From the Atherton Tablelands

The Pyramid at Porcupine Gorge

The water hole

A Black Headed Python

Looking out from the Crater

Our Tawny friend

A Bettong

A flooded Lava Tube

An Unflooded Lava tube

A borrowed image of a Lava Tube

Inside the Cathedral Fig

The Cathedral Fig

So last we wrote we were camped beside the water hole at Bladensburg, exploring, swimming and relaxing. We moved on from there to Hughenden, where we were able to discover the Muttaburrasaurus (or really a recreation). From here we drove to Porcupine Gorge, situated below a Jump-up Mesa. The camp was on the Mesa, very dry and stoney. The Gorge was accessed via a steep climb down (and an even steeper climb up). It was worth the exercise -an amazing winding creek that cut through the different layers of rock. The rocks were multicoloured, from the white sandstone, through yellow and orange granite to dark rich brown basalt. Some rocks even took on a pink/mauve hue: stunning, with a crystal clear pool to swim in. We have only been able to have fires in a few places as we have tended to stay in National Parks. The evenings were cold at Porcupine Creek, due to the elevation, and without a fire, we had to rug up. From here we headed north along another dirt road to Undara Lava Tubes. Maeve had seen this on the map and we all decided it would be worth the look. Russell spotted a Black headed python crossing the road. We had decided to stay away from the coast given the damage from Cyclone Yasi. The inland roads had copped the rain, and we had to cross a fair amount of water and avoid some large pot holes. So the damage to the coast must be worse. Coming in to Undara we were amazed by the landscape, the numerous small hills and the large basalt boulders everywhere. We soon learned that this area underwent massive volcanic activity, and the hills were small volcanoes. From the lookout on top of one caldera crater, there were volcanoes as far as the eye could see, too numerous to count. A stunning landscape. The camp ground was lovely, with fire pits (at last!) The tour through the Lava Tubes was expensive but well worth the price. The tubes are the largest in the world, and are formed by lava flowing beneath the ground. We were very lucky to be able to swim through a flooded tube, with the boardwalk below us under metres of water. When the guide turned his torch off, the darkness and the deep water were rather eerie. The tubes have only flooded a few times in the last twenty years, so it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.  We spent 4 days at Undara and saw an amazing array of wildlife. Russell almost trod on a snake returning from the amenities block one night (Russ returning not the snake). Upon closer inspection we decided it was a Northern Death Adder. Russ was able to persuade it to move off the path, and we were all a little more vigilant going to the toilet at night. Maeve found a baby Green Tree Python one day, just lazily hanging around the amenities block. We had a regular visitor each night in the form of a Bettong, which is a small nocturnal wallaby/pademelon, shaped like a hairy rockmelon and about the size of a cat. Very cute and cheeky! A Tawny Frogmouth also visited most nights, sitting in a tree near our campfire. From Undara, we drove up onto the Atherton Tablelands and are currently camped beside the picturesque Tinaroo Lake. The scene is reminiscent of a Canadian picture postcard, with a pine plantation across the inlet near our camp ground. I trod on a snake last night, which I calmly exclaimed was only an amethyst python. It was quite unperturbed by my foot, and just looked at me. After much excitement and mirth (at my expense), Russ picked it up with a large stick and encouraged it back into the forest. It looked to be about 2 metres in length. Suffice to say, we are again vigilant about walking around at night! That makes 8 snakes that we have crossed paths with. It is good to be in the wet tropics again after so many years. We are heading to Cairns tomorrow and will have the car serviced and repair a few things. We saw our first McDonalds yesterday in over 5 weeks, and will hit the main highway in Cairns which will be the first ‘real’ highway we have been on since Broken Hill. It has been interesting to watch our slow evolution, the girls now wear cowgirl hats and Russ has started drinking XXXX beer out of cans! When in QLD…..