills on the gravel section of our ride ...<br />
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... and another of her relaxing back at camp reading a novel on the iPad ...<br />
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We hope to do another ride in the morning before leaving to head further south to our friends Graham and Liz in Bonnells Bay. The weather looks good, let's hope the legs are willing.<br />
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Here's a map showing the territory we've covered since our last post ...<br />
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We're not quite sure exactly where we're headed after Bonnells Bay, but we'll be in wonderful <a href="http://www.waggawaggaaustralia.com.au/" target="_blank">Wagga Wagga</a> in a week and a half. How we get there remains to be seen ...Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-21865437774239249972016-09-20T04:14:00.003-07:002016-10-01T04:04:57.764-07:00Road Report<h3>
Back to the Big Island!</h3>
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Setting off ...</h4>
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Well G'day. It's been a while since Cockatoos and Kangaroos has had an airing, but here we are.</div>
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It seems fitting to be making a post in this blog when we are on the road again with the Prado and the Ulti, on our way to pick up the grandkids for a bit of exploring in the backblocks of southeast Queensland. Hopefully we will be able to share some iconic Australian landscapes with them and have an outdoor meal or two, although - as we are not going to be on the coast - we probably won't <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_FyJug3wzU" target="_blank">throw on a shrimp on the barbie</a>! Besides, it isn't actually summer yet so not technically barbecuing season.</div>
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After leaving home in Hobart at about noon on Sunday and then stopping to visit Pat and David in their new home in <a href="http://www.discovertasmania.com.au/about/regions-of-tasmania/launceston-and-north/longford" target="_blank">Longford</a>, we rolled on to spend the night in Devonport before catching the <a href="https://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/onboard-experience/day-sailings" target="_blank">morning ferry</a> to Melbourne. All sweet until the <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=silly%20sausage" target="_blank">silly sausage</a> who checked our vehicle decided that the smaller of our camper's two gas bottles needed to come out of its secure storage locker and go on the trolley for us to pick up at the other end. Unbelievable. We've been back and forth on the ferry with the camper perhaps a dozen times and never had anyone query this before. The officious little person gave the official reason as "all gas bottles must be held in place by a metal bracket". So this is what we have in our gas locker ...</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiSFKjstswBgK5IbqVMWpDCBeKMOOdpIfhhowVq3fPofZaN7zMtuLb9Z6coHlkv_k3VBWGH4omcCIf8_jx4NkZzZF-0oq4OI9BCdKtwzb1bWEy1lBjcvR4phUy_bwEFbdNYXDgsRcv2jA/s1600/Bottle+storage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiSFKjstswBgK5IbqVMWpDCBeKMOOdpIfhhowVq3fPofZaN7zMtuLb9Z6coHlkv_k3VBWGH4omcCIf8_jx4NkZzZF-0oq4OI9BCdKtwzb1bWEy1lBjcvR4phUy_bwEFbdNYXDgsRcv2jA/s640/Bottle+storage.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Secure or ... not secure?</span></b></td></tr>
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As far as I know, none of the 40 or 50 Ultimate camper trailers that visited Tasmania last summer had to surrender their gas bottles for transport and, as I said, we've never had this happen before. Just another little bit of silliness from a small person with a very small brain. (Compared with all the other trips we've made over the years with camping gear stuffed into the car and always having to stop when we get off the ferry to pick up a gas bottle, up until now travelling with the camper-trailer has been sweet in this regard - which is why I was particularly annoyed this time around.) What made it all even more silly was the person with the official coat on did not insist that we had to surrender the big bottle, which has the same sort of restraint system as the tiny bottle. Why not, I wondered (but not aloud: didn't want to get the small brain working too hard!)</div>
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Landfall and beyond</h3>
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This was our first ever day sailing on the Spirit of Tasmania and we had a general - but untested - plan of "<b><i>What to do When We Get Off the Boat</i></b>". The ferry arrives about 6:00 p.m. We wanted to clear Melbourne and get a bit of a way up the road so we could reduce - if only slightly - the amount of driving we would have to do each day for the next four days to a base from which we would sally forth to the Brisbane Airport to pick up our darlings. We've got the bikes with us, and our hope is to be able to have a ride after driving each day.</div>
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So far so good. Here's a map showing where we've got to so far: two days after landing in Melbourne and our target for midday on Friday ...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/vera/" target="_blank">On the road again!</a></span></b></td></tr>
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We got a couple of hours and about 170 kilometres up the road to Euroa: just in time to check into a motel (it was raining) to watch the final episodes of both Vera and <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/bletchley-circle/" target="_blank">The Bletchley Circle</a> on our beloved ABS. </div>
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Now fully debriefed and ready for a month on the road - although I will at least have to find a pub to watch the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFL_Grand_Final" target="_blank">AFL Grand Final</a> - we set off yesterday morning with a vague plan to drive about 400 kilometres, find a caravan park and then go for a ride, then repeat a couple of times. Oh yes. We also wanted to drive some roads that we'd not been on before and visit some previously unvisited towns. </div>
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The First Stop is the ... Sweetest?</h3>
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With Di looking at the road atlas as I drove, we cobbled together a route and fetched up a bit after midday yesterday in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFL_Grand_Final" target="_blank">Young</a>, which lays claim to being the "Cherry Capital of Australia", a boast that <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=cherries+tasmania&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&gfe_rd=cr&ei=Lw_hV6DvIMXr8Afks46YDw" target="_blank">several places in Tasmania</a> would find somewhat bemusing. It was a bit cool, but we really wanted to get back on our bikes after a pretty hectic month without much time turning the pedals so, after setting up the camper and changing into our cycling gear, off we set. </div>
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Now, Di hasn't been on the bike quite as much as me since we finished our ride from <a href="http://londontoromebybicycle.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">London to Rome</a> so we were playing it by ear as far as the distance we would go. It was a bit cool and we only had a couple of hours of daylight left so ended up doing a shorter ride than we might have liked. Here's a photo of Di, stopped to put on her headband for a bit of extra warmth ...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A typical Aussie outback scene: gum trees and canola</span></b></td></tr>
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Going Deeper into New South Wales</h3>
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Without really planning it, our drive over the past couple of days has taken us through some historic places. Before arriving in Young yesterday we passed through <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cootamundra" target="_blank">Cootamundra</a>, the birthplace of "Our Don", otherwise know as Don Bradman, the cricketer with the fabled batting average of <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Don+Bradmans+batting+average&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&gfe_rd=cr&ei=cxThV77BIM3r8AemqabgCw" target="_blank">99 point 9 something</a> (light years above anyone else in the history of the game). And today we passed through <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenfell,_New_South_Wales" target="_blank">Grenfell</a>, the birthplace of the great, but seemingly almost forgotten by modern Australia, colonial era poet, Henry Lawson. This is goldrush country and many of these towns boast a faded grandeur, thanks to the legacy of the precious ore extracted from the creeks and rivers that wend across the landscape.</div>
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During today's drive from <a href="https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/Young+NSW/Gilgandra+NSW/@-32.994145,147.3602414,8z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x6b19fe2525d07205:0x40609b49043f100!2m2!1d148.3!2d-34.3!1m5!1m1!1s0x6b08b2057af253ad:0x40609b490437240!2m2!1d148.6558441!2d-31.6952312?hl=en" target="_blank">Young to Gilgandra</a> we passed through country that has had a lot of rainfall over the past few weeks. With the terrain hereabouts being generally fairly flat, when it rains a lot the water tends to wander a bit resulting in widespread flooding. We crossed through a number of spots where there was water across the road. Here's a video of one of those crossings, that Di shot through the windscreen of the Prado ...</div>
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Despite being slowed numerous times by these aquatic incursions, we managed to arrive in Gilgandra reasonable early in the afternoon, set up camp and set off for another ride. (Two rides together in two days: yippee!) Even on our ride, where we found a quiet road off the highway, we crossed several small watercourses across our path. There sure is a lot of water about. Which of course means that there will be a large upsurge over the spring and summer ... Of Cockatoos and Kangaroos! And with that I bid you all a good night ...</div>
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Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-9429471996900566482014-06-04T21:10:00.001-07:002014-06-09T02:59:32.809-07:00The RED CENTRE: Australia's Beating Heart<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ_J_HlI2KYTOAOS5A_nK2qYMENzyTi1Hg0NQ2I16Yqs7rsvNmB1BmyA0zbveKQaIqtXEWzTUO9e7ZZUmbLrmKUBimskhq_LyJTLevA-7tHUOa2ZzK9swCuJPFhBHftHnfJ5qWkUrVNup/s1600/Red+Centre+Triptych+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ_J_HlI2KYTOAOS5A_nK2qYMENzyTi1Hg0NQ2I16Yqs7rsvNmB1BmyA0zbveKQaIqtXEWzTUO9e7ZZUmbLrmKUBimskhq_LyJTLevA-7tHUOa2ZzK9swCuJPFhBHftHnfJ5qWkUrVNup/s1600/Red+Centre+Triptych+small.jpg" /></a></div>
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When we decided to push northwards from the Flinders Ranges and visit Chambers Pillar, Di said we might as well spend a bit more time and visit the iconic destinations to the west of Alice Springs, most notably <a href="http://www.parksandwildlife.nt.gov.au/parks/find/watarrka#.U4_OGBbevuc" target="_blank">Watarrka National Park</a> and <a href="http://www.parksaustralia.gov.au/uluru/" target="_blank">Ulu<u>r</u>u - Kata Tju<u>t</u>a National Park</a>. Within the first of those two parks lies the famed <a href="http://www.australia.com/explore/icons/red-centre/kings-canyon.aspx" target="_blank">Kings Canyon</a>; the second is of course famous for what more recent arrivals in Australia have called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uluru" target="_blank">Ayers Rock</a> and "<a href="http://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/olgas-kata-tjuta.html" target="_blank">The Olgas</a>". Our travels in that area proved to be amongst the most rewarding of our trip to the mainland and we are rapt that we extended our stay and made the extra effort.<br />
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Here's a snapshot of the journey we made to get from Chambers Pillar to Uluru ...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>This kind of looks like a virus, don't you think?</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>Uluru wasn't far out of our way ... just about</b> <b>one thousand, one hundred and eighty-eight kilometres</b>!<br />
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Watarrka National Park</span></h2>
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We arrived at Kings Canyon Resort late afternoon and were delighted to discover that our friends Max, Prue, Graham, Liz and Neville had also found their way to Watarrka. We settled into camp beside them and proceeded to share stories of where we'd been and what we'd done since leaving <a href="http://ofcockatoosandkangaroos.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/just-deserts-main-course-chambers-pillar.html" target="_blank">Chambers Pillar</a>. It turns out that while we'd been to <a href="http://www.hermannsburg.com.au/en-AU/1-Home.html" target="_blank">Hermannsburg</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacDonnell_Ranges" target="_blank">West MacDonnell Ranges</a>, they'd visited <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_points_of_Australia" target="_blank">Lambert's Centre of Australia</a>.<br />
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Undoubtably, the highlight of Watarrka is Kings Canyon, and the main focus of that feature is the <a href="http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/outdoor/adventure/2009/09/kings-canyon-rim-walk,-nt" target="_blank">Kings Canyon Rim Walk</a>. There is also the shady, short and pleasant <a href="http://traveloutbackaustralia.com/kings-creek-walk.html/" target="_blank">Kings Creek Walk</a> that is worth doing. <a href="http://www.macdonnellranges.com/Kathleen-Springs-visitors-information-guide.htm" target="_blank">Kathleen Springs</a> is another sacred site for Aborigines; the canyon leading towards the springs was used for mustering cattle 150 years ago and is one of the places where the <a href="http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/culture/pastoral.php" target="_blank">skills of Aboriginal stockmen</a> came to the fore and were highly valued by early pastoralists. A walk we didn't do because of time constraints is the <a href="http://www.parksandwildlife.nt.gov.au/parks/walks/gilestrack#.U4_TYBbevuc" target="_blank">Giles Track</a>, which wends its way across the top of the Giles Range for 22 kilometres from Kings Canyon to Kathleen Springs. If you're visiting the area sometime and like walking you might want to allow yourself time to do this challenging hike. You'll need to organise a car or bike shuttle and an early start to beat the heat would be advisable!</div>
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As I said earlier though, the Rim Walk is the highlight of the park and not to be missed. We think it's definitely world class (and we've done a bit of hiking in various places over the years), and National Parks in the Northern Territory have done a fantastic job in making this walk accessible for any reasonably active person. You don't need a super level of fitness as there are may spots to rest along the way. Indeed, on the initial slope - which does climb fairly quickly - there are several benches strategically placed if you need them, which allow you to get your breath back. And it's definitely not a walk to rush through: you will want to linger and savour the many stunning views to be had. What really surprised us were the hidden oases along the way and the amount of vegetation - much of which was in flower thanks to recent healthy rains. Hopefully the following photos will give you some small appreciation of what we experienced. </div>
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A pause up the initial slope gives just a hint of the pleasure to come ...</div>
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Up on the rim, we started to appreciate some of the beautiful rock formations ...</div>
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As I mentioned earlier, there were lots of plants in flower. Here is a study of a cache of blossom that has fallen from a large shrub ...</div>
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There were plenty of Fire Sida in flower too ...</div>
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We were delighted to see that a few Coolabah trees surviving - indeed thriving- on the rocky rim, including these two beauties ...</div>
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The walk is ostensibly 6 kilometres long, but it would be a pity to miss the side trips to a couple of lookouts and the detour into the amazing Garden of Eden, a true oasis that you drop down into about halfway through the hike.</div>
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Here is a photo of one of the stunning faces that you will see if you do take one of the side trips ...</div>
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Looking back along the plateau, you can see that Di is clearly delighted with the terrain we've been through. Our new mate Neville trails behind ...</div>
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... spotting wildlife for Di to photograph ...</div>
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The light and views that we enjoyed on this hike had us in raptures, and textures in the landscape added enormously to our appreciation of this fantastic environment ...</div>
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Being something of a tactile person, I couldn't resist coming to grips with the rock ...</div>
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This gnarled old Callitris had obviously been around for some time ...</div>
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Long before we were able to descend into the Garden of Eden we got a glimpse of it from above. The photo doesn't really do justice to the position you're in or where you're going to be if you do the side trip, but it's the best I could do ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MgYv9_lNN1GLXvSgO2d97pZwluQFG_FbyBkMsPRg0Q0P6W6zSf54BVq6XBudWMR8OHaPuoX9pU4udmRax10kPoaat4cDn-QoBv9Dgl0itUrGDKZhmkoJsnT6tuGKltD7UOh3rsWVpCnI/s1600/KC9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MgYv9_lNN1GLXvSgO2d97pZwluQFG_FbyBkMsPRg0Q0P6W6zSf54BVq6XBudWMR8OHaPuoX9pU4udmRax10kPoaat4cDn-QoBv9Dgl0itUrGDKZhmkoJsnT6tuGKltD7UOh3rsWVpCnI/s1600/KC9.JPG" height="422" width="640" /></a></div>
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A bit further around you get another perspective on that great rock face you saw earlier, this time with a better understanding of the angle ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGEXENTK-F8iseyHmk8m2Vo38RlyVHoVHerKaBKRgJphr4RSIyTqS8c-X8YIgr4J5HnyFZZAVhuQCI46WtAw7FiSUBZUc7UEzsyNyitIRWNHvAccc3tiUYqYA12lpzx4IVzgNSh8BNff7/s1600/KC10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGEXENTK-F8iseyHmk8m2Vo38RlyVHoVHerKaBKRgJphr4RSIyTqS8c-X8YIgr4J5HnyFZZAVhuQCI46WtAw7FiSUBZUc7UEzsyNyitIRWNHvAccc3tiUYqYA12lpzx4IVzgNSh8BNff7/s1600/KC10.JPG" height="474" width="640" /></a></div>
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About halfway around the walk there is a descent on a series of stairs below an overhang ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikh1HrMHutYYKXOIprQJyWV7-bSB5PBeerG0kPfRgqJLam3CxbTqVJ_4WMJbQY6GIm0qqAw3o1_kuYGp5hHpyVfh-YTh_TVMKjSIaEtyQJf2ORMmPQZwvJVHFhL20NcLk1R4huPNGehZYZ/s1600/KC11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikh1HrMHutYYKXOIprQJyWV7-bSB5PBeerG0kPfRgqJLam3CxbTqVJ_4WMJbQY6GIm0qqAw3o1_kuYGp5hHpyVfh-YTh_TVMKjSIaEtyQJf2ORMmPQZwvJVHFhL20NcLk1R4huPNGehZYZ/s1600/KC11.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Below, we discovered our friends Graham, Liz, Max and Prue taking a breather and enjoying the good life ...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VkF2yFg_XdsWMezlcW0VkEcXAhfOCDSvycBlI2NBYUVkrRyBjWqOi66EpAwroo2tuADJX_awPLCmXd_WjxhhPhUAem_2MjA8f7MAKohjvyGvHIrZZYDMR843NFv404DqNLMl0uID-Aek/s1600/KC12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VkF2yFg_XdsWMezlcW0VkEcXAhfOCDSvycBlI2NBYUVkrRyBjWqOi66EpAwroo2tuADJX_awPLCmXd_WjxhhPhUAem_2MjA8f7MAKohjvyGvHIrZZYDMR843NFv404DqNLMl0uID-Aek/s1600/KC12.JPG" height="450" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Beam us up, Scotty ...</span></b></td></tr>
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At about that point there is a bridge to cross over a bit of a chasm ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXSbNx21DUEQLU3DhyphenhyphenFG33rtz8veWvv3QEW1VJThCzFi-OWo5jv6Oq4ktQUVHlZwlY4VHaLmzHWKGpmHk_HLC-K3sMee2nQBarOvDNXL8pRzd7jE1oZKztSKT58ffXn6CqCKlMoRhKkWv/s1600/KC13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXSbNx21DUEQLU3DhyphenhyphenFG33rtz8veWvv3QEW1VJThCzFi-OWo5jv6Oq4ktQUVHlZwlY4VHaLmzHWKGpmHk_HLC-K3sMee2nQBarOvDNXL8pRzd7jE1oZKztSKT58ffXn6CqCKlMoRhKkWv/s1600/KC13.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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... which featured a range of shrubs and small flowering plants, as well as Coolabahs and Cycads. It's actually possible to scramble off the track and down into the chasm, which we did. We were rewarded with a look this fungus growing in the cool and narrow lower end of the chasm ...</div>
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A little further before dropping down into the Garden of Eden you get this view of lushness ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLWC-pvvCmlqNga2AEPmApl5-yc-Pi4CLCIB8aG5bvBoutcwwD9Jv1kIq7zR61aA12MASYWKcGe2JZMB56BnNVy3a2SSCKC_vqlBvdIsxSi0cWlq_XEFd2mrGZ7sQWZj94h9ZQl_qfMGD/s1600/KC15A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLWC-pvvCmlqNga2AEPmApl5-yc-Pi4CLCIB8aG5bvBoutcwwD9Jv1kIq7zR61aA12MASYWKcGe2JZMB56BnNVy3a2SSCKC_vqlBvdIsxSi0cWlq_XEFd2mrGZ7sQWZj94h9ZQl_qfMGD/s1600/KC15A.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Di made a lovely photo of the Coolabahs and Cycads reflected in the still, deep pool ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6J315zyLTxnN_2dFExPA87kAI7OMfx5ZFCb5vNqGQ_12mvPw55B4OEjjPkoc3PLKg-8I7IOPZpfMZFHIyGCIzx81IsxjxY3GRhUfMPlBOZZh1pRO5BO8NYd6qQQT8R3kCONXMnT2BMLW/s1600/KC15B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6J315zyLTxnN_2dFExPA87kAI7OMfx5ZFCb5vNqGQ_12mvPw55B4OEjjPkoc3PLKg-8I7IOPZpfMZFHIyGCIzx81IsxjxY3GRhUfMPlBOZZh1pRO5BO8NYd6qQQT8R3kCONXMnT2BMLW/s1600/KC15B.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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Here's another view ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBg2wdUAjHPUzMjPvFKH_BJZzAbM1qdaQSSOtdHuox5EXB435ywt3-65Ta3-2FpJhrOJ_YHIy8lgWLUUYaCrpf2__nqvBLDWeZ1KKAtVb0ijbBKTOOvk2CGvDDumlmfO1Si8Ea4kBlojoQ/s1600/KC15C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBg2wdUAjHPUzMjPvFKH_BJZzAbM1qdaQSSOtdHuox5EXB435ywt3-65Ta3-2FpJhrOJ_YHIy8lgWLUUYaCrpf2__nqvBLDWeZ1KKAtVb0ijbBKTOOvk2CGvDDumlmfO1Si8Ea4kBlojoQ/s1600/KC15C.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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It appeared that there was a lot more water than is usually the case ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh659wlz_b1ks7QvqjAevhwxJKD5kjtLfKV_96Hn1d74MSH0MAuVzXswkxQgeHyD8xVsBikRp7poHJaV8yc_H0-TXmeeryMTmOz1_hzJceDX0yIlhD44VQO7ZqgoTrZm-ILW3oKv628xWBU/s1600/KC15D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh659wlz_b1ks7QvqjAevhwxJKD5kjtLfKV_96Hn1d74MSH0MAuVzXswkxQgeHyD8xVsBikRp7poHJaV8yc_H0-TXmeeryMTmOz1_hzJceDX0yIlhD44VQO7ZqgoTrZm-ILW3oKv628xWBU/s1600/KC15D.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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This place must have been a wonderful sanctuary to the Indigenous people that lived in and around the area. </div>
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Back up on the rim, there was another species of shrub absolutely covered in red and yellow blossom, which Di dubbed the "Burning Bush" ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFSCz599ECHdw8Z0L-t5ZDmSupANcKIfwZDlkwkxIf97VrJJT3DfwPL-YXoc6aSr09PiLQ-dokL7MRGlhhy5HkhDcGXncWALQup98usE2BS_UusH2rzd8eXbR78ysjNTwfSGwdKJQPP1e/s1600/KC16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFSCz599ECHdw8Z0L-t5ZDmSupANcKIfwZDlkwkxIf97VrJJT3DfwPL-YXoc6aSr09PiLQ-dokL7MRGlhhy5HkhDcGXncWALQup98usE2BS_UusH2rzd8eXbR78ysjNTwfSGwdKJQPP1e/s1600/KC16.jpg" height="640" width="448" /></a></div>
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I discovered this feather caught up amongst some grass ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicml4JmHiP2IbrKsLHImUsPCg4Nn0wFJbHwaQikhc434hW1dAiPCg2U_nFfXfw8jJSnETa6YllCCbfdcJ77pDdw-82yqO5KzmUmayTOkjlyRNY9QFBExHGEVg4lCxoM2hFnk5wdMjd9Gtt/s1600/KC17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicml4JmHiP2IbrKsLHImUsPCg4Nn0wFJbHwaQikhc434hW1dAiPCg2U_nFfXfw8jJSnETa6YllCCbfdcJ77pDdw-82yqO5KzmUmayTOkjlyRNY9QFBExHGEVg4lCxoM2hFnk5wdMjd9Gtt/s1600/KC17.jpg" height="640" width="638" /></a></div>
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Further along the way you will come across this wonderfully textured old Coolabah ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd533f38TTjskV-8jlxqWYlvZEN6VxThusveO1_jDymY0Vo13iDaWqbvLJMCmg6JvhgZ-Dmmw2wk0Xloub4XL_JZXiAOLv1PPhxGwI8wnUt-nE33U7VXxb3LRLP5nlwnhkNogY0jRDQzJC/s1600/KC18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd533f38TTjskV-8jlxqWYlvZEN6VxThusveO1_jDymY0Vo13iDaWqbvLJMCmg6JvhgZ-Dmmw2wk0Xloub4XL_JZXiAOLv1PPhxGwI8wnUt-nE33U7VXxb3LRLP5nlwnhkNogY0jRDQzJC/s1600/KC18.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
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Nearby, in contrast to the might of the Coolabah I found this precious flower ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzIjcs2_v4RSkSXmzkHxSD5ds4siy52SJTV6lnNYbh-ByvWprlfc1kcRAa6O6lCFomHa-A-Ss-_P8ZFkgcvADdCVifCNzqgZVi1WWQ2uQ_t8VcTW-N8HUZkLHrouBJxKBCap-TOvU4tFB/s1600/KC20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzIjcs2_v4RSkSXmzkHxSD5ds4siy52SJTV6lnNYbh-ByvWprlfc1kcRAa6O6lCFomHa-A-Ss-_P8ZFkgcvADdCVifCNzqgZVi1WWQ2uQ_t8VcTW-N8HUZkLHrouBJxKBCap-TOvU4tFB/s1600/KC20.jpg" height="640" width="510" /></a></div>
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The last view of the Canyon I'll share with you is this one looking back towards the early part of the walk. If you look closely you should be able to count five people scattered along the trail, which gives a good sense of scale ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBL2pLiaoY9Morjcfq6ibnfuUI50KRcbvL4aIDkYgEc-pS4SnaVhUTeb3hdAfYk6owD6bXls4dg7CLc5WWwjvBzTtwQPdes7DkGwOXvHPlzCtcQ44soxRKK9sYtrdqjgi5D6Lv-bgCrpF/s1600/KC21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBL2pLiaoY9Morjcfq6ibnfuUI50KRcbvL4aIDkYgEc-pS4SnaVhUTeb3hdAfYk6owD6bXls4dg7CLc5WWwjvBzTtwQPdes7DkGwOXvHPlzCtcQ44soxRKK9sYtrdqjgi5D6Lv-bgCrpF/s1600/KC21.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hopefully the photos above will have given you an inkling of the diverse delights that are to be had if you undertake Rim Walk at Kings Canyon. It is possible to take a helicopter ride over the canyon which would no doubt be extremely spectacular, but if you do please don't deprive yourself of the intimate experience of the Rim Walk. It will be something you'll remember for a lot longer than the ephemeral detached 15 minutes in the air that a flight will provide.</div>
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<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Ulu<u>r</u>u - Kata Tju<u>t</u>a National Park</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ULURU or simply "The Rock"</span></h3>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amazing. Spiritual. Awesome. Stunning. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/monadnock" target="_blank">this website</a>, Uluru is the largest monolith on Earth, dwarfing the iconic El Capitan in Yosemite, the Rock of Gibralter, Devils Tower and other well-known humungus hunks of stone, although perhaps the term "<a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/289113/inselberg" target="_blank"><b>inselberg</b></a>" is a better one, as "<b><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/monolith?s=t" target="_blank">monolith</a></b>" is a bit ambiguous and often taken to mean a block of stone that has been moved, manipulated or erected by humans. And who knows ... when the ice cap on top of Antarctica melts scientists might find a bigger single piece of stone. Whatever. suffice to say Uluru is something to behold and, for the record, holds the current record.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unless you take the easy way and jump on a plane, it's even quite an effort to get to Uluru, which I suppose adds to its aura: as one gets closer ... and closer ... the views change all the time and your sense of anticipation grows and grows.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Along the way</span></span></h4>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Long before you reach The Rock you are reminded of where you are and where you're going ...</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The Red Centre Way with Kata Tju<u>t</u>a in the background</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">But before we reached the Red Centre Way we saw some camels on the side of the road just after leaving Kings Canyon Resort ...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">... followed by a casual dingo shortly afterwards ...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">... and then a small flock of Major Mitchell Cockatoos, including these two which let Di get quite close ...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a great morning's drive with lots of animals to look at, but of course what we wanted to see most was the fabled Uluru. As we drew closer and The Rock appeared, naturally Di kept wanting me to stop for a photo. The problem was that we'd get a glimpse and then a sand dune would get in the way ... and then there wasn't a good shoulder to pull off on ... and then another sand dune would get in the way ...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually, I did manage to find somewhere to pull off the highway and Di scrambled to the top of a dune and took her first photo of Uluru. Although it looks close due to the zoom, it's actually still a long way off ...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the time we got to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yulara,_Northern_Territory" target="_blank">Yulara</a> we thought that that we wouldn't see any more wildlife, but right inside the resort dingos were trotting around as if they owned the place. I'm including this photo because you can easily discern the classic markings of pure dingo, which are the "<b>five points</b>": four white paws and a white tip on the end of the tail ...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Talking the Talk: WALKING the Rock</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, so it's <b><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/soapbox?s=t" target="_blank">soapbox</a></b> time ...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If your mind is closed to matters spiritual you might as well skip this bit. But if you think each culture has a right to be respected for its values and beliefs ...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">... I hope you'll read on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the Anangu people, who call this part of the world home, Ulu<u>r</u>u is a precious and sacred place. Along with Kata Tju<u>t</u>a, it forms a <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/447" target="_blank">Unesco World Heritage site</a>. The information and maps distributed by National Parks make it very clear, as does the signage at the base of Ulu<u>r</u>u, that the Anangu people prefer one does not climb it, indeed to do so is hurtful ...</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It felt like such a privilege just being able to see this amazing piece of landscape that it was an easy decision to respect the wishes of the Anangu people, and walk around The Rock rather than climb it. We hope you will be able to make the same decision if you visit Uluru in the future. You will view parts of the rock that those who climb probably won't, and you will be respecting the beliefs and wishes of the original inhabitants of this area, who still call this country home. Anyway, that's it for the soapbox.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take a hike, Mike - or maybe two ...</span></span></h4>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If one isn't up to the full 10.6 km loop around the base there are three different spots close by that one can drive to and explore various points. This map from a parks brochure shows an overview of Ulu<u>r</u>u and where the access points are, with areas not for photographing shown in black ...</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We set off in a clockwise direction from the Mala carpark and were immediately surprised by the amount of vegetation ...</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shortly after starting there is a detour to a beautiful waterhole, with a lovely seat - the first of several - along the wayside ... </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the waterhole itself </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the rock was shimmering in the afternoon light ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWYhPCeOBKxjgptUGy1oBz78pPmMaW4Hbla-Yy2JEOUFlIKSwvnZCyZkEA8b_2JYK-65pNVnrxTu6WA3ElTrdCbubgoV1fNhyphenhyphenzVhTVBmX6yvKcr6FrQ4NmoXGfm__uqDoS3IYVblI2GQo/s1600/Uluru+6A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWYhPCeOBKxjgptUGy1oBz78pPmMaW4Hbla-Yy2JEOUFlIKSwvnZCyZkEA8b_2JYK-65pNVnrxTu6WA3ElTrdCbubgoV1fNhyphenhyphenzVhTVBmX6yvKcr6FrQ4NmoXGfm__uqDoS3IYVblI2GQo/s1600/Uluru+6A.JPG" height="436" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After leaving this waterhole we passed a long section where it is requested one does not take photographs, so the next shot is around further to the north ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBSW3kPXRxjQA2aAzxijQfKrljHCsCqB-vnDQU5MfqBdmzverfFTk8u6Yz_0YC3Wu_FkncwaksZtYFnkW5tUE1IbTIEd9dkkDtixKsYcMBE_g6n9rRtdbHojsOBdQ0SwD40dRWM2mQuOd/s1600/Uluru+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBSW3kPXRxjQA2aAzxijQfKrljHCsCqB-vnDQU5MfqBdmzverfFTk8u6Yz_0YC3Wu_FkncwaksZtYFnkW5tUE1IbTIEd9dkkDtixKsYcMBE_g6n9rRtdbHojsOBdQ0SwD40dRWM2mQuOd/s1600/Uluru+7.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you may have noticed in the map the track moves well away from the base on the northern side, which is quite good because it gives you a full view of this amazing phenomenon ...</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-cNjHS_Ezd0giZGle47Gz0fmJFydMpaj7TvKx3JI3otDejAloCnB36ZQ-gB9GLZjyTdFnW4ret6TFQhk69I3S_2dJAPWvLanrEFylakflNZW6e52dRhlIrLAOgEvYH3AdNhislYynh8j/s1600/Uluru+7A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-cNjHS_Ezd0giZGle47Gz0fmJFydMpaj7TvKx3JI3otDejAloCnB36ZQ-gB9GLZjyTdFnW4ret6TFQhk69I3S_2dJAPWvLanrEFylakflNZW6e52dRhlIrLAOgEvYH3AdNhislYynh8j/s1600/Uluru+7A.JPG" height="278" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Ulu<u>r</u>u from the northern side, along Base Track</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we moved around and with the light hitting the rock from different angles and bits of cloud drifted across the sky the colour was constantly changing ...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuzmRMfSbGg8EuEyRw1RBbQZlyoli4jr194cTyFnYteP1FAdsCJFsnI5AJpFuW7RNJ2iFbXgYvSgwb0zX3BrPerNUIckV3OGv8H3HnkJDbe17676hrRucaUOg7TJEYCQhJtTfiKIjsfwL/s1600/Uluru+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuzmRMfSbGg8EuEyRw1RBbQZlyoli4jr194cTyFnYteP1FAdsCJFsnI5AJpFuW7RNJ2iFbXgYvSgwb0zX3BrPerNUIckV3OGv8H3HnkJDbe17676hrRucaUOg7TJEYCQhJtTfiKIjsfwL/s1600/Uluru+8.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Another view a little further along towards the northeast</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually we started to move closer to the monolith and began to enjoy a more intimate connection and appreciate some finer detail ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0yd1zxsJZx_MjODgjTJYsRZKcc1zLbFBtLk4VgqhncZ2p496p_P2qhyphenhyphen9YbV8RgYxk3EkRPtkEpLiW80RsVafqgiCWc-CbYvmng1bFbbeNCAFUWqhNs2MemdLehOP9mxUPvBg9fTRRrzB/s1600/Uluru+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0yd1zxsJZx_MjODgjTJYsRZKcc1zLbFBtLk4VgqhncZ2p496p_P2qhyphenhyphen9YbV8RgYxk3EkRPtkEpLiW80RsVafqgiCWc-CbYvmng1bFbbeNCAFUWqhNs2MemdLehOP9mxUPvBg9fTRRrzB/s1600/Uluru+9.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">... and some beautiful textures ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RVDzq0x1ie7uy5kfKZscMd2QH8bUX0yFbRKCYk1E7kH7UxAw1BapzNJWW-zkoQh6bYIWbivQGrv7X1uPG2MngkVcmTzqmx8TXZuF1Q2nc2uRQtQu5Ai85fkTGy2VSg0t4EgCLgQiGqeb/s1600/Uluru+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RVDzq0x1ie7uy5kfKZscMd2QH8bUX0yFbRKCYk1E7kH7UxAw1BapzNJWW-zkoQh6bYIWbivQGrv7X1uPG2MngkVcmTzqmx8TXZuF1Q2nc2uRQtQu5Ai85fkTGy2VSg0t4EgCLgQiGqeb/s1600/Uluru+10.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Around on the eastern side the track took us right up close again to the base. Here, The Rock had gone into shade ...</span></div>
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More large erosion features appeared, first this one ... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVgUjLnU2vLHX5dW5m25Kse7gTmupevwgw3XHB4XxOagaDAcLso1xA3eerKCiiqhQ_fv1XIm5gJviSMbB7fXfxjXhnQk28hBOOibevS_2YYmq1MBZTQM0UR9CgS0059CG-oRMhOFrNy0A/s1600/Uluru+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVgUjLnU2vLHX5dW5m25Kse7gTmupevwgw3XHB4XxOagaDAcLso1xA3eerKCiiqhQ_fv1XIm5gJviSMbB7fXfxjXhnQk28hBOOibevS_2YYmq1MBZTQM0UR9CgS0059CG-oRMhOFrNy0A/s1600/Uluru+12.jpg" height="640" width="498" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1">... and then this awesome, gaping maw ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNsVdg7CFrsUzanMSS5joEEkW5898FkN6mGwaq4SAPAwgpxOHpotNtbaqw1-f5tT-TNqlJZniAjaH3Pv6mLwQ9ScoQyrAT1K6CzBh7wAlsUNidLP2sK1yv1zwcHrU6GVszfZCsBjYmYvdB/s1600/Uluru+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNsVdg7CFrsUzanMSS5joEEkW5898FkN6mGwaq4SAPAwgpxOHpotNtbaqw1-f5tT-TNqlJZniAjaH3Pv6mLwQ9ScoQyrAT1K6CzBh7wAlsUNidLP2sK1yv1zwcHrU6GVszfZCsBjYmYvdB/s1600/Uluru+13.jpg" height="438" width="640" /></a></div>
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A sheltered, vegetated corner that must have been a wonderful cool hangout for the A<u>n</u>angu people on hot summer evenings lay along the eastern side ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs109pkPL4RcMcGdlJCXQs6ACmMR3UghQcQry5xcnw9SG909nUJ_ONz7rYR8U1e8urs2ISn-93W1Hl5HfnF4fCHyHYuI_rRCyXGl05Yo2SEvwYxTcsGBBeqUhSHqxr_FWFEk0rV302boWj/s1600/Uluru+12A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs109pkPL4RcMcGdlJCXQs6ACmMR3UghQcQry5xcnw9SG909nUJ_ONz7rYR8U1e8urs2ISn-93W1Hl5HfnF4fCHyHYuI_rRCyXGl05Yo2SEvwYxTcsGBBeqUhSHqxr_FWFEk0rV302boWj/s1600/Uluru+12A.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1">That was about it for our hike. I'll leave you with the obligatory sunset picture of Uluru. When you've taken photograph after photograph after photograph, how do you choose a definitive one? A</span>lthough obviously no comparison to the bazookas that some were pointing at the rock, even with our very simple cameras and rudimentary skills it's hard not to get at least one reasonable photograph of Uluru at sunset. Anyway, after a bit of eeny meany miny mo, here's what I chose ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXoDuyY_QbF5OgTiVPADWTxV0gaSgDc_f0U4Nb-lBcBKAqdotUe4ldl5TO51vQJFSxqtJY9U1O8gjOxZp3yTmiUnRlu9HvPYL2zWWPM3KO66n4AnV_dZdg8OgSHPkCvCOJR3y7citt7na/s1600/Uluru+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXoDuyY_QbF5OgTiVPADWTxV0gaSgDc_f0U4Nb-lBcBKAqdotUe4ldl5TO51vQJFSxqtJY9U1O8gjOxZp3yTmiUnRlu9HvPYL2zWWPM3KO66n4AnV_dZdg8OgSHPkCvCOJR3y7citt7na/s1600/Uluru+14.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Kata Tjuta ~ la pièce de résistance!</span></h2>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">An awe-inspiring destination in its own right, Kata Tjuta is very much overshadowed by Uluru, which is a bit ironic: at 910 metres, Mt Olga, the highest dome in Kata Tjuta, is 47 metres higher than Uluru. Kata Tjuta is made up of 36 separate conglomerate domes comprised up of granite and basalt rocks in a sandstone matrix.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You can see Kata Tjuta from a long, long way distant and the views of it just keep getting better as you get closer. Di got me to pull over when we were about 15 kilometres away and she made this panorama: </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6WXnzvcPvmYvTdVpP0jrZ23vsoUo3GW7iIBlh7QDAy1FOwaQymjYjzAnZAfTeujEnTkQpMc56jfGnlKRw7qhvYl1xDFLaX5N3n3PK7FpH-uxgm9OKR5DZcSQIg0GeGqof3a0o76TKsgq/s1600/Di's+Kata+Tjuta+pano.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6WXnzvcPvmYvTdVpP0jrZ23vsoUo3GW7iIBlh7QDAy1FOwaQymjYjzAnZAfTeujEnTkQpMc56jfGnlKRw7qhvYl1xDFLaX5N3n3PK7FpH-uxgm9OKR5DZcSQIg0GeGqof3a0o76TKsgq/s1600/Di's+Kata+Tjuta+pano.JPG" height="166" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At about 10 kilometres distant there is a viewpoint overlooking Kata Tju<u>t</u>a called the Dunes Lookout, which we pulled into. On the way up to the viewing platform there is a little sign beside a juvenile Desert Oak. In the background you can see some more mature examples …</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMjbkFK1YsrEnkTUWl3J707litvEK4iY1Go4liiG_NDG0VMqBJsFGz-fnc3NSsprqPo9F8k0NcyUgL5u-ZCyNjrvjl5dFaZ2y1hB_sn_rDqWtQkSpl6vD2J1-dMWxxXhxipMWGUdp2M1V/s1600/Desert+Oak+juvenile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMjbkFK1YsrEnkTUWl3J707litvEK4iY1Go4liiG_NDG0VMqBJsFGz-fnc3NSsprqPo9F8k0NcyUgL5u-ZCyNjrvjl5dFaZ2y1hB_sn_rDqWtQkSpl6vD2J1-dMWxxXhxipMWGUdp2M1V/s1600/Desert+Oak+juvenile.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There was also some information about the Spinifex plant, which Aborigines used to make “bush superglue” …</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1sPm_qQ-mzSoSPSbb3nzJLRDgir4fRt4wLiRglLg_jGLs3CB6PLUvMutsXt8ULP4zqneGsMCSXMpMewnzi-PB97oMpQUxYiFwbQoYzVAniAE5vpMl2kfxCEzjs18zs8jFg9Cb00qy_Km/s1600/Spinifex+-+bush+superglue.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1sPm_qQ-mzSoSPSbb3nzJLRDgir4fRt4wLiRglLg_jGLs3CB6PLUvMutsXt8ULP4zqneGsMCSXMpMewnzi-PB97oMpQUxYiFwbQoYzVAniAE5vpMl2kfxCEzjs18zs8jFg9Cb00qy_Km/s1600/Spinifex+-+bush+superglue.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Maybe one of the most rewarding aspects of spending sustained periods of times in an environment is the opportunity afforded one to become more familiar with the </span>minutiae<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> of that environment. It's easy to get the big picture with a quick visit, but that doesn't allow you to feel like you really know a place. We feel really lucky to be able to spend the time to learn more about the Red Centre and to have established a strong sense of connection. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Okay. Moving on. </span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At the lookout, which is up on a raised platform, I made this short video with my little point and shoot camera …</span></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/HRGBc877Jjw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After all we’d heard about Kata Tju<u>t</u>a we were really excited to arrive. It was another brilliant late autumn day in the Red Centre: perfect for a couple of walks. Here’s an overview map of the formations showing where the walks go …</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheV0jq4d8EdaE-ivufRGqIGgyq8mvgtMT0qz1xdzX9xO1sKi2r_6vA59VXDYlQRas56sbeS95k4SXD13kcaAzIgbX5ifbJV0l-rTahVcslTbx1B-gqF99XhTr-0vFJiIaJRyusESotcfSJ/s1600/Kata+Tjuta+map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheV0jq4d8EdaE-ivufRGqIGgyq8mvgtMT0qz1xdzX9xO1sKi2r_6vA59VXDYlQRas56sbeS95k4SXD13kcaAzIgbX5ifbJV0l-rTahVcslTbx1B-gqF99XhTr-0vFJiIaJRyusESotcfSJ/s1600/Kata+Tjuta+map.JPG" height="472" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m going to describe the two walks in the reverse order of how we did them, saving the best for last. First up,</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Walpa Gorge</span></span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Walpa Gorge Walk is a lovely, flat 2.6 kilometre return trip and well worth doing. Initially crossing a rocky stretch before entering the inner reaches of the gorge, the track gives way to a pleasant pathway and sections of boardwalk which lead to a beautiful permanent waterhole. It is another sacred place for the Anunga people.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The gorge provides a great little refuge for desert animals ...</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdmW9rVBV48uBEmwwwFcC5WvMYimDqdapmhn3SxI0KNRKu0H1sRUsASZAPTkeOdIlN24HUPCyC7EoXe5gFxCk_7zfOXUpUYmYjntfBUZ-wuo_StrpCZ2g6bfaIy2g182qiErnazFAFblv/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+1A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdmW9rVBV48uBEmwwwFcC5WvMYimDqdapmhn3SxI0KNRKu0H1sRUsASZAPTkeOdIlN24HUPCyC7EoXe5gFxCk_7zfOXUpUYmYjntfBUZ-wuo_StrpCZ2g6bfaIy2g182qiErnazFAFblv/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+1A.JPG" height="450" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Along the base of the rock, shrubs and trees crowd in, making the most of moisture that pours from the cliffs in wet times. In places, boulders lie strewn about, victims of gravity's pull ...</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-9Hxr7w3nMQSooNx7hTrsN45T-kFef_rtttTQjv21hEjEmoFL7ndX7ZlXPOuAYyIERWJXiOvRdf06yiaRW4P1xzI2Vh5brNjaCwvAWKu-0ZlLn-vaoMBoTK2fSeCMeXNdCI9_GqUuEDU/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-9Hxr7w3nMQSooNx7hTrsN45T-kFef_rtttTQjv21hEjEmoFL7ndX7ZlXPOuAYyIERWJXiOvRdf06yiaRW4P1xzI2Vh5brNjaCwvAWKu-0ZlLn-vaoMBoTK2fSeCMeXNdCI9_GqUuEDU/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+3.JPG" height="302" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The head of the gorge is absolutely choked with with vegetation, providing fantastic cover for echidnas in particular. When we visited, many of the shrubs </span>were<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> in flower ...</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ifLgJ_YAnUwKLz7GXriRZMYR8AbcmfP0xef08PJGKwJ8ShvaqI-J1Om3Xz9bwqDkfwTxcYh_YPu_XVwEXQ-62ynNrB2xSfdEifbwE9W5mC79Jlk8aNFhCi0a9g8maHJbk4gctk4ZsVvg/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ifLgJ_YAnUwKLz7GXriRZMYR8AbcmfP0xef08PJGKwJ8ShvaqI-J1Om3Xz9bwqDkfwTxcYh_YPu_XVwEXQ-62ynNrB2xSfdEifbwE9W5mC79Jlk8aNFhCi0a9g8maHJbk4gctk4ZsVvg/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+4.jpg" height="302" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Strange patterns of erosion near the base of this face put me in mind of a sinister grin, almost like a Halloween pumpkin ...</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEgV5WZ8c-OrQj1kueWwYso3CTEsL6-W9CjYUHMwfbJnf0Toh3iFWSfHRNLTDnR4-QzbmghXwI-_0Km7TE_fUVNdiW6iPBblTdfFHPser0hRco3b4q5WK8Q8CkIBrbaxbyZRweO47JpfH/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+4A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEgV5WZ8c-OrQj1kueWwYso3CTEsL6-W9CjYUHMwfbJnf0Toh3iFWSfHRNLTDnR4-QzbmghXwI-_0Km7TE_fUVNdiW6iPBblTdfFHPser0hRco3b4q5WK8Q8CkIBrbaxbyZRweO47JpfH/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+4A.JPG" height="264" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">... or </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> face of some demented, ochre-coloured mummy ...</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHghjd6Gz0oyFNIDojd3H_R4tahnVrzYbMuY43WWIfKnJVGq8yEdOscFfX-ZBuKIHIUwuejnguKG47kzICNYCkEpFfDS5KB3xmTzQf-RHHtHBHnXHPwk7MThYbTkLz4I9cNgD2Cm_TFpR1/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+4B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHghjd6Gz0oyFNIDojd3H_R4tahnVrzYbMuY43WWIfKnJVGq8yEdOscFfX-ZBuKIHIUwuejnguKG47kzICNYCkEpFfDS5KB3xmTzQf-RHHtHBHnXHPwk7MThYbTkLz4I9cNgD2Cm_TFpR1/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+4B.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I mentioned before that we were most impressed with the quality of interpretation in all the parks we visited in the Northern Territory. The following sign details the uniqueness of the plant ecology in this ancient gorge ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-r17PxZviumSv5DbPjzUVEAKUbYhzMe6Kdd6V-oIGYys0LDHBRCGiHa4FyCwNYRjAi6HhCVtNCclqh-sUBY7_maIaIjoWrK-lwZPoZ5eFM0k9qOSHu6aSFNH_JgasNsDL7e42hLMxT3sK/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-r17PxZviumSv5DbPjzUVEAKUbYhzMe6Kdd6V-oIGYys0LDHBRCGiHa4FyCwNYRjAi6HhCVtNCclqh-sUBY7_maIaIjoWrK-lwZPoZ5eFM0k9qOSHu6aSFNH_JgasNsDL7e42hLMxT3sK/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+5.JPG" height="470" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At the end of the walk, one is rewarded with the serenity of a quiet, sheltered waterhole reflecting the encircling domes ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWlPn6GnDnew_ScB5TeB_G7YVQbyfx15xMNC9GNMteLPQi8tj2RXlYyfzYDK-VeI6mu93Y-4rM5-zqkn3hqYkJ8XfYJ9nnMmR-nOmnTgGgfFth4Q6AAvKgwP7TevEdQRsul-987VHLve3/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+5A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWlPn6GnDnew_ScB5TeB_G7YVQbyfx15xMNC9GNMteLPQi8tj2RXlYyfzYDK-VeI6mu93Y-4rM5-zqkn3hqYkJ8XfYJ9nnMmR-nOmnTgGgfFth4Q6AAvKgwP7TevEdQRsul-987VHLve3/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+5A.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Past the waterhole is sacred ground, where people are forbidden to go but adjacent to the waterhole some lovely shrubs were in blossom, firstly this delicate, cupped Fire Sita ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnL99OOSNDUYP4fOKLpmUKQ34hDpaRrEAZFererEPpCmUUGS2bo3eVQtsbBb5nj-R-gt6kU7cgsBur1KXqOdOxNQ7CLLTbtuuKT7CvlQWC8k3AnqTK1nIT9ZKymsgT3tCzZG3ll2H_am5v/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+5B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnL99OOSNDUYP4fOKLpmUKQ34hDpaRrEAZFererEPpCmUUGS2bo3eVQtsbBb5nj-R-gt6kU7cgsBur1KXqOdOxNQ7CLLTbtuuKT7CvlQWC8k3AnqTK1nIT9ZKymsgT3tCzZG3ll2H_am5v/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+5B.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">... and this exquisite flower ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2OFai7ZmdShD6kGOMWodvFTOzl6LGGEye7clXzEn2DE7eDSXgSL4fXI9boHfVQax9Uu66ENcaD7nPHbdGuyjSjO7fvnWaG8S5NE56mkdTa_rATMuy79nfmAvWH_55z35pLFz2WOH1agIK/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+5C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2OFai7ZmdShD6kGOMWodvFTOzl6LGGEye7clXzEn2DE7eDSXgSL4fXI9boHfVQax9Uu66ENcaD7nPHbdGuyjSjO7fvnWaG8S5NE56mkdTa_rATMuy79nfmAvWH_55z35pLFz2WOH1agIK/s1600/Walpa+Gorge+5C.JPG" height="588" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">is the Striped Mintbush. Walpa Gorge is one of the few places it is found. Known for its medicinal properties, it can reduce cold and flu symptoms and dry out sores.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And that's about it for the Walpa Gorge. Now for the main course ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Valley of the Winds Walk</span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When we told people that we were going on to Kings Canyon and Uluru after we left Chambers Pillar, we didn’t realise that Kata Tjuta was so close to Uluru, which just goes to show how little we know about the treasures of the Land Downunder. Our friend Graham said that it was a “must do” to visit this incredible place, and that the Valley of the Winds Walk was one of the most beautiful he’d ever done. The full circuit of the walk covers 7.4 kilometres. </span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As one moves in towards the entrance to the Valley of the Winds this is the view to be had …</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP7qnjKUs_lTWGXEehmM0cv5zYlopI4k5sxNRNRhl_AoNreWcchvRbu0MQ2CQ6PDi2_eFmEgcEwKZG36xm-1orDYP3ydW1m9d347m0ZWx-p2MEaeq_uYp1xBsKZZwlzFArMdvVcU51HX0/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+4A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP7qnjKUs_lTWGXEehmM0cv5zYlopI4k5sxNRNRhl_AoNreWcchvRbu0MQ2CQ6PDi2_eFmEgcEwKZG36xm-1orDYP3ydW1m9d347m0ZWx-p2MEaeq_uYp1xBsKZZwlzFArMdvVcU51HX0/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+4A.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It was so captivating I couldn’t resist playing with the </span>video button on my dinky little camera, so if you'll indulge me here's a short clip expressing a bit more than the thousand words' worth of a photo<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> (sorry about the voice over) …</span></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/O8oIYqA42Nw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Back to still photography, h</span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ere’s a short section of the track, wending its way between a couple of domes …</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITYsZ6dOCeAa8o8C93xd54tIYck5pe_zBzRndTKX4x8T5lnG_VK-Y-6urzUueOTummlb1sLvYVBfR_yEV0Fja5ZOd9YX4sOssxmyR6vU2zX1v6G5sSJIRsV2i1rluRFMuHghMWqhBhyAB/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+4B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITYsZ6dOCeAa8o8C93xd54tIYck5pe_zBzRndTKX4x8T5lnG_VK-Y-6urzUueOTummlb1sLvYVBfR_yEV0Fja5ZOd9YX4sOssxmyR6vU2zX1v6G5sSJIRsV2i1rluRFMuHghMWqhBhyAB/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+4B.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The next photo clearly demonstrates the nature of much of the surface underfoot along the walk, and is the same composition as the conglomerate rock that makes up the domes ...</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrZV7fqA_mEm_3mog6CvqYOTKHDbNSvMhusqL3cJeEyKAXy6BGgw40IUu1mPSg5C9tuq5qOoP3KmrSrwNWGv8-wOBbPsyfEQrdl36XqYboVTtwUl1NDlD-KGeTTTJmh0Si__gOg3hjevU/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+4C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrZV7fqA_mEm_3mog6CvqYOTKHDbNSvMhusqL3cJeEyKAXy6BGgw40IUu1mPSg5C9tuq5qOoP3KmrSrwNWGv8-wOBbPsyfEQrdl36XqYboVTtwUl1NDlD-KGeTTTJmh0Si__gOg3hjevU/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+4C.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The next photo looks back the way we came, about halfway through the inner part of the domes. The entrance to the valley is around the dome on the right of the photo …</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaDRI1DLHf7vTuz4LOV0R9Lqbtvm4AULmBZL11GxTommce17UdDO4r3qxaaPZhAWL-UYMfka6qz6R-ZGzSZ_7bjCouB-_M3BG-6LpSH4CX4S0KaiwGulIIBvou86ogonOzQjXvQQ6u3VNG/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaDRI1DLHf7vTuz4LOV0R9Lqbtvm4AULmBZL11GxTommce17UdDO4r3qxaaPZhAWL-UYMfka6qz6R-ZGzSZ_7bjCouB-_M3BG-6LpSH4CX4S0KaiwGulIIBvou86ogonOzQjXvQQ6u3VNG/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+6.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">… and this image shows where we are going …</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhCJifLoMSzYva_ZL6t14M3hWZdIXOH8NsPHmJKCU1-Kt3WQ642nt3eZ3qwe-9nzDyyeZMLbEMkHCDv81qOrsNY8QKFrmTOjyUB9m1wrEcPhF_ZetlDAqlQySVRx-9UxCyj6EqfO_6pfJ/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhCJifLoMSzYva_ZL6t14M3hWZdIXOH8NsPHmJKCU1-Kt3WQ642nt3eZ3qwe-9nzDyyeZMLbEMkHCDv81qOrsNY8QKFrmTOjyUB9m1wrEcPhF_ZetlDAqlQySVRx-9UxCyj6EqfO_6pfJ/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+7.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once out of the inner section of the walk views become more expansive. One of Di’s favourite domes was this one in the distance, because of the carpet of vegetation on the top she imagined it as some sort of shangri-la for small critters, safe from predators …</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAktNOnzTJspmQfiGsKVBV5xZUf_A9wqgP6GJEPjOIBb6uYnC7RdbS5lsA_RBnxdUNCJLSX7JvdlGPp67FyLutd03kzxuOYXaAORoHEbYSBEbPxlDn4oyqOzDQK1_1S7KdNmrerM0_lsd6/s1600/Wind+Valley+Walk+7B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAktNOnzTJspmQfiGsKVBV5xZUf_A9wqgP6GJEPjOIBb6uYnC7RdbS5lsA_RBnxdUNCJLSX7JvdlGPp67FyLutd03kzxuOYXaAORoHEbYSBEbPxlDn4oyqOzDQK1_1S7KdNmrerM0_lsd6/s1600/Wind+Valley+Walk+7B.jpg" height="432" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here’s a shot detailing some of the domes looming immediately above us as we make our way …</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0fzXzvc5RndyImOUKSeHK-si1lFSUKcXluyDOVJPr1rZk9k2aYPJUX_AVdsMe_TJh3oKbyiwIQXBtQn4mN4GiiIof85-uL4PwM3jSNuMlvZz41g-m7TDpIwPsa0Zf7Ro17E4mtDmyyZp1/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0fzXzvc5RndyImOUKSeHK-si1lFSUKcXluyDOVJPr1rZk9k2aYPJUX_AVdsMe_TJh3oKbyiwIQXBtQn4mN4GiiIof85-uL4PwM3jSNuMlvZz41g-m7TDpIwPsa0Zf7Ro17E4mtDmyyZp1/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+8.JPG" height="242" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After we’d had lunch and lingered awhile to enjoy the views at the northern most point of the track, where there is a lovely shelter and fresh water on tap, we headed off to do the last couple of kilometres. At this point the path finds its way between a stand of Coolabah trees …</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOUSWR3LsMTrBOPJjdUQoC5Dx_YHIrj4GOo4ujNybf2cgD7dNNZ8fEBBE5w6k2YzxvvDz76_01N8wJO4ggEr8py_MV1S1tPKjmc4panq_GFnfHBQHOymHuAAE4WohuwzP6QY6EQPxfb5Z/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOUSWR3LsMTrBOPJjdUQoC5Dx_YHIrj4GOo4ujNybf2cgD7dNNZ8fEBBE5w6k2YzxvvDz76_01N8wJO4ggEr8py_MV1S1tPKjmc4panq_GFnfHBQHOymHuAAE4WohuwzP6QY6EQPxfb5Z/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+9.jpg" height="372" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">… amongst which I found an absolutely beautiful flower, which unfortunately I have not yet been able to identify …</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTO_1nl3LxBETlQN9wcpkmiDYQhIuirXVvxyt1bKnOCfR6XpB_WYG54ts1e5MAu28QU39l6kitza19MPK4I9ROK621Y4r0Vpmg1NQNiHBygrHKgoYoU-tKpnBBeZWxD69mFNuMxwrCYhQS/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+9A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTO_1nl3LxBETlQN9wcpkmiDYQhIuirXVvxyt1bKnOCfR6XpB_WYG54ts1e5MAu28QU39l6kitza19MPK4I9ROK621Y4r0Vpmg1NQNiHBygrHKgoYoU-tKpnBBeZWxD69mFNuMxwrCYhQS/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+9A.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The wending nature of the Wind Valley Walk means that you get lots of different angles from which to observe the domes. Here’s another view a little further along …</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8nb480w-TxB_8sryu7oX-QlC20vFnlCDKex6O_1H__9wiZC6PdJeFAXOqpQvlUh9nJupev7ync0H677GI4_cmJQU8viSmlsyMGHSf7EJVpRX2AHBr7-WVYKC51msXekYJG0LrjiqZan3/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8nb480w-TxB_8sryu7oX-QlC20vFnlCDKex6O_1H__9wiZC6PdJeFAXOqpQvlUh9nJupev7ync0H677GI4_cmJQU8viSmlsyMGHSf7EJVpRX2AHBr7-WVYKC51msXekYJG0LrjiqZan3/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+10.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This next shot is one of Di’s favourites because of the way it reveals criss-cross weaknesses in the rock, highlighted by the grasses that have taken root in the cracks …</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TX5OwSj7jYrZLe5G8Gm8x2faUceuawDb4s0fLdCpjglWua3ES9xX-H8Jztz6Pe0ogRtgc7uQ6S2gYKdDfYnt7pD_Z0_luKTJcR1Clu9OezgxQPZ1zwaEkYhpuR7kijlAxxOweOuSFMm8/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TX5OwSj7jYrZLe5G8Gm8x2faUceuawDb4s0fLdCpjglWua3ES9xX-H8Jztz6Pe0ogRtgc7uQ6S2gYKdDfYnt7pD_Z0_luKTJcR1Clu9OezgxQPZ1zwaEkYhpuR7kijlAxxOweOuSFMm8/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+11.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For the last picture we’ve got to share with you from the Red Centre the slow pulsing heart of our beautiful country we’ve chosen this panorama that you will experience in the outer part of the Wind Valley loop …</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsN8-VtWRCM2PkhEEqgRi423jM8fbbti61ZshxvkA64I38LTJ1-eDgnMYwXRQwumPsL5qf0XXawCFb8BqsMQLZxrSbK1elcWcM98tzo0IUVwdj98eD5d8E8GdzvzKgSoVmYVbZ1vh_iVZ2/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsN8-VtWRCM2PkhEEqgRi423jM8fbbti61ZshxvkA64I38LTJ1-eDgnMYwXRQwumPsL5qf0XXawCFb8BqsMQLZxrSbK1elcWcM98tzo0IUVwdj98eD5d8E8GdzvzKgSoVmYVbZ1vh_iVZ2/s1600/Wind+Valley+walk+12.jpg" height="182" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Right at this very moment we are snuggled down in Mimosa Rocks National Park on the south coast of New South Wales, not far from the border of Victoria. Here’s a picture of </span>the Prado and Ulti (with the bikes parked behind)<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> nestled under a gorgeous spreading tree …</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtkMw5mvPa_XTbsHr4MtFQCiZP825KzdkDNqkNSMiisQwxWpR3KyZRln-bA6EEJOtancLOU3pBEhIZt1wEFq2oPxK05oqjtUU6EsRfLxyP00VYhNTwQLP0j7bBK1qVqeTmYI94a_EvOCI/s1600/Mimosa+Rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtkMw5mvPa_XTbsHr4MtFQCiZP825KzdkDNqkNSMiisQwxWpR3KyZRln-bA6EEJOtancLOU3pBEhIZt1wEFq2oPxK05oqjtUU6EsRfLxyP00VYhNTwQLP0j7bBK1qVqeTmYI94a_EvOCI/s1600/Mimosa+Rocks.jpg" height="388" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I can hear the rollers tumbling in on the beach below us. Tomorrow morning we’ll have a wander on up the strand before we set off southwards. Over the next few days we’ll ease our way down to Station Pier in Port Melbourne to catch the ferry home. As you can see from the next photo we’ve taken something of a detour …</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4za7CwiYVuooy0MCPQ4_hEpeRe1GZbRPiNMPtGGexnAyoBQWNFZtPVUyYPadHoHYNhqm4vQHfxGmZZuBK8iROAmuYfbVFoXNDmOPzaarZsMpZYuPvQVsgyoUKy227ohmz4jFFBq7e7VaP/s1600/Homeward+Bound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4za7CwiYVuooy0MCPQ4_hEpeRe1GZbRPiNMPtGGexnAyoBQWNFZtPVUyYPadHoHYNhqm4vQHfxGmZZuBK8iROAmuYfbVFoXNDmOPzaarZsMpZYuPvQVsgyoUKy227ohmz4jFFBq7e7VaP/s1600/Homeward+Bound.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Those of you who’ve been following the blog from its inception will be aware that we’ve had a few issues with our fridge. At Weipa in Far North Queensland. On the northwest coast in Tasmania. At Lake Natimuk in Western Victoria. Lake Mournpall in northern Victoria. Chambers Pillar. Actually, pretty much all over the place. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We finally decided to cut that unreliable Dometic 3-way fridge (model 2355) loose and have </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">put </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">a new Engel compressor fridge - the gold standard of mobile fridges - in its place. Although the Ultimate factory in Moruya was rather out of our way we thought it best to get the folks at Ulti to do the swap over for us. We hope that will be the end of our fridge woes and we can have ice cream in the fridge the next time we head off for an Ultimate holiday. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Until then, all the best from</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Doug and Di</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">(Psst ... before you go, could you please complete the poll </span>below <span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">for us? Thanks!)</span></span></b></div>
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Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-35336133698698634072014-05-29T01:27:00.001-07:002014-06-02T02:36:59.386-07:00Just Deserts - the main course: Chambers Pillar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMipRHVp7Tic32FTp_N4DE0tTum6eynRsoJCduB0F24KJaP_SXoGgVHdl1HceDhNN1ZQKnYWF3QXhxdY4lLTT7XkqmECzNsgOXhaAb5HBoTkUgq9jKAXPodoSJPu3kLCWeFSO-y_Wt7rum/s1600/Q+Pillar+pano1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMipRHVp7Tic32FTp_N4DE0tTum6eynRsoJCduB0F24KJaP_SXoGgVHdl1HceDhNN1ZQKnYWF3QXhxdY4lLTT7XkqmECzNsgOXhaAb5HBoTkUgq9jKAXPodoSJPu3kLCWeFSO-y_Wt7rum/s1600/Q+Pillar+pano1.jpg" height="121" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>There was movement at The Pillar</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>For the word had passed around</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>That Big Red and Max and Prue had got away</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Off to the wild bush places</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>That are still there to be found</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>And all the Ultis gathered for the fray</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>All the tried and noted Ultimateers</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>From regions near and far</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Had mustered at The Pillar overnight</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>For the <b>Four-</b>bies love hard driving</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Where the Desert Oaks abound</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>And the Ultis snuff the battle with delight</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>...</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>And down by Chambers Pillar</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Where the remnant ramparts raise</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Their worn and rounded battlements on high</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Where the air is clear as crystal</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>And where the white stars fairly blaze</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>At midnight in a cold and frosty sky</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>And where around the campfire</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>The faces glowed with light</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>And the laughter spilled</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>And echoed roundabout</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Our memories linger with a sigh</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>And far off we tell our stories of the night.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>(apologies to A.B. " Banjo" Paterson, Di's favourite bush poet)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rainbow Valley to Chambers Pillar</span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Graham had done a lot of homework before coming away on the big trip that he and Liz were doing across to the Kimberley and other faraway exotic destinations. Part of this was getting in touch with a friend in Alice Springs to check out a direct route from Rainbow Valley through to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chambers_Pillar" target="_blank">Chambers Pillar</a> which showed up on some of his GPS maps. He’d been told that the route was regularly traveled and no problem. While we were at Rainbow Valley some rangers came by and we had a chat with them. Initially they ran the line past us that there was no through road, but more close questioning revealed that they used it themselves and had been on it recently so we decided to give it a shot.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It proved to be a great little drive. Here’s what it looks like on Google Earth:</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMVMnWIUGlxNaVUgKuIEfjVaqIuC5z8VkG7pHwkYR_2NyaFWfhuFR-5DROFOxAuqCJldTa2XiJUZ1LUzcpZuTx7GU5EOgV_OlJcEw3bBbTE8-IO4OV0n2Wi4UNVmmCou-vMbcEz1PT8aD/s1600/A+RV-CP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMVMnWIUGlxNaVUgKuIEfjVaqIuC5z8VkG7pHwkYR_2NyaFWfhuFR-5DROFOxAuqCJldTa2XiJUZ1LUzcpZuTx7GU5EOgV_OlJcEw3bBbTE8-IO4OV0n2Wi4UNVmmCou-vMbcEz1PT8aD/s1600/A+RV-CP.jpg" height="422" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sidling through the desert</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Before we set out though, I took this early morning farewell photo of our campsite:</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2moHp52uydpOvVvgbg0IVsvD1CuZBG2UczWFm2mre0T0HX_v3xoaP10SMq7FOxTIt-gHcMygLWThnEVFpheOuJ07l8iIJJzhQtNYWsp6FImzOeb_0liPr6hvca7dWK4OUxxdill42rY_9/s1600/B+Rainbow+Valley+campsite.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2moHp52uydpOvVvgbg0IVsvD1CuZBG2UczWFm2mre0T0HX_v3xoaP10SMq7FOxTIt-gHcMygLWThnEVFpheOuJ07l8iIJJzhQtNYWsp6FImzOeb_0liPr6hvca7dWK4OUxxdill42rY_9/s1600/B+Rainbow+Valley+campsite.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Rainbow Valley campsite</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> From a camping point of view there are two things for me that are most notable about this photo, so I’ll draw your attention to them in case you haven’t noticed. In the foreground on the left you can see what is a gas barbecue, but it’s not your standard variety with just a hot plate. In fact it has gas rings as well so you can cook outdoors using your own pots and pans. To its right and slightly behind is a steel firepit set into the ground. It is a brilliant thing, used at all the National Park campsites in the NT that we were to subsequently visit.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This was our first camping experience in the Northern Territory and we thought the infrastructure provided for campers was fantastic, and for only $3.30 per night per person.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The next photo is just a shot through the windscreen, showing the sandy dirt track that took us east towards the new Ghan Railway ...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzHZSpdiYv5qfSP-1jAPWBitj44Mo-cNvv1JVqSeAO8TVdNqNy4_26A8IfQcDkhGyldJgYD25bBT6GqCPgmTvwsD02h8AhMsvGfNl6FspOW8b1YxNY9BM7b49zCiiwLztFihUFQFV_59D/s1600/C+Sandy+track.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzHZSpdiYv5qfSP-1jAPWBitj44Mo-cNvv1JVqSeAO8TVdNqNy4_26A8IfQcDkhGyldJgYD25bBT6GqCPgmTvwsD02h8AhMsvGfNl6FspOW8b1YxNY9BM7b49zCiiwLztFihUFQFV_59D/s1600/C+Sandy+track.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Typical sandy desert track</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">... but before we got there we passed a spot with a sign that we couldn’t read from a distance. Not exactly sure where we were or where we were going, I got out and jogged across to take a look at what it said. The sign marked a native garden where cultivation and research of bush tomatoes and native raisins was being conducted. While I was finding that out Di took this photo of flowers on a poisonous potato plant with fruits she thought might be the tomatoes ... but no they are actually the bush <b><i>potato</i></b>: steer clear! …</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMv8udJ6XnOUQPeN6d2hrKMJl-Bqw0hFQHvQR-rzKHnNZyLo3W_IZs_K9apNXSJo-lN5FNV_swx_QQtiYi7FlZbBl7kgThg-_MxecWoN8NPz7fPEGPnnckGTnxZJsnznOspGaUEJgcEJn/s1600/D+Bush+tomato.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMv8udJ6XnOUQPeN6d2hrKMJl-Bqw0hFQHvQR-rzKHnNZyLo3W_IZs_K9apNXSJo-lN5FNV_swx_QQtiYi7FlZbBl7kgThg-_MxecWoN8NPz7fPEGPnnckGTnxZJsnznOspGaUEJgcEJn/s1600/D+Bush+tomato.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Bush potato: poisonous - do not eat!</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We were delighted when the track we were following did, as expected, cross the Ghan. You might notice the flag flying from Graham and Liz’s vehicle in the next photo ...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxLgB_3hlFGHlVgA7MZbPXTkH0QsvVGjV9g1Inj0M1rfr1NBkt2DAoFKDHNXxONy8-FOD7cLeRle1Xb1OwCUQTIVuj49GE3pg6YWuR3y5JlOhDadjBtVtJXE1ItNKXOi28eQgWwGrMfT0/s1600/E+G&L+crossing+the+Ghan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxLgB_3hlFGHlVgA7MZbPXTkH0QsvVGjV9g1Inj0M1rfr1NBkt2DAoFKDHNXxONy8-FOD7cLeRle1Xb1OwCUQTIVuj49GE3pg6YWuR3y5JlOhDadjBtVtJXE1ItNKXOi28eQgWwGrMfT0/s1600/E+G&L+crossing+the+Ghan.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Crossing the "new" Ghan Railway</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is a precaution that off-roaders generally employ when traveling in sand dune country on the very narrow dirt roads that tend to be the norm out back. Another something new for Di and I, and part of the learning curve for our off-road explorations.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As we crossed the Ghan I paused briefly to mark the occasion ...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPztPQGqDAK9MDgceREvg5cF8k-F9yZk2iZa5_s47dhMsTdrmAe6-Jpj-ihExMuaf7gKmCjJuLc9WGeG58zyhQnPuWXT3M9VzwsdRbnTxq24-Klcs199H4ycl8YBxv8G-UD3GgfFZNrxu/s1600/F+The+Ghan+stretches+southwards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPztPQGqDAK9MDgceREvg5cF8k-F9yZk2iZa5_s47dhMsTdrmAe6-Jpj-ihExMuaf7gKmCjJuLc9WGeG58zyhQnPuWXT3M9VzwsdRbnTxq24-Klcs199H4ycl8YBxv8G-UD3GgfFZNrxu/s1600/F+The+Ghan+stretches+southwards.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The "new" Ghan stretches southward</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">... much to Di’s consternation, who quite rightly reminded me that one should never stop over a railway line … but then I was always a naughty boy at school …</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We came to a spot amongst thinly spread trees where a small flock of budgies were swooping from one tree to the next. Although we were unable to get a photo of them, Di did take this shot of what seemed to be some kind of nest, rather reminiscent of the green ant nests that abound in tropical FNQ ...</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQJKyhNCptEoXBajMrBnISeeBPblzvhKcT2y5MTcDddRsUqKd6ZC7rOnDX4rw9n1kKirlQXImAiTsrvt7Vzg6gQBOXMdU4CDP-btejlMVHHMa5m8Xk0bQZoVyZ_mq2lDAZaldW0DvjXhC/s1600/G+nest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQJKyhNCptEoXBajMrBnISeeBPblzvhKcT2y5MTcDddRsUqKd6ZC7rOnDX4rw9n1kKirlQXImAiTsrvt7Vzg6gQBOXMdU4CDP-btejlMVHHMa5m8Xk0bQZoVyZ_mq2lDAZaldW0DvjXhC/s1600/G+nest.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A well-hung nest, </span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><b>nest-ce past?</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We really had no idea what it was - and Liz (who was a science teacher in a previous life) - didn’t either. There were smaller versions scattered throughout the trees in this part of our journey, but that was by far the largest. (If there’s anyone out there who reads this and can identify that object I’d greatly appreciate a comment at the bottom of the post.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next is a little movie Di shot through the windscreen of us following Graham and Liz through a dry watercourse. It’s not going to feature in any short film festival, but it will give you an idea of the bumpy terrain and you should enjoy Di’s sound effects ...</span></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/bxjqQdiLbL8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Bumpier than it looks!</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After more fun wending our way through interesting terrain featuring a range of low rocky hills, we found ourselves on the old Hugh River stock route and then the junction with South Road leading to Maryvale, where we paused for some morning tea and had the pleasure of hearing some familiar voices come through on the radio. Before long, our friends Max and Prue came round the corner ...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXq4p-ALh9uZeFF33w51ujtlIwRd2mwvxYxTcTXfMpATs29SOFDp_ZLfEDUc2cewa7-_0N2x6jwvH2Fhueve3XCiNp8j5hUuoNqTDY331TLBhpqThK80GkX-Sv-QVh1RykUsUK_W0bTDqa/s1600/I+Here+come+da+sherriff!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXq4p-ALh9uZeFF33w51ujtlIwRd2mwvxYxTcTXfMpATs29SOFDp_ZLfEDUc2cewa7-_0N2x6jwvH2Fhueve3XCiNp8j5hUuoNqTDY331TLBhpqThK80GkX-Sv-QVh1RykUsUK_W0bTDqa/s1600/I+Here+come+da+sherriff!.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Here comes Sheriff Max with Deputy Prue riding shotgun</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Their mate Neville followed them into our impromptu roadside stop. We had been hearing a bit about Nev off and on and were delighted to make his acquaintance as he proved to be our chief entertainer over the next couple of days and again later when we were reunited by chance at Watarrka National Park.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Okay, time for the customary aside. Here’s a photo of Max, Prue and our new mate “Captain Neville” ...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEz5tQd1XwyYlDlKpDUrZNOB-JYKsxjOu3gB5gDOfqCGnY24yJ5go3CJt-i97ApchuFBGPGuaiw1Vr1IWaV5EMDkR-feuyYJAPOK0w7EESeslUxsEYU7gwqpjg9hISC9EHrXhk3WK48Na/s1600/I+J+Captain+Neville+with+M&P.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEz5tQd1XwyYlDlKpDUrZNOB-JYKsxjOu3gB5gDOfqCGnY24yJ5go3CJt-i97ApchuFBGPGuaiw1Vr1IWaV5EMDkR-feuyYJAPOK0w7EESeslUxsEYU7gwqpjg9hISC9EHrXhk3WK48Na/s1600/I+J+Captain+Neville+with+M&P.JPG" height="544" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The Three Amigos</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">You’ll note the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Foreign_Legion" style="letter-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">French Foreign Legion</a><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">-like hat that Nevy is wearing. Now, I haven’t heard any stories about Nev having been in the </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVxvYsBq7GI&list=RDxVxvYsBq7GI#t=3" style="letter-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">FFL</a><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> (</span><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">you'll want the volume turned up full if you click on this link</i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">), but I wouldn’t be surprised. He’s done a lot of things including, I believe, participating in the </span><a href="http://www.finkedesertrace.com.au/" style="letter-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">Finke Desert Race</a><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">. (Aside from this aside: if you're a real rev-head, this year's race will be held from the 7th to the 9th of June and you could probably find a live stream somewhere. Our wonderful, </span>unparalleled anywhere in the universe and national treasure, the<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/" target="_blank">ABC</a> did a live stream of last year's race.) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Anyway, back to Nev: as you can tell by his grizzled appearance, he’s been around the traps a fair bit, which you can tell by his patched-up walking boots. When we were waiting on Friday night at Chambers Pillar for our talk from Ricky the Ranger, Nev kept us in stitches with a series of old fart jokes, which was appropriate as we were, largely, a collection of Old Farts. Here's an example:</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Mabel and Beryl, a couple of residents of the Nearly Done Retirement Village, decided to have an outing to town. They got in the car and were rolling along nicely when Beryl suddenly noticed that they'd gone straight through a red light. Slightly perturbed, she thought that Mabel must have just missed that one so she didn't say anything. Shortly thereafter, the same thing happened again. Slightly <b>more</b> perturbed she thought to herself, "I wonder if Mabel is having a bad day"? She still didn't say anything as she didn't want to upset her dear friend. But when it happened yet again she just couldn't help herself and burst out: "<b>Mabel!!! Do you realise that you've just gone </b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>through three </b><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">red</span><b> lights????" </b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Somewhat startled, Mabel replied, "<b>Oh! Am I driving?!?"</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, here’s to you, Nevy; we look forward to our next rendezvous with your good self.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Okay, back to the main game, and time for a bit of background into why we were going to Chambers Pillar in the first place. Max was the inspiration and chief organiser for our visit to “The Pillar”. He first floated the idea almost a year ago by mentioning on the Ultimate forum that he and Prue were going to drop in at the pillar as part of a longer journey they were taking across to the northern part of West Australia. The Pillar was a fitting destination for an outback get-together as it was used as a significant "marker post" by early explorers. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Max suggested that other folks might like to join them, and things snowballed from there. All up there were going to be about 30 people attending this instance of one of “<b>Max’s Weekends Away</b>”, so it seemed only fitting that he lead this last leg of our journey into the pillar. We drove on past Maryvale and through mostly flat, open terrain south towards the pillar ...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXYsq_muLnvIPKN01bS7WIIvUiY3A3X7mQZ2XOJUG-WmE9hMVOBQdAjqjYHLTnJS8oGXdpHsnH6UENRlBIYjOJEhkvKpvcvEYUrOEOfKouN-PWvXG7v_6kPXxf93ANpffjPx4fHNyA73x/s1600/I+M&P+lead+the+way.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXYsq_muLnvIPKN01bS7WIIvUiY3A3X7mQZ2XOJUG-WmE9hMVOBQdAjqjYHLTnJS8oGXdpHsnH6UENRlBIYjOJEhkvKpvcvEYUrOEOfKouN-PWvXG7v_6kPXxf93ANpffjPx4fHNyA73x/s1600/I+M&P+lead+the+way.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The road is long with many a winding turn (see Cher: He ain't heavy, he's my brother)</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">.</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">.. before arriving at our last significant obstacle in the form of a mesa referred to as “the jump-up”, which involved a bit of careful steering on the way up and engaging second gear in low range on the way down the other side. On the top we were excited to catch our first glimpse of the pillar about 10 kilometres in the distance ...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzug7BLesDczQTQe-EqHr3iQ1uwKhOayoWRQYg6TzACsZIWBONJ-AfpHWgXcqPgd1KQHWKrA0XaveKWAcOp5UgNiVfDCn3QyZ_iWLvRogLy3h3ViLhtSdKViSiNbLfmAh_mj914YNJdeyr/s1600/J1+CP+first+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzug7BLesDczQTQe-EqHr3iQ1uwKhOayoWRQYg6TzACsZIWBONJ-AfpHWgXcqPgd1KQHWKrA0XaveKWAcOp5UgNiVfDCn3QyZ_iWLvRogLy3h3ViLhtSdKViSiNbLfmAh_mj914YNJdeyr/s1600/J1+CP+first+view.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>First sighting of Chambers Pillar</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There being no firewood collection allowed in the Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve we stopped to gather a bit alongside the road on the way in ...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBrbutYxj6rgLC1mwJqOvYJ56v2e3QWPzRV0yESzJJMid8DPJgjO3Hh9D9MkW0LIKHufQHLl9AvijX4U2S4Sknwml1MyeManfccQ8tvxgdg8MduVsKT52hSqpwk9ATHkLgBNhtdF3lxVO/s1600/J2+firewood+collection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBrbutYxj6rgLC1mwJqOvYJ56v2e3QWPzRV0yESzJJMid8DPJgjO3Hh9D9MkW0LIKHufQHLl9AvijX4U2S4Sknwml1MyeManfccQ8tvxgdg8MduVsKT52hSqpwk9ATHkLgBNhtdF3lxVO/s1600/J2+firewood+collection.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here again was another example of the excellent work done by the Northern Territory parks people, as they’d placed signs identifying a zone before reaching the park where firewood collection was permitted.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After settling into camp Di and I decided to stretch our legs; we were eager to get a closer look at the pillar after such a long period of anticipation.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> While the pillar and the other two significant rock formations are the main focus for visitors to the park, the vegetation is also a great attraction. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allocasuarina_decaisneana" target="_blank">Desert Oak</a> transforms itself from a rather spindly sapling which looks something like a hairy pencil into a powerful, stately tree which casts quite a bit of shade ...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbenYR5gyNr2I_BZBgBaTO6c-oM63SQRyYjY9r6BWvN5ix_yX3Xa-wajrSk-LPN-RsAIOKR11gYW8tj5releSi27x2-uJnwkgfl1Tq2Pf_5eCgl91RrgFn7I67L5El9K2mjPpQVsVHruGC/s1600/K+Desert+oak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbenYR5gyNr2I_BZBgBaTO6c-oM63SQRyYjY9r6BWvN5ix_yX3Xa-wajrSk-LPN-RsAIOKR11gYW8tj5releSi27x2-uJnwkgfl1Tq2Pf_5eCgl91RrgFn7I67L5El9K2mjPpQVsVHruGC/s1600/K+Desert+oak.jpg" height="560" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Icon of central Australia: the mighty Desert Oak</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We were fortunate to be visiting the desert after some very good and unseasonable late summer rains, which had brought various flowering plants to life. I’ll let the following pictures speak for themselves, although you might like to click on the third and fifth image for even more detail ...</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The walk around to the pillar from the bush camping area provided great views of Window Rock ...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1H7IMLG7UKj2gybFsR_BKPBRojdowWJVJPutOfINpvogqU43307Fy-Y4oOmbNGxsyBDIWREupXUB3BuZcGyNkdpPc2qJtI5Vuk4eO8rvfrwjaOYOV7pyFJJhjbvbABdGXfBcZT1Jyqux/s1600/M+Window+Rock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1H7IMLG7UKj2gybFsR_BKPBRojdowWJVJPutOfINpvogqU43307Fy-Y4oOmbNGxsyBDIWREupXUB3BuZcGyNkdpPc2qJtI5Vuk4eO8rvfrwjaOYOV7pyFJJhjbvbABdGXfBcZT1Jyqux/s1600/M+Window+Rock.jpg" height="390" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Window Rock</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">... and Castle Rock ...</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81SafI1YkEZyi05iXM_RYzJ66FoqYOpicgXTOzC-dZUEsyYSrzjn7zISXKNAyU7fGeuxEgSd26YdWLrzEFKjvhGofc1TDc9uqKLzABhMcJJ_oqZTU8cBOYd37d20atRLKrxVw1KKSj-iB/s1600/N1+Castle+Rock+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81SafI1YkEZyi05iXM_RYzJ66FoqYOpicgXTOzC-dZUEsyYSrzjn7zISXKNAyU7fGeuxEgSd26YdWLrzEFKjvhGofc1TDc9uqKLzABhMcJJ_oqZTU8cBOYd37d20atRLKrxVw1KKSj-iB/s1600/N1+Castle+Rock+1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Castle Rock's better profile ...</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLKOSb27Z1IoBn-JT8ur3ZFY3sqNhu-yJMWq6nP71JV1_VibPX4y1Bp4viBBK7yMNHtBiltwXQ28LpokgLec44KzKOqLhdjhps8FbYkO8Y5fl1Ja3gjpLiRjbSTmb76R_r6fVtkadL1Wc/s1600/N2+Castle+Rock2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLKOSb27Z1IoBn-JT8ur3ZFY3sqNhu-yJMWq6nP71JV1_VibPX4y1Bp4viBBK7yMNHtBiltwXQ28LpokgLec44KzKOqLhdjhps8FbYkO8Y5fl1Ja3gjpLiRjbSTmb76R_r6fVtkadL1Wc/s1600/N2+Castle+Rock2.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">... and her more decrepit profile</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">... before the magnificent Chambers Pillar itself comes into view, framed by some magnificent Desert Oaks ...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbj3qnYLhDMZFjAdPJw0Dtib8hc7ZO-JwZpazhn9HoV-8kETBV5LVy3jvFT2aF207ZkYH2zAhvcBQoYRVaTSaw10F6ri6lMumGiqi_tTkLbezf-ZfTgRn2c-URZ0XVrUi0PfkBTCrNrC9/s1600/O2+Chambers+Pillar+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbj3qnYLhDMZFjAdPJw0Dtib8hc7ZO-JwZpazhn9HoV-8kETBV5LVy3jvFT2aF207ZkYH2zAhvcBQoYRVaTSaw10F6ri6lMumGiqi_tTkLbezf-ZfTgRn2c-URZ0XVrUi0PfkBTCrNrC9/s1600/O2+Chambers+Pillar+2.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Chambers Pillar framed by Desert Oaks</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Incidentally, you can camp right where this photo was taken. How's that for an Ultimate Campsite?</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Returning to our camping area in the evening light, we detoured to a small hill to enjoy the view over our camp ...</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbF1PImSNVAyrm96709VAFqgxqf4-zRndAuD4bQJCSPldvLmqKjydSacN8yIV1CAYUTOa4slpOgbUvvUPdSUKmIneCGw4fbDvee4IT70WBpN_qzGkSmoghbztCS_wLHXl_FX5xPimvK_36/s1600/J3+Pillar+bush+camping.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbF1PImSNVAyrm96709VAFqgxqf4-zRndAuD4bQJCSPldvLmqKjydSacN8yIV1CAYUTOa4slpOgbUvvUPdSUKmIneCGw4fbDvee4IT70WBpN_qzGkSmoghbztCS_wLHXl_FX5xPimvK_36/s1600/J3+Pillar+bush+camping.JPG" height="386" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Part of Chambers Pillar Ultimate Muster 2014</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The clouds visible on the horizon presaged thunderstorm activity, and we enjoyed a lovely evening light show. Overnight and into the early part of the morning the landscape enjoyed another few millimetres of rain so we had a slow start to the day. Once it seemed like the additional blessing from on high had pretty much finished Di and I set out for an explore on the bikes ...</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5wk1JIH8aeRFURend8MGWKaGaVZiB4WuAZQFNvzxsZOgwtj-DvfRlN9o7NlTtradQbHSGjx00DvD4EGljs-a_thWKWCNWOkX7scYLOry_vl50Q4_j4soYzg5xGongNPOIQag7RN4DlW9/s1600/O3+Cycling+Chambers+Pillar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5wk1JIH8aeRFURend8MGWKaGaVZiB4WuAZQFNvzxsZOgwtj-DvfRlN9o7NlTtradQbHSGjx00DvD4EGljs-a_thWKWCNWOkX7scYLOry_vl50Q4_j4soYzg5xGongNPOIQag7RN4DlW9/s1600/O3+Cycling+Chambers+Pillar.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Di cycling beneath Chambers Pillar</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">... but unfortunately couldn’t go very far as both the roads we hoped would lead us somewhere very quickly petered out into nothing.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With the rain clearing the day just got better and better so after lunch we set off again on foot towards the pillar, this time with Max and Prue (Graham was having his grandpa nap and Liz was keeping him company, so they weren’t with us). Up on the viewing platform, Di took this photo of Max and me ...</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8XYx-YlYifw8MxAPM8kEe-3d4s3o0hTaVkVSPBjQ2-ewUG2hdRWno1yEr7n_z-Zbr-avU_Gn2JRFy1byKQGypblrFChjpRnnika5pTV7V8-fxCeJZSRXBY7kFtJ-_9nOZ8NWJ98nlkSb/s1600/P+Pillar+People1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8XYx-YlYifw8MxAPM8kEe-3d4s3o0hTaVkVSPBjQ2-ewUG2hdRWno1yEr7n_z-Zbr-avU_Gn2JRFy1byKQGypblrFChjpRnnika5pTV7V8-fxCeJZSRXBY7kFtJ-_9nOZ8NWJ98nlkSb/s1600/P+Pillar+People1.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Yep. </span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><b>This is the life ...</b></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbiJLHlKDwFdMHUtWpxE2V8w7ox0d3Wm1KYlO3GC3N1fdnubzbsnQEU9ZWFICmNk_YsADnrqWw6xr4Db8UO98LVtizpMpKI8P9HWWHxH7e272wsta_Ui7JSd9TYeXTNuyau_ClJAnx0YX/s1600/P+Pillar+People1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b></b></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">... and I managed to get a self-timed shot of the four of us together ...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvkBy0OVIblMd_h5txOufpeu3cpiEoUzzoiaB7bJhD15efM9vcUBUHQ19wraLeXPSBRVYZc8nDUHiD0Bs4-5mN0eYu9ZpbBmjqroenrsPgEkW24eICbK6GJdnsPAu384RwylYc9CSZikR/s1600/P+Pillar+People2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvkBy0OVIblMd_h5txOufpeu3cpiEoUzzoiaB7bJhD15efM9vcUBUHQ19wraLeXPSBRVYZc8nDUHiD0Bs4-5mN0eYu9ZpbBmjqroenrsPgEkW24eICbK6GJdnsPAu384RwylYc9CSZikR/s1600/P+Pillar+People2.jpg" height="382" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Di, Prue, Max and Doug at Chambers Pillar</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">... and here is a glimpse of the main attraction, taken from the evening viewing spot (if you're on a desktop you might like to click on the image for its full effect) ...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaCtH-uz7U-UnKdP1BnCo9zhmoA9E11_Kc0RrIlsBLPFyeUGYY3XXrI-n56_UzDcXrKVwBA8VjdN7BDhPf6UzaDZNWmiOa9ynuTKqjxH7uFxO0e_drcl7R9T1Gr8G5OUvutGQGmV1LDcD/s1600/Q+Pillar+pano1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaCtH-uz7U-UnKdP1BnCo9zhmoA9E11_Kc0RrIlsBLPFyeUGYY3XXrI-n56_UzDcXrKVwBA8VjdN7BDhPf6UzaDZNWmiOa9ynuTKqjxH7uFxO0e_drcl7R9T1Gr8G5OUvutGQGmV1LDcD/s1600/Q+Pillar+pano1.jpg" height="194" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Chambers Pillar in a sea of green</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Not a bad looking thing, eh!</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That night, darkness brought on a spectacular moonless star show and Nev identified planets and circling satellites for us. All the Ultimateers mustered at the campfire for a talk with the local rangers, Ricky and Jeremy. Although we had arrived at Chambers Pillar before the season for the regular ranger campfire talks started, Max had been able to organise this evening especially for us when coordinating with the rangers about the numbers of campers that would be arriving in the bush camping area. Ricky’s talk amused and informed and gave us a much better understanding of life in this ‘hard’ waterless region. What amazing luck to be there during a bountiful period with rain to see how the desert blooms!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We planned to leave early the next morning as we had a lot to do in Alice Springs, so we bade the gathering goodnight and headed for bed. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On a final note, thanks again Max for putting this all together. We had a great time travelling with Graham and Liz to the muster, catching up with you and Prue and meeting some other folks along the way and at Chambers Pillar. This trip will stay with us well into the future - or not, depending how soon Old Timers Disease sets in. Furthermore, your enthusiasm for this excursion led us to tack on a side trip out to the Beating Heart, aka as the Red Centre, which will feature in a future post.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>until next time, </i></span></span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">all the best</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>from</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Doug and Di</i></span></div>
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Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-56843652653752047402014-05-28T04:07:00.003-07:002014-05-28T05:48:25.074-07:00Just Deserts - Oodnadatta and Over the Rainbow<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our route for the next stage of our journey looks like this ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisQMiqS_M_dbkg3gu-OLjMVLmds3bL-pltXKMr6mNaV8xjt99BiiCtuLSVEcg3r4r_wU5DCsyuSBr4LWE7RC0ahd1Rnp1pm_RbYA5FL16OlTx__q9mq2xIkSCgiz1eoR6pfFqpXzKb1jV/s1600/2+Coward+Springs+-+Rainbow+Valley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisQMiqS_M_dbkg3gu-OLjMVLmds3bL-pltXKMr6mNaV8xjt99BiiCtuLSVEcg3r4r_wU5DCsyuSBr4LWE7RC0ahd1Rnp1pm_RbYA5FL16OlTx__q9mq2xIkSCgiz1eoR6pfFqpXzKb1jV/s1600/2+Coward+Springs+-+Rainbow+Valley.jpg" height="402" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Day One: on to the Painted Desert</span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Not long after we left Coward Springs we spotted a couple of dingos crossing the road ahead of us and shuffling off into the scrub. Di managed to get a quick photo of one before it disappeared along with its sidekick. Although not a great photo, we were still excited because these were the first two live dingos that we've seen in our travels around the country ...</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All along the Oodnadatta Track there are signs of the Old Ghan Railway. Here’s a picture of one of the many bridges that span mostly dry - but in this case wet - watercourses ...</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are many ruins of various service buildings but this is the only one we saw with a vehicle parked beside it ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The township of William Creek is situated at a T junction with the William Creek Road, which traverses west across to Coober Pedy on the Stuart Highway. Here you can get a clear idea of how far it is to your next destination ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A great little park with mementos from times past is situated across from the pub. There was an old steam engine with these two Galahs perched on the top of its funnel ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">... an old bullock cart built to last ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It’s not just ruins from early pioneering days that grace this little park. This plaque ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">... explains the story of these two discarded rocket sections ...</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The <a href="http://williamcreekhotel.net.au/" target="_blank">pub at William Creek</a> is well know for its great coffee so we sauntered across the road for a sample - which was top notch, so don’t forget to stop if you’re going past. While we were there we bought some <a href="https://www.worksafegear.com/shop/detail/easy-view-hat-fly-net-veil-protection/details/view/" target="_blank">insect nettings to go over our hats</a> and keep the ubiquitous flies off our faces. These were sanity-savers for us Southerners for the next few days. At this point our traveling companions Graham and Liz were detouring out to Coober Pedy for a quick look around and to get some supplies for the remote area camping that lay ahead for the next four or five days. We expected to catch up with them the day after at Arckaringa Station in the Painted Desert, as we thought to stop for the night at the iconic outback outpost of <a href="http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Oodnadatta-Track-sign.JPG&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oodnadatta&h=194&w=259&tbnid=nq_6XwVF2Je4IM:&zoom=1&tbnh=160&tbnw=213&usg=__tgin6ciSpR8z41H6xzkIPv7ki7g=&docid=WdYkSgLHccUPnM&itg=1&client=safari&sa=X&ei=77CFU-H3OouZkgXy9YDIBw&ved=0CJcBEPwdMAo" target="_blank">Oodnadatta</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Back on the road north Di had me stop so she could take this photo of our first clear look at a real red centre sand dune ...</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A little further along we crossed Edward Creek, one of the major watercourses along the Oodnadatta Track ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">... and not long before reaching Oodnadatta is the iconic Algebuchina Bridge spanning the Neales River ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As this sign indicates ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> ... it is the longest bridge in South Australia and is made up of nineteen 30.9 metre spans. A pretty impressive feat of engineering this far from civilisation, it took four years to complete and was officially opened in January 1892.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Anyone who knows anything about the town of Oodnadatta will have heard of the famous Pink Roadhouse (not to be confused with the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fMnF0Fvdpo" target="_blank">famous blue raincoat</a>) ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We soon realised there was no good reason for stopping the night and plenty of good reasons to keep going: it was early afternoon; only a short distance through to the Painted Desert; it was baking hot outside; and there wasn’t anywhere very appealing to set up for the night. To make the most of our brief foray into Oodnadatta we dropped into the Pink Roadhouse for an ice cream before continuing our journey. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Although we’d technically been traveling through desert for the past couple of days, up to this point it didn’t really feel like it because the large amount of recent rainfall had greened everything up so much. But now we started to see more of what we expected the desert to look like, notwithstanding patches of grass scattered here and there ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Wide vistas ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQynvZ911anGGZ8xMfe7QS6WNV0QulmeAO8SFlXYRcWjJFvvjNkwNB6S3Ttsq63OUgRrVubRL7_G9CsWojFdJKAQRESJWpIqRz2Z1ZA144idO3vTEt1fy1OWXhcSvuJpP1Su2IlZdVtup1/s1600/M+Painted+Desert4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQynvZ911anGGZ8xMfe7QS6WNV0QulmeAO8SFlXYRcWjJFvvjNkwNB6S3Ttsq63OUgRrVubRL7_G9CsWojFdJKAQRESJWpIqRz2Z1ZA144idO3vTEt1fy1OWXhcSvuJpP1Su2IlZdVtup1/s1600/M+Painted+Desert4.jpg" height="192" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">... and beautiful formations ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">... led us through to the <a href="http://www.thepainteddesert.com.au/about" target="_blank">Arckaringa</a> homestead. We arrived around mid-afternoon, where a friendly fella by the name of Bill came over to see if we wanted a hand setting up the camper ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our friends Graham and Liz arrived a couple of hours later after a long day in the saddle. They were very happy to settle in for the night. Later on, after a confab we decided to stay only one night rather than the two that Graham had previously allocated. Had we not made this adjustment the next day of travel would have been pretty grueling at over 600 kilometres, most of which would have been on dirt roads. This way we could have two relatively short days, take our time more and relax into the evenings.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Day Two: we arrive in the Northern Territory</span></h3>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The next morning we were awoken by a large flock of Corellas roosting on the station’s communication tower. Before they had all dispersed Di managed to record their presence ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">While I was doing the departure check that good </span>travellers<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> should always do I spotted this guy looking to hitch-hike a lift ...</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We continued to be amazed at just how green the desert had become after recent rainfall. Unfortunately these two photos don’t really do justice to the beautiful softness of the colours, but they are the best we could do ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We had about 80 kilometres on dirt before reaching tarmac once again. The first half of that was quite interesting driving, through lots of small dry creek beds and hills; the second half was an easy cruise on pretty well-maintained gravel.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once we reached the Stuart Highway we meandered north stopping at various spots to re-inflate tires, refuel both ourselves and our vehicles and to catch up on some important correspondence (including a birthday card to our soon-to-be seven year old granddaughter) and some email at a rare mobile access point on the highway). By late afternoon we’d reached the large overnight rest area at the South Australia - Northern Territory border and decided that was a suitable place to stop for the night ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Di used our camp oven in the fire to cook up a great little roast of saltbush lamb that we'd bought back at Beltana station. Some root veggies in the pot along with the roast accompanied by a good bottle of red made for a very pleasant evening with Graham and Liz, who appreciated not having to cook after their very long drive the day before.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Day Three: to Rainbow Valley</span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The next day promised to be a great, short drive finishing at a classic outback location so we made a leisurely start. A cruise up the Stuart Highway took us to Stuart’s Well, the last outpost before leaving the tarmac. We made a mental note of it as it looked like a good place to stop overnight on another trip up this way. For those interested in exotic species there is the diversion of a camel ride ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">.. on, amongst others, this fine fellow ...</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXT6hrcvScr-UM-Ca1Mq3aa6PyAdrM098xSPO-qakNuwu01bmKmUCd3lxPHTsqJA4whTw3aoIC2WNK5HmGS52dbxjS9_lYoAwjXURwll3lfUIbEwCdA9QrztIQfpbrbyXOlDVPdKSkJufZ/s1600/F+Stuarts+Well+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXT6hrcvScr-UM-Ca1Mq3aa6PyAdrM098xSPO-qakNuwu01bmKmUCd3lxPHTsqJA4whTw3aoIC2WNK5HmGS52dbxjS9_lYoAwjXURwll3lfUIbEwCdA9QrztIQfpbrbyXOlDVPdKSkJufZ/s1600/F+Stuarts+Well+2.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While we were enjoying our lunch a road train full of Northern Territory cattle heading south pulled in. In the photo below you can just make out the tail end of Graham and Liz’s camper and ours in profile a little further back, which gives a sense of the scale of these massive units of transport ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our destination for the night was Rainbow Valley, traditionally an important meeting place for Aboriginal people - perhaps because of its beauty but perhaps more critically the presence of water ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Arriving just after midday we had plenty of time to explore this gorgeous compact park. This is what the James Range looked like shortly after we arrived ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We took a walk past this outcrop ...</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWLQktL0TJS35z_po8tQoc7FfqhyphenhyphenHjFmCnwsQRIGM4-GlRJ9y8a0k3oA3cCjvtPOWKCgUJh5o7PP8yKiWf72gICFKB7bvzYrWC8Z-_3ig91niw0mIvENXWlg2cYYqa8P0Ly7Q4pR2qg0m1/s1600/H+Rainbow+Valley+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWLQktL0TJS35z_po8tQoc7FfqhyphenhyphenHjFmCnwsQRIGM4-GlRJ9y8a0k3oA3cCjvtPOWKCgUJh5o7PP8yKiWf72gICFKB7bvzYrWC8Z-_3ig91niw0mIvENXWlg2cYYqa8P0Ly7Q4pR2qg0m1/s1600/H+Rainbow+Valley+3.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">... and on to a feature known as Mushroom Rock ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">... where a small colony of Swallows had built their nests ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The sandy ground underfoot was dotted with animal tracks, including one from some type of lizard ...</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0ct8j8e2RjNK7nm3gK9kdZo8YmCkN_6qriydYcFel2HVqwGxsOB15qXRmg68Awqx0NqdLQ3sMmLJbZOfvKkM9HTGq_uJYh7Ritlly2i89KsWusCWzNcqxrsHatbMfHiF7jwnz-nOXqcQ/s1600/H+Rainbow+Valley+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0ct8j8e2RjNK7nm3gK9kdZo8YmCkN_6qriydYcFel2HVqwGxsOB15qXRmg68Awqx0NqdLQ3sMmLJbZOfvKkM9HTGq_uJYh7Ritlly2i89KsWusCWzNcqxrsHatbMfHiF7jwnz-nOXqcQ/s1600/H+Rainbow+Valley+6.jpg" height="368" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">... and we saw many of these interesting rings of dirt with a little hole in the middle where, according to Liz, the resident Lion Ant is hiding ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There were lots of low shrubs in flower, including these lovely delicate things ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Graham, equipped with his super duper camera; and Liz, equipped with her super duper sun shade were well prepared for our little trek ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As the evening drew in Graham and I headed out to try to capture the light on the rock. Graham made a bunch of beautiful photos; I did my best with my simple little point-and-shoot. The next photo has been resized and compressed and I hope to have a better version up on SmugMug shortly after we get home, but in the meantime this should give you an idea why it’s worth spending the better part of a day at Rainbow Valley (not a bad photo to click on for a larger image) ...</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdL3jRKVSgGojp6kFJ9Li1XGwa1n8zYqtCNwYy25zovHa5HmOMtaSFvaEPrboOs6v6PHxGd8zcSurtk2bsMssP3ygYO7ZL5om7l1wJBQUxmrJs0v5C2QsTSykdjqOQnqhpIeq76DIfxr9_/s1600/H+Rainbow+Valley+9A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdL3jRKVSgGojp6kFJ9Li1XGwa1n8zYqtCNwYy25zovHa5HmOMtaSFvaEPrboOs6v6PHxGd8zcSurtk2bsMssP3ygYO7ZL5om7l1wJBQUxmrJs0v5C2QsTSykdjqOQnqhpIeq76DIfxr9_/s1600/H+Rainbow+Valley+9A.JPG" height="270" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And that’s it for this post. Look for the next update in a day or two or maybe a week ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All the best</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Doug and Di</span></span></div>
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Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-2562441800985351042014-05-23T07:59:00.002-07:002014-05-28T04:10:20.539-07:00Just Deserts - Delights and Diversions<h2>
Stage One: To Leigh Creek via Brachina Gorge and Parachilna</h2>
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To introduce this stage of our journey I've got two maps for you, extrapolated from Google Earth. The first is simply the route drawn on the map:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1P4gNKnl8Io10JIfttWcxpVi4RUvqeysDQZkQQQCcAS_Zr2pndqbB6wp4sXV8MmZPRZ2SLKr04I-aUXni237l-YtrUEjIWlKn0aT2rstZDJ2mHGBZ_XKGsVOostMtdj0HLA053kcdm-ui/s1600/Wilpena+-+Parachilna+via+Brachina+Gorge+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1P4gNKnl8Io10JIfttWcxpVi4RUvqeysDQZkQQQCcAS_Zr2pndqbB6wp4sXV8MmZPRZ2SLKr04I-aUXni237l-YtrUEjIWlKn0aT2rstZDJ2mHGBZ_XKGsVOostMtdj0HLA053kcdm-ui/s1600/Wilpena+-+Parachilna+via+Brachina+Gorge+1.jpg" height="434" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A great look at the spine of the Flinders Ranges, thanks to the satellites and Google Earth</span></b></td></tr>
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A circuitous route, which could have been much more direct had we wanted it to be. (As you will have probably noticed, the roads straighten up considerably once you're on the western side of the Flinders Ranges.) However, this was a very short day as far as distance needed to be covered, so we had opted to drive via the scenic <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?q=brachina+Gorge&safe=active&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=qjd_U6GVIMS6kgX86ICQAg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg&biw=1273&bih=545" target="_blank">Brachina Gorge</a>. We visited this spot in 2011 and were keen to see it again. The next image shows the elevation profile and distance covered ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgDxgMT7oegdtRHW5v9RVVWVhLtF9u2NtlIvQTSjqNFVP53uBFdavWJMn-ukVV8x6Rsl96whvtx3oJoGPDkhw7efIcW6PPLgHNFpNAGlfMi4o-ICZYjzfHWUtBc7cfyNj1X_T1Kp378Fp/s1600/Wilpena+-+Parachilna+via+Brachina+Gorge+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgDxgMT7oegdtRHW5v9RVVWVhLtF9u2NtlIvQTSjqNFVP53uBFdavWJMn-ukVV8x6Rsl96whvtx3oJoGPDkhw7efIcW6PPLgHNFpNAGlfMi4o-ICZYjzfHWUtBc7cfyNj1X_T1Kp378Fp/s1600/Wilpena+-+Parachilna+via+Brachina+Gorge+2.jpg" height="416" width="640" /></a></div>
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From my point of view what's interesting here is the elevation gain and loss: we started at 564 metres asl, gained 453 metres and lost 875 metres over the 86.9 kilometres traveled, thus dropping to about 142 metres asl. We're dropping into the Lake Ayre basin and approaching the mythical <a href="http://www.lakeeyreyc.com/" target="_blank">Lake Ayre Yacht Club</a>! That's still a day or two off though and there are some interesting places to visit along the way and great things to see. Before arriving at Brachina Gorge we detoured via a grave site from early days of white settlement and for future reference visited a couple of beautiful campsites off the main road. The drive through Brachina Gorge was great. We stopped for Di to take a few photos, including this one in the bed of the gorge ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsNhon0HTLtmhe8fH8xg58UupFjmrL9EcCtu48TA-MOXfiqFIh1A3RAaQdgD2lu0Mb1Gs3_b472gC2wMy5xq8_GkOwazaAC2qyp9vjM4-CyQOzn75Ck7TjTVjbQESAIfTAzfM9QhoREku/s1600/A+Brachina+Gorge1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsNhon0HTLtmhe8fH8xg58UupFjmrL9EcCtu48TA-MOXfiqFIh1A3RAaQdgD2lu0Mb1Gs3_b472gC2wMy5xq8_GkOwazaAC2qyp9vjM4-CyQOzn75Ck7TjTVjbQESAIfTAzfM9QhoREku/s1600/A+Brachina+Gorge1.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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... but generally we just enjoyed the drive through. </div>
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Once back on the Stuart Highway we soon found ourselves at the <a href="http://www.prairiehotel.com.au/" target="_blank">Prairie Hotel</a> in Parachilna ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHW5JcTLA6IFR2X7qns_gNkXdBGCS6jUQZp_VUgOM3h82nMPWmjXU6E2C1TbbRa05Zclm3LZu9CMIdtIu2OeBibkvYyxplnxbpHFpss00EfjPlfsHqERwAsKjw3_Gq7DQNcY_sTHm2om4j/s1600/B+Prairie+Hotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHW5JcTLA6IFR2X7qns_gNkXdBGCS6jUQZp_VUgOM3h82nMPWmjXU6E2C1TbbRa05Zclm3LZu9CMIdtIu2OeBibkvYyxplnxbpHFpss00EfjPlfsHqERwAsKjw3_Gq7DQNcY_sTHm2om4j/s1600/B+Prairie+Hotel.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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... where we once again enjoyed some of their great fare.</div>
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We had plenty of time to travel the remaining distance to Leigh Creek where we planned to stay the night before meeting our friends Graham and Liz the next morning so we decided to take a little detour along the way ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizck_gcFV-QLyGkDLA1udqD1auIaMpjStA0Ht6k2GxkQD1w_op2W3A4TznKgwLPvQft7cz8u1MMH4dHsYZvgwhufil4MMgXlQBgEqSP9s6FZtwUhWHBdM26CLvIRbWxp1L-iRN0R-_LSwp/s1600/Parachilna+-+Leigh+Creek+via+Beltana.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizck_gcFV-QLyGkDLA1udqD1auIaMpjStA0Ht6k2GxkQD1w_op2W3A4TznKgwLPvQft7cz8u1MMH4dHsYZvgwhufil4MMgXlQBgEqSP9s6FZtwUhWHBdM26CLvIRbWxp1L-iRN0R-_LSwp/s1600/Parachilna+-+Leigh+Creek+via+Beltana.png" height="350" width="640" /></a></div>
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... and were so glad that we did. The semi-ghost town of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltana" target="_blank">Beltana</a> is just steeped in history and prove to be a real find. We had actually been tempted off the main highway by the sign advertising the historic <a href="http://www.beltanastation.com.au/" target="_blank">Beltana Station</a>, but the old township itself proved to be the main attraction. Just past the station we passed a bunch of alpacas and a few sheep ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG10rdOv5ZKmjZm6URYoxYPjNDN-DfEF7x9BOUwNz1aKZoh_R_bExX11ePTsi3U-l0gfPvYCq-mCa3953puvZG_kcljD2zXbafELd9vUvQIFkQh9dqG90azuZGkZvjdE3wOkqinGVrRqs4/s1600/C+Alpacas+and+sheep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG10rdOv5ZKmjZm6URYoxYPjNDN-DfEF7x9BOUwNz1aKZoh_R_bExX11ePTsi3U-l0gfPvYCq-mCa3953puvZG_kcljD2zXbafELd9vUvQIFkQh9dqG90azuZGkZvjdE3wOkqinGVrRqs4/s1600/C+Alpacas+and+sheep.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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There are a number of historic buildings still standing, including the Smith of Dunesk Mission ...</div>
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... and the magnificent station on the "old" Ghan Railway ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwNj8LdRNh7wj0_8oqwf8giRZU6dC8X3GUlFMIIyjFqV5H1HGkuKLFn5VRWUihyphenhyphenUz9S9mpdWrXUbBsOgcZy_MhSdAXzWq81i1aclxxbbyuIMNZtqdMPdijLmLjEv6Bu_ucHAj3v5Roxzv/s1600/E+Beltana+Rwy+Stn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwNj8LdRNh7wj0_8oqwf8giRZU6dC8X3GUlFMIIyjFqV5H1HGkuKLFn5VRWUihyphenhyphenUz9S9mpdWrXUbBsOgcZy_MhSdAXzWq81i1aclxxbbyuIMNZtqdMPdijLmLjEv6Bu_ucHAj3v5Roxzv/s1600/E+Beltana+Rwy+Stn.jpg" height="372" width="640" /></a></div>
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Situated just beside the railway station is the cemetery. We were interested to see whether we could find the graves of any of the <a href="http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/afghan-cameleers" target="_blank">Afghan cameleers</a>, as they played such an important role in opening up this part of Australia. We didn't find the grave of a single cameleer, but this headstone suggests that there was at least some integration of the Afghans into the local community ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRB7AwKwhgVdoQKYT04S0fWuOrilIALoK2LIOdnCu1RfIHGm1SFQuE8U7-thFSOlx7SnQnUMg8bQ3ElFXdpjRlKcVhcAtV-KbK6B6qrk8zE5k0piORiqJ63HSBchhn5Kq09e5UPCjxvB5/s1600/F+Beltana+Gravestone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRB7AwKwhgVdoQKYT04S0fWuOrilIALoK2LIOdnCu1RfIHGm1SFQuE8U7-thFSOlx7SnQnUMg8bQ3ElFXdpjRlKcVhcAtV-KbK6B6qrk8zE5k0piORiqJ63HSBchhn5Kq09e5UPCjxvB5/s1600/F+Beltana+Gravestone.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Between the township and the station is a very large well, which was apparently built by the cameleers. Although there doesn't seem to much else of a concrete nature to mark their former presence this well is surely a fitting testimonial of their contribution to the opening up of the territory ... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UzECqbGuARU80plpxDkBxfoaZFUUR8pfn0_g_0NoAUApKuIfj-zTZSqjFKwcRenEPLJOLO7XeiEzMqn87jEdxLJtG_M9Moyh0qB_wFCFZMkwhwtxQZTmm5t1XWwVGVmAkAnbCctVMv6R/s1600/G+Afghan+well.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UzECqbGuARU80plpxDkBxfoaZFUUR8pfn0_g_0NoAUApKuIfj-zTZSqjFKwcRenEPLJOLO7XeiEzMqn87jEdxLJtG_M9Moyh0qB_wFCFZMkwhwtxQZTmm5t1XWwVGVmAkAnbCctVMv6R/s1600/G+Afghan+well.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Before leaving Beltana behind we stopped in at the station and bought some of their saltbush lamb. We ate the roast a few nights ago with Graham and Liz, and have extracted some chops from the freezer to fry up tomorrow evening.</div>
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We then continued on towards Leigh Creek, detouring once again. We wanted to check out a reserve to see if it was suitable for spending the night but a sign specifically banning camping pushed us on to the caravan park at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leigh_Creek,_South_Australia" target="_blank">Leigh Creek</a>. Apparently, when burned the coal from the mine at Leigh Creek supplies something like 40% of the energy consumed in South Australia. While the caravan park at Leigh Creek was right near the railway and the road I was glad we ended up there as it gave me the chance to meet a cyclist who was camped next to us. He does some amazing long distance cycling trips, starting from Adelaide and up to Alice Springs via various desert tracks. He was on the third such expedition, and was christening a new "<a href="http://gearjunkie.com/fat-bike-trend" target="_blank">fat-tire</a>" bike this time around. For the bike freaks out there, he was using a <a href="http://surlybikes.com/bikes/pugsley" target="_blank">Surly Pugsley</a> frame and had all the best bits bolted on. Here's a photo of his touring rig, including a <a href="http://www.bobgear.com/bike-trailers" target="_blank">BOB trailer</a> and a small tent ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOVt5Ecimu4yU5LCXpqcB7IOshSCsR1yH1TxcSZDOqnfW53p7yY9F0U4qvYelTWM0sdxHhDSb_vxLoidQkTsYHf8gNxhe9-0yAPJ-9UjAxnl4hjxBvNAm-9EXqn5GuoD77frCs6VZ8OvM/s1600/H+Cycle+kit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOVt5Ecimu4yU5LCXpqcB7IOshSCsR1yH1TxcSZDOqnfW53p7yY9F0U4qvYelTWM0sdxHhDSb_vxLoidQkTsYHf8gNxhe9-0yAPJ-9UjAxnl4hjxBvNAm-9EXqn5GuoD77frCs6VZ8OvM/s1600/H+Cycle+kit.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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He was averaging about 100 kilometres per day, riding on a combination of tarmac, gravel roads and four-wheel drive tracks. Pretty impressive stuff, eh!</div>
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Stage Two: Leigh Creek to Coward Springs</h2>
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A preview of the day's drive:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJv7KMhwDiqSoMQxJGSGBokMLfKN_hyhG6lSzb081hVmvWGblsaqClBCK9wOsKsWthHfZHXn9Ii7ayByJVhtLZzrQ5ziVzU_Oysfo7cClthiVK47jxnHKhP0w6T_hskeZaWeK2ObtzqpD3/s1600/Leigh+Creek+-+Coward+Springs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJv7KMhwDiqSoMQxJGSGBokMLfKN_hyhG6lSzb081hVmvWGblsaqClBCK9wOsKsWthHfZHXn9Ii7ayByJVhtLZzrQ5ziVzU_Oysfo7cClthiVK47jxnHKhP0w6T_hskeZaWeK2ObtzqpD3/s1600/Leigh+Creek+-+Coward+Springs.png" height="386" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Google Maps can be very deceptive: there just isn't that much water!</span></b></td></tr>
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The drive from Leigh Creek to Marree is an unremarkable passage. What did make it a bit remarkable was finally catching up to our cyclist friend from the Leigh Creek Caravan Park. He'd made an early start while we did our shopping and waited for Graham and Liz to arrive from Arkaroola. By the time we passed him he'd covered 95 kilometres, with another 35 or so to go before arriving at Marree and the pub, where he was planning on passing the night and having a beer or two. Here he is, steaming along ....</div>
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Those fat tires must really roll well!</div>
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Although fairly uninteresting in itself, Marree is the point at which the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oodnadatta_Track" target="_blank">Oodnadatta</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birdsville_Track" target="_blank">Birdsville</a> tracks diverge, therefore getting lots of through traffic. It's after that things really start to get interesting and the history of the place starts to manifest itself.</div>
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Talc Alf</h3>
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Our route took us northwest on the Oodnadatta, but first we had to make a short detour up the Birdsville to visit the iconic outback personality of Cornelius Johan Alferink, better known as "<a href="http://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/talcalf.htm" target="_blank">Talc Alf</a>". What a treat! Here's us entering Talc Alf's domain ...</div>
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... and a panorama of the property ...</div>
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In case you didn't visit <a href="http://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/talcalf.htm" target="_blank">the link I inserted above about Talc Alf</a>, he's a self-taught talc sculptor and has created some very distinctive and impressive pieces. Here's a couple of images to give you a taste ...</div>
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We had a great chat with Talc Alf and discovered that he's been living out on his patch of desert for 40 years. Our visit was so engaging it was only after we left that I realised I hadn't actually taken a photo of Alf himself, which I am ashamed to admit. In way of recompense, here is a YouTube video I found that will help preview for you what the course a chat with Talc Alf will be like should you visit ...</div>
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Other Points of Interest</h3>
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Back on the road and it wasn't long before we found ourselves at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farina,_South_Australia" target="_blank">Farina</a>, another must stop along the route, especially at this time of year when a <a href="http://community.history.sa.gov.au/farina-restoration-group" target="_blank">restoration group</a> is beavering away. Farina was an important town along the old Ghan Railway, and is now a ghost town, save for May when the restoration group is doing its thing.</div>
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We had planned to stop to poke around and have some lunch. Di took a photo of the remains of one of the more significant buildings ...</div>
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... another of the baker in the underground bakehouse ...</div>
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... and of one of the signs that show the work that was needed to clear the train tracks of sand from time to time ...</div>
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We were glad that we hadn't packed our lunch, as it gave us an excellent excuse to partake of fare on offer at the shop selling the products from the bakery.</div>
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After lunch we pressed on northward, passing a collection of quirky, large scale art installations alongside the road, basically in the middle of nowhere. Here are a couple of them ...</div>
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The next stop was Lake Eyre South ...</div>
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We had lengthy discussions about whether that was actually water that we could see in the distance. Some of us concluded that it was, others remained equally convinced that it was just salt.</div>
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As we'd moved north from the Flinders Ranges we'd noticed that the flies were getting to be more of a nuisance. Here's the standard solution ...</div>
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... which Di and I resolved to adopt as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Graham and Liz had already geared themselves up; this was another trick that, in our greenness, we were catching up on.</div>
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As we were about to push on, a fellow arrived with a bit of a problem ...</div>
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It appeared that he'd been driving on the tire for a fair distance, as it was pretty much fried. Before pushing on we decided that we'd ease of on the throttle a bit and adjust tire pressures ...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Graham takes the pressure down a bit</span></b></td></tr>
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Next stop was Coward Springs, but before we arrive we needed to make the customary stop for firewood. As the Oodnadatta Track follows the Old Ghan Railway line, most people find a spot where they can pull of the road and scavenge a bit of timber from the old railway sleepers. Of course, along with all the old sleepers there are heaps of railway spikes lying around. I souvenired this one as a memento of our trip up the Oodnadatta Track ...<br />
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After making quick work of gathering just enough for a modest fire we headed off and were soon at the entrance to the Coward Springs campsite ...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Iconic Oodnadatta imagery: camels and telegraph poles, complete with insulators</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Buy a sleeper or better still, bring your own</span></b></td></tr>
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Coward Springs was one of many spots along the railway where the steam engines could be resupplied with water. It's now a classic camping stopover. The camp sites are tucked in amongst trees. Here's where Graham and Liz and Di and I found ourselves ...</div>
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... which was perfect from our point of view, as we were adjacent to the spa ...</div>
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We had a lovely evening around the fire, meeting some other Ultimateers who also making their way eventually to our rendezvous at Chambers Pillar.</div>
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In the morning before we left Di took some photos of the amenities, including the shower block with its Old Ghan sleeper-fired boiler ...</div>
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... the equally rustic but charming toilet blocks ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCAT1Pw9-NyssNF1BtK8F0prFo3pERrknbMNL-F3u5xheZTgboW47E2CO4gnrE9oBtblUzETEBAytezC28nqpmMvIja5rJvJRkIHlYFyFza-BZ74UulMawq4ybi3VXh1WeYStVgYhK7op/s1600/R+CS+toilet+blocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCAT1Pw9-NyssNF1BtK8F0prFo3pERrknbMNL-F3u5xheZTgboW47E2CO4gnrE9oBtblUzETEBAytezC28nqpmMvIja5rJvJRkIHlYFyFza-BZ74UulMawq4ybi3VXh1WeYStVgYhK7op/s1600/R+CS+toilet+blocks.jpg" height="322" width="640" /></a></div>
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... two gorgeous pieces of art featuring local birdlife inside the women's toilets ...</div>
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... and another in the men's ...</div>
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... and so it was with light hearts that we rolled out on to the road, looking forward to more delights along the way.</div>
Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-64275861898907036562014-05-14T05:04:00.003-07:002015-06-02T22:27:33.190-07:00Funhogging in the Flinders Ranges<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvJ5lVcyW0iemryH_tuh6WfMSDtGuSPSCH5JlV3MDxN0dLRrkL0JPM2NXSN5yrc3OPRlfyCgK3g5bcMfCRLZY109XaY6trcPxyF-SVfAB-9nso3oDGgcJ5MuYjArO9Upt1CF2kTR0Q0mg/s1600/Bunyeroo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvJ5lVcyW0iemryH_tuh6WfMSDtGuSPSCH5JlV3MDxN0dLRrkL0JPM2NXSN5yrc3OPRlfyCgK3g5bcMfCRLZY109XaY6trcPxyF-SVfAB-9nso3oDGgcJ5MuYjArO9Upt1CF2kTR0Q0mg/s1600/Bunyeroo1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<h2>
Hawker: Gateway to the Flinders Ranges</h2>
On its <a href="http://www.hawkersa.info/" target="_blank">official website</a>, the settlement of Hawker describes itself as "a great little outback town". Although a friendly enough place, that description is, perhaps, a bit of an overstatement. I wasn't sure it would actually qualify as a town but, surprisingly, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker,_South_Australia" target="_blank">according to Wikipedia</a>, the population in 2006 comprised 229 souls. Bigger than it looks. (Where is everybody?) So, I guess calling itself a "town" is fair enough, but there doesn't actually appear to be much to do there.<br />
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The <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/The_Ghan_route_map.png" target="_blank">old route</a> of the famous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghan" target="_blank">Ghan Railway</a> used to pass through Hawker, and the station has been preserved and turned into some sort of tourist business - which was closed when we pulled up. The station still looks pretty good ...<br />
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... and an old hoist stands beside where the old line used to run ...<br />
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It had been fairly cold for the week or so before we arrived in Hawker so I was pleased to find a good warm beanie at the fuel station. (To you Canadians reading this, that's not a <b><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beanie" target="_blank">beanie</a></i></b> but a<a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=toque" target="_blank"> <b><i>toque</i></b></a>, which some people apparently call a "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knit_cap" target="_blank">knit cap</a>", if you can believe that.) After visiting the <a href="http://www.jeffmorgangallery.com.au/default.html" target="_blank">Jeff Morgan gallery </a>and buying postcards of some of his work as the originals were way out of our reach, we fired them off to the grandkids and a few others. By the time we'd filled the Prado with diesel it was time for an early lunch at the Hawker General Store ...<br />
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Anyone looking closely at the above photo who knows their geography might be shocked. I was. Can you believe it: a store in a little town in outback South Australia sporting a sign for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA1h9h7-_Z4" target="_blank">VB</a> - a non-South Australian beer!?!? Apparently the Croweaters aren't as parochial about beer as they are about <a href="http://www.afl.com.au/" target="_blank">footy</a>.<br />
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Anyway, the menu in the café/post office/general store/supplier of imported beverages showed <b style="font-style: italic;">steak sandwiches with the lot</b> at the amazingly low price of $10.80. We looked at each other and came to the conclusion that that would do - for the both of us, but without the pineapple thank you very much.<br />
And what a great sandwich it was, with more of "<b>the lot</b>" than any burger I'd had for a very long time. Actually, we couldn't believe how much bacon the burger man stacked in. We thought they must have been trying to cope with something of an outbreak ...<br />
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<h2>
Into the Heart of the Flinders Ranges</h2>
With both the Prado and us fuelled up for the foreseeable future we rolled off into the heart of the Flinders Ranges, but in much more comfort than when we passed through here in 2011 when we were still doing the car camping thing. We were really looking forward to an extended stay beneath the famous crag of <a href="http://www.climbing.com.au/moonarie.htm" target="_blank">Moonarie</a>. Here's an evening shot of our campsite with the Ultimate fully set up ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghj5CYbCat5buBugjvysPW9-Lxm8YHtyDojb6qZ_gZC1wvlDNyz5WB5RYU1KyHvZ4VaC8a6T2s9WSUMgJ6FfVE0SqSIzcJq1t7YdtTcrNt16wFoQa0RbCVaCR7R1GkjaI7YQONV-VGDVrN/s1600/Moonarie1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghj5CYbCat5buBugjvysPW9-Lxm8YHtyDojb6qZ_gZC1wvlDNyz5WB5RYU1KyHvZ4VaC8a6T2s9WSUMgJ6FfVE0SqSIzcJq1t7YdtTcrNt16wFoQa0RbCVaCR7R1GkjaI7YQONV-VGDVrN/s1600/Moonarie1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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... and another from the morning with the crag behind ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS2NXJ8zbBW87ulmwXzzlHIKczY_fSpG4sibn6SSy2NzDMCZZd3Z5XI16FulIJ4TsTFe-Ok81LwT6-P5FwlXvxidJ0LSXemtj3Rgr-h5X7qRL3MSl6hHMmFjencTUdsQPuLEegA4Igz7w/s1600/Moonarie2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmS2NXJ8zbBW87ulmwXzzlHIKczY_fSpG4sibn6SSy2NzDMCZZd3Z5XI16FulIJ4TsTFe-Ok81LwT6-P5FwlXvxidJ0LSXemtj3Rgr-h5X7qRL3MSl6hHMmFjencTUdsQPuLEegA4Igz7w/s1600/Moonarie2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Not a bad spot, eh? It's about a 45 minute walk for us old crocks up to the base of the cliff, with around 300 metres of elevation gain. A nice little warm-up before doing a climb. Yeah, right. More about that later.<br />
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In the mornings and evenings there were lots of kangaroos close to camp; occasionally a couple of emus would wander by; and we were regularly visited by the local Red-capped Robin, an exciting caller as it was the first we'd ever seen. We tried to get a reasonable photo but he was fairly shy and this was the best we could do ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_exmMtMy4YQtmX_fhFMzUSmeY1ZV_0hbAiOOg_s2BWFgZ6czyI2AZcL1n8Bs0mRqPRghMaduUSZmI6M-tQO9hzhr_9_s-BfStkD9pCgCjUqHOhUte56zEXjiXiSGyU1kt1dzA_ep_3onX/s1600/Moonarie3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_exmMtMy4YQtmX_fhFMzUSmeY1ZV_0hbAiOOg_s2BWFgZ6czyI2AZcL1n8Bs0mRqPRghMaduUSZmI6M-tQO9hzhr_9_s-BfStkD9pCgCjUqHOhUte56zEXjiXiSGyU1kt1dzA_ep_3onX/s1600/Moonarie3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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If we' are to continue this creeping around the country caper then we might just have to invest in a better camera! In the meantime you can get a better gander at this beautiful little bird <a href="http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.davidkphotography.com/images/20071019140530_red-capped-robin.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.davidkphotography.com/?showimage%3D684&h=183&w=275&tbnid=_ShXm8_81F6wEM:&zoom=1&tbnh=160&tbnw=240&usg=__c4qPSJIMSUdrxLB7DaUfaK2bLcs=&docid=VDf3XMG9eFYbgM&itg=1&client=safari&sa=X&ei=IxpzU_a9OoikkwXKvIGgCQ&ved=0CJEBEPwdMAo" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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On both the first and the second days of our stay it was pretty cool and the crag was shrouded in cloud. The cliff faces southeast so at this time of the year it's best to climb in the mornings, but given the prevailing weather conditions we decided on alternative game plans. The main event for day 1 was a 44 km ride on the bikes: along the main road to the entrance to the <a href="http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/Find_a_Park/Browse_by_region/Flinders_Ranges_and_Outback/Flinders_Ranges_National_Park" target="_blank">Flinders Ranges National Park</a>, a turn off to the <a href="http://cycletrailsaustralia.com/2_trails/mawson-trail-sa" target="_blank">Mawson Trail</a> through to Wilpena and then along a shared section with the <a href="http://www.heysentrail.asn.au/" target="_blank">Heysen Trail</a>. As you can see from this photo of Di it was pretty cool ...<br />
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... but we had a lot of fun. The terrain was mostly an old four wheel drive track without too much rough stuff. Along the Heysen Trail we enjoyed some wonderful single track through lovely Callitris forest. Best of all? No crashes!<br />
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Bunyeroo and Wilcolo Creeks Track</h2>
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On Day two the weather still wasn't very flash so we decided to check out a hike. The <a href="http://www.walkingtrailssupportgroup.org.au/bunyeroowilcolohike.htm" target="_blank">Bunyeroo and Wilcolo Creeks hike</a> is a 9.2 kilometre loop north of Wilpena. Traversing mostly flat terrain and gentle gradients through two small drainages, it utilises both the Mawson and Heysen tracks, as well a short section of road through the scenic Bunyeroo Gorge. Here is a shot showing fairly typical Mawson Trail terrain ...</div>
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I think it was just before we turned off on to the Heysen Trail that I took this photo ...</div>
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After about 2 pleasant, gentle kilometres on the Mawson Trail the route turns onto the Heysen trail, initially passing through open woodland ...</div>
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... before entering and ascending the Wilcolo Creek, sometimes in the creek bed itself ...</div>
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At this point we got quite excited. There was a sign alongside the trail telling us that we were entering the territory of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-footed_rock-wallaby" target="_blank">Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby</a>, an extremely beautiful and rare species, once hunted for its wonderful fur. We had absolute beginner's luck when we saw this one in Brachina Gorge during our trip through the Flinders in 2011 ...</div>
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... but unfortunately didn't catch a glimpse of one this time around.</div>
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The trail gradually ascends for a while through Callitris forest, with the occasional little gem alongside the track ...</div>
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Eventually the track reaches elevated open slopes and the high point of the route at almost exactly the halfway point. A good place to stop for lunch, with fine views. Di noticed the little spur that leads to a lookout at a somewhat more elevated position and wonders if we should do the side trip ...</div>
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... but I didn't think that was necessary, given the view we already had ...</div>
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The next section of track was very exposed to the elements, and we started to notice the remains of both native and introduced animals fairly regularly ...</div>
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Eventually we found ourselves descending into Bunyeroo Creek. There were a number of spots where the bed was formed by rocky slabs ...</div>
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I keep trying to get that iconic image of Red River Gums crowding the watercourses but still haven't found it - except on a postcard I sent to a mate in Canada! We would pass the occasional gnarled giant standing firm in the creek bed ...</div>
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... but as far as getting a photo of a group of RR Gums, on this occasion I settled for stitching a few images together where the creek bed spreads itself wider ...</div>
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On the drive back to camp we were surprised to come past an emu that didn't race off at a speed of knots in many different directions, as they tend to do. In fact, this specimen was so sedate Di managed to get a bit of close-up footage ...</div>
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... and so it was back to camp to plan the next day's activities. The forecast was for a fine day before rain the day after, so we were pretty keen to get up the hill and have a climb. Before we went to bed we noticed a vehicle pull into the campsite a bit closer to the crag, so we thought we'd probably have company the next day.</div>
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<h2>
Exploring The Options</h2>
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The next morning was indeed fine enough to venture up the hill. As I said previously, it's about a 45 minute hike and 300 metres of elevation gain to get up to the climbing from camp. Most people carry their gear up the first day and leave it there for subsequent days' adventures. We plodded our way up the hill and turned right - into the shade. I had this deluded idea that we might be able to climb a stunning-looking three pitch route with the brilliant name "<i><b>Miles From Nowhere</b></i>" that I had spotted on our last visit in 2011. We didn't get on it that trip because the weather was mostly cold and wet, and I'd been thinking about it ever since. After standing around at the base for a few minutes and realising that it was too cold for us to do a multi-pitch climb if we didn't want to freeze, we decided to head over to Top Camp, which was in the sun, and re-evaluate the situation. When we got there, we discovered our neighbours had arrived just before us. And it turned out that we had made their acquaintances - separately - in the environs of Natimuk and Mt Arapiles. We'd seen Esther in the Arapiles Mountain Shop just before heading over to Moonarie, and we'd met Duncan - who is a friend of a friend in Hobart - a few years previously around the campground at Mt Arapiles. The climbing world is a small one. </div>
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Esther and Duncan had a game plan that involved sunshine and a three star route called Pine Crack on Checkers Wall. We thought that made sense and decided to follow them around there and have a look for future reference. We watched them for a while before exploring options further afield. Here's a photo of Duncan at the belay atop pitch 2, after running the first two pitches together ...</div>
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We wandered around to a face called Gargoyle Wall as it was still in the sun and had climbs that were easy enough for us to get ourselves going. We decided to start on the easy and classic Gargoyle and then do something a little harder. It was brilliant and quite audacious for the grade and the era in which it was first climbed. Unfortunately the wind had come up by the time we got to the top so we bailed, looking forward to coming back another day ... but not the next, as the weather forecast said 90% chance of rain.</div>
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After a long lie in, a good big breakfast, some reading and still no rain we thought we might as well do something with the day. Wilpena and ... internet shopping!!! We'd been wish-listing more lightweight gear to comfort ourselves and ease the burden on our ageing joints so decided to take the plunge and spend the money. Because the stuff we wanted couldn't be shipped out of the country by the retailer, this involved setting up a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freight_forwarder" target="_blank">freight forwarding</a> account, which we'd heard about but never done before. A <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=freight+forwarding+usa+to+australia&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&gfe_rd=cr&ei=vPVzU9_qKMqN8QfK4YGwBQ" target="_blank">quick internet search</a> got us going and, after reading a few reviews, we settled on a company and placed our order. Fingers crossed that the goods arrive!</div>
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Once that was done and it still wasn't raining we thought we'd take the short drive to <a href="http://www.postcards-sa.com.au/features/sacred_rock.html" target="_blank">Sacred Canyon</a> and have a look at some etchings. On the way into the canyon we found another hidden surprise ...</div>
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Naturally, as we entered the canyon itself, the first of the promised rain started to arrive. You can see where drops are hitting the pool behind Di ...</div>
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Even in the dull conditions there was still some nice colours in the rock ...</div>
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In really hot weather, this little canyon must have been a wonderful sanctuary to the Aboriginal men who lived in these parts. We did manage to get a look at some engravings ...</div>
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As we beat our retreat from the impending rain I paused to frame up this shot of these neat textures of gnarled, bulbous root stems and weathered bark ...</div>
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While Sacred Canyon isn't a grand and striking natural feature, it's well worth a visit if you're in the area. To wet your appetite further, <a href="http://www.yktravelphoto.com/places/sacred-canyon-flinders-ranges-national-park/768" target="_blank">this guy's photos</a> are much better than mine and have some great colour. On the way back to camp the showers became more consistent, and by the time we were tucked into our camper it was raining steadily. And it rained pretty steadily all night.</div>
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The next day's forecast was for showers clearing. Going up the hill for a climb didn't seem very attractive; although it had actually cleared up overnight we thought the rock would still be wet and the rain might move in again. However, unable to be inactive for two consecutive days we thought we'd ride another part of the Mawson Trail, this time down towards <a href="http://www.southaustralia.com/info.aspx?id=9000472" target="_blank">Brachina Gorge</a> from the north. Unfortunately, one of us had a crash. Maybe the less said about that the better, although the <b><i>crashee </i></b>said afterwards that it was a "good ride". Only one photo from that day (if you look at the photo full size you might be able to make out Di in the right background).</div>
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The next day we went back up the hill and did the climb that Duncan and Esther had been on earlier - but we only did the first two pitches. Another mix-up, with Di thinking that the supposedly easier bit went all the way to the bolts at the top of the second pitch, and that the final pitch was going to be significantly harder. She did a great job leading but was spent and not keen to continue. It wasn't until we were back on the ground that she realised she'd led a 19 and could have easily followed me up the next bit. Lesson? <b><i>Read the guide book!</i></b></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">St Mary Peak</span></h2>
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The next morning the weather looked just a bit patchy. Di was already ambivalent about another trudge up the hill and then the rigours of the fairly demanding climbing that is Moonarie, so we decided to take a hike. St Mary Peak is the iconic walk in the immediate vicinity. We'd been up it via the shorter route in 2011, so we decided to do the full loop this time, starting with the Inside Track and finishing on the Outside Track. As we were leaving the environs of the Wilpena Resort we passed this amazing tree with a "window" in it ...</div>
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The first part of the walk is along an old four wheel drive track, eventually giving way to a walking track once the terrain becomes more rocky and rugged. The rain over the past month or so is bringing lots of plants into flower, including this pretty little shrub alongside the track ...</div>
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Many of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthorrhoea" target="_blank">Grass Trees</a> have also sent up spikes ...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVVWNfwqjR8Ui5GJnVGzWqwjj5hslljxp0i-KzGbB8roSm9_zy0i1l3jr42Y9yyr7RpHUtNoy4JV2YeVZkYsFPu2nTRFwlyw_Ib8xbe_JhpLGBt78cQulyVOBnlxRxXDQldnA2eB3vXHky/s1600/St+Mary+Peak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVVWNfwqjR8Ui5GJnVGzWqwjj5hslljxp0i-KzGbB8roSm9_zy0i1l3jr42Y9yyr7RpHUtNoy4JV2YeVZkYsFPu2nTRFwlyw_Ib8xbe_JhpLGBt78cQulyVOBnlxRxXDQldnA2eB3vXHky/s1600/St+Mary+Peak.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Grass Trees with St Mary Peak behind</b></span></td></tr>
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Here's a close-up of some flowers on one of the spikes ...</div>
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We were pleased with how quickly we were covering ground, after we'd stopped off in the Wilpena campground to have a chat with our friends Graham and Liz (folks with whom we will rendezvous again in a few days to travel north). Graham said, "That's a nine hour hike, isn't it?" And I said to Di, "It's quarter to ten - we'd better get going!" We were at the top in time to have a leisurely, enjoyable and not too late lunch. Here's what you get to see if you go right to the top of the peak ...</div>
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... as well as a great view back over Wilpena Pound itself ...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Wilpena Pound from St Mary Peak</span></b></td></tr>
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We were back at Graham and Liz's campsite at 3:30, pretty much exactly five and three quarter hours after setting out. Not too bad for a couple of old crocks.</div>
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Yesterday the weather was magnificent and we ventured back up the hill. It turns out that our legs were a little tired. Hmmm. Funny that. For some reason we keep forgetting to factor in the walk up to the crag when we're thinking about what we might climb. Anyway, I had a mind to get on a route called "<b><i>Seduction</i></b>". A good looking climb with a star and of course, like "<b><i>Miles From Nowhere</i></b>", a great name. Here's what the route looks like (I've traced the line in red) ...</div>
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It turned out to be quite hard for the grade. Or maybe I was just worn out. I got up it, but only just. Di did too. After we rappelled the route and repaired to Top Camp for a snack and I wondered aloud what we might do next, Di made it very clear that she was finished climbing for the day - and this part of our trip! So down we went to a huge lunch: two jaffles each, made with sautéed sweet peppers and aubergine and crammed with cheese. Very restorative, especially with a cool beverage. Later, I did most of the camp pack-up while Di had a snooze so we could have a leisurely departure today.</div>
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Here we are, all packed up and ready to leave Moonarie this morning ... </div>
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... and exiting the little road that leads into our campsite ...<br />
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We haven't come far: just down the road to the Pound. A pretty relaxed day. Di has done the laundry while I've faffed about on the computer. Tomorrow we'll have another ride. The next day we'll push north a little way before meeting up with Graham and Liz at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leigh_Creek,_South_Australia" target="_blank">Leigh Creek</a> the day after that, before we head towards more remote parts of the country. It will probably be a while before the next post ...</div>
Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-88303418283571808182014-05-04T06:28:00.001-07:002014-05-04T16:07:00.818-07:00A Walk in the Mallee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SxhuLWqMtDzOQO2ofsvjY3DG3gLeGoUUlFVJS4IGGpSBxb550mVCWWvEKS0qm8kL4xOlrJ_lzAVN2wxteJ_zkGC-ZizK8676Sl5hjwQEmDKiwMpR1BK7o7XucX-o_SQOYXqYbdeuqalw/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+5B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SxhuLWqMtDzOQO2ofsvjY3DG3gLeGoUUlFVJS4IGGpSBxb550mVCWWvEKS0qm8kL4xOlrJ_lzAVN2wxteJ_zkGC-ZizK8676Sl5hjwQEmDKiwMpR1BK7o7XucX-o_SQOYXqYbdeuqalw/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+5B.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lake Mournpall</h2>
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I documented our arrival at Lake Mournpall at the end of the previous post. As you recall, the drive in was a bit sloppy due to recent precipitation in the area. And it rained off and on most of the night, or so it seemed. The next morning it was still raining but the forecast was for it to ease off towards midday. Not fancying a wet weather pack up we decided to explore the Lake Mournpall walk, which we thought would be a good way to become more intimate with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mallee_(Victoria)" target="_blank">Mallee</a> country and be a good start to avoid our usual syndrome of blacktop fever - i.e. driving all day and not savouring the attractions along the way.</div>
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Before we set off about nine, Di took this photo of a massive old<a href="http://www.murrayriver.com.au/about-the-murray/river-red-gums/" target="_blank"> River Red Gum</a> stump, remnant of untold bush fires and droughts of yesteryear ...</div>
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... and another of these beautiful, healthy mature specimens that fringe the campsite ...</div>
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(The blurred spots on the photo are the result of raindrops. We were in for a bit of a wet walk!)</div>
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The sign marking the start of the walk made it sound very appealing, but with a warning about possible closures ...</div>
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We were a little non-plussed to discover this sign just a short way along the track ...</div>
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To be honest, we weren't entirely sure that the sign referred to the walking track that we were on, or the general route that seemed to also have been used by people on ATV's so we decided to continue, reasoning that we could always come back the same way if we came to a flooded section.</div>
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Before long we were noticing lots of mushrooms sprouting along the track due to the wet conditions ...</div>
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Always happy to go for a walk, Di was particularly cheerful, despite the wet weather ...</div>
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She might look like she has put on a lot of weight since the last photo you've seen of her on the blog. Don't worry: she's just protecting her camera from the intermittent showers.</div>
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The rain has also prompted a number of flowering plants to express themselves ...</div>
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One of the great things about this walk was the informative signs located at strategic places. Here is a great explanation of the Mallee environment ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwI01nqta_8N0H26OCkf3hRvXcZMn2JA4EMnnkG_y0hmm-hEMLef_DpNR_iWrcZLu1T4Adhi5IZODXLkPrrAg15kj8azU5jL3VjAtviWVQVl-QqHeSV8sMxm1GLrW6sZQubxAIDOStB5U/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+2A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwI01nqta_8N0H26OCkf3hRvXcZMn2JA4EMnnkG_y0hmm-hEMLef_DpNR_iWrcZLu1T4Adhi5IZODXLkPrrAg15kj8azU5jL3VjAtviWVQVl-QqHeSV8sMxm1GLrW6sZQubxAIDOStB5U/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+2A.JPG" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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The next few photos illustrate the "umbrella-like crown of branches and leaves" which emerge from the underground trunk or mallee root ...</div>
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... and here's a photo of a burl that's completely ringed a limb, but the picture is really about the textures and colours of the Mallee ...</div>
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Between the shrubs and trees along this section of the track the sandy red ground was dotted with lots of these bright green flowering plants ...</div>
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There was another area where huge dead <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callitris" target="_blank">Callitiris Pines</a> were still standing ...</div>
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... yet the landscape looked vibrant, with young ones sprouting up to replace them ...</div>
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A short botany lesson: Callitris Pines aren't actually "pines" at all but in fact belong to the cypress family. There are 15 species in the genus, 13 of which are native to Australia - the other two grow in New Caledonia.<br />
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The thing that really struck us about this walk was the diversity of vegetation regimes in a relatively small area. This sign describing the characteristics of Porcupine Grass and the important role it plays in providing shelter for reptiles and ants was really interesting ... </div>
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Near the start of the walk where I took the photo of the mushroom, the sandy soil was fairly grey in colour but you would have noticed that it has become predominately red by now. Still, mushrooms liked this soil just as much as the grey variety ...</div>
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Di was a bit spooked by the strange shape of this fungi that seemed to have overreached itself ...</div>
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... and nearby we discovered this airy ball that was just a total mystery to us ...</div>
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The next delight for us was to enter a section of woodland quite different to the more scrubby area that we'd been through up to this point ...</div>
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We'd seen a few Grey Kangaroos bounding off through the scrub and a few emus had wandered past our camper. But now there was sign of emu everywhere ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SxhuLWqMtDzOQO2ofsvjY3DG3gLeGoUUlFVJS4IGGpSBxb550mVCWWvEKS0qm8kL4xOlrJ_lzAVN2wxteJ_zkGC-ZizK8676Sl5hjwQEmDKiwMpR1BK7o7XucX-o_SQOYXqYbdeuqalw/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+5B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SxhuLWqMtDzOQO2ofsvjY3DG3gLeGoUUlFVJS4IGGpSBxb550mVCWWvEKS0qm8kL4xOlrJ_lzAVN2wxteJ_zkGC-ZizK8676Sl5hjwQEmDKiwMpR1BK7o7XucX-o_SQOYXqYbdeuqalw/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+5B.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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... and it seemed like every few minutes we would disturb a small group of 'roos which wanted to keep some distance between us and them. We did manage to shoot a fairly ordinary video for those of you in parts foreign to enjoy ...</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/w21W7bchdzk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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As we entered this section of woodland we also came across a proliferation of these flowering plants ...</div>
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... where we tried to outdo each other with close-ups ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ud34Tsf6OcXk3n-K8o_auqlhI_yKnus3gmPJsjehtSBI2R_9jE2YnOU3_3W0l-CPt1R54bbawr_3NqPwBuVgExuyhOOHfe3w43ESGqORTH-plWWU-2b5BSJl2T03AthlNp-Ox4F0MXvP/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ud34Tsf6OcXk3n-K8o_auqlhI_yKnus3gmPJsjehtSBI2R_9jE2YnOU3_3W0l-CPt1R54bbawr_3NqPwBuVgExuyhOOHfe3w43ESGqORTH-plWWU-2b5BSJl2T03AthlNp-Ox4F0MXvP/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+5D.JPG" height="474" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsIfNGv_xN_1FTDfg8morobNNomNvfvlsIdevpwts7NSH_YIF7xa1tiz7cQ6J4n-qi-8EW3cO7JnrZcOd-_ZGEm2JopiHk6l2nJGFSuf6vM-UIBDQONpuF2EczAtYal1tHZIzbogbIQpb/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+5F.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsIfNGv_xN_1FTDfg8morobNNomNvfvlsIdevpwts7NSH_YIF7xa1tiz7cQ6J4n-qi-8EW3cO7JnrZcOd-_ZGEm2JopiHk6l2nJGFSuf6vM-UIBDQONpuF2EczAtYal1tHZIzbogbIQpb/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+5F.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Along the track there were lots of these grub casings ...</div>
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... and we discovered this beautiful patch of fungi growing on a slowly rotting tree ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQN_wUd_4s0YiY0dcX6QvWX4UWQCicVrargO-D0b_AB-I0LMdCx0WUKkFTvdaEhsxBlQKGvqIdRm4-LgYR1TF0EM19Mj_Ytzl78mtq7jNL9BUALnmDGX7NRxW_10hiBZxRP1T0TzMA9ly/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+6B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQN_wUd_4s0YiY0dcX6QvWX4UWQCicVrargO-D0b_AB-I0LMdCx0WUKkFTvdaEhsxBlQKGvqIdRm4-LgYR1TF0EM19Mj_Ytzl78mtq7jNL9BUALnmDGX7NRxW_10hiBZxRP1T0TzMA9ly/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+6B.JPG" height="460" width="640" /></a></div>
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Eventually, we circled back around toward the lake and wetter ground. The strategic placing of this sign ...</div>
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... led us on to a patch of young Red River Gum seedlings along the margin between woodland and lake ...</div>
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... where we tentatively followed the track towards the muddy shore, hoping we wouldn't have to turn back. Beyond more saplings surging out of the mud were a number of large dead gums ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqx8ftmLMpocZHnJ13j_i663ZY6YhaIox04ll7RSBC7JBfavZyWqtfDnfxJlGB_Q1RpfWuXE36uEyY-KVjjGTyh5djL1vcV6LTj5B8kK3tsMcFNJ7Ppv7IZK-gLy2XB98q51f-K1ff4A7/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+7B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqx8ftmLMpocZHnJ13j_i663ZY6YhaIox04ll7RSBC7JBfavZyWqtfDnfxJlGB_Q1RpfWuXE36uEyY-KVjjGTyh5djL1vcV6LTj5B8kK3tsMcFNJ7Ppv7IZK-gLy2XB98q51f-K1ff4A7/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+7B1.jpg" height="266" width="640" /></a></div>
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... and then we were into an area healthy mature trees on the edge of the lake ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuyZWWB89R2qvqW-xqIvkRAZYLZqrwGi-XkOXAJXh3RRLtTZqwNdmSPV_e-2SHAu63nhaATu_7gx7SFqMfw0rImVkUPJHrSWx-LsOk2hYLjZFj4LC_OpZJE2bfp0c0hCeem0o0rxIqjxI/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+7B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuyZWWB89R2qvqW-xqIvkRAZYLZqrwGi-XkOXAJXh3RRLtTZqwNdmSPV_e-2SHAu63nhaATu_7gx7SFqMfw0rImVkUPJHrSWx-LsOk2hYLjZFj4LC_OpZJE2bfp0c0hCeem0o0rxIqjxI/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+7B2.jpg" height="266" width="640" /></a></div>
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... which was teeming with life. We saw a group of three <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_Harrier" target="_blank">Spotted Harriers</a> that looked like they were hunting but were unable to get photos because they just weren't close enough.</div>
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Next we found ourselves wending our way around parts of the lake, following the red markers and kangaroo tracks through the mud ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3k-6BgNPlEFki3PYGQVQbkXj6CRjBzvenpnlFNyofTcpO71rur1QgTuI-w4Ab02q_ueU7m7jQYUAiua5eLikqlgJCuNQQyCY4mQf5600kibyxkYxKJ3Ma7w7pRxkAL0BWhJXeb7Um5kF/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+7C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3k-6BgNPlEFki3PYGQVQbkXj6CRjBzvenpnlFNyofTcpO71rur1QgTuI-w4Ab02q_ueU7m7jQYUAiua5eLikqlgJCuNQQyCY4mQf5600kibyxkYxKJ3Ma7w7pRxkAL0BWhJXeb7Um5kF/s1600/Lake+Mournpall+7C.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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... on and on through stretches of mud that never quite got deep or soft enough to send us back the way we came ...</div>
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<h1 class="quoteText" style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px;">“We are in </span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18px;">mud</span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px;">Stepp'd in so far, that, should we wade no more,</span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px;">Returning were as tedious as go over.”</span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">(Apologies to Uncle Will)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">... yet still we follow the orange markers ...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">When all's said and done though, this isn't any worse than a regular day of <a href="http://www.john.chapman.name/tas-sthc.html" target="_blank">bushwalking in southwest Tasmania</a>!</span></div>
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By the time I took the next photo we had pretty much finished with the mud and were moving on to more solid ground. We saw a couple of large groups of pelicans, but again couldn't get a decent photo because they were too wary and shuffled off into deeper water behind the juvenile gums out in the lake. If you look past the large gum that dominates the foreground, you can see all the juvenile gums behind ...</div>
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Just past the large gum above we came across this fallen giant ...</div>
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Just before getting back to where we started I paused for Di to take this photo of me in front of this huge gum to illustrate the circumference of the trunk ...</div>
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The final photo shows a depth marker for the lake ... </div>
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... in fact there are two markers; if you look closely you can see another, further out in the water. I wondered what the numbers signified: height above sea level perhaps?</div>
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Also, in the background you can see the thickly growing Red River Gum saplings that seem to completely ring the lake which suggest the environment hereabouts is currently in pretty good shape. </div>
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Despite the cool, wet conditions and stickiness underfoot in places we thoroughly enjoyed our walk in the Mallee and reckon it would be absolutely magnificent in slightly warmer and drier conditions. In fact, we'd love to go back with our grandchildren if we can pry them away from their parents some day. I've just been on Google Earth and found that the imagery they've got looks pretty good in terms of walking conditions. It's hard to be exact as to our route as there doesn't seem to be a map of the track on the internet. However, I've drawn in what we think is pretty much where we went ...<br />
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And that's it for now. We aren't sure when we are going to be able to post again as we expect be relying on solar power for the next little while. So long for now ...<br />
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Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-32761259264864406082014-05-02T06:00:00.000-07:002014-05-04T15:27:34.319-07:00Rockin’ Rainin’ and Rollin’ On ...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">After an extended stay at Natimuk Lake - most nights there on our own - we have hit the road. The fact that the lake was closed to shooting this year ...</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">... made it really easy to stay on longer. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here’s the story of the past ten days or so.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px;">Following our previous post we got in five terrific days of climbing out of six. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> Sublime autumn weather in the Wimmera, with high teens to low twenties and almost no wind. <span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">After the first three days Di demanded a rest - and I was secretly glad. Actually, the last of those terrific five days of climbing on immaculate Arapiles rock was actually quite cool, </span>although<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> with no wind. We felt like we were really starting to hit our straps but were both getting quite tired and resolved to take a good two day break. We had a special project in the Grampians in mind to finish our climbing in Victoria before heading further west.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Here’s a couple of photos from Brolga, one of the moderate three star classics on the Right Watchtower Face that we did in that stretch of fine weather. Di took these from the top of the second pitch, which had been a bit of a nemesis for her. She’s done lots of much harder leads than this one but for some reason had never actually led this pitch.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Taken from the second belay. Below, a climber is a nearing the top of the first pitch</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Immaculate rock on the Right Watchtower Face</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The next photo was taken at the base of Transatlantic Crossing, a great route on the front of the Pharos, especially if you manage your ropes well and lead the whole climb as one pitch, which is exactly what Di managed on the day. She took this snap as we were packing up to move on to another climb. You might notice the great looking T-shirt that I’m wearing, bought at the Vancouver Airport a couple of years ago. It’s actually my pyjama top, which I forgot to change out of before going to the crag. Just a bit embarrassing when Di pointed it out to me ...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsA1hxla4dzV-FYkWC5YP8hNzsklIuB-_CgWkIOdOgomKLqa0WSU1c8JbP5ZTP1qtnIkwovjb0RDUo8883yn4OV6jXPgjzeD412SS5QmP8TwIZYJTAgzZwFvy6DHIG9iKo-aO3tWvIQRWw/s1600/Transatlantic+pyjama+top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsA1hxla4dzV-FYkWC5YP8hNzsklIuB-_CgWkIOdOgomKLqa0WSU1c8JbP5ZTP1qtnIkwovjb0RDUo8883yn4OV6jXPgjzeD412SS5QmP8TwIZYJTAgzZwFvy6DHIG9iKo-aO3tWvIQRWw/s1600/Transatlantic+pyjama+top.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">At the base of Transatlantic Crossing, wearing my trans-Pacific pyjama top</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">On the last of those five days of climbing we only managed two pitches. Di led an easy but wonderful three star route to get us up to the ledge below Red Wall, which is the location of a handful of absolute gems. I wanted to enjoy again one of the mid-grade classics of the whole crag, a route called Tannin. I got up it fine, and enjoyed it, but was a bit bemused to discover how weak and tired I felt by the time I finished the lead. We both decided an early -well <b>very</b> early - finish was in order, and that the next day would definitely be a rest day no matter the temptation to get back on rock.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">On the way back to camp we stopped off at the Arapiles Mountain Shop. I needed to buy a new nut key, as it had become increasingly difficult to extract small <a href="http://snowdoniamountainguides.com/Routes-Topos-Resources/Beginners-Guide-To-Placing-Nuts-and-Wires.php" target="_blank">wires</a> in particular with my worn out old Chouinard nut tool as its pecker has gradually worn away and now there is only a rounded surface that slips off stubborn placements ...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlE4s4OsEOE7fQPemqpa36jm0Agxc4b8SWnUtXWR1vJ3hhrCM5N_jOpqjTFnsL43g1oLnbdtELJYPPBo1Ic-pueAkWP-PVtFidAXATASggQV3xIVVzEL2ksQNf2zf74FoZER6GiEdaU19/s1600/NutKey1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlE4s4OsEOE7fQPemqpa36jm0Agxc4b8SWnUtXWR1vJ3hhrCM5N_jOpqjTFnsL43g1oLnbdtELJYPPBo1Ic-pueAkWP-PVtFidAXATASggQV3xIVVzEL2ksQNf2zf74FoZER6GiEdaU19/s1600/NutKey1.JPG" height="318" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">My poor, old, emasculated Chouinard nut key</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I’d owned it for perhaps 30 years and was very reluctant to part with a tool that had served me for so long and that I’d found worked particularly well. But it just wasn’t up to the task anymore. While it still had its hook, no pecker is no fun. I went into the shop with the intention of getting the same product - now Black Diamond of course - but found that I just didn’t like what they’d done to the shape of the "younger generation" just to shave a few grams of weight. It was also very unergonomic and didn't feel good in the hand at all. The folks at Outdoor Gear Lab rated it as <a href="http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Nut-Tool-Reviews/Black-Diamond-Nut-Tool" target="_blank">the worst performer</a> of the three they tested. Here's what it looks like:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Great pecker, woeful ergonomics</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">After a brief confab with the lass behind the counter I opted instead for the Wild Country Pro Key (pretty fancy title, if you ask me) which felt much nicer in the hand:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Comfortable to use, not such a good pecker though</span></b></td></tr>
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Wild Country have had the vision to add a folded section of metal to the handle, which makes it much more comfort if you've got to pound on it. (An interesting aside on language use here: the Poms use the term "Nut Key" - which us Downunders have inherited from our Anglo connections - to describe this sort of object. The Americanos use the term "Nut Tool". I'll leave that aside dangling ...) A last note about Nut Keys/Tools for those reading this blog who aren't climbers: the hook at the business end is for persuading Friends - and other <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring-loaded_camming_device" target="_blank">SLCD's</a> - which have walked themselves deeper into cracks to come out.<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">After lunch back at the camper it had actually warmed up a bit outside so we took a couple of coldies over to a picnic bench overlooking the lake. One of the residents came by to say hello while we were there ...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbxKwtE3sei_WKkoKqTSvBUs-IiA9F1K8p_rqyfOKur9Wa7uQcgnkrCO2JWD_qtsDQJRsMUoC_kEfc2B6qjZJ8XOyVU4g386DDG8IJTOve-rkAM1fZP0hthyphenhyphen5-vgOC-nzh7pQ7PDTguhL/s1600/Moth-eaten+Magpie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbxKwtE3sei_WKkoKqTSvBUs-IiA9F1K8p_rqyfOKur9Wa7uQcgnkrCO2JWD_qtsDQJRsMUoC_kEfc2B6qjZJ8XOyVU4g386DDG8IJTOve-rkAM1fZP0hthyphenhyphen5-vgOC-nzh7pQ7PDTguhL/s1600/Moth-eaten+Magpie.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Not</i> the picture of sartorial splendour</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We think this magpie might be a moulting juvenile growing into his new feathers. In the meantime he looks quite comical.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Throughout our stay at the Natimuk Lake Caravan Park we enjoyed regular visits from Willy Wagtails and lots of Superb Wrens. Di took this photo of a wren a couple of days ago.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Superb Blue Wren - juvenile perhaps?</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">They seemed to like playing around the camper; the Willy Wagtails even hopping about on top of the canopy quite often. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Rainin'</span></h2>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">As it turned out, our decision to have a rest was taken out of our hands with the rain starting about midnight and continuing steadily for about twelve hours, and the odd shower into mid afternoon. It was so heavy and steady we didn't budge out of the camper pretty much all morning. I did lots of reading and catching up with postcards. Di got her best whistle out and entertained me with a couple of tunes ...</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">... and another that is a special favourite ...</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The rain has brought more birds back to the lake. We were especially delighted to see the return of at least a few Red-rumped parrots (link back to post from last year). This pair were feeding just near our camper ...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQ4AjFFH87vE3bWkCs89JuXogi6Nnu5Q65doziemI2aI1PIZeHADUCtACVndT2Zw8dFkgrtJrb8aYVOI4MHAUnLZzotEiKjBSWAXzV4v9LcJPoIR_0zk1dn8oDSdvKKzlkfS2pVKmqIKE/s1600/RRParrot2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQ4AjFFH87vE3bWkCs89JuXogi6Nnu5Q65doziemI2aI1PIZeHADUCtACVndT2Zw8dFkgrtJrb8aYVOI4MHAUnLZzotEiKjBSWAXzV4v9LcJPoIR_0zk1dn8oDSdvKKzlkfS2pVKmqIKE/s1600/RRParrot2.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Red-rumped Parrots</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Although this next photo isn’t quite as sharp as we’d like, I love the way it illustrates the wonderful pattern and variety of feathers ...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFK22Zjuesz6i5CWOJ1UfBMjVHvZAxZkVGFbc9IpXrWX63jZ3Jw4neYGtoDTticZ3u2HPZB1g-vWfgdnWflkQkN4uEICSpKuBXSoj__PUr-zz2DYYoW1Qq4EyX0zUs_9COVwOGfrKVav2/s1600/RRParrot1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFK22Zjuesz6i5CWOJ1UfBMjVHvZAxZkVGFbc9IpXrWX63jZ3Jw4neYGtoDTticZ3u2HPZB1g-vWfgdnWflkQkN4uEICSpKuBXSoj__PUr-zz2DYYoW1Qq4EyX0zUs_9COVwOGfrKVav2/s1600/RRParrot1.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Fine-feathered architecture?</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The next morning we spotted a wonderful rainbow over towards Mt Arapiles and Di took this photo (if you look closely you might be able to pick out the faint second rainbow to right) ...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQjMWwNMEd95Wb7pqHM5HPDx3EEPJ5qX5WLCceoAvzn6YBhrhOJjwLLebCaRc0aseeM5b19F8nUHO3X5hTiOP5pTtpB3KU5XyVWe9EE7g3RFnjOaxk2SKfc_exl4uSU_yFnOrx4otBE5D/s1600/Rainbow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQjMWwNMEd95Wb7pqHM5HPDx3EEPJ5qX5WLCceoAvzn6YBhrhOJjwLLebCaRc0aseeM5b19F8nUHO3X5hTiOP5pTtpB3KU5XyVWe9EE7g3RFnjOaxk2SKfc_exl4uSU_yFnOrx4otBE5D/s1600/Rainbow.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Although you can't see it, Mt Arapiles is right under the arch of the rainbow</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Unfortunately, amongst this period of recovery our fridge decided to take a holiday, which was a complete downer. After four weeks or so of faultless performance, it had seduced us into buying a bit of meat to go in the freezer, along with some ice cream. We tried a few tricks to get it going again but it wasn’t interested. I spent a good part of the afternoon preparing cooked meals, to go into the car fridge, with some of the meat. That night we also had a wonderful roast of pork, done in our little mini Weber barbecue. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After a two and a half days of rest we were raring to get back on to rock. To finish off our stay in style we wanted to go do a climb at <a href="http://www.chockstone.org/Grampians/MtRosea/MtRosea.htm" target="_blank">Mt Rosea</a> in the Grampians, where we’d been a couple of times before. The climb we had in mind is called <b>The Last Rites</b>, a four pitch route that is renowned for its quality. On our first visit to Mt Rosea we'd gone to do that climb but a party was on it when we arrived so we did <a href="https://www.thecrag.com/photo/164956722" target="_blank"><b>Heretic</b></a> (visit link to see a photo of Di from that trip) instead. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It’s a bit of a drive from Natimuk to Rosea and the cliff gets morning sun, so we planned an early start. The forecast was promising: not particularly warm but mostly sunny with almost no wind - ostensibly perfect climbing conditions. We did make an early start but were nonplussed by the thick blanket of cloud completely covering the sky as we drove southeast. And the thermometer didn’t want to budge above 4 degrees. To be fair, it did reach 5 degrees by the time we got to the Rosea car park. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We decided to walk up to the base of the crag without our packs to see if the rock was dry and to give the sun a chance to show its face. The rock was dry so we wandered about the base and spent some time studying the line we wanted to do, hoping things would warm up a little. No such luck. We walked back to the car, hung around a little longer but decided it wasn’t going to warm up and made the decision to go and have a look at the nearby crag of <a href="http://www.chockstone.org/Gallery/BundaleerPics.htm" target="_blank">Bundaleer</a>, which we’d never visited. As it was still cool when we arrived at the carpark for that cliff we decided not to take our packs up but just take a look. What a place! We’ve definitely put it on our agenda for our next visit to the mainland, and have resolved to go to the Grampians before Arapiles so we don’t get gazumped by the weather next time. Here are two delicious reasons why we want to climb at Bundaleer:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Gerontian is a three star, three pitch route ...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzor2JC9Bqdys-UBS1izRugoTHbQ28x9mwEdVe6O3K7hXp-nKuOjA9jrueuMC2dr2R7xAgCpu-WvEi8HVuCochc24phjV7a0TXVH6b0eHhpRTvOiVF7_KvqqBHpO_AgA-I1XFPhAyppkM/s1600/Gerontian.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzor2JC9Bqdys-UBS1izRugoTHbQ28x9mwEdVe6O3K7hXp-nKuOjA9jrueuMC2dr2R7xAgCpu-WvEi8HVuCochc24phjV7a0TXVH6b0eHhpRTvOiVF7_KvqqBHpO_AgA-I1XFPhAyppkM/s1600/Gerontian.JPG" height="640" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Gerontian</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">... </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">and Blimp is one of the great mid-grade icons of Victorian climbing ...</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AZY6C8qOQ1EQB-35qhpJcWtPdGWduP23lp8zag2HVoJD-nX2bDXf4ftmOK-MYZuL18x9xz4ykzObDdSbZjnham8qe4rZTb8GSMZJbUGaAyB32e6WII47GtR-sBcmj08_qm45sVyJEQTB/s1600/Blimp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1AZY6C8qOQ1EQB-35qhpJcWtPdGWduP23lp8zag2HVoJD-nX2bDXf4ftmOK-MYZuL18x9xz4ykzObDdSbZjnham8qe4rZTb8GSMZJbUGaAyB32e6WII47GtR-sBcmj08_qm45sVyJEQTB/s1600/Blimp.JPG" height="640" width="336" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The Incomparable BLIMP!</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">As an aside, a great thing about Bundaleer is that it’s only an easy 10 minute walk from the car park. A short hike to the crag is always appealing ...</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We spent about an hour and a half poking around the base of the crag ogling the rock. Just before we left a couple of guys named Scott and Chook arrived. They were going to have a warm-up and then try one of the (much) harder classics of the crag, a grade 28 called Touchstone Pictures, which is on the wall to the right of Blimp. After a chat we them we headed down to the car, arriving at 12:40. The temperature had risen to 10 degrees. Lunch at Halls Gap in the form of a hot meat pie seemed a good idea so off we went. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">That was yesterday. The forecast for today was discouraging: more rain. We decided to pack up what we could of our camp yesterday afternoon while it was still dry in preparation for today’s departure. Sure enough, it started raining while we were eating our dinner. That confirmed that we were not going to get a climb in before we left, especially with the forecast for showers, isolated thunderstorms with the possibility of hail.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Rollin'</span></h2>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Despite a slow start this morning we managed to get everything packed up and got on the road just before the showers started. The roads coming north were quite wet in places and we drove in and out of light showers. No sign of thunderstorms. We have stopped for the night at Hattah Kulkyne National Park, parked just beside Lake Mournpall. Here's the route we took to get here ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYWmPw4XBBOI_U-KPAHRkwJAVd_F9RNaIBejVfHT9-_4R_jGhAxXb8wWXc6BI3a7ZBZkgDomP2PtUciFBnEdBrQWj2ESUinboEkI043CNZv18rX7BQyiPnIZNKE2YjMloZGGa9x0Gxu6Y/s1600/Nati-Hattah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYWmPw4XBBOI_U-KPAHRkwJAVd_F9RNaIBejVfHT9-_4R_jGhAxXb8wWXc6BI3a7ZBZkgDomP2PtUciFBnEdBrQWj2ESUinboEkI043CNZv18rX7BQyiPnIZNKE2YjMloZGGa9x0Gxu6Y/s1600/Nati-Hattah.jpg" height="640" width="502" /></a></div>
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Here's a Google Earth image of Lakes Hattah and Mournpall in much drier conditions, with our campsite at Lake Mournpall marked by a yellow circle ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs82-zOre3INHVJoqAwRLOOV47zMg0A5ZPZQj4S8bDLSiKUK65_D1Z_vDBMjth5wIXZGvGQZ7qajA7RI6H8mx96HbDL9qpp5BuemnvmIWrz-D_CT8shldkegprQVTzUBLa_d_BMxx3Wsso/s1600/H-K+NP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs82-zOre3INHVJoqAwRLOOV47zMg0A5ZPZQj4S8bDLSiKUK65_D1Z_vDBMjth5wIXZGvGQZ7qajA7RI6H8mx96HbDL9qpp5BuemnvmIWrz-D_CT8shldkegprQVTzUBLa_d_BMxx3Wsso/s1600/H-K+NP.jpg" height="466" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We are the only ones here. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We arrived rather late so didn't get a real chance to poke around and look at birds: will do that in the morning before we leave. Saw two pairs of emus on the way in. Here’s one who has just decided to get off the road ...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6iyXCR3CxzMKSH9Q60rimOXRNlqwGIu7zncdpAqlqaWXoYzGIBf8JrVaqcOWpOo4BMQgu2JMK54eKGyl3reQNSbib-kI-B-u1iQAkW0l-6nU1plNgC0ys7t0WMKStfAMs59FqscHoimA/s1600/Emu+wet+track.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6iyXCR3CxzMKSH9Q60rimOXRNlqwGIu7zncdpAqlqaWXoYzGIBf8JrVaqcOWpOo4BMQgu2JMK54eKGyl3reQNSbib-kI-B-u1iQAkW0l-6nU1plNgC0ys7t0WMKStfAMs59FqscHoimA/s1600/Emu+wet+track.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Emu at Hattah-Kulkyne National Park</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Lots of big grey kangaroos lazily bounced away from us as we pottered our way the nine kilometres along a "slippery when wet" dirt road to the lake. And it was wet. They’ve had a fair bit of rain and a number of tracks are currently closed. The front of the Ulti got a bit muddy even though I didn't drive any faster than 40 kms/hour and mostly at about 30 kms/hour. Here’s a few photos of the car and camper set up for the night ...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcOvQ9eTxlii7PSP7-XOALzw12h5yN9UNNygiMOwn4IAIOARCWwE7Txk0bYUft-0rS-9ywf_Hq08gOotkYhy2bTEJeSRaUKFG3BfqQf3TK6EWzNCXPGEmnUpTAbEtPHmpWkTEiE9wxkji/s1600/Hattah1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcOvQ9eTxlii7PSP7-XOALzw12h5yN9UNNygiMOwn4IAIOARCWwE7Txk0bYUft-0rS-9ywf_Hq08gOotkYhy2bTEJeSRaUKFG3BfqQf3TK6EWzNCXPGEmnUpTAbEtPHmpWkTEiE9wxkji/s1600/Hattah1.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Looking for a spot to spend the night</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NiZ3J_ccBYp_mGm5u5Xv3FDJ9gkx6lRFuSaAz30OizAI_P-GqXRtWpsJFvXeuYFYktOFGq9kAPm5rLVuKxtGeXntvjfp2wXAYsPevKvNeNVPAuJqWgho7cyd23-8ZdzH4SBFNQAQ9q6n/s1600/Hattah2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NiZ3J_ccBYp_mGm5u5Xv3FDJ9gkx6lRFuSaAz30OizAI_P-GqXRtWpsJFvXeuYFYktOFGq9kAPm5rLVuKxtGeXntvjfp2wXAYsPevKvNeNVPAuJqWgho7cyd23-8ZdzH4SBFNQAQ9q6n/s1600/Hattah2.JPG" height="410" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The bikes ride in style on the back of the camper </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTC-48MVPGM0RXjmI7HQ-ZWtivsW-W1zrVs9zemLItmKLox2BhzfPWtD9rXf9To39JjRBVEm7BHG-aHBYWlRZr1thvM3My5jGQI3pdxUpO4Ebdx9UIbfyVzUcmLdy27wmxeEUEyEXlR2F3/s1600/Hattah3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTC-48MVPGM0RXjmI7HQ-ZWtivsW-W1zrVs9zemLItmKLox2BhzfPWtD9rXf9To39JjRBVEm7BHG-aHBYWlRZr1thvM3My5jGQI3pdxUpO4Ebdx9UIbfyVzUcmLdy27wmxeEUEyEXlR2F3/s1600/Hattah3.JPG" height="380" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Nestling in for the night ...</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Now for the most interesting news: it looks like our smart (alec) fridge has decided to work again for a while. I did wonder before we set off whether a bit of jostling might get its juices flowing again. So, it’s time to finish this and get a bit of shuteye ... good night all.</span></div>
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Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-12462770448471921402014-04-23T05:12:00.003-07:002014-04-25T17:21:12.409-07:00Kangaroos and ... EMUS!I was just inspired to do a quick post by a couple of videos I came across on Youtube. More about that later.<br />
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Yesterday the weather was a little unsettled in the morning, and Di woke to a slightly sore foot after a couple of days back climbing. There were a few jobs that needed doing so, all things considered, we decided to take a break from climbing, do those jobs and have a visit to the Little Desert National Park.<br />
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Before we headed off Di wandered around with her camera while I was getting ready. One of the flowering gums is bursting with blooms, no doubt pushed along by the bit of rain we've had ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YawiWBpBxW9xdTP8Ka60b-ru7ns7D92OuX-4Vz6MZtsN5vEEyCDJzmeAoCarIOQgOjGTrilI2ZZd-ySIMLHMXVgjCgyuZSY1f7r4PVymcUZCsr8wHgcMOtmPDCjeYtq2MXWOAlVUwQSi/s1600/Flowering+gum.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YawiWBpBxW9xdTP8Ka60b-ru7ns7D92OuX-4Vz6MZtsN5vEEyCDJzmeAoCarIOQgOjGTrilI2ZZd-ySIMLHMXVgjCgyuZSY1f7r4PVymcUZCsr8wHgcMOtmPDCjeYtq2MXWOAlVUwQSi/s1600/Flowering+gum.JPG" height="436" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of the jobs that need doing was to fix our reading lights, which had shorted out a couple of nights before. Another job was to get a pole tube for the car organised, as Di has been getting sick of packing the awning poles away in the camper, especially when we have to pack up in wet weather. So we now have a pole tube on the roof of the car. Here's the photo I just popped out and took a moment ago so you can see what I'm talking about ...<br />
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We got that and the problem with the reading lights fixed - which needed a little mend in the cord that had got pinched - at the ARB store in Horsham. Good helpful folks who assembled our new pole tube for us after I nipped over to Tradelink to pick up a bit of 100 mm PVC tube. A bit of grocery shopping then back to camp. All set to go with reading in bed again. Well, at least that's what we thought. When we went to test the reading lights they still weren't working. At that point I thought to look inside the 12 volt plug at the inbuilt fuse. Yep, it needed replacing too. Pity I didn't think to check that before we went to town.<br />
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As we were on our way to Little Desert and had to go through Natimuk anyway, I tried at the milk bar for a replacement fuse. Nope, no fuses. Some other quirky bits of hardware, but no fuses. <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Goroke+VIC+3412/@-36.66257,141.4898882,9z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x6aceb796a136df45:0x40579a430a0ad60" target="_blank">Goroke</a> was just a little way past our turnoff into the <a href="http://littledesertlodge.com.au/" target="_blank">Nature Lodge</a> at Little Desert so we detoured via there and got a fuse - and a couple of spares. (When we got back to camp it was a pleasure to find all was good again and we could actually read in bed again. The joy of simple pleasures ... no TV but lots of reading. Actually, although I say <b>no TV</b>, we occasionally watch a gem from ABC IView as a special treat. The <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/janet-king/" target="_blank">Janet King</a> series has just concluded, but we were delighted to see that adaptations of Peter Temple's gritty Jack Irish novels are back on the box and made available via iView. Temple's crime fiction is about as good as it gets and very Australian in character. You might like to check out <a href="http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/jack-irish/DR1125V001S00" target="_blank">Bad Debts</a> via iView.)<br />
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We like visiting the Little Desert as there is a pleasant walk through classic mallee desert scrub, which also goes past two waterholes where birds can sometimes be seen. It's not that far away from where we like to camp at Natimuk Lake. We've been there three times and it's interesting to see the subtle - and not so subtle - changes over the last few years. There is more evidence of rabbits unfortunately. Also, since the big wet of 2011 there has been little rain, and the boost the vegetation got during that period has now been lost. Some shrubs that grew quickly have experienced major die back.<br />
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The park was set up to try to preserve the endangered <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malleefowl" target="_blank">Malleefowl</a>, and there is an extensive fenced section near the lodge to keep feral cats, foxes and other noxious pests out. (If this is starting to sound like an echo, yes we visited the park last year and <a href="http://ofcockatoosandkangaroos.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/a-period-of-peripateticism.html" target="_blank">made a post</a>; so don't worry if I seem to be repeating myself - maybe I've got early onset Alzheimer's, but at least I'm aware of it!<br />
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As you enter the fenced-off area you are greeted by this little remembrance ...<br />
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Here's a close-up of the sign on the right ...<br />
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Who is <a href="http://www.mailtimes.com.au/story/956607/tributes-flow-for-helen-handbury/" target="_blank">Helen Handbury</a>? I wondered myself. Turns out she was the elder sister of Rupert Murdoch and daughter of the great philanthropist Elizabeth Murdoch. By the sound of things Helen was true to her mum's example.<br />
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Anyway, back to us. Di took this picture at the first of the waterholes, known as <b>Big M's Waterhole</b> ...<br />
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The vegetation changes pretty quickly in quite a small area ...<br />
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In another area there are clumps of grasses that have these long spiky flower heads ...<br />
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There are Grey Kangaroos grazing around wherever you come across a bit of grass and we stopped to take a couple of portraits ...<br />
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In the next photo you can see the inner of the two fence lines which have been to protect the ground-dwelling Malleefowl ...<br />
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Here's another pair of Grey Kangaroos grazing away on the slender pickings ...<br />
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At the other waterhole, known as <b>Whimpey's Waterhole</b> we stopped and watched swallows swooping for insects. Di tried to get a photo of a pair perched on a little bridge that goes out to a small island but the light wasn't good enough for her lens to reproduce good detail. I took this picture of reflections of grasses growing in the waterhole ...<br />
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The highlight of the day though was the visit that this emu paid us just as we got back to the car and were getting ready to leave ...<br />
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Sorry it's not that great a photo as I didn't have my camera at hand and used the phone. I also shot a short video of it getting up close and personal, which I've loaded on to YouTube ...<br />
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://i1.ytimg.com/vi/Ufrq5EWg_Og/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/Ufrq5EWg_Og?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/v/Ufrq5EWg_Og?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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... which got me wondering what other, better emu videos might be out there. Well, there are a lot, but one that really grabbed me is this highly amusing one the ABC shot in <a href="http://www.longreachtourism.com.au/" target="_blank">Longreach</a> when lots of emus were coming into town looking for water during drought conditions. (Time for the customary aside: Longreach is where the <b><span style="font-size: large;">Q</span></b>ueensland <b><span style="font-size: large;">A</span></b>nd <span style="font-size: large;"><b>N</b></span>orthern <span style="font-size: large;"><b>T</b></span>erritory Air <span style="font-size: large;"><b>S</b></span>ervice is said to have been born.) ...<br />
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The other one which was interesting was of emus mating: the parade of the male followed the female about for a while eventuating with the act itself. Kind of well-organised as it turns out ...<br />
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The drive home was uneventful in comparison to the antics of emus. We stopped so Di could take a photo of Mount Arapiles' backside ...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0YplnEuVuDcuNn42zqJUshRdismVKLtlVW2avwGjw9UJJ6Td95r-1UNwCa05WYUXOJVAaJ74hIy3eIU1ySKzFEPH4vzFt17V3IncG2udqJaNoq60iNy90CgMFnsKEvKEra9RJw2-8LTj/s1600/Mount+Arapile's+backside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0YplnEuVuDcuNn42zqJUshRdismVKLtlVW2avwGjw9UJJ6Td95r-1UNwCa05WYUXOJVAaJ74hIy3eIU1ySKzFEPH4vzFt17V3IncG2udqJaNoq60iNy90CgMFnsKEvKEra9RJw2-8LTj/s1600/Mount+Arapile's+backside.JPG" height="348" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>It just looks like a lump of rock from this side, doesn't it?</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Today we were back on the rock, although for a short stint. Di's foot was pretty good, but just a little sore. We did three climbs, two of which are absolute gems ... <b>I'm a Little Dinosaur</b> and <b>I'm a Little Asteroid</b>. Yep, more strange names. I'm sorry I didn't take the camera with me when I led Little Dinosaur, as I could have got a great photo of Di following up the hanging arête on that route.<br />
We are already looking forward to another great autumn day in the Wimmera and at Mount Arapiles tomorrow.<br />
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As a final note, you might be interested in <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-22/climber-trapped-between-two-large-boulders-at-mount-arapiles/5402856" target="_blank">a little mishap</a> that occurred at The Mount in the last 48 hours.<br />
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Back to YouTube, here's a more successful attempt on The Squeeze Test ...<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hmmm. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3743925-the-games-climbers-play" target="_blank">The Games Climbers Play</a>, eh?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Catch you later ...</span></div>
Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-43972479054525287562014-04-20T04:44:00.002-07:002014-04-20T05:10:56.139-07:00April at Mt Arapiles and in The Wimmera<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It’s been eleven days since we last checked in on the ninth of April, when it was raining quite steadily. It's been pretty dry since that wet couple of days, but the grass in the campground </span></span>here at the lake <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">has responded to the moisture in the soil. Here's a photo showing the edge of our camp set-up merging with the surrounding environment ...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We’ve had an interesting time with a mixture of action and inaction and adventure and (a slight) misadventure. We’ve farewelled our friends Justin, Stu, Bob and John, took a hike around an obscure section of Mt Arapiles, pushed the pedals of our bikes to The Mount and back, had a drive to the Grampians - witnessed once again the power of wildfire - and done some climbing.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The day after our previous post, rain was forecast and threatened all morning without producing anything. We decided to take a punt and headed over to The Mount in the middle of the afternoon. Happily, the rock was dry so Di elected to lead a lovely, long pitch called <b>Skylark</b>, which we’ve done a number of times. It’s consistently good climbing with abundant protection and goes on and on for a whopping fifty-five metres. Graded 16 (about 5.7 in the YDS grading scale) it’s one we highly recommend. I followed that with a route called <b>Greasy Burritos</b>, which our guide calls “worthwhile” and “not as slippery as it sounds”. It doesn’t get a star but is a fun little twenty-eight metre route. One thing about the brilliant <a href="http://osp.com.au/?product=arapiles-selected-climbs" target="_blank">select guidebook that Glenn Tempest and Simon Mentz have produced</a> for Mt Arapiles is that every climb in it is worth doing. We thought that was enough for the day and, with a promising forecast for the next day thought we’d save some energy.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The next morning looked decidedly gloomy but we thought we’d head over to The Mount with the expectation that it would clear up. Just as we got out of the car a light drizzle started to fall so we thought we might as well have a walk. Justin, Stu, Bob and John had arrived a bit earlier than us as it was their second-last day of climbing before heading home. We spotted them on <a href="http://www.thecrag.com/climbing/australia/arapiles/atridae" target="_blank">The Atridae</a> as we wondered past. In the photo below Bob is the figure at the top left, setting up his belay at the top of <a href="https://www.thecrag.com/photo/25283515" target="_blank"><b>Hell For Leather</b></a> (John is at the bottom); at the top right Justin is belaying Stu, who is following him up <b>Surface To Air</b> ...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Atridae</b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On we wandered, climbing a little pinnacle along the way ...</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">... discovering that even this obscure bit of rock had some routes on it and even an old descent anchor still in situ ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Yes, the photo<b> is</b> the right way up! (You can tell by the grass at the bottom.) The anchor has been used to rappel down to rig climbs below, and has a rope attached as a hand rail for getting off the back.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was fun finding little bits of easy rock to scramble over along our way ...</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When you wander around off the beaten track a little, you realise how The Mount is really one big, complex warty lump of rock with endless nooks and crannies. Here’s Di standing on another open slabby section between small bits of scrub ...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Yes, there is a bit of soil clinging to its surface which grow some </span></span>sizeable<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> trees. We loved the way this one had found its little niche and even </span></span>large branches resting on the ground were still leafy and green ...<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But it’s a tenuous proposition. Those bigger trees have deep routes but much of the vegetation on The Mount springs up when a good season comes, only to wither and die a few years later after the normal dry patterns re-establish themselves. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here’s another view from the shoulder of The Mount. The Bluffs are visible on the left, with Wimmera wheat fields spread out below ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our haphazard route took us out to the summit road. The Power of Growing Things presented itself in the form of this mushroom pushing its way up through the hard-packed road gravel right on the edge of the tarmac ...</span></span></div>
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We decided this bit of an excursion would be enough exercise for the day and we could happily spend the rest of it reading and relaxing back at camp. Lovely!</div>
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The next couple of days brought beautiful weather and we had a great lot of fun, climbing the moderate classic <b>Kaiser/Resignation</b> via a harder variant we hadn't done before, followed by a trip to the summit to do three pitches. Here's Di following the first pitch of an easy but delicious route called <b>Touchstone</b> ...</div>
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... and then leading up towards the divergent finishing pitch <b>Touch Type</b> ...</div>
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She's about to move up and slightly right for a neat little bit of thin climbing past a couple of bolts. The regular route continues more or less straight up before moving gradually left to the top left corner of the buttress to finish. We just had to rappel back to the ledge I'm belaying from in this photo to do that pitch as well.</div>
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The next day we took time out to go to Horsham for a bit of shopping and get the washing done before getting back on the rock the day after. We decided to explore the Heckle/Jeckle area with a New Zealand couple who were camping next to us and we'd become friendly with. None of us had been to this area before and we were having a good time until our fun was brought to an unexpected halt. </div>
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While I was pulling a rope though a top anchor, a rock in the crack was dislodged and came down about ten metres, hitting Di on the foot. Although the blow itself hurt, Di didn't feel too bad and was happy to continue climbing at first, so we did another couple of routes. However by the time we finished those she was very sore and I was worried that she might have broken something so we headed off to the Wimmera Base Hospital in Horsham. After a reasonably short wait in Emergency, Di had X-Rays which suggested that nothing was broken. (WHEW! A lucky escape.) The doctor told her that she should keep weight off it as much as possible for the next 48 hours, with elevation and ice for good measure. It was pretty bruised. Here's a photo of the underside of the foot where the bruising has drained to ...</div>
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We had a quiet time around camp the next day: Di with her foot up, duly iced; me with the job of keeping the caged bear happy!</div>
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The next morning we decided to take a trip to the Grampians. We wanted to see how extensive the fires were that had gone through in January. It was a very sobering experience. Here's a view across to Hollow Mountain, which was pretty much the epicentre of the fire ...</div>
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Remarkably, the dwellings and outbuildings in the small settlement of Wartook seem to have escaped unscathed in this maelstrom ...</div>
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Some areas were totally scorched ...</div>
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... while other spots show a bit of greenery still clinging to otherwise obliterated trees and shrubs ...</div>
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The Australian bush is well adapted to fire, however. The next two shot show the regeneration that is already underway ...</div>
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Di felt she was up to getting back on rock again after her two days of invalidity, so we headed off to do a long easy climb that we hadn't done before. She was very pleased to find that she was moving well and it wasn't hurting her to put weight on her foot. We had quite a long day out in the end and by the end of it the foot was getting a little sore again.</div>
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Not wanting to push our luck, we decided to have another quiet day yesterday. We managed to have a Skype with our grandkids in Cairns and another with my brother in Winnipeg before heading to Horsham to get a couple of things. Di needed a new pair of pyjamas and she wanted to see if we could get a hot water bottle for those colder nights in the camper trailer. We got home in time to have a gentle bike ride, with a coffee in Natimuk on our way back. Here's the route we took, with the elevation profile at the bottom:</div>
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It looks hillier than it is: the total elevation gain and loss over the thirty kilometres of our ride was actually only 150 metres! The colours of the paddocks make very interesting viewing. You might notice that the "Imagery Date" is 4/4/2013, so almost exactly a year ago. This suggests that autumn last year was a lot wetter than it has been so far this year. Mt Arapiles is the lumpy bit at the left end of our loop, where we zigged and zagged a bit over bush tracks.</div>
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We had a good day out today, doing another climb we hadn't been on before: <b>Oedipus Rex</b>. The guidebook says "<b>the superb first pitch is both embarrassingly tricky and seriously run-out</b>". Di did a great job leading this pitch and did find quite a lot of gear - no doubt modern protection works better in some places than what was around when this climb was first put up way back in 1968.</div>
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The route finishes with a strenuous pull through a roof, and Di got this series of photos of me coming to grips with it ...</div>
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Sorry, there's no photo of me pulling up over the lip: Di decided it would be good to attend to her belaying duties at this point!</div>
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Finally, here's a photo she took while I was dismantling the final belay at the top ...</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hi Mom!</span></h3>
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The Natimuk Market was just packing up as we came through town and we managed to grab a few goodies to bring home to camp. Another fine day playing hooky in the Wimmera. And that's about it for now ...</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cheers</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Doug and Di</span></div>
Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-76108223279288511662014-04-08T18:57:00.000-07:002014-04-09T20:18:40.359-07:00Wet Weather Blogging!<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wednesday 9th April</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s wet here in the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/02/01/2806933.htm" target="_blank">Wimmera</a>. Although we don’t get exact data from the Bureau of Meteorology for <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Natimuk+VIC+3409/@-36.7260795,141.9383779,6z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x6acef49dc74062cf:0x40579a430a0b200" target="_blank">Natimuk</a>, 13 millimetres of rain fell in Horsham yesterday. It hasn’t yet rained this morning but the Bureau is is calling for “rain at times”, and my Weatherzone Plus app says it is 90% likely - with between 10 and 20 mm of wetness supposed to drop from the sky. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxiNm5-D7KkKIQamWnA1TapNTb6vUZpKodqXlOhl4JZZXR390kziqQWPDyrALDKfGWzRrBzmrnhmdqLIoSxCcFDu4ez_Z6v2EvLSFP6ZqZu8vaRNPd5YXrW3Bn5iS9jtAeQ5KgibJyhOx/s1600/Weatherzone+screenshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxiNm5-D7KkKIQamWnA1TapNTb6vUZpKodqXlOhl4JZZXR390kziqQWPDyrALDKfGWzRrBzmrnhmdqLIoSxCcFDu4ez_Z6v2EvLSFP6ZqZu8vaRNPd5YXrW3Bn5iS9jtAeQ5KgibJyhOx/s1600/Weatherzone+screenshot.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Don't you just love technology?</b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">An aside before going further. In an earlier post I forgot earlier to include a photo from when we did our bike ride in Moruya. On the way to Congo we noted a whimsy of locals: nailing teddy bears to trees. Here’s an example:</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw65wBphDce00Josm_hckAH6MJWxuoSAurSvMURVl-nuJC_gswnKf5p1hFzXyjjbZpbfepIz630lZ0rrrlM-BIu0XzhySmwTdgD_0nIpv1B9VIdzQ_2nCPM9o6N4ST80lZQvwJIOwF_4yS/s1600/Bear+on+tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw65wBphDce00Josm_hckAH6MJWxuoSAurSvMURVl-nuJC_gswnKf5p1hFzXyjjbZpbfepIz630lZ0rrrlM-BIu0XzhySmwTdgD_0nIpv1B9VIdzQ_2nCPM9o6N4ST80lZQvwJIOwF_4yS/s1600/Bear+on+tree.JPG" height="640" width="526" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Crimes Against Teddy Bears</b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We don’t plan to climb today. And we may be looking for alternatives the next few days as well if the BOM has their modelling right:</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Not to worry. There's plenty of time left to get on those climbs we want to do before leaving. One of the good things about being retired and on the road is that you don’t have to fit in your fun around work and “Home Duties”. If something - like the weather - gets in the way of immediate plans, you just wait a while. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Something that we find so remarkable about being in this part of the country is the way grass sprouts so quickly when rain comes, and the way the some of the eucalypts burst so suddenly into flower. It can be quite a transformation over just a few days.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And, as if by magic, the bird life changes accordingly. Already there are more rosellas around camp than when we arrived five days ago. Di is sure the lorikeets will also arrive in numbers over the next few days, when those eucalypts come out in flower. Going by past experience she’s probably right. Incidentally, as I sit composing this, the Long-billed Corellas are swarming around the camp with their charming sociability, and the rain has just started to fall again. Maybe that is what is making the corellas so talkative.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The other day Di took a stroll down by the lake and took a few photos. Here’s one of the </span></span>corollas<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">:</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Not the best photo, but I wanted to show the long, curved beak.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And here is a pair hanging out amongst their mates ...</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The last time we were here there were plenty of Black Swans swimming in the lake. They’re still here but now their standing their ground ...</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BL78w7T5W3ZcOVX2Ydq1ltn4IvTEx5s1HjsvhOLXt_utalPL1McMzfMKxlaVSu1vzIWRjFPo_09ZsftzArMEjy52bjnALtKgYMqJyFctj6BxpHSgVNXrgh07rNbovBBIOwl7_W_NLodS/s1600/Black+Swans+standing+their+ground.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BL78w7T5W3ZcOVX2Ydq1ltn4IvTEx5s1HjsvhOLXt_utalPL1McMzfMKxlaVSu1vzIWRjFPo_09ZsftzArMEjy52bjnALtKgYMqJyFctj6BxpHSgVNXrgh07rNbovBBIOwl7_W_NLodS/s1600/Black+Swans+standing+their+ground.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That photo makes it look like there's still quite a lot of water in the lake. The panorama that Di took testifies otherwise ...</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyh2gGa83RgTqzeGFRPwcQT82FeHDETabpH5siB4s25P5_ZUK3LLQlOPVZ7C1JsroPA3DAwaJBcDrznhyphenhyphenGxIOthy4JwJj5wmaKYpDGR9-erFK5_2s6_WdUNEKcxZwxdImnlu1cIsnPuKAd/s1600/Nati+Lake+pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyh2gGa83RgTqzeGFRPwcQT82FeHDETabpH5siB4s25P5_ZUK3LLQlOPVZ7C1JsroPA3DAwaJBcDrznhyphenhyphenGxIOthy4JwJj5wmaKYpDGR9-erFK5_2s6_WdUNEKcxZwxdImnlu1cIsnPuKAd/s1600/Nati+Lake+pano.jpg" height="65" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That panorama covers quite a distance and when I looked closer I could see some folks out on the lake bed, a photo in a photo so to speak ...</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0m7w9hz0u-KZCETZY109yXM2WQCwsUC6pc1uEG3pBowJxVPNA9ZMKCZRG-L3hj8BfbjztLu9iLMJTg6RaLgaeFNRXw0e_bvm2brf4U_4qVZOas8Ej9QwnFs9rp103G431Eb2U4gpeD5w/s1600/Nati+Lake+Pano+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0m7w9hz0u-KZCETZY109yXM2WQCwsUC6pc1uEG3pBowJxVPNA9ZMKCZRG-L3hj8BfbjztLu9iLMJTg6RaLgaeFNRXw0e_bvm2brf4U_4qVZOas8Ej9QwnFs9rp103G431Eb2U4gpeD5w/s1600/Nati+Lake+Pano+detail.jpg" height="210" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">For those of you who are interested, that's <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?q=Mount+Arapiles&safe=active&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=l6VEU8nuO6KwiAf-lIGoDA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ" target="_blank">Mount Arapiles </a>in the background. Di took </span></span>these<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> photos the day before yesterday and we haven't seen "The Mount" since.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Unfortunately </span></span>the rain is unlikely to be enough to restore the lake level to what it was in 2011-12, when there were people wind-surfing, water-skiing, fishing and even sailing. It probably needs to get back up over the 2 metre level mark on this gauge for that to happen ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03JkMJ4qhLRaIpnPdRB8JrEvZ2urleLOB6JpC4TLbZCiCHgNzbpk8dMe2B60WRX7eZ52zOVlEQ1R8CL76CzEiTj0A4Xx9nLmKfY4nX00_1Ohp93zv2pgo0nB2teQrTTEDQJnb9BFpy9aD/s1600/Lake+Nati+water+level.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03JkMJ4qhLRaIpnPdRB8JrEvZ2urleLOB6JpC4TLbZCiCHgNzbpk8dMe2B60WRX7eZ52zOVlEQ1R8CL76CzEiTj0A4Xx9nLmKfY4nX00_1Ohp93zv2pgo0nB2teQrTTEDQJnb9BFpy9aD/s1600/Lake+Nati+water+level.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This old behemoth of a tree stump ... </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCLj_thyphenhyphensy9-ohJmq-Ehncf9tP7cPq6Qu3pPh8Hc-ZW0aXh881Fk6vYg6mffL70nibIWNV8QLxy9GZeLek4DDkC6Jbsb7kfKv4xQcoYdDltwhnBFZFxYcm-y2MwrRSWIQD7NwtqEcKfZt/s1600/stump+thing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCLj_thyphenhyphensy9-ohJmq-Ehncf9tP7cPq6Qu3pPh8Hc-ZW0aXh881Fk6vYg6mffL70nibIWNV8QLxy9GZeLek4DDkC6Jbsb7kfKv4xQcoYdDltwhnBFZFxYcm-y2MwrRSWIQD7NwtqEcKfZt/s1600/stump+thing.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">...was mostly submerged when we were here after the big wet in 2011. A year later it was still in the water but by autumn of last year it was just at the water's edge. Now the water is probably 100 metres away. What's that white stuff draped over the right end? Well, it's actually wool, and strewn across </span></span>this<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> part of the dry lake bottom there are large patches of wool laid down perhaps 10 - 20 mm thick. This is the lee shore of the lake and it appears that the wool has been blown here across the lake and collected. Yes, there are a lot of sheep around this area, although the Wimmera is mostly known for the growing of wheat.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">On previous trips we haven't noticed <a href="http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/bird-profile/royal-spoonbill" target="_blank">Royal Spoonbills</a> here before, but there are plenty of them scouring the lake as well. So far<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Di hasn’t managed to get a close enough photo to include; hopefully we’ll be able to post one before we leave here. We also hope to make some photos of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freckled_Duck" target="_blank">Freckled Ducks</a>, which are currently populating the lake. Phil at the Arapiles Mountain Shop tells us that the lake is closed to shooting because of the presence of those ducks, which are protected due to their endangered state. Although it's a worry that the Freckled Duck is endangered, we are very pleased that there is no shooting here this year. We found it quite confronting last year, especially with the number of guns that were still going off when it </span></span>was almost pitch dark.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In camp itself, along with the Long-billed Corellas there are Willy Wagtails, Superb Wrens and Crested Pigeons in abundance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's a photo of a Crested Pigeon (not one of the best due to low light levels, but taken just beside the camper):</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbH79as1V-A2guHf8DN2myLbuRDD1Wvn6uh-p7NleGxUi4j8rmjhak_mnF83VpSrmULTxjdQa60SIIHKNBEG2822QO4O886PubHX0zmpAd72ZJZtiT64mZK5Q7lBhLdijdKJp1Vb7xCnX/s1600/Crested+Pigeon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbH79as1V-A2guHf8DN2myLbuRDD1Wvn6uh-p7NleGxUi4j8rmjhak_mnF83VpSrmULTxjdQa60SIIHKNBEG2822QO4O886PubHX0zmpAd72ZJZtiT64mZK5Q7lBhLdijdKJp1Vb7xCnX/s1600/Crested+Pigeon.JPG" height="500" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Crested Pigeon</b></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Just</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> after I started typing this, Di came back from visiting Justin, Stu, Bob and John - friends from Hobart - who are stayi</span>ng in one of the cabins here at the lake. They have a limited time so they thought they’d head over to The Mount to see if they could get a climb in. Sure enough, as if just on schedule, the rain started to fall almost immediately after they left. And it’s still falling. Which reminds me. We are very fortunate with the quality and quanitity of information produced by our national Bureau of Meteorology. Recently Evan, our son-in-law in Cairns, alerted me to their <span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/state-of-the-climate/" target="_blank">latest annual report on the state of Australia’s climate</a></span>. Pretty technical, but some of the graphs are very interesting. Highly recommended.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Speaking of climate reporting, I was gobsmacked to read in the Mercury online yesterday <span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/abbotts-blind-to-climate-reality/story-fnj4f64i-1226877487767" target="_blank">an opinion piece</a></span> bagging our current government’s head-in-the-sand stance on climate change. It wasn’t so much the facts themselves - everyone who pays much attention knows that Abbott and co don’t want to know - but the fact that The Mercury would print such a piece at all, let alone so prominently. Our little Hobart paper hasn’t been know to expose the weaknesses of Australia’s right when it comes to issues of social justice and environment in particular. I wonder if there is a new editorial policy in place.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s about time for me to wrap this up. We’ll head out for a walk in the rain and see what the birds are doing, then come back and have some lunch. It would be fun to potter around on the bikes too, but that isn’t going to happen today. The reason: I didn’t think to cover the saddle of my bike with a plastic bag before the rain started falling yesterday morning and we headed off to town.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><b>A little while later ...</b></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We had our walk. The lads </span></span>returned from The Mount without getting in a climb and decided to use their time in some rescue review ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZoIbkjqi42e-W9mKM-CNCqIAizKFHbnT2s8Up76vF4eCATI-Gb_wAaVh_LgQLT0pEL9XZyVBxxJbbV6I6EwHI1kiC1VNThTeSRo3KyQLnKIGGCTD-EHTZjxXyLpb3inOiAlOL2bGfDKq/s1600/Rescue+seminar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZoIbkjqi42e-W9mKM-CNCqIAizKFHbnT2s8Up76vF4eCATI-Gb_wAaVh_LgQLT0pEL9XZyVBxxJbbV6I6EwHI1kiC1VNThTeSRo3KyQLnKIGGCTD-EHTZjxXyLpb3inOiAlOL2bGfDKq/s1600/Rescue+seminar.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's after lunch now and Di is having her "Nana Nap". I'm dreaming of climbing other places - like Red Rocks in Nevada. We did a great route there in 2005 called <a href="http://www.supertopo.com/rock-climbing/Red-Rocks-Black-Velvet-Canyon-Dream-of-Wild-Turkeys" target="_blank">Dream of Wild Turkeys</a> (via a 2 pitch variant called Yellow Brick Road) on the Black Velvet Wall. Di took this photo of me about 2/3rds of the way up...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS6mPwLIBC1q69llS5xg1qgu_znC1BtGxZOsENMs24di6HwTCIgNlGmnscuQlFKgqCvgNSBvp4xi2mp0gngoiTqMBNTH0gOmDZ9H9YLwgoP5LsR8W374O-yzSwapsIU0f_WYR1cawQUNFm/s1600/Dream+of+Wild+Turkeys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS6mPwLIBC1q69llS5xg1qgu_znC1BtGxZOsENMs24di6HwTCIgNlGmnscuQlFKgqCvgNSBvp4xi2mp0gngoiTqMBNTH0gOmDZ9H9YLwgoP5LsR8W374O-yzSwapsIU0f_WYR1cawQUNFm/s1600/Dream+of+Wild+Turkeys.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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What brings this fabulous place to mind is that our friends HJ and Tammy were just there, and did another wonderful route called <a href="http://www.supertopo.com/rock-climbing/Red-Rocks-Cloud-Tower-Crimson-Chrysalis" target="_blank">Crimson Chrysalis</a> on Tammy's 44th birthday. (What a great way to celebrate a birthday, eh!) It's said that it "could quite easily be the best 5.8 in all of Red Rocks". HJ sent a few photos, including this beauty ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjO7aX6w_n5dYluO0PmXunl75SvyENo8xjz8eMWjAMgp3LKxPxrmFfq4DZMyVUQDJ7rWVX2XWPFB4BZBXiXkBWJdcpdauoIQ72AqRAWtneQiRcvPXR7l8yO06HPk95sP2Qvqnbu67xqRB2/s1600/Crimson+Chrysalis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjO7aX6w_n5dYluO0PmXunl75SvyENo8xjz8eMWjAMgp3LKxPxrmFfq4DZMyVUQDJ7rWVX2XWPFB4BZBXiXkBWJdcpdauoIQ72AqRAWtneQiRcvPXR7l8yO06HPk95sP2Qvqnbu67xqRB2/s1600/Crimson+Chrysalis.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">That's about it for this post. Hopefully we'll have done some climbing locally rather than just in our imaginations the next time ....</span></span></div>
Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0Natimuk VIC 3409, Australia-36.7414547 141.94268420000003-36.9450837 141.61996070000004 -36.5378257 142.26540770000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-55639083539584383772014-04-05T05:51:00.002-07:002014-04-06T00:35:59.541-07:00Small Town MemorialsDoes the title of this post ring a faint bell for you? In trying to come up with something to get me started, I realised that the major theme of the past three days has been small towns. Passing through, stopping here and there. We deliberately took a longer route to get to our destination, partly to get off the main roads, partly to see some places we hadn't been through before. So, we passed through lots of small towns.<br />
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Getting back to the title, when I first met Di she had a slim volume of poetry on her bookshelf by Geoff Page. Here is the eponymous poem of <a href="http://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poems-book/smalltown-memorials-0439000" target="_blank">that memorable little book</a>, published in 1975:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Smalltown Memorials</span></div>
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<b>No matter how small</b></div>
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<b>Every town has one;</b></div>
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<b>A few names inlaid;</b></div>
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<b>More often full-scale granite,</b></div>
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<b>Marble digger (arms reversed),</b></div>
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<b>Long descending lists of dead:</b></div>
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<b>Sometimes not even a town,</b></div>
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<b>A thickening of houses</b></div>
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<b>Or a few unlikely trees</b></div>
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<b>Glimpsed on a back road</b></div>
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<b>Will have one.</b></div>
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<b>1919, 1920;</b></div>
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<b>All over the country;</b></div>
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<b>Maybe a band, slow march;</b></div>
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<b>Mayors, shire councils;</b></div>
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<b>Relatives for whom</b></div>
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<b>Print was already</b></div>
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<b>Only print; mates,</b></div>
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<b>Come back, moving</b></div>
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<b>Into unexpected days;</b></div>
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<b>A ring of Fords and sulkies;</b></div>
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<b>The toned-down bit</b></div>
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<b>Of Billy Hughes from an</b></div>
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<b>Ex-recruiting sergeant.</b></div>
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<b>Unveiled;</b></div>
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<b>Then seen each day -</b></div>
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<b>Noticed once a year;</b></div>
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<b>And then not always,</b></div>
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<b>Everywhere.</b></div>
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<b>The next bequeathed us</b></div>
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<b>Parks and pools</b></div>
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<b>But something in that first</b></div>
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<b>Demanded stone.</b></div>
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I guess the poem stuck with me. There are some gems in that little volume and I recommend hitting the link to it I've inserted above.</div>
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After spending a couple of days poking around the Moruya/Batemans Bay area while we had a bit of work done on our camper trailer we set off a bit later in the afternoon than we'd anticipated. We were pretty keen to get up and over the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Dividing_Range" target="_blank">main range</a> before the forecast heavy rain hit, so we didn't waste any time once we were on the road. There was a bit of road works happening on the steep slopes of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clyde_Mountain" target="_blank">Clyde Mountain</a> that held us up briefly ...</div>
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,<br />
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... but no problems with bad weather conditions. </div>
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Once up this obstacle the first place of interest is the old town of <a href="http://www.visitbraidwood.com.au/" target="_blank">Braidwood</a>, which has preserved much of its historical architecture. This might have been what helped us decide to eschew the motorway once we reached the plateau, and head further inland instead. It was a bit of a punt, but luck seemed to be with us. Traffic was light and we motored along for a couple more hours before passing through Harden and on to the adjoining hamlet of Murrumburrah where we discovered free camping in a park just off the main road. Brilliant luck, as we got the canvas up just before a big thunderstorm hit.</div>
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Here's what the day's journey looks like on Google Maps:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1jjK-7rVLulBOlTKBAg2Eh4hjOZCpzI8Ll32f_iViQx9qZ4XB-aoXehpdDCKIHMsDKK6mh7v-UQ7q0YqELlCWPJNxG2FVPnVJWya0AsbF5e32Xi3rCmfTO3zF6FaDiXTEa0DGoM0v4MW/s1600/Moruya-Murrumburrah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1jjK-7rVLulBOlTKBAg2Eh4hjOZCpzI8Ll32f_iViQx9qZ4XB-aoXehpdDCKIHMsDKK6mh7v-UQ7q0YqELlCWPJNxG2FVPnVJWya0AsbF5e32Xi3rCmfTO3zF6FaDiXTEa0DGoM0v4MW/s1600/Moruya-Murrumburrah.jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a></div>
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Lightning flashed off and on through the night and it rained enough to leave quite a few large puddles all around us. We finally packed up the next morning at about 10:30 when the rain eased to a steady drizzle. It was fun passing through towns like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cootamundra" target="_blank">Cootamundra</a>, famous as the birthplace of the great <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Bradman" target="_blank">Don Bradman</a>.</div>
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A little more than an hour later we found ourselves in Junee, a well-preserved historic railway town. It was so attractive we decided to stop and have a look around. Here's a beautiful hotel built in 1896 :</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvME2xGpYknQ_djfaYC6Ap3xOqYWuK8hLF3ZNQHOBWTFBiaUqAAnEPX4Y20gQ3UCc3xtEuDviu1nEkfFkhyphenhyphenzxZuFNbg9HL6_O2rQovWIfbRIy8YpvtDndUdRUfE-AWEihFsKKoGsxPjYz/s1600/Junee3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvME2xGpYknQ_djfaYC6Ap3xOqYWuK8hLF3ZNQHOBWTFBiaUqAAnEPX4Y20gQ3UCc3xtEuDviu1nEkfFkhyphenhyphenzxZuFNbg9HL6_O2rQovWIfbRIy8YpvtDndUdRUfE-AWEihFsKKoGsxPjYz/s1600/Junee3.JPG" height="324" width="640" /></a></div>
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There is a lovely little square in front of the old railway station (which is still in use), probably built so that folks had plenty of room to manoeuvre their horses and buggies. Here's a panorama of the railway station that doesn't really do it justice ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJAYgmA-Ks2h5guME5GGGj9MY3WwP34te-H9k9BQnXAif8tv5-NnHrPEMhyqlD4bxzp249TT1Ot_h4XxupeqxgDYZPxs1wpPjO1BurejHoWYxCxTaV4wKwsfyUxKHz8pYnVuOndh8F2pG/s1600/Junee+Rlwy+bld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJAYgmA-Ks2h5guME5GGGj9MY3WwP34te-H9k9BQnXAif8tv5-NnHrPEMhyqlD4bxzp249TT1Ot_h4XxupeqxgDYZPxs1wpPjO1BurejHoWYxCxTaV4wKwsfyUxKHz8pYnVuOndh8F2pG/s1600/Junee+Rlwy+bld.jpg" height="212" width="640" /></a></div>
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There was even a train stopped at the station ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd7jpbMoBiXGMK4JE02qMuqIKAjzVKnLzPSZ5Dqt5tjO4ayycUpHYZTNUcgi6t7k1WnLhehWrPP9TLTmMOet-R6gCQFFFxElePjpdwpQK-Eu14iiJFhm_nzMbSUUbNQd65_-pDZxyzw9x5/s1600/Junee1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd7jpbMoBiXGMK4JE02qMuqIKAjzVKnLzPSZ5Dqt5tjO4ayycUpHYZTNUcgi6t7k1WnLhehWrPP9TLTmMOet-R6gCQFFFxElePjpdwpQK-Eu14iiJFhm_nzMbSUUbNQd65_-pDZxyzw9x5/s1600/Junee1.JPG" height="231" width="400" /></a></div>
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Junee was built as a railway town to serve the surrounding farming district, and the station houses a huge café still operating today ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRlVaSHOYVkYxTvBRDmaXq25IUHn2bYwwvvb-rF2CtfgryhXCPS5GVPZ7q_G9s5ATRWLJo6aNXnTM_dV3qnx5l-W82AdYwkxmkGIBY7FrpZbEgImb0q8y-wE9MSAjc9a4EHfNkPPlG2eVl/s1600/Junee2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRlVaSHOYVkYxTvBRDmaXq25IUHn2bYwwvvb-rF2CtfgryhXCPS5GVPZ7q_G9s5ATRWLJo6aNXnTM_dV3qnx5l-W82AdYwkxmkGIBY7FrpZbEgImb0q8y-wE9MSAjc9a4EHfNkPPlG2eVl/s1600/Junee2.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was really a bit early for lunch but we decided it would be good to enjoy the atmosphere of this old café so we stayed for a bite before pushing on.</div>
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A few more hours of driving took us through towns with names like Coolamon, Lockhart (another pretty little town), Jerilderie, Finley, Tocumwal and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numurkah" target="_blank">Numurkah</a>. The latter wasn't really en route, but Di wanted to divert via there as it was where her paternal grandmother lived before moving to Tasmania. Sure enough, the first thing we saw as we entered town was the Numurkah war memorial ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimzo2jfi1t81maBC2jIv58QEEji5zy7VsNgr0p8MgTVh6LT9Mi4nvsraN7Ippwt33yWmnYvl4WaLhHufyuwMXQ4_xbQPVgAyEUU_6uGva0CqnTYZYcCbkqkuV1vG9TBgoi7jM9q4upzqg/s1600/Numurkah1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimzo2jfi1t81maBC2jIv58QEEji5zy7VsNgr0p8MgTVh6LT9Mi4nvsraN7Ippwt33yWmnYvl4WaLhHufyuwMXQ4_xbQPVgAyEUU_6uGva0CqnTYZYcCbkqkuV1vG9TBgoi7jM9q4upzqg/s1600/Numurkah1.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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We looked closely but there was no-one by the name of Lapthorne (Di's grannie was Florence Lapthorne) represented on the memorial. After years of driving too far for too long when we're on the road, we've finally decided that we will take a good break every couple of hours and walk around a bit when we're doing long drives, so we took a stroll around Numurkah. Sadly, it wasn't one of the more attractive towns on our journey. About the only building that we found which had retained a sense of grace was the old courthouse ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLj0KbfaTCpHDBD1gWj4L1KWQwCRtX2QPyyYAO6iS-faHUsVu1z5d6RgYdWwgg4bqDRwrrdfXDOjQL63ZMsvrFT1jcgsGPV8QiSebDq_ImrO8Y4wyCAOwxmppCjBbfDXIlVVyu2xlYNnKW/s1600/Numurkah2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLj0KbfaTCpHDBD1gWj4L1KWQwCRtX2QPyyYAO6iS-faHUsVu1z5d6RgYdWwgg4bqDRwrrdfXDOjQL63ZMsvrFT1jcgsGPV8QiSebDq_ImrO8Y4wyCAOwxmppCjBbfDXIlVVyu2xlYNnKW/s1600/Numurkah2.JPG" height="215" width="320" /></a></div>
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By this time we had left the rain behind. We'd picked a spot the night before that we thought would make a good overnight stop, but because of our late start we had our eyes peeled for something a bit less far down the road. We spotted a lovely little park in Echuca, but overnight camping was not allowed. We decided to push on a little more briskly to Tarrick Tarrick National Park to allow us time to find something else in case that didn't work out. (The slight worry was that it is a dry-weather-only road, and, according to our parks guide, suitable only for "small vehicles" - whatever that means. It turned out to be perfect. We arrived well before dusk. No problem getting in and we had the place all to ourselves, after about seven hours of driving (I admit that we were travelling a little faster than recommended for some of the time ) ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEpVIIzF1T1sYOkkQac8GchbIaam-uomgWTsZqHntModAefmbh_NPRQ5I8rjuVQitRnyDXus8KWWgubiq-nfaRWn-6qPwIbM1Nu1bdQfEc5HyN4OzaoAseC6PgXJ2sROTPUtv9layW0od/s1600/Murra-TT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEpVIIzF1T1sYOkkQac8GchbIaam-uomgWTsZqHntModAefmbh_NPRQ5I8rjuVQitRnyDXus8KWWgubiq-nfaRWn-6qPwIbM1Nu1bdQfEc5HyN4OzaoAseC6PgXJ2sROTPUtv9layW0od/s1600/Murra-TT.jpg" height="369" width="640" /></a></div>
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This morning we spent a couple of hours wandering about enjoying the park before we left at about 10:15. The park features a beautiful forest of Callitris Pines and a couple of gently-rounded granite domes. There were wallabies around camp and bigger kangaroos bounding about as we drove in and out of the park. Di even saw some galahs to photograph, so you get cockatoos ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbL2fRo4XjAfIANGKZu0ZzSrqj37ZNY8kd8s04rkeFA9sZGWqro3-2YVp58Pr_8OgJXgXiFlEYFNONcMOIWMniv86H610zfWrKVPL5xZ7gPEjvPMd-4BU85smKZ1A82DmqyjgtUAawnH4/s1600/galahs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbL2fRo4XjAfIANGKZu0ZzSrqj37ZNY8kd8s04rkeFA9sZGWqro3-2YVp58Pr_8OgJXgXiFlEYFNONcMOIWMniv86H610zfWrKVPL5xZ7gPEjvPMd-4BU85smKZ1A82DmqyjgtUAawnH4/s1600/galahs.jpg" height="400" width="292" /></a></div>
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... and a kangaroo (two if you look closely) ... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuhRfh1b7UWoB8h7sw5sE8D5UpX5B3RZAw-VrheoZBpUUDc-hqmZz8L38BzJ8BfA6dBSyQUY1V4wh6ySZEVx7dNo7HdlIC-7rmAY_AezbPd4wBgwCIAga6JM3E7N9dtYz9vMrgNfCFEV3/s1600/Terrick+Terrick+Wallaby.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuhRfh1b7UWoB8h7sw5sE8D5UpX5B3RZAw-VrheoZBpUUDc-hqmZz8L38BzJ8BfA6dBSyQUY1V4wh6ySZEVx7dNo7HdlIC-7rmAY_AezbPd4wBgwCIAga6JM3E7N9dtYz9vMrgNfCFEV3/s1600/Terrick+Terrick+Wallaby.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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In the previous photo you can see evidence of the granite slabs and domes I mentioned. Here's an image of the top of Mount Terrick Terrick ...</div>
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Nestled in shady and sheltered spots were lots of gorgeous little orchids. Here's an example ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9D0KDjbu6gJfX8Ri6fOSqWBSvRIbwCDqfvZJpgl5VOyU7JQcVh-gcqZjNz-por6pittcirOPsoMICs4AVdYBD_Rp_jn2RpWu-ayM-1kYeqilujrpxJb6cWwHOYSx8xqP8kcV58Fvmtq9/s1600/Terrick+Terrick+Orchid.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9D0KDjbu6gJfX8Ri6fOSqWBSvRIbwCDqfvZJpgl5VOyU7JQcVh-gcqZjNz-por6pittcirOPsoMICs4AVdYBD_Rp_jn2RpWu-ayM-1kYeqilujrpxJb6cWwHOYSx8xqP8kcV58Fvmtq9/s1600/Terrick+Terrick+Orchid.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Back out to the highway at Mitiamo, turn west for 25 kms, then north on the Loddon Valley Highway for 10 kms to Durham Ox. West on the C267 for 21 kms to Boort, then southeast on the C266 to Charlton, and another delightful surprise. This town was <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/01/31/3125383.htm" target="_blank">badly affected by flooding in 2011</a> but must have a brilliant sense of community spirit. There was <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-01-18/charlton-may-never-recover-from-floods/1909358" target="_blank">wide speculation that the town might never recover</a> but what you will see if you ever visit is a vibrant little community that seems stronger than ever. As we entered town we noticed a sign that said "Travellers' Rest", and parking for large vehicles. We thought we might stop and look around, so we pulled into a shady flat spot. It turns out that this travellers' rest area has been built in the area where the old Charlton Sale Yards were ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_-4AHfwAZP9lkX3BTZhhYxqnJJk6SroUaKbyKr4A3SuYLsXCnmkzg0GbgUGynroxb6IC80Qch6lZrh6qj7P9AyQoBoVV5a7H1Zuw0AkhqrDnxeUZVNZBgZIuqFT4ymc2I5V0mzzs-2eh/s1600/Charlton3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_-4AHfwAZP9lkX3BTZhhYxqnJJk6SroUaKbyKr4A3SuYLsXCnmkzg0GbgUGynroxb6IC80Qch6lZrh6qj7P9AyQoBoVV5a7H1Zuw0AkhqrDnxeUZVNZBgZIuqFT4ymc2I5V0mzzs-2eh/s1600/Charlton3.JPG" height="640" width="576" /></a></div>
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They've got a great little park straddling the Avoca River complete with a pedestrian swing bridge. The first thing that really caught our eye was this four metre long sculpture ..</div>
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It turns out that it was from the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and celebrated the participation of Kenya (apparently swordfish abound off the coast of Kenya).</div>
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The town has provided a great little area for passers-through to stop and have lunch in the shade ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VcXgzu7Te8GBd9ToLQKsN9z0OHnUnlGdrt_eides2sReWtovgecRhv_SVBuz203FbTRNIb0CHlNs1OftyYAcx8K9TEBUAerZeUBrIXD2YeI9S2p3bGFameEF8TUK-6s4jtX8yVexpcft/s1600/Charlton2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VcXgzu7Te8GBd9ToLQKsN9z0OHnUnlGdrt_eides2sReWtovgecRhv_SVBuz203FbTRNIb0CHlNs1OftyYAcx8K9TEBUAerZeUBrIXD2YeI9S2p3bGFameEF8TUK-6s4jtX8yVexpcft/s1600/Charlton2.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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... a free camping area complete with a campers' garden ...</div>
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After doing a loop through the park, across the river and back along the main road our attention was caught by this neat little car on the footpath ...</div>
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It was sitting outside a shop called "Gallery 79". We got talking to the guy who ran it. The shop had been totally ruined in that big flood of 2011, just a year after he'd moved in. You'd never know it now. Here's what it looks like today ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFCMqAHUO9ZLgh0tO9I7nJC6RUhkFwWHDckT20a3xd6-yJzctDUUWhl9vsBO1OJv3EJpw-NZwRMnJkYI5ptXBeI6NmOsOEXgfcgbe6u-zLg4drkv3eGToC7wFIViug7m4R8KyM2AezNHbW/s1600/Charlton6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFCMqAHUO9ZLgh0tO9I7nJC6RUhkFwWHDckT20a3xd6-yJzctDUUWhl9vsBO1OJv3EJpw-NZwRMnJkYI5ptXBeI6NmOsOEXgfcgbe6u-zLg4drkv3eGToC7wFIViug7m4R8KyM2AezNHbW/s1600/Charlton6.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos inside: we were too busy talking with the fellow who runs it. His name is Geoff Coote, and he's a pretty neat guy. His current passion is steampunk, and he's made some amazing creations. In case you don't know what steampunk is and don't have the time to find out right now, here's a brief summary: <i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Steampunk is modern technology—iPads, computers, robotics, air travel—powered by steam and set in the 1800’s</span></b>.</i></div>
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If you'd like to find out more, <a href="http://www.ministryofpeculiaroccurrences.com/what-is-steampunk/" target="_blank">here's a link</a>. We did spend a bit of money in the shop: a little something for someone special, can't say more here because we don't want to give the game away now, do we?</div>
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If you ever find yourself passing through this corner of Oz make sure you allow yourself a little time to meet Geoff and savour the delights of his creativity.</div>
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After our hour in Charlton it was really time to get to where we were headed. We stopped briefly in Horsham to get some groceries, then at the Arapiles Mountain Shop to pick up Di's climbing shoes that she had sent in for resoling and then off to Natimuk Lake. So, here's what today's few hours of driving looks like on the map ...</div>
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And here's where we're at for the next three weeks in case you'd like to drop by ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4QJe24Ncso-e6hOdENjqu2CIf8z6MHz5q-VIShtTqcwiyGLyzgJXbEZs7d55iyt52dvfDRQwEWKhjSsQCWpQ_CYoy2JMhG5p6HmOsEiPmAX7tIOW8olyGTZpDJMiYZI0CGBaS4dG8YF5A/s1600/Natimuk+camp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4QJe24Ncso-e6hOdENjqu2CIf8z6MHz5q-VIShtTqcwiyGLyzgJXbEZs7d55iyt52dvfDRQwEWKhjSsQCWpQ_CYoy2JMhG5p6HmOsEiPmAX7tIOW8olyGTZpDJMiYZI0CGBaS4dG8YF5A/s1600/Natimuk+camp.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And now it's time for bed</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">~</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">there's climbing to be done </span><span style="font-size: large;">in the morning!</span></div>
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Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-86238574197504277532014-04-01T02:52:00.003-07:002014-04-03T15:11:17.109-07:00Getting off the highway<h4>
<i>Monday, Monday</i></h4>
A painless exit from the ferry, set the GPS for <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sale+VIC+3850/@-38.1059907,147.0706835,9z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x6b2f2fa7737fa007:0x50579a430a0dbf0" target="_blank">Sale</a> and we are away! There's not a lot to tell about getting out of Melbourne except that it's worth it having an <a href="http://www.eastlink.com.au/page.aspx?code=TAGACCOUNT" target="_blank">Eastlink account</a>, which allows you to use the motorways without incurring a fine afterwards!<br />
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One good thing about the ferry arriving early in the morning is that exiting the city is usually pretty painless if you've got your directions sorted. All the traffic is going into the city and you're on the way out. Works for me.<br />
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Having set ourselves the goal of visiting some lesser-known and out-of-the-way parks in our travels, we'd decided to head for the the northeast corner of <a href="http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/croajingolong-national-park" target="_blank">Croajingolong National Park</a>, near <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mallacoota,_Victoria" target="_blank">Mallacoota</a>. It's a bit over 500 kilometres from Port Melbourne where the Spirit of Tasmania docks to Mallacoota. We thought that was pretty doable given our early start off the ferry, allowing for time to get out and stretch our legs every few hours. The drive was pretty uneventful except for one thing: shortly before arriving in Mallacoota we spotted our first ever <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superb_Lyrebird" target="_blank">Superb Lyrebird</a> just beside the highway. It was to prove to be just the first of many beautiful birds we have seen over the past two days. Unfortunately it didn't hang around long enough to get a photo but you might like this video:<br />
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After numerous stops and an ice cream in Mallacoota, it was late afternoon before we finally reached Shipwreck Creek, our stop for the night. This little campground, which has only five campsites, was predictably deserted when we arrived so we had our choice of spots. Currawongs and kookaburras were squabbling amongst themselves in the neighbouring site, as whoever had been there previously had left a bit of rubbish in situ.<br />
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Up went the canvas and then we had a stroll down to the beach to work out the kinks. <span style="text-align: center;">We probably should have had a swim but were put off by the warning signs about rips, shallow sand bars and hidden rocks - which we realised later seem to be in place along all the non-supervised beaches in national parks in this part of the world. It was nice just to be able to have a beach all to ourselves, in contrast to the main beach in Mallacoota which has a massive caravan park crowding it. </span><br />
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<h4>
<i><u>Tuesday</u></i></h4>
The main reason for covering 500 plus kilometres out of Melbourne was so that we could spend the morning exploring the environs of Shipwreck Creek. It was so nice being back in the camper again though, we slept in quite late and read our books for a while before getting out of bed and having breakfast.<br />
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Eventually, we wandered along a track to the headland behind camp. We were rewarded with sightings of Scarlet Rosellas, Eastern Yellow Robins, Superb Fairy Wrens, and Red Wattlebirds. There were also little thornbills and other tiny birds delighting us by darting in and out of the coastal scrub which we weren't able to identify.<br />
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Down to the beach we went, where Di got this photo of me enjoying the solitude ...<br />
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It seems there is always something worth seeing if you take the time to look. Here's an example ...<br />
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There's an extensive coastal track that we decided to wander along to see what we else we could see. There must have been a bit of rain recently in this part of the world because we saw quite a few mushrooms sprouting amongst the grass and leaf litter alongside the track ...<br />
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We not very good on our insects. Can anyone identify this butterfly for us?<br />
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The environment is clearly well adapted to fire. The following photo doesn't really represent very well the strong impression of resilience these old, gnarly, banksias - trunks blackened but covered in healthy green foliage - projected on to us ...<br />
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What tough plants these must be! I think they are amazing, defiantly withstanding the worst that nature can throw at them. And they are just one of about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksia" target="_blank">170 different species</a> of this fantastic genus in the Australian landscape.<br />
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A little before noon we decided it was about time to continue our journey northward. Into Mallacoota we went to top up our supplies and have a stroll around the township. Di is always finding ways to corrupt me, and today was no exception. Despite having bought some groceries for lunch, when we wandered past Lucy's Noodle Bar and Di sniffed the great aromas wafting out of the kitchen, that was that. It turned out to be a pretty good deal though: a fantastic bowl of noodles with veggies and meat, nicely garnished with peanuts and herbs for eight dollars. Yum! Here's Di tucking in:<br />
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A couple of years ago when we were up here on the south coast of New South Wales we stayed on the beach at <a href="https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Potato+Point+NSW+2545/@-36.0894369,150.1218509,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x6b3e1bf5a2febcdd:0x40609b490440e50" target="_blank">Potato Point</a> along with a bunch of other folks. And, while out riding our mountain bikes we'd spotted a quiet little nook that we thought we could tuck into all on our own on a future visit.<br />
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The forest hereabouts is fantastic. Great, smooth-trunked trees shooting skyward. And on the forest floor there are lots of fantastic ferns. A few of them were fruiting ...<br />
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We are now ensconced in our little free campsite, tucked under the trees ...<br />
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... where wallabies wander tamely ...<br />
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Di is playing me tunes on her tin whistle as I finish this off. It's been another great day on the road ...<br />
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<b>Early morning update: </b>Email feedback has come in from a number of you and, thanks to our friend Steve Bunton I can add some detail. The butterfly is <b>commonly</b> known as the "<b>Swordgrass Brown</b>". As <b>we are pretty common</b>, that will do for us. However, for those of you who like to go all Latin, it is a member of the family Nymphalidae and has the name Tisiphone aboena. The fruiting fern is actually a cycad (I <b>should</b> have known that) and is Macrozamia communis. Aborigines called them Burrawangs. The fruits can be eaten but need to be soaked in water first to remove the toxic alkaloids. Bunty also says that you shouldn't buy a house with a Burrawang in the yard because they have huge tuberous routes that play havoc with the foundations! Finally, according to Bunty who is a caver and spends a lot of time near <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g255096-d504716-Reviews-Hastings_Caves-Tasmania.html" target="_blank">Hastings Caves</a> in southern Tasmania, lyrebirds are abundant in that area, where they were introduced as an insurance population due to all the land clearing for dairy farming on the south coast of NSW. Thanks Bunty!Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-15464825566699214392014-03-29T21:43:00.002-07:002014-03-29T21:43:46.101-07:00On the road againIt's late March and we're about to board the ferry from Devonport to Melbourne for a couple of months on the mainland. A short tour up the eastern seaboard to the south coast of NSW and then across to western Victoria and South Australia for a bit of climbing and general bumming about.<br />
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We've just had a couple of days at Cradle Mountain to help commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first roped climb in Tasmania - and possibly Australia, although there is some contention about this from certain quarters on the big island to the north. This climb consisted of a traverse of the skyline of Cradle Mountain by the Malcher brothers in April, 1904. Just getting to Cradle in those days was quite a saga, but these guys carried massive packs with assorted stone age climbing gear including a 60 centimetre long water level to determine relative heights of nearby peaks. Here's a picture of the skyline of Cradle I took from Marion's Lookout in September when we were just heading off on the Overland Track:<br />
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It's a pretty alluring route, don't you think? </div>
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Tony McKenny of the Climbers Club of Tasmania thought that the traverse ought be marked in some way or other. The plan for the weekend was to get as many climbers together as possible and, weather permitting, duplicate the Malcher brothers' traverse - albeit with modern gear, have a slide show featuring some climbing in wilderness Tasmania down through the ages and tell some tall stories.</div>
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A spanner was put in the works by Huey with the weather. It was warm enough, but persistent drizzle morphing at times into light rain kept most of us off the skyline. In the end only six intrepid souls embarked on the traverse, carefully picking their way along the route. The black moss that covers the rock on Cradle is notorious when wet but all returned safe and sound, although at least two of them shredded the backsides of their wet weather trousers while getting as much friction on the rock as they could!</div>
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The rest of us - and there were about 40 people engaged in this get-together - enjoyed the network of trails that thread are found around the peak. Di and I headed off early because we wanted to do a longish hike around the mountain. Here is a map showing the route we took:</div>
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We had a pause and a snack at the Scott-Kilvert Memorial Hut at Lake Rodway, where four Germans and a Finn had spent the night. They had all come to Tasmania for the hiking and were enjoying themselves immensely despite the weather.</div>
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I hadn't got the camera out for the first three hours because there just weren't any views, but shortly after we left the hut we passed by a great little spider's web hanging beside the track and I just had to take a photo ...</div>
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... and while I was at it I thought I might as well take a happy snap of Di ...</div>
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A little further along the track we spotted a small orange mushroom - about the size of the nail on your little toe - in the middle of the track ...<br />
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My little camera doesn't really have a good enough light sensor to reproduce the colour, which was a much richer, darker orange.<br />
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Although it was drizzling and raining most of the time we were walking, the stillness did allow for some great reflections at the much-photographed Artist's Pool up on the little plateau between Little Horn and Hanson's Peak ...<br />
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A hop skip and jump up over Hanson's Peak, down to Lake Dove and past Lake Lilla got us back to Ronney's Creek in time for a late lunch.<br />
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We all reconvened at the Cradle Mountain Visitors Centre for a very entertaining slide show, then had a meal at the pub. It was great to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones. And now I better finish as it's just about time for me to pack up this computer and drive down to Devonport (we're currently sitting in a car park in Latrobe) to get in the queue for the ferry. I'll post again in a week or so when we have more news of our travels. In the meantime, I'll leave you with this photo of our travelling roadshow ...<br />
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Di's sitting in the front, playing her whistle. She's been reading and dozing in the sun while I hurriedly scrambled together this post. So, time to go. Catchya later ...<br />
<br />Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-83433816039479876212013-07-25T04:18:00.000-07:002013-08-03T06:40:10.303-07:00The Run Home<a href="http://ofcockatoosandkangaroos.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/hiking-thorsborne-trail-on-hinchinbrook.html" target="_blank">Hiking on Hinchinbrook Island</a> was a great way to finish our Far North Queensland sojourn. After that, apart from a couple of highlights visiting friends in Brisbane and Sydney, the journey home was pretty much a beeline for Melbourne to catch the ferry across Bass Strait back to Tasmania. There aren't many pictures to look at in this post, so if looking at the pictures is your thing you might want to skip along to Day 7 where you'll see some photos taken at Crowdy Bay National Park in New South Wales. If you want to hear about our journey south, which is actually pretty boring, well ... read on ...<br />
BTW, there are finally pictures of a <b>kangaroo</b> and a <b>cockatoo</b> (well, lorikeet actually) again.<br />
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<u>Day One: a long slog on a road of tragedy</u></h3>
We made a good early start from the Lucinda Caravan Park with the idea of being able to pace ourselves over the fairly long drive of about 520 kilometres that we had planned. (Our idea was to have a couple of long drives to begin with followed up with a couple of shorter ones.) Here is what our journey for the day looked like:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Lucinda to Bouldercombe ~ 570 kms</span></b></td></tr>
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Well, day one turned out to take quite a lot longer than we'd originally anticipated. We made good time as far as Townsville where we stopped at the Next Byte shop at the northern end of the city. Di had bought a "<a href="http://store.apple.com/au/product/MD822ZM/A/lightning-to-sd-card-camera-reader" target="_blank">lightning to SD card reader</a>" for her iPad Mini which wasn't working. As with the Next Byte shop in Cairns, the folks were extremely helpful and obliging. One fantastic thing about using Apple products is that there is generally no fussing about when things go wrong. Within minutes a replacement was provided and we were on our way.<br />
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After a spot of lunch we were back on the road. We soon found ourselves being regularly stopped due to frequent roadworks along the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Highway" target="_blank"> Bruce Highway</a>. A bit tedious but okay to deal with. We just decided to suck it up and get on with it. Sadly, however, just south of McKay and not far from our destination for the night we were held up yet again - but this time due to<a href="http://www.news.com.au/national-news/queensland/stretch-of-bruce-highway-near-mackay-rated-among-most-dangerous-sections-of-national-highway-in-australia/story-fnii5v6w-1226674543142?from=public_rss" target="_blank"> a tragic accident that killed a couple of young kids</a>. At first we assumed that it was just more roadworks and that we'd be underway before long, but with emergency vehicles screaming past it soon became obvious that something very serious had happened.<br />
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After talking with folks over the next couple of days we discovered that the Bruce Highway - and this section in particular - is notorious for accidents and near misses. Really, it seems like this road just hasn't been upgraded to the standard it needs to be at for the traffic it's getting in the 21st century. In a way it reminds me of what the old highway up the east coast of Vancouver Island between Nanaimo and Campbell River was like when I was growing up there. Way too much traffic without enough opportunities to pass, especially during the warmer months when all the American tourists arrived. It's hard to blame the government of Queensland for the situation. They have lots upgrades in the works and more planned, but when you see the repairs needed around the state where flood damage has occurred you realise how difficult it must be to manage infrastructure in that state.<br />
One last word on the state of the Bruce Highway: we've got a road here in Tasmania called the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midland_Highway_(Tasmania)" target="_blank">Midland Highway</a> running between Launceston and Hobart that people have been complaining about for decades. A lot of work has been done on it over the past ten years or so, especially with the addition of passing sections dotted along the route. And quite a lot of re-routing took place twenty to thirty years ago. Still people complain, and our leader of the opposition has promised to upgrade the road to a dual carriageway for its entire two hundred kilometres. Utter bullshit of course, but still there are lots of people who believe him. Well, The Bruce Highway is much, much more dangerous. 'Nuff said.<br />
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Eventually we were detoured a long way around the accident site via a series of tiny roads through the cane fields then back on to the highway and arrived at our destination for the night. The <a href="https://maps.google.com.au/maps?client=safari&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF-8&q=armstrong+beach+caravan+park+reviews&fb=1&gl=au&hq=caravan+park&hnear=0x6bdbb7974c88a37d:0x400eef17f208350,Armstrong+Beach+QLD&ei=MsXrUcCAKuySiQeR94GYCw&ved=0CKkBELYD" target="_blank">Armstrong Beach Caravan Park</a> is just a tiny little caravan park right on the water. It's a little off the beaten track, which is kind of nice. We had hoped to spend an hour or two on the beach the night before but as it was dark by the time we arrived we just decided that dinner and bed was the way to go. All things being equal, it did seem like a pretty good place for a layover if you're making the long trip up the east coast but we didn't can't really comment on the environs as our schedule necessitated us continuing our southward push.<br />
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<u>Day Two: a niggly noise sorted then more driving</u></h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Armstrong Beach to Bouldercombe ~ 325 kms</span></b></td></tr>
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The next morning we had a slight change of plan. The day before, as we were inching our way along the highway while waiting for that terrible road tragedy to be sorted (the details of which were only revealed to us the next morning) we'd noticed a slight but persistent squeak in the Prado which seemed to be coming from the region of the front right wheel. It was still there when we finally got to Armstrong Beach, which was a bit of a worry. Although I couldn't hear it the next morning we thought we ought to get it checked out as a precaution so I rang the RACQ to see if there was someone nearby that could look at it for us. Luckily there was and approved repairer right in Armstrong Beach to which the customer service rep directed us. When I explained what we'd been experiencing the mechanic concluded that a bit of grit must have got trapped in between the brake pad and disk, which had then been flicked out in the morning when I'd backed out of my parking spot from the night before.<br />
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Greatly relieved we hit the road by about 9:30. The long drive from the day before and hearing the news of what had held us up for so long just south of McKay left us feeling a bit shagged and weary of the road. We resolved that we'd potter along and, sometime in the afternoon, when we found somewhere suitable to pull over we'd make sure we stopped for the night. We'd also decided to get off the Bruce Highway and take a more inland route for a while. After many more sections of roadworks, lunch and a refuelling stop in Rockhampton we turned off towards the historic gold mining town of <a href="http://www.mountmorgan.org.au/" target="_blank">Mount Morgan</a>, stopping in a paddock beside the <a href="https://maps.google.com.au/maps?client=safari&ie=UTF-8&q=bouldercombe+hotel&fb=1&gl=au&hq=hotel&hnear=0x6bc3afcd48b2db4d:0x400eef17f20c820,Bouldercombe+QLD&ei=sM_rUYr3FYiPiAfwlYCYDw&sqi=2&ved=0CM4BELYD&iwloc=cids:740795417138039623" target="_blank">Royal Hotel Bouldercombe</a> just a couple of kilometres after leaving the Bruce Highway. Free, fairly quiet camping with a couple of beers in the pub and some tunes on the jukebox, a good meal in the camper and an early night helped restore our equanimity.<br />
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<u>Day Three: pretty much just more drivin' ...</u></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFDi2TTRFNQz84MjxfawF1o6z62sOIj1zS54Vct55tdxPxGViBKWbG1dI1SgCE0E4QmgM_GMRlgjulDyE91_j083f-uE2zMHxkogX1vPDkpYsrtSkG1hwmgKAINninqVnzKKmBlhWJ8e0/s1600/Bouldercombe+-+Gayndah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFDi2TTRFNQz84MjxfawF1o6z62sOIj1zS54Vct55tdxPxGViBKWbG1dI1SgCE0E4QmgM_GMRlgjulDyE91_j083f-uE2zMHxkogX1vPDkpYsrtSkG1hwmgKAINninqVnzKKmBlhWJ8e0/s640/Bouldercombe+-+Gayndah.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Bouldercombe to Gayndah ~ 370 kms</span></b></td></tr>
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<div>
Off we headed the next morning with the intention of having a bit of a look around Mount Morgan. More roadworks detoured us up onto the range where the town is situated. Apart from the mining museum - which we didn't really feel like looking at - it turned out that there wasn't much to see in Mount Morgan apart from a few buildings harking back to the mining era so we didn't stay long. </div>
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<div>
However, this turned out to be a great day of driving. Quite varied, rolling terrain with the odd small town along the way was the order of the day with just light amounts of traffic.<br />
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What was quite sobering at one point - near the town of Thangool if my memory serves - was evidence of the 2011 floods. Di spotted a sign to a farm stay which was draped with bits of vegetation. But even more sobering another kilometre or two down the road was an entire orchard of trees perhaps 10 - 12 metres tall, all dead and and vegetation matted throughout their uppermost branches. One could only wonder at the consequences for the orchardists.<br />
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We drove about 350 kilometres, almost to the town of Gayndah. The only thing to take the gloss off the day - apart from another one without any exercise - was some of the company we had at the rest area where we stopped for the night. It turned out that the five Frenchmen who occupied the spot next to us partied - loudly - until midnight when Di finally gave them a blast. Still, we can't complain too much as it was another free night of camping ...<br />
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<h3>
<u>Day Four: glass houses and a late night</u></h3>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyfS-J1OJ88WDtmA5mbQKvjwIJT8DY9uK70y_Yen_MJmLLdT9ZmUKpTYltuPPiOlBU1b4YnrS-89f6DcdovbegdQhp0RPRg4WySlMZx0ArE70hH2p7sK_5f9dDGAWym-osIiihihd_S_x/s1600/Gayndah-Landsborough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyfS-J1OJ88WDtmA5mbQKvjwIJT8DY9uK70y_Yen_MJmLLdT9ZmUKpTYltuPPiOlBU1b4YnrS-89f6DcdovbegdQhp0RPRg4WySlMZx0ArE70hH2p7sK_5f9dDGAWym-osIiihihd_S_x/s640/Gayndah-Landsborough.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Gayndah to Landsborough ~ 310 kms</span></b></td></tr>
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<div>
Although it would have been shorter - and probably quicker - for us to go back out to the Bruce Highway and through Gympie to continue our southerly run home we decided to stick with the Burnett Highway, reasoning that we'd have less traffic to contend with and see some different country. </div>
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An early start and just over 300 kilometres of driving got us into the<a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/glass-mountains/" target="_blank"> Glasshouse Mountains</a> for a spot of sightseeing. You won't see any photos of them here though, as we just weren't that inspired to take pictures. We had lunch in a little park in the township of Glasshouse Mountains, then a pleasant twenty minute walk at a lookout on a little bump that provides good views of some of the volcanic plugs that constitute the "glasshouses". We were a bit disappointed actually, as the name of the park had suggested to us smooth and shiny domes, maybe a bit more like those of <a href="http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/girraween/" target="_blank">Girraween</a>. </div>
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The next thing was to find somewhere to stay for the night. We ended up at the <a href="http://www.landsboroughpines.com.au/" target="_blank">Landsborough Pines Caravan Park</a>, hoping to treat ourselves to a night in a so-called "chalet" so we could watch that night's stage of the Tour de France. They didn't have have a chalet vacancy - which did save us quite a lot of money - but a couple of caravan sites were available and the manager assured us that we could watch Le Tour on the big screen TV down in the recreation room. </div>
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<div>
We had dinner, and whiled away the hours until the live broadcast came on at 10:00 p.m. and duly took ourselves off to the promised entertainment. As it turned out the TV got all channels <i style="font-weight: bold;">except </i>SBS so we took ourselves back to the comforts of Ulysses, turned on the Macbook Pro and streamed the broadcast live. Not such a big picture, but nice and cosy tucked up in bed with the laptop and fantastic viewing of a struggle of prodigious proportions in the Pyrenees.</div>
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<h3>
<u>Day 5: a visit with the Borrows clan</u></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9q1RyEkkrJA3HNIO-lOhpUbPrApMuxPmAIJQv8oSj0hntdGpsiDtKKRJu2MR4qY-Po-bb0qDColGMyOMrUMc__g6oOAsbXvKy8nwvJic0fwlDQvToen4blwbXVD1k7cxXtwOm1iRncYB/s1600/Landsborough-Lawnton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9q1RyEkkrJA3HNIO-lOhpUbPrApMuxPmAIJQv8oSj0hntdGpsiDtKKRJu2MR4qY-Po-bb0qDColGMyOMrUMc__g6oOAsbXvKy8nwvJic0fwlDQvToen4blwbXVD1k7cxXtwOm1iRncYB/s640/Landsborough-Lawnton.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Landsborough to Lawnton via Scarborough ~ 85 kms</span></b></td></tr>
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A short drive of about 70 kilometres took us to our friends Max and Prue in Scarborough, north of Brisbane. They'd contacted us and invited us for lunch. This turned out to be a real treat, not only to see Max and Prue again but also to meet the whole Borrows tribe. Their eldest sun Stuart rang just after we'd arrived and asked if it was okay if he and a friend dropped in for lunch. Then their daughter Alice, who lives just around the corner dropped by and brought little Evie - the granddaughter - over for a visit. She's a gorgeous little thing and, endearingly - but much to Max's chagrin - calls her granddad <b>Max</b> rather than granddad or grandpa. Finally, Douglas (now <b>that's</b> a good name), the youngest offspring arrived to complete the picture. We suspected that - just maybe - Alice and Douglas were dropping in to have a stickybeak at Stuart's friend Mel, but that is pure conjecture. Anyway, once Stuart had whisked Mel away for a spin in Alice's MG we had a great chat with Douglas and Alice - who are both keen bushwalkers - about <a href="http://ofcockatoosandkangaroos.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/hiking-thorsborne-trail-on-hinchinbrook.html" target="_blank">our walk on Hinchinbrook Island</a>. After a great lunch, including some Atlantic Salmon from Tasmania - which isn't of course in the Atlantic - Max and Prue took us for a little tour of the lovely area where they live. They offered to put us up for the night but we had decided to stay at the Lawnton Showgrounds so we could get Ulysses in to <a href="http://www.springers.com.au/" target="_blank">Springers</a> - which is almost just across the road - for a bit of electric work.</div>
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<br /></div>
<h3>
<u>Day 6: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j38t2lDi4GU" target="_blank">Out of Queensland</a> and a short drive to a bad night's sleep</u></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYdrQr8A-V6_JozozgtqAwaGzyJGqflWr4LFgp_cxZfxNg8N1fYAAuLrNqNNDhAZAjg7fB0irpN_oSyOA7ySk_hqx8KQ1Wqj5cvAsfn9jGSD3syFBXdQohHkSbb5E7t0JzSROwi_DqfGv/s1600/Lawnton-Ballina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYdrQr8A-V6_JozozgtqAwaGzyJGqflWr4LFgp_cxZfxNg8N1fYAAuLrNqNNDhAZAjg7fB0irpN_oSyOA7ySk_hqx8KQ1Wqj5cvAsfn9jGSD3syFBXdQohHkSbb5E7t0JzSROwi_DqfGv/s640/Lawnton-Ballina.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Lawnton to Ballina ~ 210 kms</span></b></td></tr>
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It's a long and somewhat convoluted story about Ulysses' electrics. I won't go into it. Suffice it to say that some work, some <i style="font-weight: bold;">expensive</i> work, had been done in Hobart to upgrade the electrics and things weren't working as they should. Max had put us on to Springers as they are renowned 12 and 24 volt experts, although much of their business is now installing domestic solar systems. Anyway, we wanted to be at Springers good and early so we could get away before too late in the day to drive south some ways. Anyway. Springers fixed it all up, and much cheaper than the botched job done previously. We are converts, but they are a long way away. (I tried today to have a chat with the proprietor of the botchers to express my concerns, but he was away. Hoping to catch up with him on Friday to present him the facts of the case and see what he has to say.)</div>
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We were out of Springers and on the road by about 1:30. Leaving Queensland behind, we thought we'd be free of roadworks. Not so. Just over the border - maybe they felt a need for solidarity with their northern cousins - we were held up for quite a while. Finally pulled into a rest stop just off the highway for what turned out to be very disturbed night. Word to the wise: if you're on a road trip in Australia and have to fit a night in at a rest stop near the highway, try to avoid ones that are near the crest of a hill! Unfortunately, you can't always pick in advance ...</div>
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<h3>
<u>Day Seven: an old friend and a walk with whales</u></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_91AJ4dWBwVw4hv0a8uI2UsGDVrYvlHcJjjV7riQQBqO_2uQ7UQBZG26em2EacQTyjsXTTUBA-rFzps4VeTq-jjQpvIjEIjqZDcsr9ZztOLfITBZogWGeMpIOID8A_GoeWpXOfUUoODl/s1600/Ballina-Crowdy+Head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_91AJ4dWBwVw4hv0a8uI2UsGDVrYvlHcJjjV7riQQBqO_2uQ7UQBZG26em2EacQTyjsXTTUBA-rFzps4VeTq-jjQpvIjEIjqZDcsr9ZztOLfITBZogWGeMpIOID8A_GoeWpXOfUUoODl/s640/Ballina-Crowdy+Head.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Ballina to Crowdy Bay ~ 410 kms</span></b></td></tr>
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We got on the road early, as we wanted to enjoy a bit of nature and have a walk before the day was out. Our plan was to get to <a href="http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/Crowdy-Bay-National-Park" target="_blank">Crowdy Bay National Park</a>, which had been recommended to us by at least three different sets of people. Along the way we stopped off just south of Port MacQuarie to visit an old friend and colleague from my days at Distance Education Tasmania. Steph Todd and I had worked together and run quite a few outdoor excursions for kids all over the state. We'd had a lot of fun doing it and liked to think we provided a bit of enrichment for students who didn't otherwise get much of a chance to explore their natural environment. Steph now does a bit of relief teaching around Port MacQuarie and spends as much time riding her bike as she can.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Back on the road, we got to Crowdy Head a little after noon and settled in to the Kylie's Beach camping area. There are a few camping areas, but this one is perhaps the least crowded and most laid back. No power but, hey, we've got Ulysses. With his electrics fixed and running perfectly, thank you very much.</div>
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Sure enough, both the park itself and Kylie's Beach (thanks, Max) turned out to be just as good as everyone had said. I haven't got a photo of Ulysses set up here, but this photo of a kangaroo will show you what the environment is generally like there:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcJZx_QtdiwKchopIfu4l_w9qhNKJMHb5tHtP5JaiK0zB2UwC35gROXvohM6iZn4NCfyBIiniWU5DtQrU664FJ5sGMzQVfULXO6OSRgcVGqJMDVtanAKL314CNwyZBWtgYcmPp283QjY4/s1600/roo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcJZx_QtdiwKchopIfu4l_w9qhNKJMHb5tHtP5JaiK0zB2UwC35gROXvohM6iZn4NCfyBIiniWU5DtQrU664FJ5sGMzQVfULXO6OSRgcVGqJMDVtanAKL314CNwyZBWtgYcmPp283QjY4/s640/roo.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
After a quick lunch we headed straight for the beach ...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEi5CUE7vDdLyEQchcIyPQ4PtAK78A-cHln68dd00W6gq_pIYNMBucapY18sor3kWgzS1OsYcV7AHio3yGDZj94Nh3ssq9i7hTW4TCfZFubLD308McthBI3UzpvS1CDucchA9GrF8ylvB/s1600/beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEi5CUE7vDdLyEQchcIyPQ4PtAK78A-cHln68dd00W6gq_pIYNMBucapY18sor3kWgzS1OsYcV7AHio3yGDZj94Nh3ssq9i7hTW4TCfZFubLD308McthBI3UzpvS1CDucchA9GrF8ylvB/s640/beach.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Hmmm. Just a <i>little </i>overcast?</span></b></td></tr>
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<br />
where we were greeted by a fantastic sky. Check it out ...</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiGZ0KGiFZf4bCz8i_XRmHFCGhQ3608pugQSdYvxmZF5KswJPjSwD-OGeWo-dRs8lz3bJmquwMBiqg89t2yda1MXf87zI_Q0N1jLnM_2sPBzlYKOn8PA1uXjmAxCfsIJPQx4W4ZF1KMSW/s1600/Kylie's+Beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiGZ0KGiFZf4bCz8i_XRmHFCGhQ3608pugQSdYvxmZF5KswJPjSwD-OGeWo-dRs8lz3bJmquwMBiqg89t2yda1MXf87zI_Q0N1jLnM_2sPBzlYKOn8PA1uXjmAxCfsIJPQx4W4ZF1KMSW/s640/Kylie's+Beach.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">There <i>is</i> a <i>rain</i> a'comin ...</span></b></td></tr>
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We walked to the end of the beach where we saw these interesting bits of weathered rock ...</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWlBpg5DINL_mYWVsAxuy4SM36wy2OuM6fwkrSPYen9R-QGaoodOMZPgnrFzaoyR08LHF6jtcWHgphcBsSbrowYki44xKfTizBvXlD-CWvKWTkhGjbCm0Hzq0f50MIyZ-5Go4tIZflVch/s1600/P1020560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWlBpg5DINL_mYWVsAxuy4SM36wy2OuM6fwkrSPYen9R-QGaoodOMZPgnrFzaoyR08LHF6jtcWHgphcBsSbrowYki44xKfTizBvXlD-CWvKWTkhGjbCm0Hzq0f50MIyZ-5Go4tIZflVch/s640/P1020560.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Not bad legs for an old duck, eh?!</b></span></td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<div>
... then up and on to the head where one encounters this plaque at Kylie's Lookout:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMFyE-IEJ21-vrFulmJyucymRlWNOCp8XsNhrP5sQFjQVvaMMqZW4nP6dA30xONyR-z9BIZ9jUQDkBYTpEMim9eDjq_CQVzGS1Zm3684JqROVgKddh0qxykYO-pTwa0t7xq3Rf0FKodFh/s1600/Kylie+Tennant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMFyE-IEJ21-vrFulmJyucymRlWNOCp8XsNhrP5sQFjQVvaMMqZW4nP6dA30xONyR-z9BIZ9jUQDkBYTpEMim9eDjq_CQVzGS1Zm3684JqROVgKddh0qxykYO-pTwa0t7xq3Rf0FKodFh/s640/Kylie+Tennant.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Kylie's Lookout</span></b></td></tr>
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<a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/tennant-kathleen-kylie-15669" target="_blank">Kylie Tennant</a> - known as Australia's John Steinback - initially studied art at uni but became focussed on writing novels, championing the cause of the underdog in society. She spent a great deal of time exploring Diamond Head and had a studio built near what is now the Diamond Head camping area.<br />
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The lookout provides a good view looking back along Kylie's Beach ...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowU8PX58pI4YLg_fojN6lks1VuXtAZ6J6eFm2mvyBxbw_YN9ze78x3u4FxNgVPH95LKP1RFF2nRDLrPHC8BcRNdh9sYTJiEmvuLmTwMopEHdxroYBRjelcBFxRnMCI3NPVYgTcPOOHRLa/s1600/P1020561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowU8PX58pI4YLg_fojN6lks1VuXtAZ6J6eFm2mvyBxbw_YN9ze78x3u4FxNgVPH95LKP1RFF2nRDLrPHC8BcRNdh9sYTJiEmvuLmTwMopEHdxroYBRjelcBFxRnMCI3NPVYgTcPOOHRLa/s640/P1020561.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">There's something special about Aussie beaches ...</span></b></td></tr>
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Further along the track we were able to catch glimpses of whales spouting out in the whitecaps, which were being pushed along by a fairly strong southeasterly breeze. Below the head is this attractive arch ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlzgMMphKG7UOh_Bed8ZxYBqTeHcNgbRtiVgBAmPJT1GyQRwPW1wg2PsS9MhqzROpVN-xej-v_4ISjJTeFeKNuS7tXUGZoIw8oMPbKu_t8DAZpqzkCWh0f6aGV9iZV37LDFjPT9ytLu9d/s1600/P1020563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlzgMMphKG7UOh_Bed8ZxYBqTeHcNgbRtiVgBAmPJT1GyQRwPW1wg2PsS9MhqzROpVN-xej-v_4ISjJTeFeKNuS7tXUGZoIw8oMPbKu_t8DAZpqzkCWh0f6aGV9iZV37LDFjPT9ytLu9d/s640/P1020563.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The coastal scrub was teeming with birdlife - mostly small thornbills and honeyeaters. Unfortunately they were a bit too quick to capture on film. But we did get a few pictures of the banksias that they were mostly feeding amongst ...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgzJ0QG5_j2qQZVua2xvf1hNGUuRvcSkIrILUKU00L9KAHeuLmqXpe8SVvcYx2BVsne0xmzhdMxrpqUXVIcSzptix0rbLQz8l_ZJuHBbvS3JHQ-XgmnNpr1aRZgBqhyCjw3rp-MPiQNrc/s1600/banksia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgzJ0QG5_j2qQZVua2xvf1hNGUuRvcSkIrILUKU00L9KAHeuLmqXpe8SVvcYx2BVsne0xmzhdMxrpqUXVIcSzptix0rbLQz8l_ZJuHBbvS3JHQ-XgmnNpr1aRZgBqhyCjw3rp-MPiQNrc/s640/banksia.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Saw-leafed Banksia 1</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QxnIz6AYPaNTcLXM6OgMfLbxxhtkWELUbJl0c1OMjTPF9Ka85cBkCT9nyfGR4wXQrRDyz9H9BttB_1VJKPfB-bulQXGRvbGmsHsT4RIT6LE4wJCBnc26f-ho_XZxmxC1pfewvAcgpx0X/s1600/Flower3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QxnIz6AYPaNTcLXM6OgMfLbxxhtkWELUbJl0c1OMjTPF9Ka85cBkCT9nyfGR4wXQrRDyz9H9BttB_1VJKPfB-bulQXGRvbGmsHsT4RIT6LE4wJCBnc26f-ho_XZxmxC1pfewvAcgpx0X/s640/Flower3.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Saw-leafed Banksia 2</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcbHJl2UDsDP_Ouiih6ZX-C_hAQ5kKYT0XACt-GO4kdj6XYdkwks-dw15s8YOsHFp3tKcq26IgxHfsT2Oij9riWMh75-hq6iPutPFAigO8Qz_Zn_LK77csK17RdZgvKz9vrEJG6fSVX_c/s1600/Flower4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcbHJl2UDsDP_Ouiih6ZX-C_hAQ5kKYT0XACt-GO4kdj6XYdkwks-dw15s8YOsHFp3tKcq26IgxHfsT2Oij9riWMh75-hq6iPutPFAigO8Qz_Zn_LK77csK17RdZgvKz9vrEJG6fSVX_c/s640/Flower4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Saw-leafed Banksia: looking more closely</span></b></td></tr>
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Happily, Di managed to get this great photo of a Scaly-breasted Lorikeet which paused long enough amongst the banksias ...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MkMY4lsfZPmHeUTUIq7QomXU7DuGBOoRzqZgFpsfE5QThGqULsrqviksVodFiURD-oiLq6_EojhGvCm83EcX-q5wVlbJ76SfTDEtGv0EZfZTFV4oMUqQZxgycxtf1GaVq-8uB9RM_l2n/s1600/Scaly-breasted+Lorikeet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MkMY4lsfZPmHeUTUIq7QomXU7DuGBOoRzqZgFpsfE5QThGqULsrqviksVodFiURD-oiLq6_EojhGvCm83EcX-q5wVlbJ76SfTDEtGv0EZfZTFV4oMUqQZxgycxtf1GaVq-8uB9RM_l2n/s640/Scaly-breasted+Lorikeet.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Scaly-breasted Lorikeet</span></b></td></tr>
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She was rapt: another new sighting easily confirmed! If you were paying attention, you might have noticed that this banksia is significantly different from the previous three photos: different blooms and very different leaves. Apparently this area is quite special in that it contains three different species of banksia in quite a small area.</div>
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Despite it being the middle of winter there was actually quite a number of plants in flower including these button-sized red things (sorry about the fuzzy photo) ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3NUHjqA1KnT-nuabS863Fjhjzq-hPf4iFSGo60jNU0RLsA4bvdK7UHCsuHHyMFS8Ft-mSvXzzEbWv4azpTBgllTfhWz1T_J-IYZZctAF0KIVdF-S2F9uepC_N07su_YldTCF5NjCoShz_/s1600/Flower2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3NUHjqA1KnT-nuabS863Fjhjzq-hPf4iFSGo60jNU0RLsA4bvdK7UHCsuHHyMFS8Ft-mSvXzzEbWv4azpTBgllTfhWz1T_J-IYZZctAF0KIVdF-S2F9uepC_N07su_YldTCF5NjCoShz_/s640/Flower2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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... and these three-petaled beauties ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyc79SawqDR1jQ4GgSIliBhKZ5naSmOexOkXDmPvlXrES8Wz7Z9qPur_IKy2uy_Nt59AZtB2jhLw9WPaTij74QtRYWerYYl2_ZpqGtV4p723Dyo7ix_7BmV-p1cRnkMgqL7hVF1L0x96_s/s1600/Flower1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyc79SawqDR1jQ4GgSIliBhKZ5naSmOexOkXDmPvlXrES8Wz7Z9qPur_IKy2uy_Nt59AZtB2jhLw9WPaTij74QtRYWerYYl2_ZpqGtV4p723Dyo7ix_7BmV-p1cRnkMgqL7hVF1L0x96_s/s640/Flower1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We ran into one of the park rangers when we were walking. He and another chap were working on upgrading the track, which seemed like a good project. We tried to find out the names of the two flowers above but, disappointingly, he didn't have a clue. Surprising really. He explained it away by saying that he "wasn't a plant person". Hmmm. Doesn't really wash, does it?<br />
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We managed to get back to the camper before the rain that had been threatening hit. In fact, we sat out in the sunshine for half an hour or so before the storm was upon us, forcing us inside. It poured down for quite a while before finally letting up. So, that was about it for our visit to Crowdy Head: short but sweet. It's likely we'll travel up this coast again some time and this little park will surely be on our list of places to stop.<br />
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<u>Day Eight: off to an oasis in the Big Smoke for a brief stopover</u></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpU9Ng6vGlltQROBEvT1ZSsvZ1I5ZCgUS3poO89-pjFWhw7YvxXjObpgPKr_Xmt7HQ1Ecdv3I1cIp31VPbGu0yqGDl5h9VGhOseUDsiLQc4KGqjYBmSdKjY012PW5O8U-zVq3B0cb3Pke/s1600/Crowdy+Bay-Lilli+Pilli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpU9Ng6vGlltQROBEvT1ZSsvZ1I5ZCgUS3poO89-pjFWhw7YvxXjObpgPKr_Xmt7HQ1Ecdv3I1cIp31VPbGu0yqGDl5h9VGhOseUDsiLQc4KGqjYBmSdKjY012PW5O8U-zVq3B0cb3Pke/s640/Crowdy+Bay-Lilli+Pilli.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Crowdy Bay to Lilli Pilli ~ 375 kms</span></b></td></tr>
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We'd wanted to catch up with two sets of friends in Sydney. James and Deidre are mates from climbing and still part of the working world, doing the bit to prop up the economy. With Ulysses in tow, them living in a fairly densely populated area around Olympic Park and the time being mid-week it sadly just wasn't practical to try to see them.<br />
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Chris and Bob, we met when we were on our long mainland trip in 2011. We first met at <a href="http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/carnarvon-gorge/" target="_blank">Carnarvon Gorge</a>, then bumped into each other again at <a href="http://undara.com.au/" target="_blank">Undara</a> then again in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooktown,_Queensland" target="_blank">Cooktown</a>. It seemed fated that we make a connection. Not long after we'd last seen them in Cooktown, Di and I had committed to buying our Ultimate Off-road Camper Trailer. About four months later Bob and Chris had followed suit. Like us, they've got a strong love for the environment and wanted to see more of our beautiful country in somewhat greater comfort afforded by tenting.<br />
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Bob and Chris were keen for us to stop by and visit them at their home in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilli_Pilli,_New_South_Wales" target="_blank">Lilli Pilli</a>, a small suburb south of the main city centre, and had plenty of room for us to park the car and camper. (In case you couldn't be bothered following the hyperlink above, I'll insert a short quote about Lilli Pilli from that page, which I found rather charming: "Lilli Pilli was named for the Lilly Pilly, the native myrtles that grew on the point". When Bob their place (sometime during the last Ice Age) this little suburb consisted largely of small fibro holiday shacks. Now, most of them have been knocked down and replaced with mega-expensive dwellings. Some of those with water frontage have even installed "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinity_edge_pool" target="_blank">Infinity</a>" pools. Not much wonder, given the fabulous location on the north shore of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Hacking" target="_blank">Port Hacking</a> estuary. Bob and Chris did the renovations on their cottage back in that Ice Age when they bought the place, meaning that they've got a lovely and unpretentious home with a wonderful garden - and a bank balance rather than a millstone around their necks in the form of a gigantic mortgage.<br />
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We arrived in time for a late lunch of some fantastic soup that Chris had made earlier, then they showed us some fantastic images from the trip to Morocco they'd had earlier this year. Gorgeous pictures of a very exotic and seemingly well-run trip, which have made us think that maybe this is something we'd like to do at some stage.<br />
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After terrific, Moroccan inspired dinner - more reason to visit that exotic location1 - we hit the hay fairly early as Di and I were pretty tired after a week or so - and abut 2555 kms! - on the road.<br />
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<u>Day Nine: southward, ever southward</u></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41MVBlLoTaltXwG15u4b0Rm-sAYjwGt8v8O0s8kcQqvX5VG08WY5ZDHCdzl3MdYT_DwxJVGK124vN7ESq5RnldtIKSyf4Hw9OjmZ257-_dU16lkdjXo9LfQRbkSsZ4l2VVDW_YxacNAgB/s1600/Lilli+Pilli-Moruya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41MVBlLoTaltXwG15u4b0Rm-sAYjwGt8v8O0s8kcQqvX5VG08WY5ZDHCdzl3MdYT_DwxJVGK124vN7ESq5RnldtIKSyf4Hw9OjmZ257-_dU16lkdjXo9LfQRbkSsZ4l2VVDW_YxacNAgB/s640/Lilli+Pilli-Moruya.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Lilli Pilli to Moruya ~ 270 kms</span></b></td></tr>
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The next morning, Chris, Bob, Di and I all went for a stroll to the little jetty and boat ramp down at the end of their street. They really do live in a brilliant location, especially for Bob, who loves taking his canoe out for a fish fairly regularly. Bob and Chris had invited some old friends for lunch who they hadn't seen for a while and we had a lovely time exchanging travel stories. So much to see, so much to do ...<br />
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We really enjoyed catching up with Bob and Chris and hope to do a trip together with them before too long. However, we needed to push on that afternoon as we'd booked Ulysses in for a service at the factory the next day and wanted to get as close to Moruya as we could so that we'd be at the factory when they opened. We got away about 2:00 o'clock. Good thing it wasn't any later as the traffic south of Nowra was horrendous, with major road works slowing things up considerably. There is a major upgrade happening to the highway through this part of the coast which will make travel there much smoother when it's all done, but at the moment getting through the section around <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerringong,_New_South_Wales" target="_blank">Gerringong</a> is pretty tedious. (An interesting bit of info: Charles Kingsford Smith took off from here when he made his historic flight across the Tasman sea to New Zealand, way back in 1933.) Anyway, on we drove to a secret location up in the hills near Moruya. It was fantastically quiet and we had a great, long, long night's sleep.<br />
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<u>Day Ten: streaming southwards, we cross the border</u></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uImj_PRiF25SUedyzGmUKv6FW16Sr2qf34dvLSWdX0CNjvvvudRsWCUtikElwnfnT-qOLeFnJ40GA_55inBrWjDI34jYVnSUnHGoRO0dxvXr7Irv6RiDkV_IFmmrMESXVTlTAca52wNF/s1600/Moruya-Cann+River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uImj_PRiF25SUedyzGmUKv6FW16Sr2qf34dvLSWdX0CNjvvvudRsWCUtikElwnfnT-qOLeFnJ40GA_55inBrWjDI34jYVnSUnHGoRO0dxvXr7Irv6RiDkV_IFmmrMESXVTlTAca52wNF/s640/Moruya-Cann+River.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Moruya to Cann River ~ 300 kms</span></b></td></tr>
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Since we'd put about fifteen thousand kilometres on Ulysses since his last service and the Prado had had two services in that time it seemed to make sense to drop in at the factory on our way south to have another service done. They do a pretty thorough check on everything and replace the wheel bearings as part of the service. At this stage of our ownership of Ulysses - just two years down the track - it seemed like a good idea to have them run an eye over everything. It was pleasing to see that the bearings were all in good shape, which gives us a benchmark for future review. We had a pleasant walk and a great cup of coffee - sorry you northerners, but the quality of java really improves as you move south! - and were just finishing lunch when the call came from the factory that they'd finished the service.<br />
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Off we headed, initially on the Princes Highway, and then inland to the Monaro Highway and via Bombala to Cann River. It's about twelve kilometres longer this way than sticking to the Princes Highway, but once you leave the road to Cooma and turn south towards <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombala,_New_South_Wales" target="_blank">Bombala</a> there is some fantastic high country driving on a beautiful open highway. (I have to admit, in our eagerness to get to a camp for the night we did overstep the speed limit just a little on this fine bit of road.) Bombala, a tiny little town was proposed as the seat of Australian government way in 1903, as it is pretty much equidistant between Melbourne and Sydney. Well, Canberra got the nod and the rest is history.<br />
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Thirty kilometres or so south of Bombala you pick up the upper reaches of the Cann River and start the winding descent to the township of Cann River. We had picked out what looked like a suitable rest area for another free camp. Thankfully, this lovely picnic spot ten kilometres or so south of Cann River was far enough off the highway that we weren't disturbed by passing traffic. We had it all to ourselves, which was kind of nice.<br />
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<u>Days Eleven & Twelve: Cabbages, <i>The Lone Ranger (!) and FOOTY</i></u></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkg8k7y0XhTg0GGD-ww2qoL11xwB8DUe8d9nyJpaMO1hp0EsppULBmVYIK4O4uYNmsgLrAGlrpKh9TnaJwXwWV3t-So2U7vKA7bCrV2O-I7kCoSXisg92bCXh4u5LfROUbogGUvfzcRQy/s1600/McCann+River-South+Werribee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkg8k7y0XhTg0GGD-ww2qoL11xwB8DUe8d9nyJpaMO1hp0EsppULBmVYIK4O4uYNmsgLrAGlrpKh9TnaJwXwWV3t-So2U7vKA7bCrV2O-I7kCoSXisg92bCXh4u5LfROUbogGUvfzcRQy/s640/McCann+River-South+Werribee.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Cann River to Werribee South ~ 475 kms</span></b></td></tr>
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Keen to get to our destination relatively early, we made a crack of dawn start the next morning with the intention of getting breakfast along the way. This was an excellent move, as traffic was very light <i style="font-weight: bold;">and there were no roadworks! </i>A little less than two hours driving got us to Bairnsdale, where we remembered that back in 2011we'd been to the <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowUserReviews-g255345-d2557510-r154286295-Paper_Chase-Bairnsdale_Gippsland_Victoria.html" target="_blank">Paperchase Bookshop and Cafe</a>, which does very good coffee and food. Suitably fortified we hit the road again, eventually arriving at the <a href="http://www.werribeesouthcaravanpark.com/accommodation" target="_blank">Werribee South Caravan Park</a>. "Why?", I hear you ask. Well, it's pretty reasonably priced, in a great location right on Port Phillip Bay and pretty straightforward getting in and out of the city by public transport (from Werribee itself) and to the ferry. </div>
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I'd persuaded Di to accompany me to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyuUJHhdYus" target="_blank"><b>THE FOOTY!</b> </a>the next day before we caught our ferry back to Tassie on Monday. We also like to visit the outdoor shops in Little Bourke Street to see how stoic we can be in resisting new and seductive gear. Di in particular has developed a weakness for <a href="http://au.icebreaker.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-IB-AU-Site/en/Home-Show?gclid=CKCY5Za0yrgCFeZapgod8i8A7g" target="_blank">Icebreaker</a> stuff, and I like to tease her a bit with the new lines before dragging her away from the racks. It worked pretty well this time as there was mostly winter gear in the stores and we just don't need any of that right now! Checking in at the outdoor shops also gives us and excuse to have lunch at <a href="http://plus39.com.au/" target="_blank">our favourite pizzeria</a> while in Melbourne, which happens to be in outdoor gear central.</div>
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But all that indulgence was ahead of us. We arrived in Werribee South around midday. This area is perhaps the brassica capital of the southern hemisphere. Field upon field upon field of cabbages, broccoli and cauliflower occupy pretty much the whole area. Especially cabbages. There's obviously something in the soil here that suits cabbages. And they do add a certain pungency to the atmosphere. Not <i>really</i> unpleasant, but certainly distinctive.</div>
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Di had done a bit of internet searching in the car while I was driving. We hadn't seen a movie for quite some time, and we were both a bit keen to spend a few hours vegetating in cinematic delight, especially as, we'd driven into rain as we'd neared Melbourne. It turned out that <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjFsNSoDZK8" target="_blank">The Lone Ranger</a> was showing at the cinema in Hoppers Crossing. We both love Westerns, Johnny Depp and corniness. All fit the bill beautifully. Although some critics have suggested JD might be losing his touch we thought he - and the film in general - great fun. Also, for what it's worth, we thought the footage of <a href="http://www.lovethesepics.com/2011/05/magnificent-monument-valley-46-fantastic-photos-navajo-nation-part-2/" target="_blank">Monument Valley</a> alone was just about worth the price of admission. Not everyone's cup of tea, obviously, but we loved it!</div>
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After breakfast the next day we drove to the train station in Werribee and caught the train into the city. A bit of browsing at all the outdoor shops followed, finishing up at our new favourite: <a href="http://www.backpackinglight.com.au/" target="_blank">Backpacking Light.</a> Di swears by the <a href="http://www.aarnpacks.com/" target="_blank">Aarn</a> rucksack she bought there last year. It served her beautifully on the Overland Track in December and she is looking forward to hiking the <a href="http://www.le-gr20.com/gb/" target="_blank">GR20</a> with it later this year. On this visit we managed to escape with only a few small purchases: a new lightweight shirt for me, and three pairs of socks between us. On to lunch - as good as ever - then <span style="font-size: large;"><i>the footy! </i></span></div>
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This seems like as good a time as any for my customary diversion, don't you think? This time it's footy. We spent a lot of our mainland sojourn in Queensland, where Rugby League is king. Looking at the sports pages in the newspapers, you'd be forgiven for thinking that no other sport is played in the so-called sunshine state. But here's the thing. All over the state there are billboards depicting a bunch of guys clawing at each other with the caption "<b>This <i>is</i> football</b>". Not a word of a lie. And yes, "is" <b>is </b>italicised. Made me chuckle a bit, actually. For a while Queensland, via car registration plates, was marketing itself as "THE SMART STATE". (Northern Hemisphere readers, <u>this is no lie</u>!) Well they've stopped doing that. Good thing, I reckon. You'd think at least the billboards would boast</div>
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<i style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;">This </i><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">is footy! </span>Well anyway, that's what I think. Yes, a bit subtle, but ... anyway. That's my two bob's worth. No offence intended, Queenslanders!</div>
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At <b>THE </b>FOOTY<b> </b>the <a href="http://www.essendonfc.com.au/" target="_blank">Bombers</a> duly accounted for the<a href="http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/" target="_blank"> Doggies</a>, but not without a bit of a struggle. Happy with the day, we caught the train back to Werribee where we emerged from the station in the rain and drove back to our snug little home on two wheels.</div>
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<u>Days Thirteen & Fourteen: Home Sweet Home Hobart!</u></h3>
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Yes, it's a cliché, but all good things must come to an end. But, if you play your cards right, new good things then come along. Monday morning dawned clear and still, a good omen for our overnight sailing from Port Melbourne to Devonport. After a delayed pack-up to let Ulysses' canvas dry out from the overnight drenching it received we motored in to Port. We had a late brunch at one of the many trendy cafes that now crowd this once working-class suburb. I poked around in a couple of bike shops while Di had her hair cut. Later we had a walk. Well. Two walks, really. Di had a walk. I had a walk. Yes, we'd finally had enough of each other's company for a while. An hour or two to ourselves and all happy families again. Whew! </div>
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The sailing across Bass Strait did turn out just as it looked like it would and we both slept like babies on bourbon, well a beer each and a half bottle of good red wine between us at least. The drive south from Devonport - via Exeter to visit <a href="http://susiemcmahondolls.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Susie</a> - went smoothly and we were home. Not much else to say, really. Except that, after<b> fifteen thousand and six hundred kilometres</b> on the road, we were very happy to be home. That's it for now, folks.</div>
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Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-52445302268897276362013-07-05T05:02:00.000-07:002014-07-11T04:33:53.194-07:00Hiking the Thorsborne Trail on Hinchinbrook IslandThis post is really post-Cape York. If you want to read about our trip from the Cape back to Cairns, go <a href="http://ofcockatoosandkangaroos.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/the-epicblog-from-cape-york-to-cairns.html" target="_blank">here</a>. For the couple of days we spent around the Cape itself, go <a href="http://ofcockatoosandkangaroos.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/capers-around-tip.html" target="_blank">here</a>. And if you want to read about our trip out to the Torres Strait Islands, go<a href="http://ofcockatoosandkangaroos.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/torres-strait-side-trip.html" target="_blank"> here</a>.<br />
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Okay. Now to the business at hand. After a great week visiting Yolanda, Evan and our gorgeous grandchildren in Cairns, Dianne and I headed south to the small town of Lucinda to prepare for our walk on <a href="https://maps.google.com.au/maps?client=safari&q=Hinchinbrook+Island&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF-8&hl=en" target="_blank">Hinchinbrook Island</a>. We'd known about the <a href="http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/hinchinbrook-thorsborne/" target="_blank">Thorsborne Trail</a> for decades after our friends Ros and Ken Walsh hiked it with their two boys Alastair and James. They raved about the great time they had, so it was definitely something on our radar. Di was very keen to fit it into our itinerary for this big tour of Australia's east coast and we hauled our overnight hiking gear in the back of the car for almost three months to enable that to happen.<br />
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Getting to and from Hinchinbrook is relatively easy, but somewhat costly. It's $90 per person to catch the ferry across from Cardwell to Ramsay Bay at the northern end of the hike, and $50 per person for the ride from George Point at the southern end back across to Lucinda. We decided to stay the night at Lucinda beforehand, leave Ulysses and the Prado there and catch the bus up to Cardwell in the morning. The whole track is about 32 kilometres long. We planned to spend 3 nights on the island as Queensland National Parks' website says the following: "A minimum of three nights and four days is required to walk the trail from Ramsay Bay to George Point".<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0px;">We thought this sounded a bit generous, but not knowing the terrain, it seemed prudent to plan our walk according to the information provided. </span><br />
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Now is as good a time as any, I guess, for my customary diversion. As a migrant to Australia, it has always seemed a bit weird to me that individual states nominate, fund and administer what they call "National Parks" and the Federal Government has no role in this regard. Different cost and booking structures apply all over the place. It must be very difficult for overseas visitors to figure it all out. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">"<b>National</b> Park" is such a grand title, such a grand idea - in fact <a href="http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/" target="_blank">The United States of America's <b>best</b> idea</a> - yet so unrealised in this wonderful land of ours. In all the states we have visited - so every one apart from Western Australia - there are some magnificent National Parks worthy of the title. Unfortunately, there are also many that are not. I can't understand why we don't have a situation where states run "state parks", and the Federal Government looks after outstanding, iconic parks that are on a grand scale. It seems to be a historical thing to do with a strong desire for individual states to maintain independence in most things. However, if the Yanks (who are so obsessed with individual states' rights that they allow them to choose whether they execute citizens of the nation) can have a centralised National Parks system, as do many other large countries, why not Australia.</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Whatever. Back to the topic, <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CanadaEh" target="_blank">eh</a>!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So, here's a map of the Thorsborne Trail, showing what we had ahead of us ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuWMrTTnVnRLQ2GH-2bIkgsns49Xlr5V-YyBK-5AmddlOIeGLYi54hH9g0eSfzPKcC6lcIvgvxx_DRcbY6CJerK4xLA3OApzU_05z1CV4NJXVvrElcO5EUv-hKdHWCC_NFeHrJyqJcMVA/s1016/thorsborne-map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuWMrTTnVnRLQ2GH-2bIkgsns49Xlr5V-YyBK-5AmddlOIeGLYi54hH9g0eSfzPKcC6lcIvgvxx_DRcbY6CJerK4xLA3OApzU_05z1CV4NJXVvrElcO5EUv-hKdHWCC_NFeHrJyqJcMVA/s640/thorsborne-map.jpg" height="640" width="503" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Our little shuttle bus from Lucinda dropped us in plenty of time so we had a little wait. Di was so overwhelmed with joy at finally getting to set off on this hike (remember, bushwalking is probably Di's single most favourite activity in all the world) she had a little sniffle - note the handkerchief - while we waited ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4UbLLehKibtPQA48arUgWUhlVuRwMfOjDv_ilnhyphenhyphenR0w9wvY7DqyuumXcIM43jlsX9xgQMDFywKhrvTQ7cz2-4EM-AMBPm1_SayJuj8EBTbuLY8Y4z2Wkg2ecdCW5JBLYPFbrk-S2lEZQ/s800/Di+waiting+for+ferry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4UbLLehKibtPQA48arUgWUhlVuRwMfOjDv_ilnhyphenhyphenR0w9wvY7DqyuumXcIM43jlsX9xgQMDFywKhrvTQ7cz2-4EM-AMBPm1_SayJuj8EBTbuLY8Y4z2Wkg2ecdCW5JBLYPFbrk-S2lEZQ/s640/Di+waiting+for+ferry.jpg" height="640" width="467" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0px;">The ferry from Cardwell takes about an hour. It's a beautiful ride, at least in fine weather and that's what we got. Here's a picture of a couple of Brown Boobies that have just taken flight from a navigation buoy as we approached</span><span style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWiuQERq9XpBocB51F8MG3Sq8-5TiY15A3-vpCttjt6lvZOOJtZ3GNNmPY4oIR1yUz5srsGgxhebf96cXlc3-gNm7QqHyLlqfqgGxNaK9hYPmtgxdYLb5AGT0ujJYRLzEiC-nYXdYhA0s/s800/Bouy+and+birds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWiuQERq9XpBocB51F8MG3Sq8-5TiY15A3-vpCttjt6lvZOOJtZ3GNNmPY4oIR1yUz5srsGgxhebf96cXlc3-gNm7QqHyLlqfqgGxNaK9hYPmtgxdYLb5AGT0ujJYRLzEiC-nYXdYhA0s/s640/Bouy+and+birds.JPG" height="288" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinchinbrook_Island" target="_blank">Hinchinbrook Island</a> is very mountainous, very beautiful and lies within the <a href="http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/about-the-reef/heritage/great-barrier-reef-world-heritage-area" target="_blank">Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area</a>. In the picture below we are nearing the north end of the island ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5O5qEi8p33SZNa4cUOnsE-Reom_H7ePtnN7sPrkzTWx_PtEWUH5sRSh97qu0xWhHqwodUzV1QvrWT1VkXPeofDgK__Dc9b-lDc7nB30aWqRt1OD4W_mZTsIvg-Sw0-nQ6hivjEDycySIz/s1200/Approaching+Hinchinbrook+pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5O5qEi8p33SZNa4cUOnsE-Reom_H7ePtnN7sPrkzTWx_PtEWUH5sRSh97qu0xWhHqwodUzV1QvrWT1VkXPeofDgK__Dc9b-lDc7nB30aWqRt1OD4W_mZTsIvg-Sw0-nQ6hivjEDycySIz/s640/Approaching+Hinchinbrook+pano.jpg" height="310" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;">As we neared the maze of creeks that wend through the mangrove swamps where we would disembark, we passed this houseboat that was idling away the time ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpi3mKkX2idO_QXf2I9PseAmkqiP-R7U_3qkfieCEP8g2D1_c73xL7fAHywh_glvQ715P12tG69kWYeua9b3Y3zoil-tQT93Fqzn6IZ5Ji6LLZ35-6TIwvgaZhtgoaen0qyDV_eYS8zlP/s900/Houseboat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpi3mKkX2idO_QXf2I9PseAmkqiP-R7U_3qkfieCEP8g2D1_c73xL7fAHywh_glvQ715P12tG69kWYeua9b3Y3zoil-tQT93Fqzn6IZ5Ji6LLZ35-6TIwvgaZhtgoaen0qyDV_eYS8zlP/s640/Houseboat.JPG" height="364" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;">Into the mangroves and nearer still to the landing site the varied beauty of Hinchinbrook became even more apparent ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPi7dgD88l0Or6ITSS_ZeBhlijy-Yri20mzRC_EcFjSjRCM_uohQpQG29xaaw0sCUePADJcTAkoD7k-JJ_MHQIjd7OJd-vDoeC_32tvEz_BWKR8Ap9DipjAHW9k8msxPmbldvQHb6KFFTp/s900/Mangroves+and+mountains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPi7dgD88l0Or6ITSS_ZeBhlijy-Yri20mzRC_EcFjSjRCM_uohQpQG29xaaw0sCUePADJcTAkoD7k-JJ_MHQIjd7OJd-vDoeC_32tvEz_BWKR8Ap9DipjAHW9k8msxPmbldvQHb6KFFTp/s640/Mangroves+and+mountains.jpg" height="384" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;">Upon arrival, where there was once a ladder that one had to scramble up to get into the mangroves is now a lovely little jetty and ramp ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HwaHNKe63AWUckqbU-8fPGDepoKUwb-xFeNu0nUiNW1d9c4AM0AFY2zvfY6ISQnUWVM7QTK5up3Zg4pVuFt_rEDXzTZKgjty6Y3TfhPS_Q1xs19AyGypPlgmT9V42k2eQ-Y6IreHmKbX/s900/Mangrove+Jetty.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HwaHNKe63AWUckqbU-8fPGDepoKUwb-xFeNu0nUiNW1d9c4AM0AFY2zvfY6ISQnUWVM7QTK5up3Zg4pVuFt_rEDXzTZKgjty6Y3TfhPS_Q1xs19AyGypPlgmT9V42k2eQ-Y6IreHmKbX/s640/Mangrove+Jetty.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;">I don't know what there was back in the day once you got into the mangroves, but now there is a great boardwalk to get you through to solid ground ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pbsIeGoY4_m7dU_DDfhltKzABLctiMAJK0Qa26UaY2lmJiL8nflscPv1rdHELzDQKoeOEcmdTlql-KlbN_ONkv8ZcnPvklKx8ulvYs5NdvI2PNr1GWcVlCxNXsRvb6mEg3Ia7xJbh7G9/s800/Mangrove+boardwalk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pbsIeGoY4_m7dU_DDfhltKzABLctiMAJK0Qa26UaY2lmJiL8nflscPv1rdHELzDQKoeOEcmdTlql-KlbN_ONkv8ZcnPvklKx8ulvYs5NdvI2PNr1GWcVlCxNXsRvb6mEg3Ia7xJbh7G9/s640/Mangrove+boardwalk.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;">At the end of the boardwalk the route used to go straight through the dunes on to the beach at Ramsay Bay, but now to protect the dunes the track has been diverted through a lovely bit of rainforest with a fascinating mix of trees for about a kilometre. One of the sights that captivated us was this root system of some sort of palm ...</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 19px;">Soon though one arrives on the golden sand of Ramsay Bay for a great view ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJs9O5j7uwBoJzOIIC3wAB2-9UV_o2VdNxAoqG9rHh9fTLx06N4pvyuSIhEpLG6dv1XNzOpLHvuBsSs0ySK_Z3BmHzTvdt9871wb42oVmKQgrzLsJiMhLmiY0IYszFHLxbUJHnFvpxWl-q/s1200/Ramsay+Bay+Beach+Pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJs9O5j7uwBoJzOIIC3wAB2-9UV_o2VdNxAoqG9rHh9fTLx06N4pvyuSIhEpLG6dv1XNzOpLHvuBsSs0ySK_Z3BmHzTvdt9871wb42oVmKQgrzLsJiMhLmiY0IYszFHLxbUJHnFvpxWl-q/s640/Ramsay+Bay+Beach+Pano.jpg" height="304" width="640" /></a></div>
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At the end of the beach it's back into the forest, up over a hill, down the other side, past a creek, out of the forest ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QORRbo3NbcLKZNiu_l-5M1G2LhyoDBuWLc-2e4KqWUeD08-phyphenhyphenFyXETM_yva7rUhwhcy1ie861oDHCcWhwjN9yqAgK4SiWONdLErKgmD3l9GWa8sG-rTuSScQQWRcIwN7wizaVf_oNBk/s800/Emerging+from+the+forest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QORRbo3NbcLKZNiu_l-5M1G2LhyoDBuWLc-2e4KqWUeD08-phyphenhyphenFyXETM_yva7rUhwhcy1ie861oDHCcWhwjN9yqAgK4SiWONdLErKgmD3l9GWa8sG-rTuSScQQWRcIwN7wizaVf_oNBk/s640/Emerging+from+the+forest.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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... and the camping area at Nina Bay ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYexGDjFyExS6wKOSZZLMmmRgqClWlbc0YdfaOtEgRsYzxRgEMjQw8bqvJDKtXeoUfLzb3IIzuj1zxQspFsPRbEYyIRUHQY9S9keTSC0-75wRRZ7FNMrh16CwgDfzJS9jPu0ny5M8n0YND/s900/Di+at+Little+Nina+Bay.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYexGDjFyExS6wKOSZZLMmmRgqClWlbc0YdfaOtEgRsYzxRgEMjQw8bqvJDKtXeoUfLzb3IIzuj1zxQspFsPRbEYyIRUHQY9S9keTSC0-75wRRZ7FNMrh16CwgDfzJS9jPu0ny5M8n0YND/s640/Di+at+Little+Nina+Bay.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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We stopped here for lunch and to admire the great paperbarks just to the right of where Di is standing ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4UIsEq8uUk7Tis_PQlG3UOofxLn5WEvSiSVEhfAeEU7QaJNE_6OOw8aAPhnb9KY_EeSxcYYCxSTV0Eib26-qiy-UduzigZzHSCOCv-fw31Xay4m_QOs0dQqBeYYS6HcCn_8IOTt500Vp1/s800/Paperbarks+on+the+beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4UIsEq8uUk7Tis_PQlG3UOofxLn5WEvSiSVEhfAeEU7QaJNE_6OOw8aAPhnb9KY_EeSxcYYCxSTV0Eib26-qiy-UduzigZzHSCOCv-fw31Xay4m_QOs0dQqBeYYS6HcCn_8IOTt500Vp1/s640/Paperbarks+on+the+beach.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you had caught an early afternoon ferry, or were simply doing a very leisurely trip, Nina Bay would be a lovely place to stop. There was a great variation in vegetation, including this wonderful, many-limbed tree ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKyzV_Pf_icuR_k6158Hy6_6gynFmujXcTTr0dZxlwGy9mOynMCyf08LFm1IEn8ozfWEhqVFqvAGcdprTmicXWwj9PxvcBI0Dgltk_X5MsrM1LHKRbgK0WnENc7iIVXzDXImycKKUbRJF/s900/Limbs+aplenty.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKyzV_Pf_icuR_k6158Hy6_6gynFmujXcTTr0dZxlwGy9mOynMCyf08LFm1IEn8ozfWEhqVFqvAGcdprTmicXWwj9PxvcBI0Dgltk_X5MsrM1LHKRbgK0WnENc7iIVXzDXImycKKUbRJF/s640/Limbs+aplenty.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Actually, it's time for another diversion. The image of this tree in my mind triggered a literary memory deeply buried in my subconscious that I've been trying to dig up. I was sure that it was somehow was connected to Earle Birney who is probably my favourite poet. It took a while but then somehow it presented itself for harvesting. Maybe if I give you a couple of line fragments you will see why the memory switch was flicked and the light came on (however slowly, and dimly at first):</div>
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. . . . . . <span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">supple trees</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">unpruned and full of winding</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">honesties</span> (like my darling Dianne!)</div>
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This sequence of words come from a love poem entitled "<a href="http://johnwatsonsite.com/MyClassNotes/INSPIRATION/i%20think%20you%20are.html" target="_blank">i think you are a whole city</a>". Probably written sometime in the '60's I first read it in about 1973. It's quirky, experimental and I love it. Maybe you will too.</div>
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Okay, back on topic. After lunch it was off along the beach ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAcySHe5WbQgOU0I__KPv5GgyS4AueVDSSHqasP_95B0nHltZmgkcQ9FzjGi3Hrl7Jf6AAKwLex17Xfzu3BoU0vF3j7kdkc-QvkApKlHZeYysjwQ-1SAW7pJOgvX1-t-RdIz0oeh5VxiI/s1200/Nina+Bay+pano.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAcySHe5WbQgOU0I__KPv5GgyS4AueVDSSHqasP_95B0nHltZmgkcQ9FzjGi3Hrl7Jf6AAKwLex17Xfzu3BoU0vF3j7kdkc-QvkApKlHZeYysjwQ-1SAW7pJOgvX1-t-RdIz0oeh5VxiI/s640/Nina+Bay+pano.JPG" height="241" width="640" /></a></div>
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... and back into the forest for a bit and on to the aptly-named Boulder Bay ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgdx33UcvfPfHeuEOimqDtXMhJaVJ2KyZ2Vr-odaXFQft_4y5bkMA0Ymhn3BITrFef6b4LnBFxQdr-aQqpIUmxKxWbUxx_kaaUEGi9Y3gcdahgBqh1Uz-FgMYu7p6kIcD4rAGH9YBPBXu/s900/Boulder+beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgdx33UcvfPfHeuEOimqDtXMhJaVJ2KyZ2Vr-odaXFQft_4y5bkMA0Ymhn3BITrFef6b4LnBFxQdr-aQqpIUmxKxWbUxx_kaaUEGi9Y3gcdahgBqh1Uz-FgMYu7p6kIcD4rAGH9YBPBXu/s640/Boulder+beach.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Across the rocks we hopped - which Zavier and Asha would have loved - and then into the forest again to arrive - earlier than expected - at our camp for the night ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimY7yfzj5IcC1d5qkJ32c4otNB64GA9Hqc_R8vXOZzz02dYu9gY__mo7845ILF5Zh2fd7As-JRjKZBe1kE6n9TQWWmWHaMY-fVOjkpA5q7WBl_0Yh35evGTfyb8VgGvRZ3iqKR77_A4cMX/s857/Little+Ramsay+Bay+campsite.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimY7yfzj5IcC1d5qkJ32c4otNB64GA9Hqc_R8vXOZzz02dYu9gY__mo7845ILF5Zh2fd7As-JRjKZBe1kE6n9TQWWmWHaMY-fVOjkpA5q7WBl_0Yh35evGTfyb8VgGvRZ3iqKR77_A4cMX/s640/Little+Ramsay+Bay+campsite.JPG" height="412" width="640" /></a></div>
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We found a little niche for the tent ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5gJ-b1dzl9RspWK4vSMWQvh9ijJ_T2u0rBy_u6WKAuavh83s_1ePPB35o6apYyLXqeASdcJ4QDop-Jiktl66UwAbqx_n_KKyvbzQr2BUj0s0yohTZ-KOTK09A1G_A5FttfIVmRIa0eEl/s800/Di+&+tent.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5gJ-b1dzl9RspWK4vSMWQvh9ijJ_T2u0rBy_u6WKAuavh83s_1ePPB35o6apYyLXqeASdcJ4QDop-Jiktl66UwAbqx_n_KKyvbzQr2BUj0s0yohTZ-KOTK09A1G_A5FttfIVmRIa0eEl/s640/Di+&+tent.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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... just beside the lagoon ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGaoedlrwaWGIYSWpfrlmtT35goMGIjBsog70T3WFvya8YAZqPhVeBkf_BVOBxsWrVjy8FGWqtIIn84C85GEqLirp-44s_4vMkx5Z-RfIlw2YFAJO6lzzhmCO-eid7ns-m7WE5LoLFLuj/s1195/Little+Ramsay+Lagoon+panorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGaoedlrwaWGIYSWpfrlmtT35goMGIjBsog70T3WFvya8YAZqPhVeBkf_BVOBxsWrVjy8FGWqtIIn84C85GEqLirp-44s_4vMkx5Z-RfIlw2YFAJO6lzzhmCO-eid7ns-m7WE5LoLFLuj/s640/Little+Ramsay+Lagoon+panorama.jpg" height="266" width="640" /></a></div>
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The water in the lagoon was just slightly brackish - not noticeable at all in cooking and, really, even palatable enough to drink straight up.</div>
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At each of the designated campsite areas there are secure boxes to store food in overnight so the native rats don't get into your precious victuals ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_rlc0MrP9QQyAScMmUuqA7RcGX5MVlqQZc1q6OkTL62QmcqJNGdXK2kzOgn2d6sngPupT03e_03gPyvtnetrgRQiGR0NpwAotFOlLd7bdIuejY2E3H_dT5Hiw5F913rG10gZl8y-IrGe/s800/Food+boxes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_rlc0MrP9QQyAScMmUuqA7RcGX5MVlqQZc1q6OkTL62QmcqJNGdXK2kzOgn2d6sngPupT03e_03gPyvtnetrgRQiGR0NpwAotFOlLd7bdIuejY2E3H_dT5Hiw5F913rG10gZl8y-IrGe/s640/Food+boxes.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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We had a quite a bit of time to read, wash in the lagoon, walk along the beach and poke around and appreciate the ambience of the campsite. I made a sequence of photos of the trunk of a tree showing some of the different textures of bark ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidywldm0K6BDyQwpcSRfm01mNnmU7LqcYbnz89b2Sh4vYcM_KNB72SsCbl6uahyT8e_2mssu0OqVlR-57PXnWR4dYqUZIYIce6fwZcZrf9ZRfsPAr75j8_jUf866zQsrUwk-cCqrnpJwj6/s922/Bark+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidywldm0K6BDyQwpcSRfm01mNnmU7LqcYbnz89b2Sh4vYcM_KNB72SsCbl6uahyT8e_2mssu0OqVlR-57PXnWR4dYqUZIYIce6fwZcZrf9ZRfsPAr75j8_jUf866zQsrUwk-cCqrnpJwj6/s640/Bark+1.JPG" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8c9M_haNBWs4BnttIKmil_AFw9iZELxZ-hptLBl8RiwsMwhBmQoG1eNaEB_-0hlIr7__3LFAnFcIe9XD5A4cGD5MW4P1umzOeMaLPH31-JhvgYjgSSFmwrKYtjFV0auLhaUROkq6VlLt8/s922/Bark+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8c9M_haNBWs4BnttIKmil_AFw9iZELxZ-hptLBl8RiwsMwhBmQoG1eNaEB_-0hlIr7__3LFAnFcIe9XD5A4cGD5MW4P1umzOeMaLPH31-JhvgYjgSSFmwrKYtjFV0auLhaUROkq6VlLt8/s640/Bark+2.JPG" height="479" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypBhyc7mEx4YgKP3p44erRbVqPEUoJqa-LV9lv6eWnTgawAKKcdN5i0hMZ6-VhCWYptXXLGMcFo2U71nAZevMYtU2S9wpbioMdLNtD45A9VSmVZwqAWyv9zUK8pBn_PvZxRSFRGvm33zC/s922/Bark+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypBhyc7mEx4YgKP3p44erRbVqPEUoJqa-LV9lv6eWnTgawAKKcdN5i0hMZ6-VhCWYptXXLGMcFo2U71nAZevMYtU2S9wpbioMdLNtD45A9VSmVZwqAWyv9zUK8pBn_PvZxRSFRGvm33zC/s640/Bark+3.JPG" height="640" width="479" /></a></div>
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As I was wandering along the beach I came across a piece of coral that had found its way to shore, perhaps ripped from the ocean floor and tossed up on the sand by <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/cyclone-yasi/norths-darkest-hour-as-monster-cyclone-yazi-bears-down/story-fn7rj0ye-1225999112395" target="_blank">Cyclone Yasi</a> in 2011. If you look closely you should be able to make out a small shell embedded in one of the pockets ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHD9Vb0HqpZgWXW3RLDANwiRI3VfGUtELL3lXvNTG9-6Jn_3mtsk2EHVIxgHIR10YaeCD6XS3B_q3fr1lmecQFJdWe4Qu3IlUvjyl_xjwX_sr2QzS-WI2CMp9uHG9xfhRG6jXxavW6J7oW/s800/Coral+fragment.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHD9Vb0HqpZgWXW3RLDANwiRI3VfGUtELL3lXvNTG9-6Jn_3mtsk2EHVIxgHIR10YaeCD6XS3B_q3fr1lmecQFJdWe4Qu3IlUvjyl_xjwX_sr2QzS-WI2CMp9uHG9xfhRG6jXxavW6J7oW/s640/Coral+fragment.JPG" height="468" width="640" /></a></div>
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The next morning we were up early and got a beautiful view across the beach towards the east. I tried to put together a panorama but it wouldn't work. This shot will give you an idea of what it was like ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIu_U26Ms7Pg46ZEQ6yF1QoSHncKQT3s4YwgYMHtvVaRBLVTpN-LorPr27NARjUskOqCFbo02hVZWgWYGju7GREh3C5cqXUg3CHw9Sio4E3NwaEBKatcy-dmYciuySh03-wqEJJJsfT5cm/s800/Morning+light.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIu_U26Ms7Pg46ZEQ6yF1QoSHncKQT3s4YwgYMHtvVaRBLVTpN-LorPr27NARjUskOqCFbo02hVZWgWYGju7GREh3C5cqXUg3CHw9Sio4E3NwaEBKatcy-dmYciuySh03-wqEJJJsfT5cm/s640/Morning+light.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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During the previous afternoon after arriving so early at camp, we spent some time looking at the map and the distance we still needed to cover and decided to shorten our trip by a day and walk to Mulligan Falls from Little Ramsay Bay - or at least see how things went with that idea in mind. Most of the second day's walk was through forest where we stopped occasionally to take photographs of interesting things. Here's a fungus on the forest floor ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQZdxDLpP42x-h3XzILVPJX5FJLGmcCYHSOFdHoOnZMSmeISDg5C4Du5ICLwYlx6XPBlSj7Z-aolYghQSLDZiS6aI0eMtt4TIl0Cc1V_m8tS5QXIIrw1aZ2y6EWlE_LP8tj65Q0IZeEv1/s800/Fungus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQZdxDLpP42x-h3XzILVPJX5FJLGmcCYHSOFdHoOnZMSmeISDg5C4Du5ICLwYlx6XPBlSj7Z-aolYghQSLDZiS6aI0eMtt4TIl0Cc1V_m8tS5QXIIrw1aZ2y6EWlE_LP8tj65Q0IZeEv1/s640/Fungus.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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... and the weird, lattice-like, fat, finger-sized roots around the base of some unknown tree ...</div>
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... a scattering of butterfly wings (if you look closely at the right side of the photo you can see one that must have been on the ground longer than the others as it has lost its colour) ...</div>
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After some interesting creek crossing - interesting, not because of difficulty but because of the variation between rocky and swampy watercourses - before we knew it we emerged on Zoe Bay beach ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2zlS4ME1YqA7egN2BFWiMhin68EjU-0tUTXvNC5RV3_tmV6Lv2BFGZZiU2JfCxCATiXDTNXCfcCR7zkdt4Fhm_mYP0GaIXLuw1p1u1AowiSiS3dTQ81j0rMUl0giUilv8Ko01qQJWU07/s1200/Di+on+Zoe+Beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2zlS4ME1YqA7egN2BFWiMhin68EjU-0tUTXvNC5RV3_tmV6Lv2BFGZZiU2JfCxCATiXDTNXCfcCR7zkdt4Fhm_mYP0GaIXLuw1p1u1AowiSiS3dTQ81j0rMUl0giUilv8Ko01qQJWU07/s640/Di+on+Zoe+Beach.jpg" height="268" width="640" /></a></div>
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We had an early lunch at the Zoe Bay camping area. This was a great spot and actually had a number of picnic tables at individual campsites. There was probably enough room here for up to about eight tents. After lunch we set off up the track past Zoe Falls and its wonderful swimming hole, which was about five minutes away from the camping area ...</div>
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From here the track followed the rocky stream bed of Zoe Creek for several hundred metres before crossing over and continuing beside the creek, occasionally crossing back and forth until reaching the saddle from whence it originates. Before I forget, I must mention that this was a wonderful, varied day of walking. From beaches, to swampy rainforest, to rocky stream bed, to a short section that - with its granite, Sheoaks, Grass Trees and Banksias - was quite like <a href="http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=2258" target="_blank">traipsing the peninsula at Freycinet National Park in Tasmania</a>, it was just magic. We covered about 18 kilometres in just under 6 hours of walking, which we thought that wasn't too bad given that some of the route was a bit rough and we hadn't gotten much exercise over the past month.</div>
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Once we arrived at Mulligan Falls we set up the tent and headed off to the pool below the falls for a refreshing dip - sharing the water with quite a few inquisitive fish! They seemed to have no real fear of humans, perhaps because fishing is not permitted in the streams. When I went down to fill our water bottles, both that evening and again the next morning, the fish swam up to investigate - almost close enough to touch.</div>
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Walking all the way to Mulligan Falls from Little Ramsay Bay meant that we were left with a casual 7 kilometres to cover the next day. We had a number of easy creek crossings and then we were on the long, long beach of Mulligan Bay. Thankfully the sand was almost rock hard, making for very easy going ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPs-WKzLVCGj3MVeivQc-AiWAMC6ZSUV9FkKOmpoFYjlZgzy_Okbe2mBEIqWDYnDAyQ7LSG_IX_MNQMaUYFT7fu7_I7-J5I5G31n_jA97jH4m2Gtvm_7pYqZoCmzur0tqA1o4NUYsgsiSE/s1000/Last+beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPs-WKzLVCGj3MVeivQc-AiWAMC6ZSUV9FkKOmpoFYjlZgzy_Okbe2mBEIqWDYnDAyQ7LSG_IX_MNQMaUYFT7fu7_I7-J5I5G31n_jA97jH4m2Gtvm_7pYqZoCmzur0tqA1o4NUYsgsiSE/s640/Last+beach.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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There is one creek crossing about halfway along the beach that might involve a wait if you arrived at a very high tide, but that was not an issue for us on this occasion.</div>
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Part of the way along the beach we passed this beautiful shell ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JOGRQ1WG2ya3NmJopn6DcQhHexOvZG79YrLtIdlzh6YD8Gsh_twsa6bjrLJYr7zrglSb-f7dpnPi-BqGdped0IjfD7RLwdNCYDKVTUcdAPFtSfeaNU6-yT73i6GwzbQs8G_gBqgZU3mw/s800/Shell.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JOGRQ1WG2ya3NmJopn6DcQhHexOvZG79YrLtIdlzh6YD8Gsh_twsa6bjrLJYr7zrglSb-f7dpnPi-BqGdped0IjfD7RLwdNCYDKVTUcdAPFtSfeaNU6-yT73i6GwzbQs8G_gBqgZU3mw/s640/Shell.JPG" height="476" width="640" /></a></div>
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... which fascinated me with the texture on its surface. </div>
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The next interesting sight was this skeletonized tree ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOF1cyVUZT55k5wVaArPkedJNtUJcLEw1kUGjpGCOwe0Nbw910Z23leHtFQ8pMbDoHigW2Znexw89mk0M8aKm8GYRX2OJ5DnRbxpWeViuCJ9v4MZ9h7C5wHd2goCYfFyXQ9CjxPlaigYhD/s782/Tree+skeleton.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOF1cyVUZT55k5wVaArPkedJNtUJcLEw1kUGjpGCOwe0Nbw910Z23leHtFQ8pMbDoHigW2Znexw89mk0M8aKm8GYRX2OJ5DnRbxpWeViuCJ9v4MZ9h7C5wHd2goCYfFyXQ9CjxPlaigYhD/s640/Tree+skeleton.JPG" height="418" width="640" /></a></div>
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Almost anti-climatically we arrive at the George Point campsite and ferry rendezvous ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-MLUbVmhyphenhyphenEkz2QDMmaesZXV6OFx4GFdNYu5olI5NKaBjZYTH1r7RCAFgW19hk60h2ZEoHb0zFyeiDGhB0qLDZ51Gn_LG6PzfXybZwjX8fqm9kmf3Chyphenhyphen4z6r4xkRJdidONs4oLSBMqRKgI/s900/George+Point.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-MLUbVmhyphenhyphenEkz2QDMmaesZXV6OFx4GFdNYu5olI5NKaBjZYTH1r7RCAFgW19hk60h2ZEoHb0zFyeiDGhB0qLDZ51Gn_LG6PzfXybZwjX8fqm9kmf3Chyphenhyphen4z6r4xkRJdidONs4oLSBMqRKgI/s640/George+Point.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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... where we waited to be picked up and taken back to the mainland. </div>
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Just to make sure that visitors aren't tempted to take a dip while waiting for the ferry the parks people had placed one of their ubiquitous <b>ACHTUNG</b> signs ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_zWnpgVEvoBPCUhgbHxDUgDWfuE8ew81OXckZA-EJ_iiQR3pu6yjS0OGlv4A15x88H-q5sZO50Gct2MqtaY3hEpYMEUT2laaLaVHW5JCGKruQotPzOUuvM1eVsnY0KyVn_aTx6mW-KWj/s900/Achtung!.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_zWnpgVEvoBPCUhgbHxDUgDWfuE8ew81OXckZA-EJ_iiQR3pu6yjS0OGlv4A15x88H-q5sZO50Gct2MqtaY3hEpYMEUT2laaLaVHW5JCGKruQotPzOUuvM1eVsnY0KyVn_aTx6mW-KWj/s640/Achtung!.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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We were rapt with the three days we spent on Hinchinbrook. However, had we known more about the nature of the trail we probably would have planned a bit differently. Options are generally a bit limited by the ferry timetabling. However, if you can organise your own transport to and from the island, your party is a fit, experienced group of walkers that are used to covering ground fairly quickly and aren't interested in doing side trips,<b> then</b> you might consider the following itinerary:</div>
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<li>organise an early crossing to the northern end of the track (there was a group that organised a 7:00 a.m. ferry on the day we went over)</li>
<li>day one: walk to Little Ramsay Bay and have lunch, then continue to Zoe Bay</li>
<li>day two: chill out at Zoe Bay, enjoying the swimming and mooching about the river and beach</li>
<li>day three: walk to George Point and meet your pick-up craft. (Note: there would definitely be mobile coverage at George Point as it is directly across from Lucinda.)</li>
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Finally, one of the joys of being on Hinchinbrook was the feeling that, apart from the track itself and the low-key amenities at the campsites, the place was unaffected by people. Yes, like almost any coastal area in today's world, there was some sign of flotsam and jetsam. However, this was pretty minimal. And if the following evidence is anything to go by, people seemed to genuinely love the place and were happy to depart with images and leave the treasures in place for future visitors to enjoy ...</div>
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Well, that's about it folks. I hope you enjoyed reading about our trip on Hinchinbrook.</div>
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Cheers for now ...</div>
Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-29580180085877058652013-06-27T15:01:00.002-07:002013-06-28T05:20:19.656-07:00The EPI(CB)LOG: From Cape York to Cairns<h3>
<u>On to Twin & Elliot Falls</u></h3>
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Twin Falls is one of the iconic destinations of the Cape York area and Di and I were really looking forward to seeing it, as was Liz. None of us three had been there before but Max, Prue and Graham had really whetted our appetites for both the swimming and the views. But before being able to enjoy them we were going to have to get there.</div>
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The morning of our departure from Punsand Bay we initially left the campers in situ and took a little side trip to where the Old Telegraph Track finishes and the telegraph line leaves dry land and enters Torres Strait. It's only a kilometre and a half from the campground and we thought it would be fitting to pay a visit. Here's a photo of Max examining the last relay station on mainland Australia ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUepJes_5oWwltJPXsqHoRjAsptRc4mtB9-6To-0aBYCxtS7o1xhF05fiD7todf7Rn11rwWFcfNP3X6eaF5FX6LCEFqeRoNsgQ1CYNzTFz6B6EFJtjEge-QpXUkpNeu2j1PB43T9Umufng/s1600/Telegraph+terminus+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUepJes_5oWwltJPXsqHoRjAsptRc4mtB9-6To-0aBYCxtS7o1xhF05fiD7todf7Rn11rwWFcfNP3X6eaF5FX6LCEFqeRoNsgQ1CYNzTFz6B6EFJtjEge-QpXUkpNeu2j1PB43T9Umufng/s640/Telegraph+terminus+1.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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... and another of the remnants of the line itself as it emerges from the bank above the beach ...</div>
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Yes, it does just look like a long, snaky tree route but believe me, it <b>is</b> the actual telegraph cable itself. A piece of Australia's early history, and it's just lying there without any sort of interpretation to make the visitor the wiser. Max thought that this was a disgrace, and felt quite strongly about it. </div>
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While I thought Max had a point, I was more agitated by the mess created by the folks who were camped at this gorgeous spot, and the two couples had turned it into a trash heap. The remnants of at least two cartons - that's forty-eight cans - lay scattered around the clearing at the end of the track. To make matters worse, they'd left their rubbish out and it had been scattered around by animals. One of their party was up and about, and obviously a bit embarrassed when he saw us glancing - perhaps meaningfully - at the disgusting mess he and his companions had made of the area. <br />
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They'd found the clearing at the end of the telegraph line more or less by accident, pulling in the afternoon before with a boat in tow, and thought they'd take advantage of the opportunity of some free camping. I've got no beef with that but only if the place stays clean for other visitors. Hopefully these folks have cleaned up after themselves. Somehow I have my doubts. And even if they did it seems unlikely they would have made much of a fist of it. With the increasing traffic the Cape York area is experiencing, if this great little spot turns into a rubbish dump I'd have to agree with Max that people should be prevented from camping there.</div>
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A quick mention here of the roof-top tents these folks were using. I've been meaning to touch on this mode of camping for some time. These tents are not something you see in North America - or Europe for that matter - and we rarely seem them down in Tasmania. But throughout mainland Australia in classic off-road destinations like Cape York there are heaps of them about. They are lightweight, quick to set up and take down, off the ground so you're away from the snakes and crocodiles and they don't occupy space in your vehicle that can be used for storing other stuff. Of course, if you want to go anywhere, like down the road to the pub for a <a href="http://Destruction at Canal Creed" target="_blank">bevy</a> and a meal, you have to dismantle your camp. And for those of us that have bladders that tend to need nocturnal relief ... well they are somewhat inconvenient. Nonetheless they are extremely popular, in some places even to the extent of being the most common form of camping accommodation. Here's a photo of one I pinched from Hannibal Safari Equipment's website ...<br />
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There are many variations on the theme, including fibreglass-enclosed examples, but basically what you see is what you get - a tent on a platform affixed to the roof of your vehicle accessed via a ladder.<br />
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Hmmm. I hope that will be the major digression for this post as there's lots to talk about.<br />
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So, after visiting the end of the line - so to speak - we returned to Punsand Bay, hitched up our somewhat more luxurious tents and headed south. The plan was to re-fuel in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seisia,_Queensland" target="_blank">Seisia</a> and re-provision in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamaga" target="_blank">Bamaga</a>, and then visit a couple of plane wrecks from WW II on our way south. After getting those two jobs out of the way our first stop was to visit the wreck of a plane that was actually built in Australia, the twin-engined Bristol Beaufort Mark VIII. (Hmmm. I wonder what happened with Marks I - VII?) ...<br />
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It's sobering to think that this plane was not actually shot down but crashed in transit - not that I am suggesting anything about the workmanship. Rather, I think it was probably likely that conditions were terrible or there was some sort of malfunction that wasn't picked up due to the constant pressure they must have been under.<br />
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Here are some more photos of the wreckage ...<br />
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Next up was a visit to a Boeing DC 3 that crashed en route to New Guinea ...<br />
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On to the Jardine River to catch the ferry. It shuts down for an hour from 12:00 o'clock so the operator can have his lunch. We arrived just after 1 o'clock and thought we'd be able to drive straight on, but the the driver must have been having an excellent lunch as he didn't get things underway until about 1:20. Here's the line-up waiting to cross the river ...<br />
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There's a bit of a saying about things being a bit different "north of the Jardine". That sure seems to be true. Let's just say things move at a different pace, which isn't altogether such a bad thing.<br />
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Before long we were set up in our pre-booked camping spaces at Twin Falls. Again, thanks to Max's organisational skills. It was pretty overcast when we arrived, and we thought we'd wait to get some good photos over the next couple of days, as we had three nights booked at this wonderful location. What we did do straight away though was sample the swimming. And it <b>is</b> all that it's made out to be. The water was fantastic and, as we were visiting early in the season, there was plenty of it. Di and I swam down the long section of Elliot Creek above Elliot Falls known as "The Saucepan", and then I joined the others in a dip at the pool below Twin Falls, which is fed by Canal Creek - which in turn joins Elliot Creek. Interestingly, the water in Canal Creek was significantly warmer again than in Elliot Creek.<br />
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We were really looking forward to enjoying this magic location for the next couple of days. As things turned out, it rained pretty steadily for almost all of the next day. Di and I did eventually rouse ourselves for another swim down The Saucepan but otherwise there was a lot of reading and snoozing all round.<br />
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<h3>
<u>Exploring Canal and Sam Creeks</u></h3>
Next day the weather was looking a bit better so the two of us decided to head off for a walk to assess the crossings of Canal Creek and Sam Creek on the Old Telegraph Track with the view of going that way to get back to the Bypass Road and on to Vyrilia Point. Along the OTT we saw a number of the telegraph poles still in place. Bear in mind the three-strand pole you see here ...<br />
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... has been altered from the original, which carried a single line through the bush. There were some large flowers like this one along the track track. It looked like it had been snipped off by a cockatoo ...<br />
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We enjoyed looking surveying the bush along the track, as there was plenty that was new to us. Not new were the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weaver_ant" target="_blank">Green (or Weaver) Ants</a>, which are quite widespread across northern Australia. Unlike other ants, they build their nests in trees. Here are a few busy at work getting a new nest started ...<br />
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Also interesting were these pods hanging from some trees along the track ...<br />
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Canal Creek was about a kilometre and a half from camp. There were a few options for crossing and even to our inexperienced eyes it looked like we could make something work. Bear in mind that our primary objective is to get where we want to go without doing damage to our vehicle. After some deliberation this was the route we decided would probably be the best bet to achieve that objective ...<br />
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An old section of the track down to the creek had fallen out of favour. What can you see in the middle foreground of the photo below?<br />
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Yes, it's a tire that has seen better days ...<br />
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Around the creek itself some nice flowers were out ...<br />
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Less striking but very interesting were these more muted flowers ...<br />
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With the wet weather we'd been having there was some grevillea coming into flower ...<br />
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After wading across the creek I put my shoes back on at the rocky bank where we would exit with the vehicles. The photo doesn't show depth of field very well but if you look closely you can see that there is a bit of a sharp rise out of the water ...<br />
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We were confident that we could at least get across this creek. However, we were pretty disappointed - well no, it would be more honest if I used the word disgusted - to see some of the environmental damage that had been done on the northern side of the creek ...<br />
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At the top of this mess was a bull bar that had become detached from its vehicle ...<br />
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... and what was left of a couple of mud flaps ...<br />
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At yet another spot there was a lost muffler ...<br />
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One wonders at what point people draw the line in terms of knocking about both their vehicles and the environment they purport to love. With the growing numbers of people visiting this area (our Cape York atlas asserts that about 100 vehicles per day are traversing the OTT in mid July at the height of the season) I think that people are going to have to adopt a different mindset if they aren't going to love the track to death.<br />
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Anyway, once we'd decided that Canal Creek was fine to cross we walked the 4 kilometres on to Sam Creek. Along the way there were lots of places like the one below, where water erosion had caused alternative routes to become established on either side of the original track ...<br />
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There was a lot less debris scattered around Sam Creek when we arrived than we had seen at Canal Creek, but just above the sharp descent to the watercourse we did spot this old fridge ...<br />
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Sam Creek also looked fine to cross as long as you stuck to the correct line. In the photo below there are a couple of holes you need to keep to the right of ...<br />
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Happy that even we - the least experienced twosome in our group - could confidently cross these two creeks, Di and I headed back to camp where the others had enjoyed the sunshine and a swim. Di and I had a plunge ourselves but didn't get any photos as we did the long swim down the saucepan on Elliot Creek again.<br />
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<u>On to Vrylia Point</u></h3>
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Our goal for the next day was to explore the route out to Vyrilia Point on the Gulf of Carpentaria. I'm guessing at the moment but I'd say it's perhaps halfway between Weipa and Seisia. Before getting there though we had the creek crossings to deal with, and another interesting little challenge I'll talk about later.<br />
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If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much a video or two? Once again, it was fantastic having Graham along as a cool presence. He was happy with our choice of route choice for Canal Creek and calmly drove across setting a great example for the rest of us to follow ...</div>
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He then positioned himself to ensure that I didn't drop into any of the deep holes. For her part, Di added a directorial touch from behind the camera ...</div>
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On to Sam Creek, and Max's Big Red Truck make mincemeat of the crossing there ...</div>
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Apart some sustained corrugations on the road to Vyrilia Point, we had one test left to pass before arriving at camp for the night. This is the log bridge crossing that you encounter about 4 kilometres off the main road. Here's Max making it over with Prue's help ...</div>
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On we pressed through some beautiful savannah forest and not-so-beautiful corrugations along the road.</div>
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Just before arriving at the point, one finds this unmarked but fenced-in grave ...</div>
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Beside the grave were the scorched remnants of what must have been the previous grave marker. It didn't look like there had been a bushfire, so the conclusion one draws is that it had been the subject of thoughtless vandalism. Whoever had put it in in the first place apparently were determined to deter anyone from doing the same thing again with the erection of the wire fence.</div>
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We weren't quite sure how to get down to the beach and drove along to where there was a lookout over the point itself ...</div>
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.. but we had to backtrack to get down to the camping area. Just before we started the winding track down to the water's edge we came across this indictment of some of the folks who use the area ...</div>
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A little too much to pick up and put in the back of the Prado, unfortunately. You know, I just don't get it. People spend untold amounts of money on expensive vehicles and camping gear - not to mention the accessorising - because they like to get out to some of these beautiful place,s and then behave like they are at their local rubbish dump. As <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNv-zIX9cNY" target="_blank">Pauline Hanson</a>, one of our less-than logical former politicians says ... <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Please%20explain" target="_blank">Please Explain</a>! </div>
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Despite the best efforts of some to ruin the place, Vyrilia Point is a lovely location. Unfortunately the best campsites were taken, and looked like they had been occupied for some time. One of them had some net floats hanging from a tree ...</div>
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Our campsite was nearby. And the camping here was free, which was very nice ...</div>
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That evening Di got a lovely shot of the beach at sunset ...</div>
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... and after reliving the crossings and and explorations of the day in front of the fire we headed off to bed, mindful of the long drive ahead on the morrow.<br />
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By the way, there are a couple of other areas to camp at Vyrilia Point. One of them is south of the main camping area, apparently it is a bit rocky; the other is further north along the beach about 15 kilometres past an old wrecked lightship. We briefly contemplated an exploratory foray up that way but, as we had already decided we wanted an early departed the next morning and - after I was momentarily stuck in soft sand because I hadn't let my tires down - we abandoned that idea for more time at the main camping area. In the end we were glad we did as quite a number of vehicles arrived after we did and set off for the northern camping area, which was likely to be a bit noisy.</div>
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<h3>
<u>A Day on the Road</u></h3>
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So, the next morning we set off back out to the main road. After getting back through the corrugations and to the log bridge crossing we paused to do a few little adjustments ...</div>
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The view above is the one you get as you approach the bridge from Vyrilia Point. It's a fairly tight turn off a bit of a gradient. For the two Prados there wasn't really much of an issue except simply to take things slowly and carefully, but Max's Landcruiser RV and the longer tow bar on his Ulti meant that he had to be a bit more precise with his approach. Here's Liz doing a wonderful job of making sure he gets it right ...</div>
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Back on the main road we were delighted with the condition of the surface. The showers that had been about were not enough to make things slippery but perfect for keeping the dust down for a lot of the way south. At one point Liz radioed that there was a goanna trying to cross the road. It was pretty oblivious to the traffic racing past and I thought I might try to shepherd it off the road and get a photo at the same time. Well, it wasn't the least bit interested in being moved on, but I did manage to get a reasonable snap ...</div>
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I slowed some vehicles down that were approaching behind us before getting back in the Prado, so they didn't flatten this amazing prehistoric throwback. Hopefully it escaped becoming a pancake and got to where it wanted to be! </div>
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A little further on we had a bit of a break at Bramwell Junction roadhouse, which is on a big bend and these great looking termite mounds are scattered amongst the grass...<br />
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After a marathon driving effort we finally arrived at a fantastic campsite alongside the Coen River just north of the town of Coen. Here's a view of the river ...</div>
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Again, Di was prowling around with her camera and got a nice snap of some flowers on the water's edge ...</div>
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We had another very nice - and free - campsite ...</div>
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... where we had an enjoyable evening, complete with <a href="http://www.bestrecipes.com.au/recipe/self-saucing-chocolate-pudding-L5569.html" target="_blank">Chocolate Self-saucing Pudding</a>. Not having a recipe we had to wing it, but it cooked up a treat in our little <a href="http://www.snowys.com.au/Camp-Kitchen/Camp-Ovens/Round-Oven.aspx?c=8&sc=48&id=1586" target="_blank">two quart camp</a> oven which just fits in the <a href="http://www.productreview.com.au/p/weber-go-anywhere.html" target="_blank">Weber Go Anywhere Barbecue</a>. We were all conscious of the fact that our journey together was drawing to a close, and that we would leave the ruggedness of the Cape York area behind the next day, so it was a quietly reflective evening, contemplating the great journey we'd had which was nearing its end. We were also conscious of the fact that we still had a bit of a trek ahead of us the next day. Our goal was to get to Endeavour Falls Holiday Park via <a href="http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/rinyirru-lakefield/" target="_blank">Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park</a> and Battle Camp Road so we could finish with a couple of short days.<br />
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<u>Leaving the Cape</u></h3>
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The first notable feature that one encounters in Rinyirru is Nifold Plain with its seemingly endless termite mounds. It's a beautiful sight but hard to capture with a camera. Nonetheless, I took a couple of pictures from different angles of this termite mound which will give you some idea of the place ...</div>
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A bit further on we saw some Kapok Trees just before a river crossing ...</div>
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... and then it was on to the first of three remarkable ponds. At Low Pond we treated to our first definitive sighting of the magnificent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahminy_Kite" target="_blank">Brahminy Kite</a>, hunting along the shore. Unfortunately we didn't get a photo as it was a bit too far away for our camera. (We're hoping that Graham got a snap or two with his mega lens, and that he will send as one after he's sorted through his thousands of photos from the trip.) The main attraction at Rinyirru is the birdlife and this was to be just the first of a number of exciting observations as we passed through the park.<br />
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Next it was on to the Lotus Flower - or Red Lily - Pond, where we were greeted by hundreds and hundreds of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos taking to the air. And what a cacophony they made! It was absolutely wonderful. We took a very unsatisfactory video that I won't share - you'll just have to go there to experience it for yourself. Suffice it to say the excitement was enough to make my scalp tingle. The lilies were almost completely finished flowering so we could only wonder at how beautiful the pond must be when it is in full bloom. Near the lookout there were a few blossoms still out including this one beside another that had gone to seed ...</div>
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Our next stop was White Lily Pond, where the lilies <b>were</b> still flowering ...</div>
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Along the edges of the pond there were also scatterings of tiny flowers which are apparently called Frilly Lily ...</div>
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... and there were lots and lots of Magpie Geese wandering around amongst the larger white lilies. Here's a few of them doing their goosey thing, pretty much unconcerned about our presence ...</div>
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Lots of other aquatic critters frequent this incredibly rich environment, including the remarkable <a href="http://www.graemechapman.com.au/library/viewphotos.php?c=293&pg=2" target="_blank">Comb-crested Jacana</a>, which was strutting its stuff on the tops of the lily pads.</div>
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Di and I were so taken with Rinyirru National Park that we think we might come back for her 70th birthday - or perhaps a little earlier in the year if the roads are passable. We'd dearly love to see the Lotus Flower Pond in rampant bloom.</div>
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All good things must come to an end, and so did our drive through the park. We had a short side trip to <a href="http://www.exploreaustralia.net.au/Queensland/Cape-York/Rinyirru-Lakefield-National-Park-CYPAL/Kalpowar-Crossing-Campground#" target="_blank">Kalpowar Crossing Campground</a> on the Normanby River for a <a href="http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/stickybeak" target="_blank">stickybeak</a> before pressing on south again. (I thought we were going to cross the Normanby River, so I blithely drove across the floodway, only to be told I had to turn around and cross again.) The rest of the day's drive was a little slow, at first due to road words and then due to the nature of the terrain: steep and windy through the broken and rocky hills of Battle Camp Road, which is quite wild and beautiful, but a little tiring at that stage of the day. We finally emerged from this rough country and arrived at Endeavour Falls not long before last light, for a well-earned rest.<br />
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<u>Over the Bloomfield Track</u></h3>
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Thankfully, there was no urgency to get moving quickly the next morning - especially as it was Di's birthday! We planned to cross the Bloomfield Track and have an early finish at <a href="http://www.capetribcamping.com.au/" target="_blank">Cape Tribulation Campground</a>. Before that though, Prue wanted to make a short detour into Cooktown and the bakery there. That done, the six of us drove on to the Lion's Den, where we had spent our first night together three and a half weeks earlier. Luckily, this time there was no rain. Even more luckily, we passed through just in time to be let past an oversized vehicle that was in the process of transporting a house to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wujal_Wujal,_Queensland" target="_blank">Wujal Wujal</a>. Had we been a half an hour later we would have been held up for hours, as the road is very narrow and twisty and I'm sure it would not have been possible to sneak by.</div>
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We were all keen to stop at the Bloomfield River to have a look at Bloomfield Falls, especially Liz who was still desperate for a sighting of a crocodile. Before heading up the river we paused for morning tea. Prue's mission at the Cooktown Bakery became more apparent as she produced a cake and candle to properly mark Di's 63rd birthday ...</div>
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The candle was ceremoniously lit and Di proceeded to blow it out ...</div>
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On the way up the track to the falls, Liz's hopes were realised when we spotted this impressive Saltwater Crocodile basking on a rock near the opposite bank of the river ...</div>
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It would have been somewhere between 3 and 4 metres long, so we were very pleased it was a long way away and looking very well fed! (Later, when we arrived at Cape Tribulation we were amused to discover a postcard with just this photo on it. Clearly this crocodile has stated claim to his patch of the river.)</div>
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On to the falls we went ...</div>
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... which were an impressive sight, but we all wondered at how the water must thunder over during a period of sustained rainfall as you can see to the right of the current flow another course at least two or three times the width of where the water is falling.</div>
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The drive over the Bloomfield was much tamer than all of us remembered it, probably because the road is both wider and in much better condition. The longest of the steep hills has been sealed with concrete and all the river crossings were in good condition. You'd still probably want a four wheel drive vehicle to be on the safe side, but we did see a couple of Subarus heading north. Certainly I wouldn't be wanting to tow anything up and down those steep inclines without the power of a proper 4X4.</div>
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The camping at Cape Tribulation was very good and we set off for a walk to the end of the beach once we were settled in. That night we our las dinner together. The Cape Tribulation Campground is renowned for its wood-fired pizzas, and we weren't disappointed. Highly recommended if you are passing this way.</div>
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<u>The Last Day</u></h3>
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Before we departed the next morning Di had another walk on the beach. She thought this leaf trapped in the sand looked like a bear ...</div>
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... and she got another new bird sighting to tick off on her bird App in the form of a Beach Stone Curlew ...</div>
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Can anyone name this flower for us ...</div>
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We did the tourist thing and picked up some postcards and some little rainforest-themed gifts at a couple of shops before pushing further south and dropping into the <a href="http://www.visitportdouglasdaintree.com.au/port-douglas-tour-activity?ID=1355" target="_blank">Daintree Discovery Centre</a>. It looked like a great facility, but none of us felt like spending the time to justify the $32 per head entry fee as we were all keen - for various reasons - to keep moving. I was amused enough by the sign above the toilet to take a photo ...</div>
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On to Daintree River, where - at $13 - the ferry fare was considerably cheaper than the $135 we paid to cross the Jardine River further north ...</div>
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Max, Prue, Graham and Liz were keen to stop at Mossman Gorge on their way south. Di and I had been there before and were getting pretty antsy about seeing the grandchildren again, so we agreed to stop at the northern edge of town where we'd rendezvoused on the first day of our trip.</div>
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They do nice things with toilet blocks in this part of the world ...</div>
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Our time together wouldn't be complete without one last self-timed group photo where our northern sojourn really began ...</div>
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We said our goodbyes and Di and continued south. As we neared Port Douglas, the roadside was punctuated with signs advertising fresh prawns at the wharf. We hadn't intended on detouring but the thought of fresh prawns to take to Cairns and the possibility of lunch in Port Douglas lured us off the highway. As it turned out the town was heaving with tourists and locals enjoying the fine weather and first weekend of the school holidays. We decided to grab some prawns - which were absolutely fantastic and an excellent buy at $18 per kilo! - then continued to Ellis Beach for a delicious lunch.</div>
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That's about it for the trip to Cape York. I might make another post or two on the trek back to Tassie but may not find the time. However, I'd like to thank our travelling companions for a wonderful time together, Max especially for suggesting the trip when we met at Potato Point on the south coast of New South Wales almost a year ago and putting it all together, and Graham for his calm and steady approach to the more technical aspects of our journey. From my point of view at least, this has been the most interesting and varied trip we've done with the camper to date and we feel better equipped now to tackle more challenging terrain. We learned a lot travelling with you guys and hope we can do some more trips together in the future.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cheerio!</span></div>
Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-62466307368126634072013-06-23T15:22:00.001-07:002013-06-24T05:02:22.709-07:00CAPERS around "THE TIP"<br />
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... in which we finally reach our geographical goal ...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg76xH43G1Xa5aQl8f8gm-JMvpQDJtcRqf5Q6Hv4_HYNtvCL1PQP8E1sQ5L1Mkdh1dOgZV2f0MDyZXNgQPTAIowr4IpJMnQbDUPtX8865L9ivU-gELhBQOsDz2-KrBJKe4RVaxMPHRvTfdg/s1600/The+Big+Trip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg76xH43G1Xa5aQl8f8gm-JMvpQDJtcRqf5Q6Hv4_HYNtvCL1PQP8E1sQ5L1Mkdh1dOgZV2f0MDyZXNgQPTAIowr4IpJMnQbDUPtX8865L9ivU-gELhBQOsDz2-KrBJKe4RVaxMPHRvTfdg/s640/The+Big+Trip.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Our route (roughly) from Hobart to Cape York</span></b></td></tr>
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<h3>
<u>Back to Loyalty Beach</u></h3>
We arrived back at <a href="http://www.loyaltybeach.com/home.htm" target="_blank">Loyalty Beach</a> to the news that we were going to have to shift our camp as Patsy, the owner of the campground, had allocated our site to some folks that were due to arrive later that day. The worse news was that they had nowhere for us to go <b>to</b>. However, Neil, the camp handyman and troubleshooter suggested we just sit tight and wait to see if the others showed. (Neil and his wife - who was running the kiosk - had only arrived seven weeks beforehand and were doing a great job of trying to make things work for campers.) As it turned out the folks who had been allocated our site didn't arrive so we didn't have to shift. Waiting around to find out what as going to happen was all a bit annoying, and we'd had hassles before going to the islands because Patsy - who'd taken Max's booking over a month previously - hadn't assigned us to a site and seemingly overbooked the campground. Max tried to have a bit of a chat with her about our situation, but she just palmed him off to Neil.<br />
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Oh, and did I mention that the chef and his wife had quit just before we arrived? We'd thought about having a meal at the restaurant, but there was no menu up or someone to talk to about food when we wandered around to a couple of hours before dinner to see what was cooking. We had a bit of time up our sleeves because of having to rearrange the earlier part of our trip, but couldn't find any compelling reasons to spend another night at Loyalty Beach, which is a lovely spot. However, with the hassles we experienced I would suggest giving the place a miss and using some other facility in the area. There is the <a href="http://www.seisiaholidaypark.com/accommodation" target="_blank">Siesia Holiday Park</a> if you're looking for somewhere to stay before and after going out to Torres Strait and after returning, and leave your car and camper while you're out there.<br />
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Punsand Bay</u></h3>
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The good news for us was that we were able to book into the <a href="http://www.punsand.com.au/" target="_blank">Punsand Bay Camping Resort</a> a day earlier than we'd originally intended. And, unlike at Loyalty Beach, we were allocated specific sites. Punsand Bay is closer to the actual tip of Cape York so it is a good place to base yourself if you ever go up that way. We took the direct route along an easy four wheel drive track. There was one little running repair we needed to do where a bit of erosion had happened at a cattle grid. Thanks to Pru's helpful supervision, we were able to get on with the job satisfactorily ...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Heads down, bums up!</b></span></td></tr>
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As the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistling_Kite" target="_blank">Whistling Kite</a> flies Punsand is only about 5 kilometres west of "The Tip". We were very pleased upon arrival early the next morning to be able to settle in straight away without any hassles. Punsand's new owners - who also run the <a href="http://www.capetribcamping.com.au/" target="_blank">Cape Tribulation Camping</a> ground - are in the process of refurbishing the resort and seem to be doing a great job. It's a friendly, well-run place and great for exploring the environs of Cape York.<br />
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Just near our campsite we found the two halves of a giant turtle shell. Note the remnant vertebrae on the upturned upper half ...<br />
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<u>To The Tip!</u></h3>
You can drive almost directly to the tip via another four wheel drive track, but there were stories about numerous folks getting themselves stuck - repeatedly - with nowhere to turn around so, rather than risking having to do numerous winching operations, we opted to drive the longer way via <a href="http://www.croctent.com.au/" target="_blank">The Croc Tent</a>, a meeting place and information centre that happens also to sell trinkets and t-shirts to Cape York pilgrims and Old Telegraph Track survivors ...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0UjeAElabA14FoYL2PuJipqAzORfjpLmouEX2Yo9HOWLv0OpHQl1AQiDmydDHV2-69wfGgXQZ4loeSOOHDz_6mOI3PPqK5zB_wsS5mqcBUA2rMHx4rn-D0CdEdOUP_JDqcasB823kaqU/s1600/Croc+Tent.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0UjeAElabA14FoYL2PuJipqAzORfjpLmouEX2Yo9HOWLv0OpHQl1AQiDmydDHV2-69wfGgXQZ4loeSOOHDz_6mOI3PPqK5zB_wsS5mqcBUA2rMHx4rn-D0CdEdOUP_JDqcasB823kaqU/s400/Croc+Tent.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The CROC TENT</b></td></tr>
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Note the standard coating of red dirt on the back of the Nissan Navarra parked outside. Max and Prue are entering the tent on the hunt for cargo.<br />
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The drive to the tip itself was straightforward, with only one big puddle to negotiate. Just before you arrive at the car parking area you pass the remnants of the old five star <a href="http://bushies.net/albums/CapeYorkWildernessLodge/index.html" target="_blank">TAA Cape York Wilderness Lodge</a>, now largely reclaimed by nature.<br />
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Interestingly, there were a couple of mountain bikers at the tip when we arrived. I imagine they either found their way around the edge of the puddle or carried their bikes through, as it would have been tricky riding right through the middle. And, on the mountain biking note, some of the actual four wheel drive sections that we drove would have been great for that. Besides the two mountain bikers there was only one other car in the parking area when we arrived. With the cyclists departing we had The Tip to ourselves apart from a young couple with two small kids - although that changed fairly dramatically in the hour or so we spent there.<br />
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Had the tides been in a different phase we could have walked to the cape from the car park. Instead, we enjoyed elevated views as we walked up and over the hill in the intervening 500 or so metres ...<br />
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As we were descending the hill Di found the northerly-most lost pen just by the northerly-most termite mound on the Australian continent ...<br />
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Graham took a quick snap for Di and me ...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0CPzzvFT2F_0ROwmQcafStCrJ3zbyxmrLpiMLUNrqepnFTyaA8QxlKMNypzzELqCrPfV_BPNP-XxRPFSobH-ftX4lPpUI6FT79zrc0AYcqjGGr-g3hAhNOxhGt-h0yjuLttQB_06AUSf/s1600/Tip+photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0CPzzvFT2F_0ROwmQcafStCrJ3zbyxmrLpiMLUNrqepnFTyaA8QxlKMNypzzELqCrPfV_BPNP-XxRPFSobH-ftX4lPpUI6FT79zrc0AYcqjGGr-g3hAhNOxhGt-h0yjuLttQB_06AUSf/s400/Tip+photo+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>All the way from Hobart!</b></td></tr>
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... before Liz examined the back of the sign ...<br />
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It must have been replaced at some time, because the sign that was there used to have the latitude and longitude of The Tip inscribed on the back. Sadly, all that is there now is some graffiti.<br />
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A courteous gentleman who arrived shortly after we did offered to take a group photo ...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-3oSVcPpmLVyahgIEIm0FwXjlPDjwhCkf2osmIZ98TUf5sYgm74Oa4jDZNZoqbwbVRoriOWx7-zFenTygG78daOOoKzYo0fEy7OtzYrNzeKMefTH1V8ofqHHaJU_d8K6Eeye23_OGzP2/s1600/Tip+photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-3oSVcPpmLVyahgIEIm0FwXjlPDjwhCkf2osmIZ98TUf5sYgm74Oa4jDZNZoqbwbVRoriOWx7-zFenTygG78daOOoKzYo0fEy7OtzYrNzeKMefTH1V8ofqHHaJU_d8K6Eeye23_OGzP2/s640/Tip+photo+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>WHAT A TEAM!</b></td></tr>
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To celebrate the moment, we enjoyed a bottle of bubbly that came all the way from <a href="http://www.bayoffireswines.com.au/" target="_blank">Bay of Fires</a> winery in Tasmania. Hopefully, once Graham gets back to Sydney he'll be able to send through a photo of us with glasses in hand that I can upload to the blog. In the meantime, here's a photo of the cork ...<br />
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Due to the arrival of quite a number of folks while we were at The Tip we weren't surprised to see the car park full when we got back ...<br />
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... but it was sobering to think about the numbers of people visiting the area, with lots more to come as the season progresses. What is a bit of a worry is that there is really no infrastructure to cater for the masses. Not that I think there should be karaoke bars or anything like that but some toileting facilities would be a good idea. There were already numerous deposits of bog roll scattered around the place, left by people who just don't seem to know any better - or care about despoiling the environment . And it will only get worse over the next few months.<br />
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<h3>
<u>Somerset</u></h3>
The plan for the rest of the day was to explore the area. First stop was Somerset, which was established in 1863 and served as the administrative capital for the top end before that was shifted out to Thursday Island. Before Somerset was established, there was a doomed expedition led by Edmund Kennedy to explore the Cape York area. Kennedy, along with most of his men, died en route. A memorial in his name was erected at Somerset in 1948 ...<br />
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A number of headstones at the old settlement are testament to the multicultural nature of the region right from the start ...<br />
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The cannons aimed out over the channel testify to the widespread fears - unfounded as they were -throughout Queensland of Russian invasion ...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Watching out for Reds Under the Yardarm?</b></td></tr>
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There is now a beautiful camping area at Somerset. It's an idyllic location ...<br />
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We had a walk along the beach ...<br />
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... where Di took this shot of a Portia Tree blossom ...<br />
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It's an idyllic spot with the palm trees that fringe the beach dropping their coconuts ...<br />
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... and mangroves, where crocodiles lurk, guard access at either end ...<br />
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<h3>
<u>The Five Beaches</u></h3>
<div>
Although we'd decided against taking the direct route to The Tip from Punsand, we were all keen to do a bit of proper four wheel driving on our "Tip Top Day". We'd got information from the helpful fellow at the Croc Tent about the Five Beaches, which is rated as a medium to easy drive. The beaches are separated from one another by open heathland on the headlands and rainforest where you need to go further inland.</div>
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<div>
It was a great choice. Graham, who had the most experience with off-road driving amongst our three parties, led the way for us and was very helpful with his tips on appropriate speed and the best line to take in some of the rougher spots getting on to a couple of the beaches. It was a very scenic drive and a suitable learning experience for me with my limited experience of off-road driving.</div>
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Here's a photo of Prue out on the first beach, where we stopped to lower our tire pressures ...</div>
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... and, through our dirty windscreen, Graham and Liz leading the way on to beach number 2 ...</div>
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... and descending to beach number three ...</div>
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After beach four you travel through the rainforest ...</div>
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You can watch this little video Di shot if you like ...</div>
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Graham discovered he had a broken aerial, so we set about repairs. Liz wondered if some jetsam in the form of a drink bottle might work ...</div>
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... before we settled on a bit of driftwood splinted on with "hundred mile and hour tape" (so nicknamed for its supposed ability to stick up to a hundred miles per hour!) ...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>FIRST AID FOR GRAHAM'S CB AERIAL</b></td></tr>
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This did the trick admirably, with the aerial staying in place and working perfectly for the whole rest of the trip.</div>
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After a wonderful day, we repaired to Punsand Bay for Happy Hour, followed by an excellent meal at the café. I had fresh, locally caught barramundi and it was fantastic. That was the meal of choice for three of us, and the other three had meals that they also found delicious. Highly recommended!</div>
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So that's about it for our trip to Cape York but, as we still had lots of fun in the following days on our way back to Cairns, sostay tuned for the "<b>EPI</b>(CB)<b>LOG</b>", which will appear in a few days' time.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And ... after a while ... a crocodile!</span></div>
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Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-92032074150822057472013-06-13T00:32:00.003-07:002013-06-23T03:57:57.849-07:00Torres Strait Side Trip<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Although I've called this a "side trip" technically we reached our northernmost point out in the islands. Also, this is an Ultimate-free few days, so it must be a side trip, n'est-ce pas? More about that later. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's where we went ...</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Torres Strait Islands</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">... and this is how we got there ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is the main ferry that runs between Thursday Island and Siesia on the mainland. It holds upward of a hundred passengers and the ride takes a little over an hour.</span><br />
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<u>Horn Island</u></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Masterful Max, in his wisdom decided to book us in for two nights on Horn Island. One of the first things that's a bit different - well, none of us had seen its like before - was this sign as you get off the wharf ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAyl1UH6l7IcADThCFxtL-5k_WOCBes-bjbLxR8HVmJpO-53UBkBBO0-gtRrFG7tCXOH887smy0NHm3pgCJaS60S7WArUSZVcwhEn1_jSsDcspFXJ-5Vbuwa-UO52ZYP6ImsHd-Wyei-8/s1600/Ute+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAyl1UH6l7IcADThCFxtL-5k_WOCBes-bjbLxR8HVmJpO-53UBkBBO0-gtRrFG7tCXOH887smy0NHm3pgCJaS60S7WArUSZVcwhEn1_jSsDcspFXJ-5Vbuwa-UO52ZYP6ImsHd-Wyei-8/s400/Ute+sign.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hmmm. Maybe they've had a few people fall out of the back of utilities ...?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We stayed at the </span><a href="http://www.torresstrait.com.au/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Gateway Torres Strait Resort</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. A pretty grand name, eh! (That's <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=eh" target="_blank">the Canadian eh</a>. Not to be confused with the Queensland eh. More about being Canadian <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWQf13B8epw" target="_blank">here</a>.) If you're envisaging 5 star accommodation, forget it. You won't find that anywhere in the Straits. (By the way, have you seen the ABC TV series called "</span><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/tv/thestraits/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The Straits</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"? Proba</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">bly not to everyone</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'s taste, it's described as " an exotic and darkly humorous</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> family crime series". Anyway, we enjoyed it. You can buy the series, or probably borrow it from your local library.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Back to our accommodation. Here's a photo of a sign that greets you upon arrival ...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhe6OVmTRTqObloiIS_k0vAz6BZiV7JKhe6Wt_BdXUtoIt-tlIGFsBosvLespK-Z8iB0OXRF4-FlKNSfr6e4C-S-z6zvhIqDhJQVlkG2RenfsjW-kkZFLjq1EdgSQtZ_3WbLBosvBY1Df/s1600/TS+welcome+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhe6OVmTRTqObloiIS_k0vAz6BZiV7JKhe6Wt_BdXUtoIt-tlIGFsBosvLespK-Z8iB0OXRF4-FlKNSfr6e4C-S-z6zvhIqDhJQVlkG2RenfsjW-kkZFLjq1EdgSQtZ_3WbLBosvBY1Df/s400/TS+welcome+sign.jpg" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A nice greeting, eh?</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The Gateway worked well for us. It's run by a sixth generation Torres Strait island family, and they know the islands well. The Gateway - I hesitate to call it "the resort" because something far more grand comes to mind with that phrase - houses the Torres Strait Heritage Museum and Art Gallery, developed by curator <a href="http://uninews.cqu.edu.au/UniNews/viewStory.do?story=2455" target="_blank">Vanessa Seekee, OAM</a>. I'm not trying to act as an advert for the Gateway, but you get unlimited free entry - when it's open - to the museum if you're staying there. 'Nuff said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">We had a couple of hours to ourselves before lunch and then we went off on our Horn Island tour with Vanessa. Max specifically asked for her when he booked our package because he and Prue had met her when they were out on the islands way back in 2002 (when they stayed on Thursday Island and did a day trip to Horn) and found her interpretation outstanding. Well, she is still bringing her A game when she comes out to bat.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Horn Island is described as the forgotten outpost of World War II, but Vanessa is doing her bit to change all that. She has obtained a grant from the Federal Government to restore some of the ruins of the defence network that was in place to protect the airfield from Japanese attacks and reconstruction will begin soon. In the meantime, she and husband Liberty have been doing a great job in interpreting what's there. Here's a photo of Vanessa telling us about one of the 3.7" anti-aircraft gun placements ...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">... and a close-up of the picture in the book she is holding ...</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9Vva5PW34V1nE-p5gj1q3v0s-IMzkmeGjUyhvvhE_zBWSfKrt9UQH04w3r-oAi6y21-vTQSQ66TUdixtOwS8KxS5xhJXUMxHqRslHIQaDwFIZ-tQsHYlkZ-reF75Iqs-OHbD2C1kVf4X/s1600/3.7%22+Anti-+aircraft+gun.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9Vva5PW34V1nE-p5gj1q3v0s-IMzkmeGjUyhvvhE_zBWSfKrt9UQH04w3r-oAi6y21-vTQSQ66TUdixtOwS8KxS5xhJXUMxHqRslHIQaDwFIZ-tQsHYlkZ-reF75Iqs-OHbD2C1kVf4X/s400/3.7%22+Anti-+aircraft+gun.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">The actual gun placement is set into a concreted, sunken area that is surrounded by magazine bays like this ...</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAoncjcw1M-FH_wg-IwVWPek6IkINbmuBC2tjGDyUZo-gF-HhGVnZFnEGoXeiUvj5Rcx0Bufhodz-4msfyatlC3pUEMnR6py6bkqr7Np_8dFVPIXnblcq70inKZgb8zHJVT3rs7KOehaZU/s1600/Magazine+bay.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAoncjcw1M-FH_wg-IwVWPek6IkINbmuBC2tjGDyUZo-gF-HhGVnZFnEGoXeiUvj5Rcx0Bufhodz-4msfyatlC3pUEMnR6py6bkqr7Np_8dFVPIXnblcq70inKZgb8zHJVT3rs7KOehaZU/s320/Magazine+bay.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">... so that the gun can be loaded easily whatever direction it is pointing.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">The following two pictures are what's left of a Boeing B-17 that crashed as it was coming into land with a whole lot of parts and ammunition on board ...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">... and here's what the plane looked like ...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">There are concrete trenches in at least two different locations that allowed soldiers to move from an information-gathering spot back to central intelligence relaying points ...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They travel around corners so that if a section of trench is hit by a blast the force won't travel unabated all the way to the other end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For me, the most sobering part of our historical tour was visiting the grave of Roy Brown, an American soldier, and listening to Vanessa tell his tale. He is the only non Islander buried on the island. When he was nearing the end of his life he made it clear that he would dearly love for his ashes to be buried on Horn Island where he served alongside his mates. Application was made to the council of elders that make these sort of decisions and, after a long period of consideration, they granted permission. Here is photo from the grave ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanlx4XsTHvKfbqKM76UfHBKP0bK0t1j3E7ZIdJmpHarFYbVfB1Frg8TRBoPq0RdJwD2z4tvyG9yfKoxZRNsyXR4xLyR9XCXr4__rHr0Bvf3q_bLzNbT6NUnHh3r_nLtYtGrGbEHjeWtL5/s1600/Roy+Brown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanlx4XsTHvKfbqKM76UfHBKP0bK0t1j3E7ZIdJmpHarFYbVfB1Frg8TRBoPq0RdJwD2z4tvyG9yfKoxZRNsyXR4xLyR9XCXr4__rHr0Bvf3q_bLzNbT6NUnHh3r_nLtYtGrGbEHjeWtL5/s640/Roy+Brown.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back to the theme of nature, there was this Screw Palm growing in the area where a lot of this historical wreckage is found ...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is a great network of ferries and water taxies running between the islands which makes getting around really easy. this is the "Australia Fair" which we used to get to and from Thursday Island ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoPGD-zDsqFQ_qgPW06Jbb8alqYiSFibQbFsRM_j-7C-BbHop2CNnO-KoMtrY4yHiJ__Z-IV1fTd01xJmMECjZ1Sn78jM3DPJT3_B2-TVdZDPNhsYQ9gXZhpFJXKwQW3IWZWFsxej87GN/s1600/MacDonald's+ferry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoPGD-zDsqFQ_qgPW06Jbb8alqYiSFibQbFsRM_j-7C-BbHop2CNnO-KoMtrY4yHiJ__Z-IV1fTd01xJmMECjZ1Sn78jM3DPJT3_B2-TVdZDPNhsYQ9gXZhpFJXKwQW3IWZWFsxej87GN/s400/MacDonald's+ferry.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We walked down to the wharf one evening to have a look at the sunset, which was okay but not special enough to post a photo. However, there were lots of Darters around, and plenty of little fish for them to feed on. it's a great sight to see them come up with fish and manipulate them into positions that allow them to be gulped down their necks. At times they didn't seem particular interested in fishing, just gliding about the wharf and looked beautiful with feathers streaming out behind. This picture isn't particularly good but gives you an idea of what I'm talking about ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxiAhERq15Y8tVJLDzaj5Q0GemMDAAUEeq4h7K2Rbs0S9XYgYnrXnkQdjELhXsDBNdazvN4Mu-CfgC8DWXP9dsvkijIvzyvPnvqDr-U76q2zpyH1h16G34dDmuKWyDIIyvPdh15dpYCRY/s1600/Cormorant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxiAhERq15Y8tVJLDzaj5Q0GemMDAAUEeq4h7K2Rbs0S9XYgYnrXnkQdjELhXsDBNdazvN4Mu-CfgC8DWXP9dsvkijIvzyvPnvqDr-U76q2zpyH1h16G34dDmuKWyDIIyvPdh15dpYCRY/s400/Cormorant.JPG" width="396" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They are just as beautiful out of the water ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTC5QBnuAzq5cEAx4JX5JEPLNKZSBoKJl7XdiRB3PQlMBrJOBR-DZu1vjU65QZMzHq5lfsXQSh9kBKEEnqYcbGpAZ7QRzzgNecqFx34-rPp2PhznosQM_QLyF2mxGEw25Za3BedDvlJHC5/s1600/Cormorant+posing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTC5QBnuAzq5cEAx4JX5JEPLNKZSBoKJl7XdiRB3PQlMBrJOBR-DZu1vjU65QZMzHq5lfsXQSh9kBKEEnqYcbGpAZ7QRzzgNecqFx34-rPp2PhznosQM_QLyF2mxGEw25Za3BedDvlJHC5/s400/Cormorant+posing.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The highlight of being the beach that evening though was watching a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Spoonbill" target="_blank">Royal Spoonbill</a> searching little pools of water for stuff to eat. Di took this neat little video while we were down there ...</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyc6jyMt8LY3b4no9qVG26EYiaXbQxQndVx08l7OKATWnzwJx994HLtwsQOnujku02LJdx2H-Tq3NLEpDhWiQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">nterestingly, the airport is on Horn Island but the bulk of the population live on Thursday Island. This is a historical thing as TI has a more sheltered anchorage, positioned as it is amongst the surrounding islands. However, Horn Island has a wharf with quite a big crane, perhaps to unload fuel for airplanes. Here's a photo taken at low tide ... </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMeF8V9RsLd2VJLu4tCTafcg7Ea75St5g3r0GHD9wBtheHIghwUEvOkPK9qnI8HcjEB5K1b8p1KN2YVc8yikJK9nj8_yIvnQ7wMIdBPB0u_HSB2Md1Xl46UoXY5sixu3Ppws2G-EoU6_R/s1600/Low+tide+at+Horn+Island.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMeF8V9RsLd2VJLu4tCTafcg7Ea75St5g3r0GHD9wBtheHIghwUEvOkPK9qnI8HcjEB5K1b8p1KN2YVc8yikJK9nj8_yIvnQ7wMIdBPB0u_HSB2Md1Xl46UoXY5sixu3Ppws2G-EoU6_R/s640/Low+tide+at+Horn+Island.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As you would imagine, people on the islands are very sea-oriented. It seemed like just about everybody had a boat parked in their front yard. In the evening there was a lot of activity down at the boat ramp. This photo seems to capture the mood of the place pretty well...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYqhm6dw-DEcbkIkkMDTL8f3ID1zDc7L_ZM_0BBWb-rNgQM9ptHGrx66zqv4aZY1TmQGx8y98Oh6MeXsuiMIVxRTeC9zlYFXpOkGTNs7uBpcl0eyKwKKV9z1pP2JIK1X1SyfxRh0AZxiR/s1600/Boat+ramp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYqhm6dw-DEcbkIkkMDTL8f3ID1zDc7L_ZM_0BBWb-rNgQM9ptHGrx66zqv4aZY1TmQGx8y98Oh6MeXsuiMIVxRTeC9zlYFXpOkGTNs7uBpcl0eyKwKKV9z1pP2JIK1X1SyfxRh0AZxiR/s400/Boat+ramp.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For our dinner, Di and I decided to have a meal at the pub down the road. Food was very good and the menu was reasonably varied. The most interesting thing though was this amphibious craft parked out the back ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegog6LYCtiBMnShjpV_M78gzKSB5PGr0nb233vOy39GGI9bf1413ZgSv51QiCSjC_uezI1Aocyh4I0UKe4uRNzqAOm60WuBsZX-HNM4nReSidoBBP7A6pCWG8nZZeVVxbycS5DklwuMl2/s1600/Amphibious+boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegog6LYCtiBMnShjpV_M78gzKSB5PGr0nb233vOy39GGI9bf1413ZgSv51QiCSjC_uezI1Aocyh4I0UKe4uRNzqAOm60WuBsZX-HNM4nReSidoBBP7A6pCWG8nZZeVVxbycS5DklwuMl2/s400/Amphibious+boat.jpg" width="342" /></a></div>
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<u>Thursday Island</u></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About four thousand people live on <b>TI</b>, as Thursday Island is know by anyone living in this part of the world. We had a tour of the place on our second day, led by Arthur Liberty Seekee. Liberty, as he prefers to be known, is native to the islands, with his family's history here stretching back over a century. Here he is posing at the cemetery with a pearl shell ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9gTRFl_ehqmiqB6Z0TgixHRLRNY54m3_K5niaNuUFeXmKpQx8RiVlg1rWjhrMyG0n2YKudlpo729kYlZmntkOZX5lXda4mkAd0-4tl70kVrWt2E3-zSmS56xVuIAnaCrbwbilZrmXOVm/s1600/Liberty+&+shell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9gTRFl_ehqmiqB6Z0TgixHRLRNY54m3_K5niaNuUFeXmKpQx8RiVlg1rWjhrMyG0n2YKudlpo729kYlZmntkOZX5lXda4mkAd0-4tl70kVrWt2E3-zSmS56xVuIAnaCrbwbilZrmXOVm/s400/Liberty+&+shell.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">... which sits on the memorial to all the Japanese divers who perished while diving ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFsMoLe60k6b9PUi7-vTKJTtrf245OuqGyrl4L-DUwsCND0ZsXCxX1Mt1NShpXpUZXk7J2e_42Pv63WQeZzqRkNebot9VwE_A_VzP56Ar6dhwe0NqpFGA_bQNN9QrrOtmwd1dJ2bvB6jl/s1600/Jap+memorial.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFsMoLe60k6b9PUi7-vTKJTtrf245OuqGyrl4L-DUwsCND0ZsXCxX1Mt1NShpXpUZXk7J2e_42Pv63WQeZzqRkNebot9VwE_A_VzP56Ar6dhwe0NqpFGA_bQNN9QrrOtmwd1dJ2bvB6jl/s640/Jap+memorial.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's what the plaque says about that ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UJt5GIJmSdRkBN0O_zCUksjcScU8Egv5v3GM0dng8FH36013dKMxQqNJ3N179ckigLRh_WaVX1V19RQqZAfYR9OSSW3Om9p1ONC4rDr9jumQEdZ_8W00LKcP4GSJNZJ_18KE5Bhk9bRJ/s1600/Jap+plaque.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UJt5GIJmSdRkBN0O_zCUksjcScU8Egv5v3GM0dng8FH36013dKMxQqNJ3N179ckigLRh_WaVX1V19RQqZAfYR9OSSW3Om9p1ONC4rDr9jumQEdZ_8W00LKcP4GSJNZJ_18KE5Bhk9bRJ/s400/Jap+plaque.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While the plaque lists the number of deaths as 700, Liberty reckoned that it was more in the order of 1100. Pretty sobering stuff. Sadly, there seems not to be someone who looks after their graves, judging by the state of this section of the cemetery ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjbV2VZerpgFk1U745bfekdRA83obqkrn0dbnpBOkj6QVI0Px7V9oi92eaASBPMF33b67NDaGFylONv-rpixiWy2D00SZ3LUtkq8Xw_sYVc0JtHmaVUFtrs-N7T_vmfcyXcbwyW4773ZO/s1600/Japanese+graves.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjbV2VZerpgFk1U745bfekdRA83obqkrn0dbnpBOkj6QVI0Px7V9oi92eaASBPMF33b67NDaGFylONv-rpixiWy2D00SZ3LUtkq8Xw_sYVc0JtHmaVUFtrs-N7T_vmfcyXcbwyW4773ZO/s640/Japanese+graves.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A major point of historical interest is <a href="http://www.ozatwar.com/bunkers/greenhillfort.htm" target="_blank">Green Hill Fort</a>, built in the late 19th century as a reaction to the fear of invasion by, of all people, the Russians. We can't beat the website linked to in the previous sentence for photos of the fort itself, but there is also a neat little museum in the fortifications. We didn't have long there but I did take this snap of the old-fashioned diver's suit ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7b3P4VPNgARmTyFYQIEe5C_VXFj4MRGAZPlQJ5fJtZ8rkjr6pL9ZkN8A_EqWlCXmmkR6eULbDT_4emYbTO3o1O7pWduaebG-r5vjMLQikt3Mz3knmRZVgelqdDSHW4edL1yCOzcnhG_ZV/s1600/Pearling+suit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7b3P4VPNgARmTyFYQIEe5C_VXFj4MRGAZPlQJ5fJtZ8rkjr6pL9ZkN8A_EqWlCXmmkR6eULbDT_4emYbTO3o1O7pWduaebG-r5vjMLQikt3Mz3knmRZVgelqdDSHW4edL1yCOzcnhG_ZV/s400/Pearling+suit.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">... and of this map of the islands, with various routes marked in. Note also the dugout canoe in the foreground, along with the turtle shell, paddles and other shells ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbItSP-NtyWXCba4BUiDPd622gc70WbEgOLVLG5Oq83N-WjrdDLWqEucLZfXMrsd1ABIfIaEOyuBwva070kAfunYTtkeOHx0XZXg7VpOlLjuQ9C2xX3U2P4hqJIu0Uepenm-YSNCAanToY/s1600/TS+museum+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbItSP-NtyWXCba4BUiDPd622gc70WbEgOLVLG5Oq83N-WjrdDLWqEucLZfXMrsd1ABIfIaEOyuBwva070kAfunYTtkeOHx0XZXg7VpOlLjuQ9C2xX3U2P4hqJIu0Uepenm-YSNCAanToY/s400/TS+museum+map.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While some folks might prefer constant blue skies, we have been enjoying more mixed conditions. We have had some stretches of sunshine but it hasn't been too hot or muggy and we've had lots of different sorts of skies to look at, including this beautiful moody vista from the "Main Wharf" on TI that I took while we were waiting for the ferry back to Horn Island ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.. and one that Di took when we arrived back on Horn Island ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: normal;">Friday Island</u></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not sure the others agree, but for me visiting Friday Island was the highlight of our sojourn on the islands. It's all about the Kazu Pearl farm, run by Kazuyoshi Takami. We landed ... </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfZYNq7gbDwYDw0gGBdoMpB5II6bk_QFiXBcZX3xVxcPBgB5264h_4EPDstte3KQtJOO4ySrQd6t8mjOwmutAgOMWtJYiw3yjiMXl64H6GccYZVQANdzKMGApE33OsDOozhvW5Xcrz26R/s1600/Kazu+Pearl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfZYNq7gbDwYDw0gGBdoMpB5II6bk_QFiXBcZX3xVxcPBgB5264h_4EPDstte3KQtJOO4ySrQd6t8mjOwmutAgOMWtJYiw3yjiMXl64H6GccYZVQANdzKMGApE33OsDOozhvW5Xcrz26R/s400/Kazu+Pearl.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">... walked past the whale skeleton on the beach ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQh6qO4OenjcWuB8908ct_l8oXQ4cODKM9E2qXROexeOoDS5s_f_PG7DNWPF869F-GqhkhVEZhc3BtfjZVgApndlGKdvxXvo9RRplZFz7VK9lWGcogMSkRXr2YFj_bkxOehk3fru4OEGd/s1600/Whale+skeleton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQh6qO4OenjcWuB8908ct_l8oXQ4cODKM9E2qXROexeOoDS5s_f_PG7DNWPF869F-GqhkhVEZhc3BtfjZVgApndlGKdvxXvo9RRplZFz7VK9lWGcogMSkRXr2YFj_bkxOehk3fru4OEGd/s400/Whale+skeleton.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and went straight to lunch. And what a lunch it was!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is just a small sample of what we were served ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouV9jSUphPdbvYH4vouy9RRDJiMT1PLFAYuwFtgjQvFcYjw_ClnvXWYb0ILBsPlUe4jBL8QaGOLp6y8N-3pEdUrSbZjLADT1OZ3XlKRXSE7rmddSTSXmAgB6gth7Fww1TpbLs7_0WSfmA/s1600/Kazu+lunch+b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouV9jSUphPdbvYH4vouy9RRDJiMT1PLFAYuwFtgjQvFcYjw_ClnvXWYb0ILBsPlUe4jBL8QaGOLp6y8N-3pEdUrSbZjLADT1OZ3XlKRXSE7rmddSTSXmAgB6gth7Fww1TpbLs7_0WSfmA/s400/Kazu+lunch+b.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As you can see, despite the very generous platefuls of food there wasn't a lot left when we finished ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvdNLQSWBi7wo0gjZHAt-hJ_eUk-bt5RjqmxcTaGqmYVKRwh45XSuu3kdAIV3Xg0fV6RKSes8xcHkJR633H5yQtYDNWA2qardghu_-_0uKby3sW9z9ONTrt-ZjkljuoQ7M2yZeviiJyKb/s1600/Kazu+lunch+a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvdNLQSWBi7wo0gjZHAt-hJ_eUk-bt5RjqmxcTaGqmYVKRwh45XSuu3kdAIV3Xg0fV6RKSes8xcHkJR633H5yQtYDNWA2qardghu_-_0uKby3sW9z9ONTrt-ZjkljuoQ7M2yZeviiJyKb/s400/Kazu+lunch+a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Top quality fresh food, shared with friends, is always a great pleasure. But the experience of being taken through what goes on at the pearl farm, most especially the skill involved in pearl seeding process, was a very special moment. A great deal of detail about the way the pearl is formed was given. How's this for a graphic demonstration of the anatomy of the pearl shell oyster ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjK_YZlYn4WkPVbBQVvGYgDTB5UOMKtCv1oLw65HKqZk8rF19hXCV4DvU4GczLcIqBULNQEtfBA5G57k1oWTEkc1ksbP7ovU3mJ_pLersgOmC2DX3Jf8E8b9bdMlfLvzJ6Lc42aCPbjP3J/s1600/Oyster+anatomy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjK_YZlYn4WkPVbBQVvGYgDTB5UOMKtCv1oLw65HKqZk8rF19hXCV4DvU4GczLcIqBULNQEtfBA5G57k1oWTEkc1ksbP7ovU3mJ_pLersgOmC2DX3Jf8E8b9bdMlfLvzJ6Lc42aCPbjP3J/s400/Oyster+anatomy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is a small window of time for being able to have the oysters out of the water, gradually using wooden wedges to get it to open up and then insert a bit of mantle and the seed pearl. Here are a couple of snaps of Kazu-san operating on an oyster ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCyFHgowgHwTw09UfzqrQKMZDBBpnagEtKQoQEXA21X03O-XvlavQz-15bOj3t60JEWgRMutUDiwTZN1wLAvqX80PcufhJaObqN5MXXYoYrfXm1IbBYtfoR2LAH0pAkr929i8OrCq8qSsb/s1600/Pearl+seeding+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCyFHgowgHwTw09UfzqrQKMZDBBpnagEtKQoQEXA21X03O-XvlavQz-15bOj3t60JEWgRMutUDiwTZN1wLAvqX80PcufhJaObqN5MXXYoYrfXm1IbBYtfoR2LAH0pAkr929i8OrCq8qSsb/s400/Pearl+seeding+2.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The incision has to been done just so, and the two foreign bodies inserted in just the right place. Kazu-san told us that, despite his 40 years experience of doing this tricky operation, he only has a success rate of somewhere between seventy and eighty percent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This eight minute Youtube video shows Kazu-san in action explaining what he's doing ...</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/SUWF7cZBSJY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's about it for this post, folks, except a last word about the people of the islands. I don't think I've been anywhere that I've felt more welcome. Everyone had a smile and a greeting. That may sound a bit of a cliché. Sorry, but it's true. I didn't see a scowl or an argument anywhere. Stress doesn't seem to be part of life in Torres Strait. So, if you want sometime to experience a bit of laid-back south sea island life and catch a bit of little-known Australian history, I highly recommend a few days off "the tip". </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh yeah. Maybe just one more word. (If you're wearing a starched collar, stop reading now.) Speaking of laid-back lifestyle I took this little study along the waterfront on TI, across from the Federal Hotel ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl03KLQ15G_Uy7frIfNLBIvGBwgHKTHlh2QaA1_1aLid8cOCkTYPT2CfHEUrssrMqN93VdfJdzBde7QlbiaelPB7OhfUlX0Yu2P9KE0eQqI0zqISsuliN2rEQ8tS0JnXRQQJrzDgMIxD-A/s1600/Laid+back+lifestyle%3f.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl03KLQ15G_Uy7frIfNLBIvGBwgHKTHlh2QaA1_1aLid8cOCkTYPT2CfHEUrssrMqN93VdfJdzBde7QlbiaelPB7OhfUlX0Yu2P9KE0eQqI0zqISsuliN2rEQ8tS0JnXRQQJrzDgMIxD-A/s400/Laid+back+lifestyle%3f.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cheerio, chaps!</span></div>
Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-42682364969379740632013-06-10T06:13:00.001-07:002013-06-11T03:36:12.426-07:00Nearly there: the Pen-ULTIMATE leg<h3>
<u>(Almost) Weeping in Weipa</u></h3>
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Perhaps the less said about Weipa the better, but it seems - well, wrong, really - to completely gloss over the times that are less than wonderful. And there were some good things so I guess I really need to file a report on Weipa before moving on to the penultimate stage.<br />
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First up, Max had organised sublime camping right on the beachfront. There was plenty of birdlife about, especially on the water. Here are a couple of shots Di took from where we were situated ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BDFZyrAnOq8ba9EyjdhlTZ8Qnjo4Lra7X94HPTemoLkGMAe0_MTtNfSVrbzj064aJDtqmpAfDN97aJXx-nNjGXqad01L43ZHezrFSYhjyrnuu28tfodvxwxqd4ryCW7sRTrIhZkXsusd/s1600/Pelicans+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BDFZyrAnOq8ba9EyjdhlTZ8Qnjo4Lra7X94HPTemoLkGMAe0_MTtNfSVrbzj064aJDtqmpAfDN97aJXx-nNjGXqad01L43ZHezrFSYhjyrnuu28tfodvxwxqd4ryCW7sRTrIhZkXsusd/s640/Pelicans+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was somewhat offset the first night by the guy camped next to us, who snored almost as loud as anyone we'd ever heard snore before. We wondered how his female partner could have slept herself. I did see her on her way to the amenities block the next morning and she was pressing her head in such a way as to suggest she was suffering from a fairly bad headache.<br />
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Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. Shortly after we arrived and set up camp, Di and I went to the shopping centre. We needed to buy a few provisions, thought we'd have a coffee and check our emails and I wanted to have a haircut. The haircut was a no-goer. The one hairdresser in Weipa reckoned she couldn't take any additional customers until next week. I was so keen I even asked for a quick buzz cut. She couldn't even manage that. Maybe all the locals wanted to look their best for all the out-of-towners flooding in for the <a href="http://www.weipafishingclassic.com/" target="_blank">Weipa Fishing Classic</a>, which was coming up in a few days time. Still, I thought she'd be able to do a quick clip job, seeing as there wasn't anyone waiting apart from the bloke who was in the chair, and he had less hair on than me already. No such luck. <b>Strike one</b>.<br />
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So, off we went to the coffee shop only to find that our new super-duper Telstra mobile broadband modem wasn't connecting us to the internet. After an hour and a half on the phone and being hand-balled around three different Asian gentlemen I gave up in total frustration. I believe the third gentleman really was trying to help by getting me to do the same sequence of things over and over again but he clearly wasn't on top of the problem. By the end I was just about barking. <b>Strike two</b>.<br />
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The next morning we discovered that - for whatever reason - our fridge had stopped working. Clearly it had stopped working some hours before as all the contents of the freezer had thawed and everything in the main compartment was warm. While Graham and I were at reception checking out the deal on the mine tour we spotted this possible replacement fridge ...<br />
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... but thought that Don might declare the Ulti was not a "powered site" as such.<br />
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Anyway, we hurriedly rearranged things so all the stuff that looked salvageable went into the car fridge, which meant that the beer had to come out. Most of the stuff in the freezer just had to be chucked out. <b>Strike three</b>.<br />
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Thankfully things started to look up from there. When we got home we decided to try the internet again and, lo and behold, we were able to connect and do stuff just fine. That's when I stayed up late into the night and wrote up the previous post of this blog, but only after calling Telstra to let them know that there must have been something about the Weipa shopping centre that had stopped us from connecting when strike two happened. The upshot was that we got a couple of free gig of internet access added to our account.<br />
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Later in the morning, along with Liz and Graham, Di and I had a tour of the Weipa bauxite mine which I found somewhat interesting in the sheer enormity of the enterprise. (It is one of the largest - if not <b>the</b> largest - bauxite mine in the world.) Di, on the other hand, said categorically "That was the most boring tour I've ever done". This picture of a bauxite mine might give you an idea why ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrYBfAFJuJUlMNqqnhSDpxHM0fv9IfMiFmOM9irZVs08K2DWlGWuMl7frjRSiEHRzGzfmbrprOzV_pC74gbc3kyvEAdhs66b0m54eeP_ZU153c-gNdaGCZec-NcBJ_M16kedSImGQtEWX/s1600/Bauxite+mine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrYBfAFJuJUlMNqqnhSDpxHM0fv9IfMiFmOM9irZVs08K2DWlGWuMl7frjRSiEHRzGzfmbrprOzV_pC74gbc3kyvEAdhs66b0m54eeP_ZU153c-gNdaGCZec-NcBJ_M16kedSImGQtEWX/s400/Bauxite+mine.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Yep. That's it. That's a bauxite mine, just without the machines running around in it.There's not much to it really. Essentially all they do is scrape off the overburden, scoop up the bauxite and then fill in the area afterwards. But the machines they us are <span style="font-size: large;">VERY BIG</span>. So big that we couldn't actually fit one into a frame of the camera. And the amounts of bauxite they dig up is staggering. Here's a picture of the loading facility:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7QHHecziw-2KfHSKWXGwL9P22AizbZNDnVQFIGUCAO5RXuyDWAr4m9Bt6gd72RPppSnIs-zKGLu5Y_CBpGcbXgpQnF6peU1oSXAco6QH3Ue-zXYoiPyCRn5eY8ikuRGkWJo_fEt4pgFn/s1600/Loading+facility.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7QHHecziw-2KfHSKWXGwL9P22AizbZNDnVQFIGUCAO5RXuyDWAr4m9Bt6gd72RPppSnIs-zKGLu5Y_CBpGcbXgpQnF6peU1oSXAco6QH3Ue-zXYoiPyCRn5eY8ikuRGkWJo_fEt4pgFn/s400/Loading+facility.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Whatever. All four of us understood why Prue and Max decided to give the tour a miss after having done it once before. Enough said on that subject.<br />
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Once we got back, Di decided to try to kick start the fridge by filling the bottom section with ice. She reasoned that, if nothing else, we'd be able to keep some perishables at least a bit cool. <b>I reasoned</b> that I'd be able to put <b>beer</b> back in the car fridge. Guess what? The fridge <b>did</b> start working again and, apart from other benefits, we did have cold beer again. Things were looking up, especially when we discovered that the snorer next door had moved on.<br />
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So, now we can move on. To preview this section, here's a map of the Cape York area with our approximate route marked in in red and blue, with boxes around places of interest (if you right click the image it will open in a new window and you can enlarge it to full size):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifrM1nV80HSxfv9qcj4GY1faY0igf7mnmNq2l6eXr2XtNekCdRRTVve0Ledm15FptwtgujzwUHjfq4N7PGAQy-LJfuvKnKBbaGkhnDOup6nypXdTW1FNrg3aynArwQD5y8Fnk82zVJ8M-n/s1600/Cape_York_map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifrM1nV80HSxfv9qcj4GY1faY0igf7mnmNq2l6eXr2XtNekCdRRTVve0Ledm15FptwtgujzwUHjfq4N7PGAQy-LJfuvKnKBbaGkhnDOup6nypXdTW1FNrg3aynArwQD5y8Fnk82zVJ8M-n/s640/Cape_York_map.jpg" width="464" /></a></div>
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<u>To Captain Billy's Landing</u></h3>
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What a great drive we had the next day! While the first part wasn't very interesting, once we found our way off the Peninsula Development Road we started to have a lot of fun. And there <b>was</b> one real point of interest on the PDR in the form of the <a href="http://www.moretonstation.com.au/history.html" target="_blank">Moreton Telegraph Station</a>, which was completed in 1887 and is now run as a commercial enterprise. Situated adjacent to the crossing on the Wenlock River, it was also a useful stopping off place for folks who might have to wait for flood waters to recede - although it was sometimes inundated along with the surrounding bushland. Here's the entrance ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBpuji9q6RsSKDnJ-8gMJ3-Sz1w0lJyBZ_jG43hlVc3pnuYanS8uJbC_-oPcGx5nj-RgLn7Jjj-vH9O-7la5BoC91hfSuYdLmNNjJN4iMFeN30uPWQMnxBAYcC1uVBbca4nrOE_J2uEhy/s1600/Moreton+entrance.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBpuji9q6RsSKDnJ-8gMJ3-Sz1w0lJyBZ_jG43hlVc3pnuYanS8uJbC_-oPcGx5nj-RgLn7Jjj-vH9O-7la5BoC91hfSuYdLmNNjJN4iMFeN30uPWQMnxBAYcC1uVBbca4nrOE_J2uEhy/s640/Moreton+entrance.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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... and a close-up of the sign telling you what the place has to offer ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcUUyk_9Gso9q3Tqxb6AkEZ9JNtfqh0Y8qVITb7nT67sG7ybsodSIXflZeXAqNUtej5-B9ajcdTnC7OqOhUsPd119dSLkjnZe3TQpXtm5E6kKuClOFf5FUBDenDQorxcqQUdfr01M6rHz/s1600/Moreton+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcUUyk_9Gso9q3Tqxb6AkEZ9JNtfqh0Y8qVITb7nT67sG7ybsodSIXflZeXAqNUtej5-B9ajcdTnC7OqOhUsPd119dSLkjnZe3TQpXtm5E6kKuClOFf5FUBDenDQorxcqQUdfr01M6rHz/s400/Moreton+sign.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The kiosk provides a nice place in a rustic style to cool off for passers-by ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvyDLB5tz0SogMPGHVss2jWjfHRQD0-KEIsQXCI95r_mUMSaAjeqGqylTt0ufgmKD8FBzy75Qzvcw2Hwv9tLMqW6h5uXNz_FEy2M2w5D7hJJUoFfaq6aEG-TDt6l7drFY5X0wDEFVjJCF/s1600/Moreton+kiosk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvyDLB5tz0SogMPGHVss2jWjfHRQD0-KEIsQXCI95r_mUMSaAjeqGqylTt0ufgmKD8FBzy75Qzvcw2Hwv9tLMqW6h5uXNz_FEy2M2w5D7hJJUoFfaq6aEG-TDt6l7drFY5X0wDEFVjJCF/s400/Moreton+kiosk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We actually bought a great sticker from here showing a Palm Cockatoo, which we still hadn't seen up to this point. However, there was a Bush Turkey scratching around down by the river ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIbwdi_KC4DkvbZXc70DTO4ahIBODf7jyWOariAqqkr-Bl0XJSkHgzBU5DXN27SYD8IE6EuSvDMFmVokx_dP48VEWvE3mqp9VZrvx8g3G0o8zazTxY0HTEmNFoVBYB4xLkQJoqGCeXUzF/s1600/Bush+Turkey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIbwdi_KC4DkvbZXc70DTO4ahIBODf7jyWOariAqqkr-Bl0XJSkHgzBU5DXN27SYD8IE6EuSvDMFmVokx_dP48VEWvE3mqp9VZrvx8g3G0o8zazTxY0HTEmNFoVBYB4xLkQJoqGCeXUzF/s400/Bush+Turkey.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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... but Max the consummate draftsman was most interested in the new bridge. Here he is inspecting the structure - and no doubt the workmanship - and giving Liz the benefit of his expertise ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3ln0-CYI5bGKzt7pTGWVZulZ-5tg3n2JOXCetBbfKX_IhvM3bj_0IxVAPwBZE9hV6OTpIqvV8WAotycZB4rbFyuqfUYcvO317RrNiNZK8h66Q3DXiJlTxEtjdFVhbNvzUBbHic_dIGao/s1600/Wenlock+River+crossing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3ln0-CYI5bGKzt7pTGWVZulZ-5tg3n2JOXCetBbfKX_IhvM3bj_0IxVAPwBZE9hV6OTpIqvV8WAotycZB4rbFyuqfUYcvO317RrNiNZK8h66Q3DXiJlTxEtjdFVhbNvzUBbHic_dIGao/s400/Wenlock+River+crossing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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No doubt Graham wouldn't have minded having the bridge there away back in 1986, when he came across on a raft of 44 gallon drums, while others drove through the river with water over the bonnets of their vehicles.</div>
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Shortly thereafter we stopped at Bramwell Station for an early lunch. It was somewhere you could stop and camp if you were in between other roadhouses or camping areas. There was what seemed to be a kiosk set up so I went over to see if they did lunch. It turned out that they only served dinner, but did have grog available (a couple propping up the bar were already on to Jim Beam and Coke). We passed on that offer and had our own refreshments. We then took a neat little four wheel drive track through some lovely bush that was a bit of a short cut off the main development road. I managed to persuade to get Di to take take a photo of this magnificent Cathedral Ant Mound ...</div>
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... but only because she also spotted this cattle at just that spot. She was particular taken with the one that had the multi-coloured face ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzhRqw21SKhbwnwd1BT2lUuD5Yzj5jGqKcNgFjyRhKSQSn9Mq10K59MWH8SW5T6UBCdiNkVnPJrOTF5bzFJewSOdwop8qNtKZ_GIOBDmX9digUQ3kle7p0bBJEhrZIblBHeG0xA1ADmIB/s1600/Cattle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzhRqw21SKhbwnwd1BT2lUuD5Yzj5jGqKcNgFjyRhKSQSn9Mq10K59MWH8SW5T6UBCdiNkVnPJrOTF5bzFJewSOdwop8qNtKZ_GIOBDmX9digUQ3kle7p0bBJEhrZIblBHeG0xA1ADmIB/s400/Cattle.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We rejoined the main drag for another short drive before arriving at the turnoff to Captain Billy's landing. If you look at the vegetation behind the sign below you will probably notice much thicker vegetation than we've seen for a while. That's because we are back in rainforest ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_imyax5AHE6x08tFhkEurkvz54JE0hK50vGe_E_OaA1Q45emjN0h8EEuEe-CNe6SvRERJ4Ka3GDvQ51q0UlCTUb5Nrb5bFXNkZdDJNnV-M0F8mFf47_KEa6HWtKbk0zbEQu13U9yl2EeA/s1600/CB+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_imyax5AHE6x08tFhkEurkvz54JE0hK50vGe_E_OaA1Q45emjN0h8EEuEe-CNe6SvRERJ4Ka3GDvQ51q0UlCTUb5Nrb5bFXNkZdDJNnV-M0F8mFf47_KEa6HWtKbk0zbEQu13U9yl2EeA/s400/CB+sign.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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... where we assembled before setting off ...</div>
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... on a great little track through the forest It had a number of neat little creek crossings before we fetched up at this great spot to spend a couple of nights ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQk9z2vqj0vjyxaAXM_EWsf1USoi-emt-kQIIomUV4cZ3GwxJHN-Bcj99cyx3j7sv7G-BViOaB8XbUAWtTcxwTP-t3DIEkNfAoqoHpejAtqmEdx9l9M1QiHt_YSzmOzKZd_39OBeVsa6KD/s1600/CB+overview.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQk9z2vqj0vjyxaAXM_EWsf1USoi-emt-kQIIomUV4cZ3GwxJHN-Bcj99cyx3j7sv7G-BViOaB8XbUAWtTcxwTP-t3DIEkNfAoqoHpejAtqmEdx9l9M1QiHt_YSzmOzKZd_39OBeVsa6KD/s400/CB+overview.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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It was a bit windy when we arrived (a bloke we met pulled over beside the track said that it was "blowing its guts out down at Captain Billy") so we tried to slide into spots as out of the wind as we could. Graham and Liz and Max and Prue slotted themselves in behind the picnic shelter but Di made it clear that she wanted me to park in this place where the track curls down from the hill ...</div>
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Prue had previously resolved to put on a lamb roast, and had organised all the fixings in Weipa (one more tick on the good side of the ledger for Weipa) including rosemary sprigs for her roast and the vegies that Di was doing in our little camp oven, as well as mint and apple for her own special mint sauce. Unfortunately this photo of that great meal is all I have to illustrate our enjoyment ...</div>
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Next morning we all set off at various speeds up the beach for a walk. Max remembered the beach being covered in thongs when he and Prue were through here seven years ago. There didn't seem to be quite so much footwear, or flotsam in general, but there was an interesting variety, including this massive hawser embedded in the sand - so big and heavy I couldn't budge it ...</div>
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What must have been something of a hazard to even reasonable sized boats was this Westinghouse freezer ...</div>
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But, as always the natural environment was the most interesting. I really liked this tree that had been prevailed upon by the - dare I say it - prevailing winds ... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFloKEDdq6F-lVJxL_dkeYl1wJr4JzlcjJRAvVHp-QAQst4GYVtxgx_4gewkVYXSUHwD5fpEBX2_8S7sytF82m2o411gKl1M2LOe3SSb8U5Stys2ghyiQ6JL2vbewmKuNKfAFUnd27n6Tf/s1600/Horizontal+tree+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFloKEDdq6F-lVJxL_dkeYl1wJr4JzlcjJRAvVHp-QAQst4GYVtxgx_4gewkVYXSUHwD5fpEBX2_8S7sytF82m2o411gKl1M2LOe3SSb8U5Stys2ghyiQ6JL2vbewmKuNKfAFUnd27n6Tf/s640/Horizontal+tree+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sorry about that, but it really is a good illustration of the way wind can shape vegetation. It was about 10 metres long and the main trunk was about as big around as my thigh.</div>
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Although it was a bit blowy I had been contemplating a swim, but not after we came across this croc hiding place just around the corner ...</div>
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Focussing again on the beach rather than the water, we started to see a number of holes like this one, which my thumb easily fit into ...</div>
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I thought there might be crabs in these holes, so I dug down with a Nautilus shell I found laying on the sand nearby ...</div>
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... but after about 600 mm the hole just petered out.</div>
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Towards the end of our morning walk the sun actually came out quite strongly for a while and we got this photo showing what the shore looked like southwards of the landing ...</div>
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After a seafood-free lunch we all headed off together in that direction. The tide had gone out enough to allow us to sneak around the headland on a rock shelf that was partly covered with sand ... </div>
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There were caves to explore ...</div>
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... and these interesting, pitted but very solid-looking rocks deposited on the beach ...</div>
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Back near where one arrives at the beach is the old, ruined jetty ...</div>
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... which we thought might have been used to bring supplies ashore during World War II.</div>
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That night it rained (and blew its guts out) quite a bit, which was quite good because Di got some lovely vegetation shots the next morning before we set off ...</div>
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She also went down to the beach strand and got this nice shot of a creeper that was weaving itself into the sand ...</div>
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We left Captain Billy's Landing with this panorama imprinted on our minds (don't look too closely: the stitching hasn't worked as well as I'd like) ...</div>
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<h3>
<u>We Roll On to Loyalty Beach</u></h3>
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Back to the main road and then northwards, the next major point of interest is the Jardine River crossing where it is necessary to take a ferry across if you wish to enter the Northern Peninsula Area. Cost for a car, trailer and two passengers: <span style="font-size: large;">$145</span>. Don't worry, that covers the return journey. Here's the ferry arriving at the south bank of the river with one car on board ...</div>
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... and Di and me getting off on the north bank ...</div>
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And now on to the highlight of the day, something we'd been looking forward to for a long time: a freshwater swim at the famous Fruit Bat Falls. Prue took this photo of the falls ...</div>
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... and this one of the rest of us enjoying the water ...</div>
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Back on dry land, Graham asked if we'd seen the carnivorous plants. Di went back down the track and took a few photos. I thought this was the best one ...</div>
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By this time we really felt we'd arrived in the far north, especially as the roads had suddenly deteriorated significantly - but there was also a certain "je ne sais quoi" in the air.</div>
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After lunch it was back on the road for the final short leg to <a href="http://www.loyaltybeach.com/home.htm" target="_blank">Loyalty Beach</a>. This memorial can be found at the entrance to reception ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEOUjBGKPpjKUY3S6Qhj12Ox5rrP2Wpu58H1aOa99ngtY041WyZa8K_ZgCdEX5sybwo4ikbPo8hUPLxMRdFlCKPa47gKrUnLHaGD17cq83v64bqwCY4F6d10T5Sm3SDMgiB8gxzjrwVuj/s1600/Memorial+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEOUjBGKPpjKUY3S6Qhj12Ox5rrP2Wpu58H1aOa99ngtY041WyZa8K_ZgCdEX5sybwo4ikbPo8hUPLxMRdFlCKPa47gKrUnLHaGD17cq83v64bqwCY4F6d10T5Sm3SDMgiB8gxzjrwVuj/s400/Memorial+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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... and here is the detail from the plaque ...</div>
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It seems pretty sad that "Old Dan" (Old? At sixty?) died only four years after establishing the campground and fishing lodge at Loyalty Beach. </div>
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Now for another Max story. (Max is short for Maxwell, but it could also be "Maxi-Million" because he's worth his weight in gold, maximising every situation). When we arrived we discovered that we hadn't been allocated a spot to camp despite having booked quite some time in advance. Max managed to negotiate a wonderful area for us to pull into and set up our campers. There's not a lot else to say about Loyalty Beach at this stage, because we had just the late afternoon to appreciate the beauty of the place before catching the ferry over here to Horn Island in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torres_Strait_Islands" target="_blank">Torres Strait Islands</a> group. I'll write more about Loyalty Beach when we return to the mainland the day after tomorrow.</div>
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Meanwhile, here's a photo of some containers waiting to be hoisted about the main cargo ship that serves the islands. Note the vehicles perched on top of the containers ...</div>
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The next photo shows that cargo ship, with our ferry in front - which gives you an idea of how big is the passenger ferry that runs between Siesia on the mainland and Thursday Island ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4Cff-BVU7l6gBc6gq_Z-zgwEV69yc5wMJ-g0HRjAaX6YN2z2RCWJ-TJ5codLh6p4MPYjXdASTJ3oqIFZwuy4a60_Mm5gkQImGuucS_vxq47twtMz9VNRh9OdbnYsFmvd7vgm19EdPpOD/s1600/Ships.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4Cff-BVU7l6gBc6gq_Z-zgwEV69yc5wMJ-g0HRjAaX6YN2z2RCWJ-TJ5codLh6p4MPYjXdASTJ3oqIFZwuy4a60_Mm5gkQImGuucS_vxq47twtMz9VNRh9OdbnYsFmvd7vgm19EdPpOD/s640/Ships.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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After the hour-long cruise across to Thursday Island we sat waiting for the little ferry that would run us across to Horn Island. We are now in island mode ...</div>
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... and so are Liz, Graham, Prue and Max ...</div>
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That's it for this post. More on Horn and Thursday Islands and Loyalty Beach in the next post. And then it's off to the tip of the continent. See you later ...</div>
Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-10913623592853095082013-06-06T03:16:00.000-07:002013-06-12T05:10:51.524-07:00Cairns to Weipa - and The Cape Beckons!<div>
Okay, so I am doing an interim publish because it looks like I will run out of time to get this leg fully finished before we leave Weipa tomorrow morning. Hopefully this morsel will keep you all interested for the moment.</div>
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Cheers</div>
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Doug</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">To the Lions Den</span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">The day before starting our northern sojourn on the 30th of May, we rendezvoused for lunch with the folks who were going to be our traveling companions for the next four weeks. We’d previously met Prue and Max Borrows and Liz Kemmis and Graham Hanna at an Ultimate owners get-together when we had to take Ulysses back to the factory in Moruya for some TLC. A plan was hatched at that time to take a trip together to Cape York and grew to fruition over the intervening eight or so months. Our meal together on the waterfront in Cairns was a great way to reconnect before setting off the next morning. Here’s a photo of the six of us, anticipating our upcoming adventure:</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Later that afternoon Di and I packed up the camper, having already made the decision to sleep indoors because the forecast was for a continuation of the showers that we’d been having in the evenings while we’d been staying with our grandkids and their parents, and it’s always nice to start a trip with a dry camper. And were we glad we did! It rained quite heavily that evening and again just before we set off northwards the next morning. (Graham says “it bloody bucketed down”).</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our plan was to meet 75 km north of Cairns at Mossman and continue on in convoy from there. Di and I stopped at a lovely little cafe at Ellis Beach for breakfast:</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not bad for outdoor dining at 8:30 in the morning, eh!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just after that photo was taken, Max and Prue came by, saw us parked and joined us while we finished our meal. On to Mossman where we caught up with Liz and Graham for morning tea. Here is our convoy all lined up at the little park on the northern edge of town:</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">As you can see, right from the first morning the blokes on the trip were ready to take their responsibilities of exchanging ideas about vehicles seriously...</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">... well, maybe not all of us all the time:</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Mossman is a lovely little town. There is <a href="http://www.mossmangorge.com.au/" target="_blank">a gorge nearby</a> with wonderful swimming. It would make a good base if you wanted to spend a few days exploring the southern part of Daintree National Park as far north as Cape Tribulation. And the street-scapes feature beautiful trees like this one, that are like a world of life unto themselves...</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"> It's all very well to hang around talking FourBeFour, but we needed to get moving so next it was on to the little village of Daintree, where it commenced to rain. It's a compact little "business area" with a feel all its own. This montage of three images on the public loos give a bit of an idea of where the locals are coming from ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">... as does this one of the Big <a href="http://www.abfa.org.au/barramundi.html" target="_blank">Barramundi</a>:</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4a4BEMb4G-XKeayowMxTeOMssc7f46s2HjaEjW9TE1EkF8uaPMQJ4OWPJujS7msEvv-NenrAm8otnJMGP4Fl8dzob9Cy0PUs3be6gCG0xr8p8ambruyYHsEViwR29daXrJVpn48XsyDz/s1600/Big+Barra+at+Daintree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4a4BEMb4G-XKeayowMxTeOMssc7f46s2HjaEjW9TE1EkF8uaPMQJ4OWPJujS7msEvv-NenrAm8otnJMGP4Fl8dzob9Cy0PUs3be6gCG0xr8p8ambruyYHsEViwR29daXrJVpn48XsyDz/s400/Big+Barra+at+Daintree.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Affectionately referred to simply as "Barra" by inhabitants of northern Australia (and us southern pretenders, of course), Barramundi are regarded as one of the premier sport and eating fish in this part of Australia.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Apart from having a look at this little town, one reason for calling in to Daintree was to enquire about the state of the <a href="http://www.thebloomfieldtrack.com/" target="_blank">Bloomfield Track</a> before catching the ferry across the Daintree River so we could proceed past Cape Tribulation - so named by Captain Cook for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Tribulation,_Queensland" target="_blank">the difficulties he and his crew encountered there</a> - and on to the Lions Den. We’d all driven the Bloomfield before. Although it has a bit of a reputation as a “proper" four wheel drive track, it’s a lot tamer now than it was in times past, but none of us had towed our campers over it so we were a bit keyed up as there are some pretty steep and narrow sections of road that would be a bit tricky were we to encounter oncoming traffic.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Upon arriving, we couldn’t get a definitive statement from people at the Daintree Information Centre on the state of the road north. Reports were rather mixed: from “okay if you take it easy”, to “some trees down in places but you can drive around them” to “pretty slippery in places”. There was no up-to-date report available from the road authorities for conditions on the Bloomfield and no clear indication of how much rain had fallen along the route. Faced with the choice of catching the ferry across the river with the strong likelihood of finding very tricky if not dangerous conditions and having to come back across the river - paying another ferry fare - backtracking to Mossman and taking the Peninsula Development Road (which is the regular route for traffic heading north) - we opted for the latter. As we travelled this more inland road we could see lots of very wet-looking clouds out towards the coast and decided that we’d made the right decision.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">When we eventually arrived at the Lions Den ...</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1hKnpzAWsmWqSCVT5RUZeNHGq9biPEx3ecxJ4tXB-RbET986n9LeMMXHMXWKcaBDRbnntvwWimvrcptrtK2vTEczENxJs44edLHO12j5SPXwFjWQpKcINzhsgnVKXkjWdpa2lFbM6Ail/s1600/Lions+Den+entrance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1hKnpzAWsmWqSCVT5RUZeNHGq9biPEx3ecxJ4tXB-RbET986n9LeMMXHMXWKcaBDRbnntvwWimvrcptrtK2vTEczENxJs44edLHO12j5SPXwFjWQpKcINzhsgnVKXkjWdpa2lFbM6Ail/s400/Lions+Den+entrance.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">... Di and I smugly opened Ulysses up and unpacked the canvas while the others flipped their lids (NOT figuratively speaking) and erected their soaking wet canopies. Actually, while we’d all prefer packing and setting up dry it’s not really difficult or even very unpleasant packing up and re-erecting a wet Ultimate. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Although the roads travelled hadn’t been at all dusty we then completed the ritual by repairing to the pub for a cleansing ale, where I had a chat with a bloke who seemed to be a bit of a fixture. I asked if he was working on the road. He said he would be if the rain would stop long enough. That was a pretty good indication to us that we’d done the right thing in taking the inland route. We all had a pub meal that night and repaired to our campers, somewhat disappointed that we weren’t able to start our trip in style via the Bloomfield but, given the rain that had fallen, relieved that we’d checked road conditions and opted for the cautious approach.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Later that night it started raining pretty heavily and varying intensities of downpours continued off and on through the night. This little video will give something of an idea of what it was like the next morning when we were contemplating packing up and hitting the road:</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Shortly thereafter the rain eased to a slight drizzle so we decided that it was a “Carpe Diem” moment, and raced out to pack up. And we all just about made it before the next heavy shower arrived!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">We planned to spend two nights at the Endeavour River Escape just north of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooktown,_Queensland" target="_blank">Cooktown</a> (named for Captain James Cook, who spent time here while his crew repaired the Endeavour) so we could have a day and a half to explore this historic village and surrounding places of interest. Along the road into Cooktown is a small National Park called Black Mountain. It is a striking place as you can see from this photo:</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4UV63Y67BqyCqy3rQoe9CHori6mDfCwYF6Yu211wqog7QywGvhhytAvv3Y3BbgIWbylXxQa-y5K2OKb3ovB9VerEasC-zVJmhCyiepntSDYBYnL1taBpJtDBXAjG4dYPypog8wFuB8eZ/s1600/Black+Mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4UV63Y67BqyCqy3rQoe9CHori6mDfCwYF6Yu211wqog7QywGvhhytAvv3Y3BbgIWbylXxQa-y5K2OKb3ovB9VerEasC-zVJmhCyiepntSDYBYnL1taBpJtDBXAjG4dYPypog8wFuB8eZ/s400/Black+Mountain.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Basically, Black Mountain National Park is actually a couple of monolithic pieces of granite that have fractured into massive piles of very large boulders. Apparently the cores are still intact, but you wouldn’t know it from outward appearances.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">On we drove to the Endeavour River Escape, a property that has set up a really nice campground to augment income from running beef, growing passionfruit and breeding Clydesdale draught horses. As soon as we arrived Di jumped out of the car to take a photo of a family of Radjah Shell Ducks - a new species to add to here collection of sightings- floating on a beautiful lily pond:</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">(At this point it’s important for me to acknowledge the massive job that Max did to research and organise all our bookings for us. Without his efforts we just wouldn’t have been able to do a lot of things that we wanted to on this trip. So, from all of us, thanks heaps Max!)</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">After settled in to our campsites one of the first things we did was take a walk down to the river to see if there were any crocodiles about. Just so you know, Di and I are on Croc Alert, anticipating our first sighting and trying to avoid Serious Injury or Death:</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">No crocs sighted, we headed into town to have a look at a few of the local attractions, including the <a href="http://au.totaltravel.yahoo.com/listing/616057/australia/qld/tropicalqld/cooktown-cape-york/cooktown/cooktown-powder/" target="_blank">powder magazine</a> dating from the <a href="http://www.tourismcapeyork.com/do/history/gold-rush" target="_blank">Palmer River gold rush</a> days, and a trip up Grassy Hill to see the lighthouse ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">... where the lighthouse was built and Captain Cook took a number of walks to survey the reefs while his ship the Endeavour was undergoing repairs to its hull. T</span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">he view over town and the Endeavour River estuary isn't bad ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then it was back to town to say hello to a miner heading for the goldfields ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">... play on the musical boat ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">... and check out this derelict dugout canoe ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Because of the situation with the Bloomfield Track the previous day, Max had a suspicion that we might have difficulties further along our intended route, which would take us through Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park via Kalpower Crossing where we had a night’s accommodation booked at the National Park campground. (Queensland National Parks regulations stipulate that park bookings must be made in advance. Max’s efforts in sorting our itinerary and pre-booking parks campsites had been massive, so this was a significant setback - and he’d already re-arranged this booking twice as information he’d received at one stage after making a booking at Kalpower showed the road to Kalpower was closed, and then re-opened.) Not only that but Rinyirru is one of the major highlights of the southern part of the journey to the Cape, noted for its birdlife.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sure enough, when he rang the local Parks Office Max discovered the road was open as far as the Crossing but would be closed from there onwards until two days after we were due to go through. Going to Kalpower would involve backtracking southeast 91 kilometres to the Old Laura homestead and then turning directly south for another 27 kilometres before joining the Peninsula Development Road. Definitely not the way we wanted to go. Max had a brief discussion with parks personnel about opening the road early as the roads seemed to be drying fast but they said there was nothing they could do as the opening and closing of roads - including sections through National Parks - was done by the Cooktown Shire Council. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Max took a trip down to the Council offices to see if he could persuade them to open the road a couple of days early for us, unfortunately to no avail. That meant that our booking at Kalpower - for two nights, mind - was useless. So, Max rang Parks again to negotiate transferring our bookings, He had a long, long conversation with a number of different people who presented him with a number of positions, but the common theme for the first half hour or so was that we would lose our booking fee. (Work this one out: apparently regulations state that if you make a booking more than two weeks in advance - which must be paid for at the time - and then cancel, you lose your fee; but if you book within two weeks of your intended stay but then cancel you get your money back! Hmmm. Methinks someone in the upper echelons of the Queensland National Parks Service has been watching too much “Yes Minister ...) This is already a long story, so to cut it short suffice to say that Max patiently waded through the bureaucratic mire and managed to get at least some of our booking fees credited towards a booking elsewhere.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Next day we drove southeast to Archer Point, where another lighthouse once operated ... </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">... and gun placements were situated during World War II. A</span></span><span style="font-size: small;">lso in evidence are the r</span><span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">emains of an old wharf used for landing supplies ...</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">... which would have come from Brisbane to the south. Just offshore is a shipping hazard by the name of Rocky Island, which has its own little light ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">One thing that was new for Di and I but perhaps not the others was the sight of those big turtles feeding just offshore. There were a few of them, and it was a bit choppy to get a real good look, but it excited us none the less and was another indication that we were really are now in the tropics.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Graham then led us to Trevethan Falls which he’d visited on a previous trip, which was lucky because this lovely little gem is well hidden away off the beaten track. Whereas there were about a dozen other people at Archer Point while we were there, we had the falls all to ourselves ... </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">This tree spanned most of the stream below the falls ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">... Max took off his shoes and socks in search of the perfect shot ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">... and here's our prize: a view of water tumbling down into a secluded pool:</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Back on the track to our vehicles I got this snap of an <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/national/the-mistletoe-its-as-australian-as-the-gum-tree-20111221-1p5nr.html" target="_blank">(Australian) Mistletoe</a> flower ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">... and back on the road out from the falls, where it is still quite isolated, we were reminded of the pervasiveness</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> of religion proselytisation ...</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Next stop was Keatings Lagoon, just outside of Cooktown, to see if any birds were about. Unfortunately, it was a bit early in the year for this place which is normally teeming with waterfowl. Apparently, the birds tend to congregate here when other places have dried up. Still it was great to get out of the car and stretch the legs again. These photos of Di's will give you a bit of an idea of what the place is like:</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Into town we went for a late lunch and then a visit to the Botanical Gardens and the Nature’s Powerhouse Museum for a cup of coffee. Much to our surprise when we arrived, the wonderful cafe we remembered from our previous visit two years ago had shut: not bringing in enough money, apparently. We thought this was fairly shortsighted as we would have stayed longer and probably spent more money on some cards and other mementos in the shop had the cafe been open. The upshot is that we moved on and went back to camp a little earlier than expected.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">With the removal of Kalpower from our itinerary we had no fixed place to spend the night, so the plan was to set off and stop wherever we felt happy. An interesting and very pretty drive took us past Endeavour Falls ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">... and the lovely little Tourist Park here (completely empty when we passed through) would make for a pleasant overnight another time. A little further along we crossed a creek and got out to photograph yet another lovely cataract ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">... and I found this little seedling sprouting straight out of the side road which used to be the main route before the old bridge got washed away ...</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">On via Battle Camp Road to the Old Laura Homestead, a short 100 or so kilometres from our previous stop at the Endeavour River Escape. Here's a "bum shot" (climbing terminology for an unflattering photo taken from below a lead climber that basically just shows their rear end) of our three campers, taken when we arrived. The main reason for taking this photo is to show our states of origin. If you look closely you can distinguish plates from Queensland, Tasmania and New South Wales ...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHTXqfqLKc2eYd3BKgFeo5xXFmghZqBZ-GDZuqH1CT3a0gieRGxIji6Sqn4dyawSKv2B3n7jYcMufd6d-VgAQ9jrCL_NmYs8qB8CKlFSqGjC1xnYwvMWHsyXMbWnD2LXbAqOMLpPGTd0B/s1600/Ultimate+bum+shot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHTXqfqLKc2eYd3BKgFeo5xXFmghZqBZ-GDZuqH1CT3a0gieRGxIji6Sqn4dyawSKv2B3n7jYcMufd6d-VgAQ9jrCL_NmYs8qB8CKlFSqGjC1xnYwvMWHsyXMbWnD2LXbAqOMLpPGTd0B/s400/Ultimate+bum+shot.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A trio of handsome backsides?</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">This historic station established to supply beef for the <a href="http://www.tourismcapeyork.com/do/history/gold-rush" target="_blank">Palmer River gold rush</a> and is something of a mecca for folks traveling through this way. While there Di also positively identified three new birds: the Forest Kingfisher, the Rainbow Bee-eater and the Olive-backed Oriole. Sorry, no photos at this time. However, you might enjoy a few snapshots of what's left at Old Laura, like this one-blade plough made in Chatanooga Tennessee ....</span></span><br />
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... this rusted out wreck of an old Blitz truck ...<br />
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... and its straight six engine block ...<br />
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... an interpretative sign explaining the construction of the homestead ...<br />
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... and the homestead itself as it looks today ...<br />
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Because of the forced changes to our route we had a day to spare and were looking for an additional campsite before we reached Weipa. So, after poking around the homestead for a while and having morning tea we thought we might as well have a look at the site adjacent to the Old Laura station. The campsite is situated in the area where the old Chinese garden had been established to supply the station and passers-by with seasonal vegetables and fruit. It was a very nice spot, situated amongst ancient mango trees and Moreton Bay Ash trees so it was a no-brainer to kick back here for the afternoon ...<br />
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Taking time to savour the moment usually yields unforeseen pleasures, like a few extra hours to read a book, and unexpected discoveries, like this bird's nest Max found lying on the ground ...<br />
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<u>Laura and Haan River</u></h3>
Our trek towards the Cape continued the next day with the short drive to "new" Laura, where an old tractor was parked amongst some picnic tables across from the shop. Here it is with our "tractor" and camper parked in the background ...<br />
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This is an important centre for the world class <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinkan_rock_art" target="_blank">Quinkan rock art</a>, and the <a href="http://quinkancc.com.au/" target="_blank">Quinkan Cultural Centre</a> in Laura does a great job of interpreting the local Aboriginal connection with the land as well as European history in the area. We spent a couple of hours looking around and then went out to the Split Rock art site. A $5 fee allows access to three small galleries that give a taste of the concentration of art works in the area. Time and budget considerations permitting, we may take a more extensive tour on the way back south. This is the sign that greets you at the start of the walk up to the galleries ...<br />
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Out of respect for the stipulation on the sign that no videos or cameras are allowed in galleries unless prior arrangement has been made, I don't have any pictures of the artwork to share at this time. Unfortunately, not all visitors show the appropriate respect for the Ang-Gnarra Aboriginal Corporations efforts to make these galleries accessible at a small fee ...<br />
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It's only a short walk up a hillside to these three galleries and it's well worth a visit on your way past. Lot of layering has taken place over various periods of time and it's very interesting to see different images covering others from previous eras. To give a taste of the setting of the galleries I did take a couple of photos along the way showing the boulders where the Flying Fox gallery ...<br />
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... and the Split Rock gallery are situated ...<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Haan River is another significant river crossing at which there is a roadhouse and a campground. Camping was quite nice and you could walk down to the river for a bit of a look but like every other such place, swimming is not advisable. Di’s description of the amenities block at Haan River could be summed up in one word: “rustic”. And it was, but - despite appearances - the very basic-looking shower proved to be just fantastic and far better than you get in lots of modern hotel rooms. A neat little highlight of the place was that an emu, a peacock and a kookaburra all fairly nonchalantly visited our campsite during the course of the late afternoon and again the next morning ...</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><u>The Archer River Run</u></span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After leaving Haan River, the first place of importance one comes to is the Musgrave Roadhouse, where Saltwater Creek is crossed and the route we intended to take to this point comes in from the east and Kalpower Crossing through Violet Vale. (Were you to continue west on this road rather than turning north on the Peninsula Development Road you would go through Glen Garland. I was a bit taken with the alliteration of those two places.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saltwater Creek is crossed just before arriving at Musgrave Roadhouse and this is what it looks like ...</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OQNbFfzu-eNhrQzSsPumcHe8Mz8kbCZS-iC19a-FciSI3Wc9GqHh3kAFIUDU6dUW4ecZwshB1nlN34VtE_twTrxP3AjMBiEA65Rnrk-IdZ8yC1OVI4BuaZja4m4TPeeaQia38ssqotyh/s1600/Saltwater+Creek+pano.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OQNbFfzu-eNhrQzSsPumcHe8Mz8kbCZS-iC19a-FciSI3Wc9GqHh3kAFIUDU6dUW4ecZwshB1nlN34VtE_twTrxP3AjMBiEA65Rnrk-IdZ8yC1OVI4BuaZja4m4TPeeaQia38ssqotyh/s640/Saltwater+Creek+pano.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px;">Many of this tiny but important way stations have got a headstone or a commemorative plaque honouring a significant local identity, sometimes tucked </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">away somewhere but more often than not in a prominent position so that travellers can pause and ruminate on the contribution that person made to the local community. Musgrave Roadhouse is no different ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrqtzg-Zpz1kacrJp46dAMRtX2gSDDZQStcHY4WNjy_TY0uzh2JjaUsVx2_93njSI_1d8vfmc28ox3fTiPe-0j6CNBVy_2q3zUZKzZYKSByVLZua2zvfmYvvAMYbV4gOkNwIDlkDHBF3j/s1600/Mus'+grave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrqtzg-Zpz1kacrJp46dAMRtX2gSDDZQStcHY4WNjy_TY0uzh2JjaUsVx2_93njSI_1d8vfmc28ox3fTiPe-0j6CNBVy_2q3zUZKzZYKSByVLZua2zvfmYvvAMYbV4gOkNwIDlkDHBF3j/s400/Mus'+grave.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">You get some idea about how far you are from various places on the Cape York Peninsula. Bear in mind that most of this travel is on gravel roads, often in fairly ordinary condition ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HjE3y-ln4UTc6nEZ9TwQ24h_cLc5B0ESvhlzvPdORUh-Y_kXDpV6y2YSNDCydeoY2SHjCYPewKMh0aBGAJw-Qcxz1TAh8mAlcWfS9AyMQXTbMR5EcDDHsHRRY7DwCQNbIf-YdJxKl6sX/s1600/Where+to.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HjE3y-ln4UTc6nEZ9TwQ24h_cLc5B0ESvhlzvPdORUh-Y_kXDpV6y2YSNDCydeoY2SHjCYPewKMh0aBGAJw-Qcxz1TAh8mAlcWfS9AyMQXTbMR5EcDDHsHRRY7DwCQNbIf-YdJxKl6sX/s400/Where+to.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">On the topic of road conditions, it might seem that we would be sorely disappointed in not being able to travel on the Bloomfield Track and through Kalpower Crossing (and Violet Vale), while it was something of a let-down the trade-off was that the condition of the roads that we have been on has been wonderful. We are right at the start of the season for the Cape and road crews are busy grading and fixing up dodgy bits. Max and Prue keep saying how amazingly smooth the roads have been. We've been exclaiming "more Silk Road!" often as we have emerged from a short section that hasn't yet been graded.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Anyway, back to Musgrave. This old fuel bowser gives some idea of how long the roadhouse has been supplying motorists with what they need ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2YnNFwlg9qv3HXlTtaHyAhRLUg4yXoA7Wq8aBWoZhsPaTIgbmdAVHhkhMn4vuzTfpn0SE63YVXoU8TjBueEXFNYfqzmjptSs1RzIX1HLxSqZcEBvXtrC4FSoXM1HMR2pL-aH7aeF3Ccme/s1600/Musgrave+bowser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2YnNFwlg9qv3HXlTtaHyAhRLUg4yXoA7Wq8aBWoZhsPaTIgbmdAVHhkhMn4vuzTfpn0SE63YVXoU8TjBueEXFNYfqzmjptSs1RzIX1HLxSqZcEBvXtrC4FSoXM1HMR2pL-aH7aeF3Ccme/s400/Musgrave+bowser.jpg" width="155" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">We saw the interesting sight of a couple of brand new off-road camper trailers being off-loaded from a semi-trailer ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtm9uS6Jo49WgZuqcE1sIjxHx2_BN-xhQlJkNfBfqrKVjAcjuy1l-wrDKCGLmjRajAOPNxS_wjEgkBXKTbhbR4sa400FxpxNtiFXTXtcqQlGyjg9Fpw0lX3rIylHxWa_tMJWP3205E_jQ/s1600/Camper+trailers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtm9uS6Jo49WgZuqcE1sIjxHx2_BN-xhQlJkNfBfqrKVjAcjuy1l-wrDKCGLmjRajAOPNxS_wjEgkBXKTbhbR4sa400FxpxNtiFXTXtcqQlGyjg9Fpw0lX3rIylHxWa_tMJWP3205E_jQ/s400/Camper+trailers.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://onlinecampers.com.au/" target="_blank"><br /></a></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://onlinecampers.com.au/" target="_blank">They were from </a>online campers.com.au and were about to be taken on a trip with some four wheel drive magazine or other. And then of course there is the Ultimate ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNN_E1i2BKZIjHTqZ6ZgX-GK0GBAMWDo93mJO8iVqQzLJADeWhmMOTkypBiM-B2cJk1X9Ha7Dsv-IfHbcxQ_eeZ1c_RAzMQtn8TV44k6oSs5t551knBzviDUxaYI1fFEN-AF7rjvkFhSv/s1600/Ultimates+at+Musgrave+Roadhouse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNN_E1i2BKZIjHTqZ6ZgX-GK0GBAMWDo93mJO8iVqQzLJADeWhmMOTkypBiM-B2cJk1X9Ha7Dsv-IfHbcxQ_eeZ1c_RAzMQtn8TV44k6oSs5t551knBzviDUxaYI1fFEN-AF7rjvkFhSv/s640/Ultimates+at+Musgrave+Roadhouse.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">We were starting to see more and more ant mounds along the side of the road and decided to stop at one spot to take some photos ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1APDQy5Ow076ky4fnrOzf-u6RzNs4xEbbjp_TgTZLetIytkX0ymfK_t05hkq9XHTXtnaH_b3Sn_fOOWf7N82e3JkubOEKeqiJDePu0bQWo3oB7IYWl37Xz_m5923OLwAeueogMqG4MAnQ/s1600/Magnetic+Ant+mounds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1APDQy5Ow076ky4fnrOzf-u6RzNs4xEbbjp_TgTZLetIytkX0ymfK_t05hkq9XHTXtnaH_b3Sn_fOOWf7N82e3JkubOEKeqiJDePu0bQWo3oB7IYWl37Xz_m5923OLwAeueogMqG4MAnQ/s640/Magnetic+Ant+mounds.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">It's very interesting to get up close and personal. The ants are busy cutting and storing grass inside the mounds for when the wet season comes. Here's an image showing an ant stuffing a bit of grass into a hole in the surface of the mound with the assistance of a companion ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAQy5JkEKn8TFePd9K2vitoVGAjAV9RfCZBF12J3rtyu2AtV7hw4W3U1PU0rfrMSeJkUX6negyHwChunzNiavGs_uBr11a7tI1zjPFe4-u9d2P-Gw-aVxxdoBiIGj849QPlWk_VR7YEnQ/s1600/Ant+close-up+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAQy5JkEKn8TFePd9K2vitoVGAjAV9RfCZBF12J3rtyu2AtV7hw4W3U1PU0rfrMSeJkUX6negyHwChunzNiavGs_uBr11a7tI1zjPFe4-u9d2P-Gw-aVxxdoBiIGj849QPlWk_VR7YEnQ/s640/Ant+close-up+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">... and this next image shows some major teamwork to shift a relatively big bit of grass ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMVLk0GVDL6VuGDtbAb6pyBZKy_JHaJf1cuvIKdoYvO3OasciYOfumDNlKkFEmhiQQFXSfkOW-6X_zJbHpjDp0Tw4LYeE-oRTnjSbq4bv37iwVt_HmsAYqEYc9BD8NEr2K8EjRyD8jIig/s1600/Ant+close-up+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMVLk0GVDL6VuGDtbAb6pyBZKy_JHaJf1cuvIKdoYvO3OasciYOfumDNlKkFEmhiQQFXSfkOW-6X_zJbHpjDp0Tw4LYeE-oRTnjSbq4bv37iwVt_HmsAYqEYc9BD8NEr2K8EjRyD8jIig/s640/Ant+close-up+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px;">The last place of interest before reaching our overnight stop at Haan River was the small town of Coen. And of most interest is the gender-bender pub the locals have at their disposal ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvcJAB0MylcBqjjacxwSydcHTPIrHE7g6QgUB34m-y_pEPwz9oaW1GIDrlSffyHNyuJCQiwbg3xThmCYA-ztXVhHmAGEowEpVj1PMQrMiapgOe0ztsM5jnAKEiWlgQ4sYFSS4hyp5UFhb/s1600/Sexchange+Hotel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvcJAB0MylcBqjjacxwSydcHTPIrHE7g6QgUB34m-y_pEPwz9oaW1GIDrlSffyHNyuJCQiwbg3xThmCYA-ztXVhHmAGEowEpVj1PMQrMiapgOe0ztsM5jnAKEiWlgQ4sYFSS4hyp5UFhb/s400/Sexchange+Hotel.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">We stopped for lunch beside a pretty little stream just the other side of Coen, and then as we were approaching the Quarantine Checking Station spotted a burnt out semi-trailer on the side of the road ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIKkStPoJA8-SdzxF4isHpTwsKmkomSNbzNC_Suu2Vi8-K_yx2UmetG-yw9XN__Dc97OHFck2V9U8QOcOoX-6viZKUxGnr6wS1W7SKhzA0Cgp-UU0XNOwSL6RdBJqwjm5n3oe7bW9Fn8o/s1600/Burnt+out+semi-trailer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIKkStPoJA8-SdzxF4isHpTwsKmkomSNbzNC_Suu2Vi8-K_yx2UmetG-yw9XN__Dc97OHFck2V9U8QOcOoX-6viZKUxGnr6wS1W7SKhzA0Cgp-UU0XNOwSL6RdBJqwjm5n3oe7bW9Fn8o/s640/Burnt+out+semi-trailer.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">... which was a sobering sight as we neared the end of our day's journey at Archer River ...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhiIfTQH_FJ6bt23vzhVv7Td49-Ff55XDaSmWJxADNflDlOYOoemLXeKG4u-syTQ3svEKfeTqjcKUaaUqNFLZDlznKnPSKaHdMgXZdlP5mfKI1ZZ4wr_9zC3OXz_zupOBWe0VfVgVshhX/s1600/Archer+River+pano.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhiIfTQH_FJ6bt23vzhVv7Td49-Ff55XDaSmWJxADNflDlOYOoemLXeKG4u-syTQ3svEKfeTqjcKUaaUqNFLZDlznKnPSKaHdMgXZdlP5mfKI1ZZ4wr_9zC3OXz_zupOBWe0VfVgVshhX/s640/Archer+River+pano.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We arrived reasonably early and set up camp. Lots of people arrived through the afternoon, but it never got to feeling crowded ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPcmwIQeyh0LeZbV9kBHN2sK4AKS_zVJTi5SiQoYr0wQiXPKn0zBxKZe73BehmSWEMi77mfUqoBgJvF-zFn-k7lVsyHIxceaj3_ozLHWSj4au7cKlmmVVfR6zYX_7qX7mW6TzW9OwQjJF/s1600/Archer+River+camping.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPcmwIQeyh0LeZbV9kBHN2sK4AKS_zVJTi5SiQoYr0wQiXPKn0zBxKZe73BehmSWEMi77mfUqoBgJvF-zFn-k7lVsyHIxceaj3_ozLHWSj4au7cKlmmVVfR6zYX_7qX7mW6TzW9OwQjJF/s640/Archer+River+camping.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This entire campground has been underwater during various big floods cause by tropical storms. The amenities block, which is above and beyond the campground shows previous flood peaks ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8od3rt-htJWD19BpOsD4JyfcTvbYxabog2iu56xVqG9mCTmLP3YJtxsP0oTUtFgD3-CFBVsRTF0rLQ5m4eCTWBsNN-5Q15Myq7EbNhoWnFW8Eh0Un6WiRuM1PfnM812Tzxw84K3U6TVVi/s1600/Flood+levels.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8od3rt-htJWD19BpOsD4JyfcTvbYxabog2iu56xVqG9mCTmLP3YJtxsP0oTUtFgD3-CFBVsRTF0rLQ5m4eCTWBsNN-5Q15Myq7EbNhoWnFW8Eh0Un6WiRuM1PfnM812Tzxw84K3U6TVVi/s400/Flood+levels.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Again, there was a plaque attesting to the character of a local identity ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWbkqEQyvzpEe1ke1TSnSLxeuyzmRmB2FoZnYNNqLlJ2rhrga3sX7-SXjXyDZQvFI-_vu7SkfidHFntzfmSvE_zOzFlbruN_xJXDg5j-id0nmiDpINdgG-LTHMXQvykBQuaGwaJ84OvrB/s1600/Toots+Holzheimer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWbkqEQyvzpEe1ke1TSnSLxeuyzmRmB2FoZnYNNqLlJ2rhrga3sX7-SXjXyDZQvFI-_vu7SkfidHFntzfmSvE_zOzFlbruN_xJXDg5j-id0nmiDpINdgG-LTHMXQvykBQuaGwaJ84OvrB/s400/Toots+Holzheimer.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Lots of families with young kids are on the road, exploring the country. Here's some little'uns feeding the horses ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BE1gZJtrMWtvztrC0eL-c9VYuImOoP4tSrwRjlogSIje3jmYZ0kLAvNgqiZH0Wa4OQDdObp-V6gCw6fxBnTq69buxaw_8B1ltiLbAZqic0OurQuF8N3AkcePzoFEh64Q_6-YAo0DWiIE/s1600/Kids+and+horses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BE1gZJtrMWtvztrC0eL-c9VYuImOoP4tSrwRjlogSIje3jmYZ0kLAvNgqiZH0Wa4OQDdObp-V6gCw6fxBnTq69buxaw_8B1ltiLbAZqic0OurQuF8N3AkcePzoFEh64Q_6-YAo0DWiIE/s1600/Kids+and+horses.jpg" /></a></div>
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After another interesting day on the road we relaxed with a cold drink and a few nibbles ...</div>
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Up at the roadhouse there is a sign letting folks know where they can and cannot take alcohol ...</div>
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We all decided to partake of the famous Archer River Roadhouse burgers for dinner. Di decided the pick of the crop - the actual Archer Burger - was just the ticket for her appetite that night ...</div>
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The next morning Di and I wandered down to the river before we set off for the day. I thought this photo of Di next to the water gauge at the crossing might give readers some idea of what levels could look at various times ...</div>
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... and this one I snapped in a hurry surely gives an idea about why you need to be paying close attention when you sense a road train is a-comin' ...</div>
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Into Weipa</h3>
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After a number of very interesting days, the run into Weipa was relatively humdrum. We did stop at some huge ant mounds for morning tea ...</div>
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... and Di snapped this quite good photo of a Black Kite, showing its distinctive forked tail ...</div>
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That's about it for now. Hopefully I'll be able to add a bit about our stay here in Weipa before I put up the next post. In the meantime, here's a map of the latest section of our journey (not quite accurate, because Google Maps wouldn't let me route through Old Laura) ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-WTqRoCZuLn13uIVTK8JHmeewwJNrLus862UTuCa7Y6VoBqNQYmUZdXqhCh80QDFkPKvEWjtqZFFwOHKAMiaAsAGV9niYtWFuTOolRf6aQ8ZQ-8gNzb6vf9CUpCmyMruFL2yy6SfqyHZ/s1600/Cairns+-+Weipa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-WTqRoCZuLn13uIVTK8JHmeewwJNrLus862UTuCa7Y6VoBqNQYmUZdXqhCh80QDFkPKvEWjtqZFFwOHKAMiaAsAGV9niYtWFuTOolRf6aQ8ZQ-8gNzb6vf9CUpCmyMruFL2yy6SfqyHZ/s400/Cairns+-+Weipa.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
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... and an overview of this stage in the context of the overall journey, with our starting point of Hobart way down at the southern end of Tasmania marked with a red dot?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQpXoy6e1MrDXR3aRUPEKItaCkJruPl8slP14TTz6QHQvWD8wd9orohbf0u77jX0FjchkPJUpWoqXXl0_mkCmjE6P13T9nlFkD9mAs95kKk7ZXqjx1i4zbvUkXDiTKeAJoOMpqLtzoclv/s1600/Cairns-Weipa+overview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQpXoy6e1MrDXR3aRUPEKItaCkJruPl8slP14TTz6QHQvWD8wd9orohbf0u77jX0FjchkPJUpWoqXXl0_mkCmjE6P13T9nlFkD9mAs95kKk7ZXqjx1i4zbvUkXDiTKeAJoOMpqLtzoclv/s400/Cairns-Weipa+overview.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Almost there! Cheers for now ...</span></div>
Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664708928421406376.post-5641727925089585292013-05-27T17:53:00.002-07:002016-05-13T03:45:34.336-07:00It's a LONG ROAD but there IS a POT of GOLD ...Just to kick off this post I thought I'd reiterate our theme of Australian wildlife by including an image sent to us by our friend Cathie Newman in Vancouver. She and James (with whom I first came to Australia way back in 1978), along with their two kids, had a little trip Downunder about five years ago. It would sure be good to see them back here some day. Cathie has quite a naughty sense of humour. Here's the image she sent:<br />
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It always takes a little while to come up with a title for a new blog post. I briefly toyed with "From the Bible Belt to the Banana Belt" because I kind of liked the alliteration. There are lots of religious billboards alongside the roads in rural southeast Queensland and, from time to time, plenty of stuff in the news about various religious groups and their carryings-on. And, in Innisfail, just a little way south of where we are now here in Cairns, some serious banana growing happens. (In fact, 90% of Australia's bananas are grown in Queensland and most of those come from the Innisfail area.) However, I didn't want to offend folks with the first half of the title and, in reality, we're now in the middle of serious sugar cane growing country. There isn't really anything catchy about "From the Bible Bet to the Sugar Cane Belt" now is there? So what you see is what you get and hopefully the reasons for the title will become clear pretty quickly.<br />
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<u>Day 1: To Isla Gorge</u></h4>
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We folded up the tent and kicked the camel into gear good and early because we knew we had a fairly long drive ahead and hoped to get in a walk at <a href="http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/isla-gorge/" target="_blank">Isla Gorge National Park</a> when we arrived. Unfortunately, we didn't make the best route choice right from the start. Really we should have driven back to Warwick and north from there, but we do like to cover new terrain where there is a choice. We hadn't been to Toowoomba before and thought it would be good to travel via Gatton and the Lockyer Valley. The route was very windy, with a great deal of ongoing road works due to the damage done by the <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/flood-modeling-animation-shows-the-size-speed-and-power-of-lockyer-valleys-devastating-floods/story-fn7knuy7-1226017915945" target="_blank">devastating floods of 2011</a> and then again in January this year, making for a very slow first couple of hours. (This <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMSDo1qnvVU" target="_blank">Youtube video</a> gives some idea of the devastation caused by those floods.) Still, the sobering experience of the aftermath adds a darker thread to the tapestry of our travels and brings us closer to the reality that people had to live through at the time. All up, the day's drive turned out to be about 540 kilometres and took around eight hours, including breaks and hold-ups due to road works. At one point we caught up to a huge piece of mining machinery that was being transported along the highway, trailing it at about 40 km/h until it - along with a stream of traffic behind - came to a full stop at one of the many sections where road repairs were happening.<br />
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Eventually we arrived at Isla Gorge, but not after a bit of an unnecessary detour. Given the name of the National Park, we naturally assumed that we'd be in a <b>gorge</b>. We did pass a sign that said "Isla Gorge Lookout" but thought, 'That can't be it - there's no campsite or National Park sign'. After descending quite some distance we came to another roadworks hold-up, and asked the flagman if we were nearing the entrance to the park. He told us that it was back behind us, commenting, "It's not particularly well signposted, is it?" So we turned around and drove back up the hill to the lookout. As a National Park Isla Gorge turned out to be a very nice campsite, but little more. There was no obvious walking track and no fresh water, but it did have pretty good views over the gorge which apparently protects a few rare species of plants and animals. If you are travelling through it makes a good overnight stop but you wouldn't go out of your way to spend time there.</div>
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Day 2: arriving at Blackdown Tablelands National Park</u></h4>
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There wasn't really anything to keep us at Isla Gorge the next morning, although Di did go take her camera out briefly while I was getting breakfast. A few birds were about, including Rainbow Lorikeets and Pied Currawongs, but nothing was showing off enough to make for a good photo. We hit the road pretty smartly and lo and behold found ourselves behind a big piece of mining machinery that looked like this:</div>
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The crew transporting this piece of machinery must have spent the night around the small town of Theodore and got back on the road just before us. When I say "crew" I didn't mention earlier that there were two pilot cars and a police car out in front of the the machine to warn and pull over oncoming traffic, and it was followed by two more pilot cars and a highway patrol car. A fairly expensive operation that was taking place over multiple days. Luckily, we weren't held up very long and the day's drive was fairly short. </div>
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The last part of the route was up a long, steep, narrow and winding road to <a href="http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/blackdown-tableland/" target="_blank">Blackdown Tablelands National Park</a>. Like Mount Kaputar, it was a place where caravans are not allowed but you can take a camper trailer. After our experience at Isla Gorge, Di wasn't sure about staying two nights at BTNP. It's necessary to book a campsite online for all Queensland National Parks but for some of these out of the way places you can often turn up - especially mid-week - and check out the campsites before you make your booking. There isn't mobile reception at the Blackdown campground itself, so you have to book from a lookout at the entrance to the park if you haven't secured a place in advance.</div>
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There are a few outstanding campsites and we were lucky enough to snag one of them. <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowUserReviews-g499652-d500676-r160841994-Blackdown_Tableland_National_Park-Duaringa_Queensland.html#REVIEWS" target="_blank">These reviews</a> on tripadvisor.com will give you an idea of the positive vibes that the place sets off for folks. Campsites 9, 10, 11 and 12 are the best choices if you want to book in advance. Our campsite, which was number 11, is nestled in between two huge trees:</div>
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There is a large, separate fire area attached to site 11, safely away from the campsite itself. To cut a long story short, we decided to stay two nights and were really glad we did. It's an absolutely brilliant place. Maybe the following narrative along with the photos will help you understand why.</div>
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The first walk we did was the short cultural circuit right near the campground. It combines elements of the indigenous people's use of the land along with white settlers' subsequent occupation. Along the track you see examples of stencil art ...</div>
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... which are protected behind a viewing area:</div>
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Just past the rock art are these interesting towers:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Yb2B6q47dahdeIdno7dh-oZh2uHIKrUVNk1Avvt3zC9aWSP-i0A9hrzl_dgAc3GTcHKs2vmC_o6TTSCJhtRUPpoJZ2MbQV5t5lqvs3NdM-dKjNiitPalqIqoOGWOXiBAXiTmTrlBZnq1/s1600/Pinnacles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Yb2B6q47dahdeIdno7dh-oZh2uHIKrUVNk1Avvt3zC9aWSP-i0A9hrzl_dgAc3GTcHKs2vmC_o6TTSCJhtRUPpoJZ2MbQV5t5lqvs3NdM-dKjNiitPalqIqoOGWOXiBAXiTmTrlBZnq1/s400/Pinnacles.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Along the path there is a sign which tells how the indigenous people employed resin from the <a href="http://www.anbg.gov.au/aborig.s.e.aust/xanthorrhoea-species.html" target="_blank">Grass Tree</a> to make bush glue for use in fashioning stone tools:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEAxcVNXEoJ-IYb-142e4pZtNLYpH0ynob5yVV00lMRETxjDVgQWdCwCx1V0T6YPo5J12HYRZrnH2T835bIOxlEJSLbOxFnQn6LTJfvN0q9h2awgvl5LDEmZdPMmbixvTU8bEkmXWjllr/s1600/Bush+glue.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEAxcVNXEoJ-IYb-142e4pZtNLYpH0ynob5yVV00lMRETxjDVgQWdCwCx1V0T6YPo5J12HYRZrnH2T835bIOxlEJSLbOxFnQn6LTJfvN0q9h2awgvl5LDEmZdPMmbixvTU8bEkmXWjllr/s400/Bush+glue.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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At an elevation of about 900 metres asl, the park is quite unlike what you'd expect to see in the outback and is able to grow some fantastic trees, including massive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stringybark" target="_blank">Stringybarks</a> that were once harvested for saw logs. There are also these wonderful giant eucalypts with smooth red trunks. We thought they might have been something called the Red Ash, but are unsure about that:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoavPu-tyXfFVjT3DNk_UYdxc5tW7_JS7PzkuqcTiiAIWR4esWeJ_3PFGN4RFU2lIZCnQIkWnN0TiKm8F5phBg7HUUgjB1Izgi6W9pJGJHViBiOjlBQxZSrbkW1i3OErcbtLk2MwR97C2e/s1600/Tree+trunk+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoavPu-tyXfFVjT3DNk_UYdxc5tW7_JS7PzkuqcTiiAIWR4esWeJ_3PFGN4RFU2lIZCnQIkWnN0TiKm8F5phBg7HUUgjB1Izgi6W9pJGJHViBiOjlBQxZSrbkW1i3OErcbtLk2MwR97C2e/s400/Tree+trunk+1.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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We loved the way they seem to just shoot straight up out of the ground:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhYHaV4Ha_mnUUZySAoaqrcBceTaAnteBQvSA0rHh2xRRg0paPi7xa4vlBjDl4uXsoyl4a3g3mC4e29H26XM7ZzioT-jIhVQSrJ6x04B-Z4uzUji5naAUtneRsmY7H8u9STI1L7Hdwp0-/s1600/Tree+trunk+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhYHaV4Ha_mnUUZySAoaqrcBceTaAnteBQvSA0rHh2xRRg0paPi7xa4vlBjDl4uXsoyl4a3g3mC4e29H26XM7ZzioT-jIhVQSrJ6x04B-Z4uzUji5naAUtneRsmY7H8u9STI1L7Hdwp0-/s400/Tree+trunk+2.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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This dead tree was down across the track ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheyiA8uSd_Gr0Xd1F-d-CviiNOOmLaP9Tx0AJLXefRHxcVbT3ZcfMCMnQfsEcYjETwpn5_lQv1t7mskmkThjn_3rD1Y57hMdbmadvZHl7Irl-sZzCsnCU6hS1tYkvhAaEt5rim0haJvpMx/s1600/BT+tree+down+on+track.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheyiA8uSd_Gr0Xd1F-d-CviiNOOmLaP9Tx0AJLXefRHxcVbT3ZcfMCMnQfsEcYjETwpn5_lQv1t7mskmkThjn_3rD1Y57hMdbmadvZHl7Irl-sZzCsnCU6hS1tYkvhAaEt5rim0haJvpMx/s400/BT+tree+down+on+track.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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... but this live one gives you an idea of their towering beauty ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUKVaB-GTH4OmI_TTtPY10eeyLExilvDebJMeQE15dQd2LOMQyKajykqNCLPJUlfusDNTMP-xCBjs_boRwizkzq0hnGo53TV2Tu_4B4iVa97m45xn6sjOseU_75AsHWk5fChlAAuZVFM6/s1600/Towering+tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUKVaB-GTH4OmI_TTtPY10eeyLExilvDebJMeQE15dQd2LOMQyKajykqNCLPJUlfusDNTMP-xCBjs_boRwizkzq0hnGo53TV2Tu_4B4iVa97m45xn6sjOseU_75AsHWk5fChlAAuZVFM6/s640/Towering+tree.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Some conveniently placed stepping stones make it possible to cross rocky creeks without getting wet feet:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv69dELqplpIj0n9Gu7pErfeov5XZ1WaVhDE0ugTpBNPG0U5-wWbHXTIsih5ko7eEEjGbh9Zte1Cp3NrSD_vzM9aq73LXeE9XNArBZPSqW89KobPgp1cH8rXmsMB7D0SwYDq-sDHc3zgOq/s1600/Stepping+stones.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv69dELqplpIj0n9Gu7pErfeov5XZ1WaVhDE0ugTpBNPG0U5-wWbHXTIsih5ko7eEEjGbh9Zte1Cp3NrSD_vzM9aq73LXeE9XNArBZPSqW89KobPgp1cH8rXmsMB7D0SwYDq-sDHc3zgOq/s400/Stepping+stones.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Banksias can be found along the track ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlBdVfjd5fGTHbaQ621McvdxyU7PVfqSU91loLuyVB6__wz50VbG_qvViW70qYSUvqD6lkiOLjvB1J7XXqbj7-V3y5EXFhfFMa-XCBRLWgFGi8BbElKk_77wMyHsUW0ulfsssRG_F1w7N/s1600/Banksia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlBdVfjd5fGTHbaQ621McvdxyU7PVfqSU91loLuyVB6__wz50VbG_qvViW70qYSUvqD6lkiOLjvB1J7XXqbj7-V3y5EXFhfFMa-XCBRLWgFGi8BbElKk_77wMyHsUW0ulfsssRG_F1w7N/s400/Banksia.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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... and in shadier spots the rock was covered in dripping mosses and ferns ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5DO1bZleNMsaCruDhyphenhyphen2-JQC4XoVgP2zHga30tDTUbS3G7QsbmIMzbkqC2zLbJhSxu29H2p3fBtGrIbbR9FE89cjmzKJ2xq4sdDPD8puK_0-Xt9zg1Rzo5eb1ttuMqcnCa7OpDhz_bF0a/s1600/Split+mossy+rock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5DO1bZleNMsaCruDhyphenhyphen2-JQC4XoVgP2zHga30tDTUbS3G7QsbmIMzbkqC2zLbJhSxu29H2p3fBtGrIbbR9FE89cjmzKJ2xq4sdDPD8puK_0-Xt9zg1Rzo5eb1ttuMqcnCa7OpDhz_bF0a/s400/Split+mossy+rock.JPG" width="312" /></a></div>
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... while in cooler places that got some sunlight these Everlasting Daisies abounded:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHA3zj1OwgQcun-xe3LPjy4HfCljq3sgkSIlXfPSZluBm-_m6gX1NfV8edCOH4X6xw_t_OilpjQ1gVMqhia0LsWE4Lng94YCUGo4GkZ5PhKHVWDnLbdGzq-XIUw4mQ_T1iyZQvbFrArR0-/s1600/Daisies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHA3zj1OwgQcun-xe3LPjy4HfCljq3sgkSIlXfPSZluBm-_m6gX1NfV8edCOH4X6xw_t_OilpjQ1gVMqhia0LsWE4Lng94YCUGo4GkZ5PhKHVWDnLbdGzq-XIUw4mQ_T1iyZQvbFrArR0-/s400/Daisies.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It became more and more clear, as we proceeded around the circuit that this environment, raised as it is from the surrounding plains, must have been a wonderful oasis for the indigenous Ghungalu people - especially during hotter months.</span></div>
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Alas, like most every other place special to indigenous folks, this are was appropriated by the European settlers. In the case of the tableland, cattle grazing was the activity this environment was subjected to. Evidence of early occupation still remains over a hundred years later. This sign details how bark was cut to use on the roofs and walls of simple shelters ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPpusGaavgki0wXBpmZ3FyGplSlKOUNSzC1dEEddlYQQZ8zXB6ndYNTSbJcs5TrAnIWDmXNx6ZH3C_LZ9tD8a8wc_TH5bFGqH1Q4Z_sqAGpwOjWmtvKm2QXOZUUMn8PHv6a4ip5rFYktas/s1600/Bark+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPpusGaavgki0wXBpmZ3FyGplSlKOUNSzC1dEEddlYQQZ8zXB6ndYNTSbJcs5TrAnIWDmXNx6ZH3C_LZ9tD8a8wc_TH5bFGqH1Q4Z_sqAGpwOjWmtvKm2QXOZUUMn8PHv6a4ip5rFYktas/s400/Bark+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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... and here is the affect on the tree so many years later:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZN96m_vbOYuufuOUApc1XQ9-IvNz6rrXyvHAo2aHFJU_DJUBYVQuGU_e5DorZS7h1Xesy1SFPLEHfJ9r_arjnvVHCutBI7eDDuZlAbYz6I_fMEdqo-0BIiM0MWfhS6wM8agZTGbm5ns-w/s1600/Bark+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZN96m_vbOYuufuOUApc1XQ9-IvNz6rrXyvHAo2aHFJU_DJUBYVQuGU_e5DorZS7h1Xesy1SFPLEHfJ9r_arjnvVHCutBI7eDDuZlAbYz6I_fMEdqo-0BIiM0MWfhS6wM8agZTGbm5ns-w/s400/Bark+2.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Evidence of the fencing that was done at the time still remains. Here is a sign that describes the work the methods used:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreYgsC9UHBAxpPK_3D9wuVJ_r-sdASWchGG1BxHpU9d_mR0u2mJ_ODo34Eb0Ysm5hhE8W7cpkA5HMTiLHpsVWkfkC4ELi2HU0WREeUa305etjCj2lQOhDi1F_GgbJOuGOr3tT8_x7E-qr/s1600/Fence+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreYgsC9UHBAxpPK_3D9wuVJ_r-sdASWchGG1BxHpU9d_mR0u2mJ_ODo34Eb0Ysm5hhE8W7cpkA5HMTiLHpsVWkfkC4ELi2HU0WREeUa305etjCj2lQOhDi1F_GgbJOuGOr3tT8_x7E-qr/s400/Fence+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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It was pretty cool to see the way fence rails were set right into a large stringybark in one place:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5m1xzvzvHfmyhw0uxkjgPYCORhTVvqo46lSnELS2e16wlTBnGF4rD37i9om9ORcRIDYgvPn54D6Hvd4-etDZ8L-wr2DKEjLa4qkedPpIYaRQkU8B8E-EF3lzwWFv0Dy1PBFRtwSj-1RP/s1600/Fence+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5m1xzvzvHfmyhw0uxkjgPYCORhTVvqo46lSnELS2e16wlTBnGF4rD37i9om9ORcRIDYgvPn54D6Hvd4-etDZ8L-wr2DKEjLa4qkedPpIYaRQkU8B8E-EF3lzwWFv0Dy1PBFRtwSj-1RP/s400/Fence+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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It was a very rewarding stroll after two and a half days of just about constant driving. One interesting fact we discovered was that the tableland wasn't really suitable for cattle grazing. Without enough phosphorous in the soil - and therefor the grasses growing on them, the cattle developed chalky bones. Also, if they ate a certain palm - as they did - they would develop rickets. </div>
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Back at camp, as soon as we lit a fire a few Pied Currawongs ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hex2reTF2T0CZZBjLnE4GmjCRgHSrJIEOuXYN0Wh9ka4LQVp40eAtW-7U5ll5wQ0O991Rweb77CgVYjObyg8WYJ8Ng4n_hkdCAOzGdf0EDJKUiRMsDLrmqkYsjrzrsQCd8oDS2-rc4yF/s1600/Pied+Currawong.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hex2reTF2T0CZZBjLnE4GmjCRgHSrJIEOuXYN0Wh9ka4LQVp40eAtW-7U5ll5wQ0O991Rweb77CgVYjObyg8WYJ8Ng4n_hkdCAOzGdf0EDJKUiRMsDLrmqkYsjrzrsQCd8oDS2-rc4yF/s400/Pied+Currawong.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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and a couple of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOY4X56qiuY" target="_blank">Laughing Kookaburras</a> ...</div>
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... arrived expectantly. They were extremely brazen - especially the Kookaburras - and we had to keep an eye on them to ensure they didn't make off with the meat straight out of the pan. (We discovered that the guy staying at the campsite next door wasn't so vigilant and a Kookaburra managed to make off with a fairly large sausage. We were walking by his campsite and burst into laughter when we say about eight of them lined up waiting for the chance to swoop in for another raid.)</div>
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Day 3: the glorious Rainbow Falls</u></h4>
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While the cultural walk was very enjoyable the real highlight of the visit was the hike we took the next day to Rainbow Falls. Di actually said she thought it was "the best waterfall walk she'd ever done". Not that it was the best waterfall that she'd ever seen but the most rewarding combination of a walk and the view you actually get when you arrive. Hopefully the following photos will help you appreciate why.</div>
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After about a kilometre and a half of gradually descending track, you come to a sign that tells you there are 240 steps down to the waterfall. Along those steps you pass this rock wall under an overhang:</div>
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As we descended further the protection from the sun provided by the gorge and the moisture from the creek created the perfect environment for a richness of ferns and palms to flourish:</div>
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The falls themselves cascade down a series of drops separated by beautiful rock platforms:</div>
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We thought we'd heard voices as we were descending towards the falls. Once we followed the stream bed down a short way we saw the two guys we'd heard below us on a lower shelf:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDuIBly9Wc3W88MH2Mt-uEF_R7UkpGI2NABSDMEBdej12vrVUyyBtB5M1rmUCzhyphenhyphenqz_JgySnc3jUmCv4jjBCuguRRaFvq-UZfCvJ3nIiN3WOVaRg0HbfnR4wily2xTURjhrkb6dnH3DU9s/s1600/Falls+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDuIBly9Wc3W88MH2Mt-uEF_R7UkpGI2NABSDMEBdej12vrVUyyBtB5M1rmUCzhyphenhyphenqz_JgySnc3jUmCv4jjBCuguRRaFvq-UZfCvJ3nIiN3WOVaRg0HbfnR4wily2xTURjhrkb6dnH3DU9s/s640/Falls+5.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Getting to where they were involved taking off our shoes to cross the stream (again) and scrambling down some rocks and shimmying down a cleft using a rope:</div>
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The view below is taken from the ledge on which the two gentlemen were reclining:</div>
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After exploring below the falls we made our way back to the top and wandered upstream for a bath in this lovely pool with a sandy bottom:</div>
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After our wonderful morning's excursion we went back to camp, had some lunch and then got out the <a href="http://www.snowys.com.au/Camp-Ovens.aspx?c=8&sc=48" target="_blank">camp oven</a> and put a roo roast on to slow cook for the afternoon. (Once again the Currawongs and Kookaburras arrived to try to steal some meat as soon as we lit the fire. They sure were well conditioned!)</div>
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While the the roo was roasting we set off on another walk. It involved following Mimosa Creek downstream for a ways, then crossing it and a few other minor streams to a lookout. It was another terrific walk with quite varied terrain, good views at the end plus the added bonus of an unexpected flourish of flowering shrubs just before the lookout.</div>
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Dinner that night was fantastic: the slow cooking of our roast roo and some veggies for about five hours meant the meat was falling apart and the mushrooms, parsnips and carrots in olive oil were like candy. </div>
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We really loved this little park and would happily visit again, especially if we were able to share it with our two grandkids. Maybe one day ...</div>
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Day 4: the road to Charters Towers</u></h4>
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We resolved to make another early start the next morning as we had about 630 kilometres of driving ahead of us. With the leftover roo meat from the previous night's dinner we made up a couple of delicious sandwiches. Combined with a brace of Blackheath apples from the <a href="http://www.notquitenigella.com/2008/01/04/logan-brae-orchards-shipley-plateau-the-blue-mountains/" target="_blank">Logan Brae Orchard</a> (now run by an ex-Tasmanian rock climber) we figured they would make a hearty lunch somewhere along the way. After boiling the kettle for a hot drink we managed to get away not long after first light, with the idea of having breakfast at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald,_Queensland" target="_blank">Emerald</a>, an hour and a half or so down the road. Before arriving at Emerald we passed through <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackwater,_Queensland" target="_blank">Blackwater</a>, where coal was discovered in 1845 by the explorer Ludwig Leichhardt. With six major coal mines in the area, Blackwater bignotes itself as the coal capital of Australia.<br />
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Once past Emerald - where there is a beautiful big old railway station - and then had left Clermont behind there really wasn't much along the road, so there's not a lot else to say about the day's drive. The landscape is pretty flat most of the way. Broad-acre farming was in evidence but the landscape was generally pretty dry looking. At one point we passed through an area where huge fields were sown with in sunflowers, which we guessed were to be harvested for cooking oil. The roads were mostly long and straight with not a lot to look at and we were pretty pleased when we finally arrived at the historic gold mining town Charters Towers. It had gradually warmed up during our drive north and the mercury was at 31 degrees when we got to Charters Towers, so we were delighted to avail ourselves of the saltwater pool in the caravan park where we were staying the night. After a shower, and a cold beer we treated ourselves to dinner at Henry's Restaurant, named in honour of the colonial poet and short story writer <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lawson-henry-7118" target="_blank">Henry Lawson</a>. I reckon he was probably as famous for his moustache as his writing, but nonetheless much loved as the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aussie_battler" target="_blank"> battler</a>'s champion. Here's a picture of the restaurant with Lawson's likeness looking down on prospective customers:<br />
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Inside there's a painting depicting a scene from "<a href="http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/13005/" target="_blank">The Loaded Dog</a>", one of Lawson's short stories set on the goldfields:</div>
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Day 5: an outback icon</u></h4>
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On our drive up to Charters Towers we'd pretty much decided to stay there two nights. We were interested in exploring the history of the area, needed to refresh our supplies and a bit of a rest from driving seemed in order. We were very pleased that allowed ourselves the time to poke around this historic town. It's full of old buildings that have been very well preserved and which are testimony to the richness of the gold deposits that were exploited hereabouts. Here is the Telegraph Office, built a couple of years before the end of the19th century ...</div>
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... and the original City Hall with its Doric (?) columns ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQ0-L3jLO41QyEautVw5xc8qw8IQiVSti6MdM3nWa7m7EuQaJbF8MuIjj6VNe1ZqTnOJaN6qhzV2JQxEQ5QPxyxzrJ5Qofw8TRXWFf13cY3SLvaDhMtYu4uRKSDnMDa2Kc_wVeX-euqlE/s1600/CITY+HALL.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQ0-L3jLO41QyEautVw5xc8qw8IQiVSti6MdM3nWa7m7EuQaJbF8MuIjj6VNe1ZqTnOJaN6qhzV2JQxEQ5QPxyxzrJ5Qofw8TRXWFf13cY3SLvaDhMtYu4uRKSDnMDa2Kc_wVeX-euqlE/s400/CITY+HALL.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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... the very grand Excelsior Library ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSknAiyrfRUJ5Xq4gaQquOIVH95XdNHNbWXk_XqVFwDppNbEmKjwXi9eyHfRL94__dSNBxogTomkvEDJ-Gug_Xfd6t4tbfXpYlIFGBj5t-t-mr-3JyjqF_yv40du3p1v3VLc-AGVcNQAz/s1600/Excelsior+Library.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSknAiyrfRUJ5Xq4gaQquOIVH95XdNHNbWXk_XqVFwDppNbEmKjwXi9eyHfRL94__dSNBxogTomkvEDJ-Gug_Xfd6t4tbfXpYlIFGBj5t-t-mr-3JyjqF_yv40du3p1v3VLc-AGVcNQAz/s400/Excelsior+Library.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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... the impressive Bank of New South Wales, built in 1889 ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR89oCTIxjZvVPTSYCPRaQ2gjRLOmxx53NEPccU8Za8pPdGlsz_rKwTifx0IzxdK6MTUY6wQsE6C5ZnB94WfiqVO91Gb6DQDEDxtFlTDR5O6mdXsxQ9U_VRbOROuSpJ-T5Zqqob8oAjNsz/s1600/BNSW1889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR89oCTIxjZvVPTSYCPRaQ2gjRLOmxx53NEPccU8Za8pPdGlsz_rKwTifx0IzxdK6MTUY6wQsE6C5ZnB94WfiqVO91Gb6DQDEDxtFlTDR5O6mdXsxQ9U_VRbOROuSpJ-T5Zqqob8oAjNsz/s400/BNSW1889.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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... the old Ambulance Station, built in 1900 and now a museum ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Vk30daksB7po691VOjMoeX4Ugm0OXHNPF3_ZmecDodIPRwVOpY2CGbDY2Ih_XjFuPpEE5RGCBJXzaYaZP_umSVXmQ_MmxYOcMCD-HYzMiWSq-T2xVgfJQ7Bj2cliMt36ZGQ93xg8wMoi/s1600/AMBULANCE1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Vk30daksB7po691VOjMoeX4Ugm0OXHNPF3_ZmecDodIPRwVOpY2CGbDY2Ih_XjFuPpEE5RGCBJXzaYaZP_umSVXmQ_MmxYOcMCD-HYzMiWSq-T2xVgfJQ7Bj2cliMt36ZGQ93xg8wMoi/s400/AMBULANCE1.JPG" width="388" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately it was closed, but I did snap this photo of an old Ford ambulance through the window:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAoXI-oiOnwSRGvCo4rqAvYG8QFbrfv1-4tXJMSY8HT2Ye-jBLBWdTlUVk8sV_LIGinDEdMUyIJXUX1TaT4A1hnYzDk6wORhS2Ixp865C-oRfYQlTy3RuzNiD9RDQnjyzBflyE3IJpuwRT/s1600/AMBULANCE2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAoXI-oiOnwSRGvCo4rqAvYG8QFbrfv1-4tXJMSY8HT2Ye-jBLBWdTlUVk8sV_LIGinDEdMUyIJXUX1TaT4A1hnYzDk6wORhS2Ixp865C-oRfYQlTy3RuzNiD9RDQnjyzBflyE3IJpuwRT/s640/AMBULANCE2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We paused for coffee and cake in a cafe in the historic <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.au/qld/stock-exchange-arcade" target="_blank">Charters Towers Stock Exchange Arcade</a> ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_y4j5gwoY4b1SrolvEZ4v02YiLOGIWalJYJvyHHWAGRJcXaqzzs72JWJjl9Cw0m4auhXKHqFFZ9WKs8bQydYSTXukXyQ4J1lRqSqwNazxZ5RU7mSQEAtQhWaS0lkKhsREbz2zvJPYRos/s1600/Stock+Exchange.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_y4j5gwoY4b1SrolvEZ4v02YiLOGIWalJYJvyHHWAGRJcXaqzzs72JWJjl9Cw0m4auhXKHqFFZ9WKs8bQydYSTXukXyQ4J1lRqSqwNazxZ5RU7mSQEAtQhWaS0lkKhsREbz2zvJPYRos/s400/Stock+Exchange.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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... where there are quite a number signs detailing the history of the gold mining and the reasons for the establishment of the stock exchange. Here are just a few of them:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Majk9BpHuEoTuvQHV8ocarcmaQwp9TESjxVVI4l-ovxLIVylIvUSVa3Gwa5tZE-MfhjriFjOTrKQMb1VK8T0pEq4q51y0m2eprfTlLuphNOeqr_H0AT2hZS7HINWgrJEx_LBR2MR8cW8/s1600/Stock+Exchange+moves+in.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Majk9BpHuEoTuvQHV8ocarcmaQwp9TESjxVVI4l-ovxLIVylIvUSVa3Gwa5tZE-MfhjriFjOTrKQMb1VK8T0pEq4q51y0m2eprfTlLuphNOeqr_H0AT2hZS7HINWgrJEx_LBR2MR8cW8/s1600/Stock+Exchange+moves+in.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdG7yJES2ziwGbeIqhW1UdKxb9aw2Uvzgg7bDjZbVtgX973fmK_RnMQ0iGnofpO9VUA1nAYKLksaMWQjCtVBK-LXUandc3dCCFFLvUTiXZpJkREcAjS_6JlAw2SCBPu_CsqaUR8AGcm2-G/s1600/Investors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdG7yJES2ziwGbeIqhW1UdKxb9aw2Uvzgg7bDjZbVtgX973fmK_RnMQ0iGnofpO9VUA1nAYKLksaMWQjCtVBK-LXUandc3dCCFFLvUTiXZpJkREcAjS_6JlAw2SCBPu_CsqaUR8AGcm2-G/s1600/Investors.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTGYisElYvsB3936R4BPWn6orSYetGZ4ARDKBCEFl-37oreKxmgEXt2QltueZEX0aGmhQESz2QR-HRGpEE9GPdOd_UrUkMDSWV5TWAWoPNLPPQ_5p3lP0utFXg_QLGxut_NVq6iGdk-dK/s1600/Scams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTGYisElYvsB3936R4BPWn6orSYetGZ4ARDKBCEFl-37oreKxmgEXt2QltueZEX0aGmhQESz2QR-HRGpEE9GPdOd_UrUkMDSWV5TWAWoPNLPPQ_5p3lP0utFXg_QLGxut_NVq6iGdk-dK/s1600/Scams.jpg" /></a></div>
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Back at camp I noticed a fist-sized seed pod lying on the grass near the camper:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAxGXgLY3voOHoXLKWqHZIXYRyEuP1tHdDwjA9qF61aJVKpB8wL-iwz5Wv0XM01L-GDXTO4qnDCNPig-9QOAV_V71XN9OauJPVNAf5EYEqxUe5oeoqnIWAmkjHT89DQbNEGLLV7mFQjQk/s1600/Pod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAxGXgLY3voOHoXLKWqHZIXYRyEuP1tHdDwjA9qF61aJVKpB8wL-iwz5Wv0XM01L-GDXTO4qnDCNPig-9QOAV_V71XN9OauJPVNAf5EYEqxUe5oeoqnIWAmkjHT89DQbNEGLLV7mFQjQk/s400/Pod.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Neither Di nor I have any idea what it might be so if anyone reading this can identify it we'd appreciate it if you'd add a comment to the blog ...</div>
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Day 6: on to Undara</u></h4>
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Our plan for day 6 was to do a reasonably short drive to <a href="http://undara.com.au/" target="_blank">Undara</a> and have a walk in the afternoon. We visited this marvellous place in 2011 after the big wet that year, and were unable to do the walk through the Hundred Mile Swamp because the track was flooded. It might sound like we missed out on that trip but in fact quite the opposite was true. Because it had been so wet the environment was peppered with various plants in flower, with lots of birdlife about and quite a few Pretty-faced Wallabies bounding about. We also met and shared a campfire for a couple of nights with Chris and Bob Healy, a lovely couple from Sydney. The most rewarding experience though was to be able to swim in one of the flooded lava tubes. This rarely happens so we felt incredibly fortunate. Being at Undara in such conditions left us with a high that lasted for several days and still brings back a wonderful warm glow. If you're ever in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far_North_Queensland" target="_blank">FNQ</a> under such conditions, it's a must. In the meantime, you could visit <a href="http://dougandi.smugmug.com/Landscapes/Queensland/The-Undara-Experience/18972360_3zvd2D#!i=1473225073&k=qkjtw4w" target="_blank">our Undara SmugMug gallery</a> for a vicarious experience of that trip.<br />
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Shortly after leaving Charters Towers we were driving through more interesting countryside, with volcanic features dotting the landscape. At one spot, after cresting a gentle rise we found ourselves looking at quite a sad sight: a beautiful dead dingo hung up in a tree, apparently after having been run over and scalped by a vehicle. That was the only conclusion we could draw for it was otherwise untouched. This is what it looked like:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmAR1PONb_xIwa-crGRuP1ACE_0hwdgSSjKgtUcbkl4ZUWwG-7JZQgWeDshY_XZ-oD4CA_P6_C34pztutl3vrVFJJCdMSljz_rbDCrYXtx8GNt2GienLQ_4vUPGj7PjE_tIS5wERBhVbs/s1600/Dingo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmAR1PONb_xIwa-crGRuP1ACE_0hwdgSSjKgtUcbkl4ZUWwG-7JZQgWeDshY_XZ-oD4CA_P6_C34pztutl3vrVFJJCdMSljz_rbDCrYXtx8GNt2GienLQ_4vUPGj7PjE_tIS5wERBhVbs/s400/Dingo.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Inevitably if you spend much time driving through Outback Australia you will come across a sign like this ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWddHlwBLBcIzehyphenhyphenKxi3xzuXvLNqXQZHFhDR7moOyQHFYa_HrFDd9PkD5e6jBhtZ53-3HDKZQ1AGsyhNuoRDh35-WG50jCv-WmPfEycRkp53zE7srVz4YapHRNlpETiixTAcTRd6Ab8DV/s1600/Road+Train+sign+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWddHlwBLBcIzehyphenhyphenKxi3xzuXvLNqXQZHFhDR7moOyQHFYa_HrFDd9PkD5e6jBhtZ53-3HDKZQ1AGsyhNuoRDh35-WG50jCv-WmPfEycRkp53zE7srVz4YapHRNlpETiixTAcTRd6Ab8DV/s400/Road+Train+sign+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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... usually followed by another like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3agFDCyQna8bDlCZ8bVHCJvMhkGiTJ3K0sov50mcShLrB20TmhJXVe4ea-P1kFh7UNUtDFIHQ_ug9poF0JLPBvfDgC92ek9ffcJXok2ui1DACIdNHABuPp9ie5wRErIG2eYSGnjnHmos/s1600/Road+Train+sign+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3agFDCyQna8bDlCZ8bVHCJvMhkGiTJ3K0sov50mcShLrB20TmhJXVe4ea-P1kFh7UNUtDFIHQ_ug9poF0JLPBvfDgC92ek9ffcJXok2ui1DACIdNHABuPp9ie5wRErIG2eYSGnjnHmos/s400/Road+Train+sign+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">It's generally regarded as really important when you're travelling "out back" to have a UHF radio and be tuned to Channel 40 when you come up behind a road train, or one comes up behind you. Now, for readers outside Australia the concept of a "road train" might be unfamiliar. Probably not hard to figure out, but the reality is pretty confronting. I'm inserting a Youtube video to give readers a good clear idea of what we're talking about here:</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/yb5d6ISHoMU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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So far we have only seen a few of these monsters in action as mostly they seem to have been on the move during the night and idle by the roadside during the day. And so far we haven't come up behind one on a gravel road, or have one come up behind us wanting to get past on a gravel road. No doubt that time will come. One thing's for sure though: you really want to know that nothing's ahead in such a situation and that's where the UHF radio comes into its own.</div>
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By this stage we'd been travelling through cattle country for hundreds of kilometres. Various breeds are in evidence, but probably the most popular in the hotter latitudes is the Brahman. We'd seen some quite large herds of mainly white Brahmans. (Although the wet season wasn't much to speak of this year in northeastern Australia, they haven't had the <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/drought-stalks-the-land-again/story-e6frg6nf-1226634963784" target="_blank">dry conditions graziers across much of the north have had to endure</a>.) We hadn't had the opportunity to get a good photo of any of the cattle, especially in large numbers. If we'd been more on the ball - and less tired - just before we reached Charters Towers we could have got some pictures and video of a real life cattle drive being conducted right alongside the road by a few blokes on horseback. For the time being, here's a consolation shot of an impressive Brahman bull on the side of the road into Undara:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcERXmoIZ-X9VtCr1jNNAGRDrcnklJNf6fyxMkI3Jp6ghuwEEurjXJaEhivnAohGoQ_Kz10zCAeMFJ6GE4zDFyN7YWxDg3V3t_CD3alRL0R3FUapY82GZ05jiLkboZxMpfnCaQ1tkw0XP/s1600/Undara+road+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcERXmoIZ-X9VtCr1jNNAGRDrcnklJNf6fyxMkI3Jp6ghuwEEurjXJaEhivnAohGoQ_Kz10zCAeMFJ6GE4zDFyN7YWxDg3V3t_CD3alRL0R3FUapY82GZ05jiLkboZxMpfnCaQ1tkw0XP/s640/Undara+road+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My, doesn't he have some equipment on him!!!</td></tr>
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The vegetation you can see is classic <a href="http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna_australia.htm" target="_blank">Australian Savannah</a>, which is fitting really as at this point we have just detoured off what is know as "<a href="http://www.savannahway.com.au/" target="_blank">The Savannah Way</a>".</div>
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Upon arrival we set up camp, had lunch and then set off on our walk. Not long after you start the hike you're greeted by this sign erected in 2012 which honours the indigenous Ewamian people and marks 150 years since the Collins brothers arrived and started running cattle:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xgjajlmFy_MFt2P7N9JAiMBV64oppT1X867zwXLsa9O2ozECA-4-gG28KKv0nRg2Fef8KZHuPvsufaqghpdPBHGIEjUwRxkSsJd21DgEjryKK3-gP3ekFBqZDT1yHs2sbYgt_UTxT-ff/s1600/P1020127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xgjajlmFy_MFt2P7N9JAiMBV64oppT1X867zwXLsa9O2ozECA-4-gG28KKv0nRg2Fef8KZHuPvsufaqghpdPBHGIEjUwRxkSsJd21DgEjryKK3-gP3ekFBqZDT1yHs2sbYgt_UTxT-ff/s400/P1020127.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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How different we found the conditions compared to our last visit! Fewer plants were in flower and it was <u>very</u> dry underfoot. You wouldn't know there was a swamp, although the grass in the lowest-lying part still had a good tinge of green:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrh2kt2NPQONsFyRY_qYB1VrK3f6iE4ukHT6-R0Uz3zebqwhTpr4NdriLz6sNhuZfL0lyEIO00d4kFUY0jseh-gYpMYe6T8FBYexAHdCW07Y4TNwLADdc0ERo3wqlIPh0XX0uD_5Y2Iu-9/s1600/Hundred+Mile+Swamp+pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrh2kt2NPQONsFyRY_qYB1VrK3f6iE4ukHT6-R0Uz3zebqwhTpr4NdriLz6sNhuZfL0lyEIO00d4kFUY0jseh-gYpMYe6T8FBYexAHdCW07Y4TNwLADdc0ERo3wqlIPh0XX0uD_5Y2Iu-9/s640/Hundred+Mile+Swamp+pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There was plenty of evidence of major ant activity with lots of large diameter holes in the ground, including these two side-by-side:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyzzc9QAC3wFJfPN-OL_Xj959A1pzOONPQnAVZzysnm526N6piC94xbY66o5DDhOFJtu-B3ZGhcLnqwjchucOrxlUpBhBG4AvocdOzZNm6xoCs1ttt3mfRCwwLwz5TT_QaY-nrgeUOD-j/s1600/P1020135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyzzc9QAC3wFJfPN-OL_Xj959A1pzOONPQnAVZzysnm526N6piC94xbY66o5DDhOFJtu-B3ZGhcLnqwjchucOrxlUpBhBG4AvocdOzZNm6xoCs1ttt3mfRCwwLwz5TT_QaY-nrgeUOD-j/s400/P1020135.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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There was also the odd termite mound ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8YM5IhOXkxqB4NJ_QZRyg_ESFoCZAwjAXsfvz3AGe3UcmUfTnwcdJWobZHvw17ZytokKzJrrpXXJOdSD0ik2h4iXzAC5PFNNrD_xMpr7qlPym1PL13ZuZ1GElXGLYyLggkY1NP9cau44/s1600/Termite+mound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8YM5IhOXkxqB4NJ_QZRyg_ESFoCZAwjAXsfvz3AGe3UcmUfTnwcdJWobZHvw17ZytokKzJrrpXXJOdSD0ik2h4iXzAC5PFNNrD_xMpr7qlPym1PL13ZuZ1GElXGLYyLggkY1NP9cau44/s400/Termite+mound.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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... but nothing like the proliferation we'd seen over the past couple of days. Although the trees are fairly sparse here and there are no towering giants like there were on the Blackdown Tablelands, there are some beauties including this multi-trunked specimen which we presumed met underground ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUndbdqk9AVeURZSbx2-aNfB6CTnuSCW_gpbqLshLY6YsK0ZMhVRF_VFo1YeI20hLQnD4I721mxKrtNi4dDc2qlXYRr89o3AVIPVrk3TcOor_v7K5NZ05xzlpH-AUAIaMaZefzHrP_-cw4/s1600/Many+trunks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUndbdqk9AVeURZSbx2-aNfB6CTnuSCW_gpbqLshLY6YsK0ZMhVRF_VFo1YeI20hLQnD4I721mxKrtNi4dDc2qlXYRr89o3AVIPVrk3TcOor_v7K5NZ05xzlpH-AUAIaMaZefzHrP_-cw4/s400/Many+trunks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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... and the very occasional larger tree up to about 20 metres tall...</div>
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At one point we came across a small shrub that looked very much like some sort of native olive ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivw-Z_dxI2oCz6A2e9by55lKcwcgy4c_rBcBGougaU9gerlPdmm3miw_ILgW7eFY3XyyT_r-JPAQrL5IkQqoYPAqzSCp5GJxnLwql2y6JYFA3XghWSCCdiacludvp2SjHaumNyeQhE06Fb/s1600/P1020138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivw-Z_dxI2oCz6A2e9by55lKcwcgy4c_rBcBGougaU9gerlPdmm3miw_ILgW7eFY3XyyT_r-JPAQrL5IkQqoYPAqzSCp5GJxnLwql2y6JYFA3XghWSCCdiacludvp2SjHaumNyeQhE06Fb/s400/P1020138.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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... and in places there were some lovely, pale green <a href="http://asgap.org.au/m-vir.html" target="_blank">Malaleuca viridiflora</a> in flower ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhld5H2jmp32Zxn5b3nCQ4_hgu0rlEwP81nrIA8uRrx1tlrsUVLrJXfAwISqAQgLhUYltuDIZzf4N8uOIUZxfHgNdcj94TD2yuUF2fGPIDcXwS4Xos_JD8_rlg87vhxB00rtNV9IpN3oDTO/s1600/Undara+walk+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhld5H2jmp32Zxn5b3nCQ4_hgu0rlEwP81nrIA8uRrx1tlrsUVLrJXfAwISqAQgLhUYltuDIZzf4N8uOIUZxfHgNdcj94TD2yuUF2fGPIDcXwS4Xos_JD8_rlg87vhxB00rtNV9IpN3oDTO/s400/Undara+walk+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Anyone who knows us well or has followed this blog for a while will realise that we have an affinity for rock, and we enjoyed rambling over the occasional exposed slab of rough volcanic material ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSV2GQaCcqzhu8zzaWsgd5emus-dHjL0KqU80TvkZ5qxDKPcUncPzAi4QGeDCNdrNuY6c3nzY6EQDIAPNA0NNkmqPj4Pdrh5RAiDqMpWKEEPDFy1GQOCRzxRFk84Z0lSpufmEhcWZfW7dI/s1600/P1020149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSV2GQaCcqzhu8zzaWsgd5emus-dHjL0KqU80TvkZ5qxDKPcUncPzAi4QGeDCNdrNuY6c3nzY6EQDIAPNA0NNkmqPj4Pdrh5RAiDqMpWKEEPDFy1GQOCRzxRFk84Z0lSpufmEhcWZfW7dI/s400/P1020149.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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There are plenty of stretches of rock like this near camp for kids like us - and younger - to play around on and we hope to bring our grandchildren out to Undara some day to camp, play on the rocks and appreciate the natural beauty of the area.</div>
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After a short excursion out of the park to collect some firewood we repaired to camp and I got a pan of paella on the stove. Here I am back enjoying a glass of red while I catch up on my email ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLnTCyNED4dnFKqpyREgyDOP-IFLzl4gCoojvlKrI8mNqbAObmzt_noXq9N5RZzgKGWc18MFZlRbqbuUNAAN_Tu1ZBfeBOdp3pphXa6eEiDQ9MRsyfYNW8htDEohT28u7aImtM3IIzahI/s1600/Undara+Z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLnTCyNED4dnFKqpyREgyDOP-IFLzl4gCoojvlKrI8mNqbAObmzt_noXq9N5RZzgKGWc18MFZlRbqbuUNAAN_Tu1ZBfeBOdp3pphXa6eEiDQ9MRsyfYNW8htDEohT28u7aImtM3IIzahI/s400/Undara+Z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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... and a little while later, after we'd polished off dinner and the sun had set, the two of us enjoying the campfire and starry skies ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqSX8Jxpk59CljKrO1O5-huQ8nT3J_h7ZFywbgw8h8JUws6cmz8mfgRq8Mgd33enU__E1GN4Ed3AmjlDmpQzugRYr29QdLckp2zAmygumpHp3LUivhHqTrfjTBeeoSTlfb240z82ezZ7h/s1600/Undara+after+dark.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqSX8Jxpk59CljKrO1O5-huQ8nT3J_h7ZFywbgw8h8JUws6cmz8mfgRq8Mgd33enU__E1GN4Ed3AmjlDmpQzugRYr29QdLckp2zAmygumpHp3LUivhHqTrfjTBeeoSTlfb240z82ezZ7h/s1600/Undara+after+dark.JPG" /></a></div>
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<u>Day 7: the Pot of Gold</u></h4>
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Although our drive from Undara to Cairns was quite short we were very keen to get on the road early. Living just about as far away from them you can be in Australia, we get very little opportunity to catch up with our grandkids and we were both excited at the prospect of seeing their happy faces and having a hug or two. <br />
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The drive from Undara to Cairns varies considerably, from fairly flat, dry outback country to the suddenly very lumpy, lush terrain of the <a href="http://www.athertontablelands.com.au/" target="_blank">Atherton Tablelands</a>. We've spent a bit of time up on the tablelands over a number of previous trips and will visit again in the future. For this trip though we were happy to pass quickly on through and arrive at our destination. After settling in we took the kids down to the artificial lagoon on the Cairns waterfront. Here's a photo of Zavier with a string moustache and Asha hugging her noodle ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxYqw8dcRGC1t1m-9NJ5gP3v2SNEHIr_UtRjVidwW6wqCpZlThq94MnATFwzoawHNcCN9erZMzITkniW6TppOKYGs3FxTlad-Qefe6PkVfmiSerBtjTsBVZFqSQXdoCLxX_M39hN0MM2K/s1600/P1120733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxYqw8dcRGC1t1m-9NJ5gP3v2SNEHIr_UtRjVidwW6wqCpZlThq94MnATFwzoawHNcCN9erZMzITkniW6TppOKYGs3FxTlad-Qefe6PkVfmiSerBtjTsBVZFqSQXdoCLxX_M39hN0MM2K/s400/P1120733.jpg" width="322" /></a></div>
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... and another of them as they should be, happily playing in the sand and totally oblivious of our presence ...</div>
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So. That's brought you up to date on the latest and - apart from our return home to Tasmania - what will be the longest leg of our journey.</div>
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This graphic shows the 2000 or so kilometres covered ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDBa6QaXdEfDXO9oajpHJEA_-iexp1hxbAYTAtJmxht1yW9zHbgx-p8KQVlISpnLAPhnI4rdmrgA2QOYH2YfpQrN_yX1zpleg_F4ToI6OopmOcdeE17tv2xPQyEmjI5Pp_PTqxkWTVQT-/s1600/Boonah-Cairns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDBa6QaXdEfDXO9oajpHJEA_-iexp1hxbAYTAtJmxht1yW9zHbgx-p8KQVlISpnLAPhnI4rdmrgA2QOYH2YfpQrN_yX1zpleg_F4ToI6OopmOcdeE17tv2xPQyEmjI5Pp_PTqxkWTVQT-/s400/Boonah-Cairns.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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... and how it fits into the overall picture of our trek northwards ...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxX4lTtR5SLVujsOZKhVNznkyhVCJ8a2ocorMeywygfibKcXw2i8eAmttmZZ8VsSHwY2tzWK0w25t0t1DhzVDKeGmFSpZN-e9ZjoB1z287oiEEU0UmDihLJmmitkIe2LfKc6acOtbcZMeV/s1600/Boonah-Cairns+overview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxX4lTtR5SLVujsOZKhVNznkyhVCJ8a2ocorMeywygfibKcXw2i8eAmttmZZ8VsSHwY2tzWK0w25t0t1DhzVDKeGmFSpZN-e9ZjoB1z287oiEEU0UmDihLJmmitkIe2LfKc6acOtbcZMeV/s400/Boonah-Cairns+overview.jpg" width="372" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Next, it's on to Cape York. See you later alligator ... or is that CROCODILE???</span></div>
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Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12724255802945843203noreply@blogger.com0