Undara Lava Tubes

Early morning tour of the Undara Lava Tubes was a wonderful experience. Our guide very knowledgable, the tubes incredible to see. 

So much of our country is hidden from sight, the amazing inland sea is underground as the artesian basin, the gorges and dinosaurs hidden on countless cattle stations, and these caves and tubes lying 4m or so under the savannah country we drive past at 100kph, the tell tale sign simply a green area of bush where one has collapsed.

After the 2 hour tour we were on the road again and just like that we were out of the plains, crossing the lush tablelands and winding our way through rainforest to Cairns and the edge of the Coral Sea.

Last of the dirt

 We drove to Undara Lava Tubes today. But we came the round-about way via Copperfield Gorge and a dirt road that winds itself around the edge of the Newcastle Ranges. How wonderful that I got to explore the gorge on FaceTime with our 5 year old Grandson. After an afternoon nap we decided to go to the Kalkani Crater. A 600m walk to the rim up 130m… and nothing to see but a hole filled with more bush just like everywhere else. I think the tour brochure photo that showed a distinct crater formation was taken a long time ago.

A walk back down through the sunset was awesome, it is amazing how orange the light can get here. We drove home along a lonely road through a dusk filled with wallabies and brahmans.

Cobbold Gorge

After our huge brekkie we headed off to Cobbold Gorge.

Didn’t know a thing about it until we met someone a few weeks back. Private property, a cattle station, where nature’s amazing beauty is being shared with the rest of us. A good second income for a family that has had to struggle with countless years of drought. It is a major attraction now and very well developed to accommodate all.

We lucked out on our guided tour with a guide called Zee. Full of fun and she had it all figured out, get there last of the 3 little busses (each hold up to 14 people), be the first boat onto the gorge while the others walk.

We had the gorge to ourselves and the electric motor made for a silent glide through the colourful walls… and we were greeted with a large freshwater crocodile. The walk was only about 2k but filled with history and informative flora and geological info, and a crossing of the gorge over a glass bridge.

I love that a ringer on the property today is related to a fascinating piece of that history. An old bullock driver who discovered a traveller dead, carrying the equivalent of $700000.00, he reported it to the police and helped them bury the man. There are a lot of lonely graves in Australia.

I love that Daintree, a Q government geologist looking for gold around here, took a photo in 1869 on the ledge where we stood, and on which there were also aboriginal motifs carved into the sandstone.

Georgetown

Max said he’d buy us breakfast this morning at a cafe … Georgetown wasn’t open except for a garage where the owner told us his wife Olivia would cook us breakfast. Max asked if she was a good cook, she smiled and said “Not really”.

Our omelettes were huge. Honestly must have been made from at least 4 eggs each, and filled with corned beef and onion! When we didn’t eat it all as it was too big, she told us that is how the truckies liked them.

Georgetown is also a tiny town with a large history. The scene of the worst mining disaster in Queensland with 75 lives lost. We stopped at the info centre which houses the largest privately owned collection of rocks and crystals and agates etc. Even for us, who are not into fossicking, it was an amazing display … the life’s passion of one man.

What about Herstory

The drive from Karumba is an easy one on the tar, and we spent the afternoon and night in a free camp called the Cumberland Chimney Stack about 20k from Georgetown. The site of an old gold mine and small township now remembered by the tall, slightly crumbling tower of bricks; and loved as a stopover because of the beautiful lily-filled dam and creek that is home to the rare and endangered Gouldian Finch. Needless to say I did not see it, but we did enjoy our spot looking out through the bush and termite mounds watching a couple of Rainbow bee eaters and the noisy Apostle birds., and listening to a myriad of others invisible to us. Highlight was this monitor… haven’t looked up info yet to find out her real name but isn’t she beautiful?

I love that we ‘discover’ great things in little towns along the way. Croyden is home to just a few hundred people and a wonderful heritage precinct and mining museum.

Credit to the folk that have done such a professional and entertaining display for both. The old court house is brought to life with a radio play triggered as you enter. You sit as the jury, and cardboard figures are in place as judge, prosecutor and defendant. A verbatim and very funny transcript of an actual drunk and disorderly case which was brought before the court early last century plays out. It did more than bring the courthouse to life, it brought the history of a bygone era closer, listening to the language and turn of phrase, and the hardships faced by some.

The stories abound about the men, but the women were never written about much. You look at the faces and the times they lived, the clothes they wore, the facilities they had, they were the glue that held the family together, doing the job of man and woman while men were away, often for expended periods. I am in awe of their strength and resilience and fortitude.

Finished Phase 1

 Finished part one of our trip ...4500k in 3 weeks.

About the fish

 If you want o go on a fishing charter here at the moment you are out of luck, they are booked out a week or more in advance...and the word is they are not catching much either... so next best thing is to go to the Barra research centre and watch a few barra swimming around. They harvest and release fingerlings every year for conservation of the species. Excellent centre and guide., and we bought fresh Barra and chips for lunch on our way home.

A lazy day for us lying around beside the freshwater lagoon, a little housework and maintenance, and enjoying sundowners with our neighbours in yet another beautiful sunset.

Karumba has a laid- back, easy going vibe and a fantastic winter climate, you can understand why people come and stay for a few months at a time.