Layers
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
At King's Canyon
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Adventure Tours day six - King's Canyon
On 31st May, we rejoined Adventure Tours on a new six day tour from Alice Springs to Adelaide. Since reaching Alice, the temperature had made a notable decline and it was back to wearing trousers and jumpers. It might seem strange, but the desert is a place of extremes and this was winter; 20C during the day, 2C at night.
For the first two days of our new tour, a two-day and our six-day group were combined, so we had a full bus as we drove south out of Alice Springs in the early hours of the morning. King's Canyon is part of the Watarrka National Park and was several hours away so we got there at about 8:30am.
Two walks were available at the Canyon, but almost all of us chose to do the 6km rim walk, taking us all the way around in a loop. King's Canyon is actually far more dangerous than the Uluru climb - over 30 people have died on the walk - but since it was winter we were perfectly safe unless we walked too close to the edge! The first part of the hike is an ascent up 'Heart Attack Hill', so called because it's the hardest part of the walk and claims the most casualties. We got up there without much hassle and from there you begin to appreciate how stunning the Canyon really is. Sheer cliffs rise from a inconceivably placed forest called 'The Garden of Eden' rich in plants and animals that seem so out of place in the desert.
The walk was excellent and we were introduced to the area's geological past as well as its stunning views. The was once an inland sea in Australia and you can still see fossilised ripples in sand at King's Canyon. After our hike, we had lunch at the campsite in King's Canyon Resort, then headed south to Uluru that afternoon. After a lengthy drive, we arrived at Yulara (the Ayer's Rock Resort town) after sunset and stayed the night at the campsite there, sleeping around the camp fire under the stars in swags.
For the first two days of our new tour, a two-day and our six-day group were combined, so we had a full bus as we drove south out of Alice Springs in the early hours of the morning. King's Canyon is part of the Watarrka National Park and was several hours away so we got there at about 8:30am.
Two walks were available at the Canyon, but almost all of us chose to do the 6km rim walk, taking us all the way around in a loop. King's Canyon is actually far more dangerous than the Uluru climb - over 30 people have died on the walk - but since it was winter we were perfectly safe unless we walked too close to the edge! The first part of the hike is an ascent up 'Heart Attack Hill', so called because it's the hardest part of the walk and claims the most casualties. We got up there without much hassle and from there you begin to appreciate how stunning the Canyon really is. Sheer cliffs rise from a inconceivably placed forest called 'The Garden of Eden' rich in plants and animals that seem so out of place in the desert.
The walk was excellent and we were introduced to the area's geological past as well as its stunning views. The was once an inland sea in Australia and you can still see fossilised ripples in sand at King's Canyon. After our hike, we had lunch at the campsite in King's Canyon Resort, then headed south to Uluru that afternoon. After a lengthy drive, we arrived at Yulara (the Ayer's Rock Resort town) after sunset and stayed the night at the campsite there, sleeping around the camp fire under the stars in swags.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Alice Springs
On May 29th, I had the first of a two free days in Alice Springs. After going on the Internet, Alex, Nina (the two German girls who were doing much of the same tour as me) and I went to the Royal Flying Doctors' Service with Andy, another guy on our tour.
Throughout the Outback there are people whose only link to medical services are by plane, some still up to two hours away. The Flying Doctors' basically acts like your GP and ambulance for thousands of people who wouldn't otherwise be able to have access to a hospital. After a look around the museum there, we saw a short film on the role of the Service and then were taken to see the control room by a guide. The whole thing was pretty informative and well worth a look, since it's so different to our health system at home whose transport problems are tiny compared to what these guys have to deal with.
We went up to Anzac Hill that evening to see the sunset and then went out to a couple of bars after dinner to meet up with a few others from our tour.
The next day we went for a walk down the (dry) river to the Telegraph Station before heading to the School of the Air. As you can imagine, it's not practical for a lot of children to commute to school each day because of the immense distances in the Outback, so kids have to remote learn over radio and the Internet. You'd think that the quality of education would be less by learning like that, but they actually get some of the best school results in the country, probably because the pupils aren't distracted so much. Once they get to secondary school, they have to go to a boarding school, so they don't miss out completely on social skills and the like. We had a short tour all to ourselves, so got the chance to have a really good look around and ask any questions we liked. It was all fairly impressive and informative, much more so than I expected.
Throughout the Outback there are people whose only link to medical services are by plane, some still up to two hours away. The Flying Doctors' basically acts like your GP and ambulance for thousands of people who wouldn't otherwise be able to have access to a hospital. After a look around the museum there, we saw a short film on the role of the Service and then were taken to see the control room by a guide. The whole thing was pretty informative and well worth a look, since it's so different to our health system at home whose transport problems are tiny compared to what these guys have to deal with.
We went up to Anzac Hill that evening to see the sunset and then went out to a couple of bars after dinner to meet up with a few others from our tour.
The next day we went for a walk down the (dry) river to the Telegraph Station before heading to the School of the Air. As you can imagine, it's not practical for a lot of children to commute to school each day because of the immense distances in the Outback, so kids have to remote learn over radio and the Internet. You'd think that the quality of education would be less by learning like that, but they actually get some of the best school results in the country, probably because the pupils aren't distracted so much. Once they get to secondary school, they have to go to a boarding school, so they don't miss out completely on social skills and the like. We had a short tour all to ourselves, so got the chance to have a really good look around and ask any questions we liked. It was all fairly impressive and informative, much more so than I expected.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Adventure Tours day five - The Devil's Marbles and on to Alice
On May 28th, we got up early and continued south along the Stuart Highway towards Alice Springs. Our first stop of the day was at The Devil's Marbles, a strange rock formation in the middle of the desert. Formed by millions of years of weathering, the field of 'marbles' stretches as far as the eye can see. After plenty of photo opportunities, we were back on the road until we got to the Wycliffe Well roadhouse - Australia's UFO capital - a bizarre little place full of extra-terrestrial memorabilia.
After that, it was on to Barrow Creek Telegraph Station, an example of what made the Stuart Highway as important as it was. Before Adelaide was linked with Darwin, messages took weeks to be delivered back to Britain, but with the telegraph line that joined the north and south of the country, this was reduced to days. Every few hundred miles, a telegraph station was built next to the line as a repeater station, with a few men manning and maintaining each. The sheer isolation and dangers of such a job must have been incredible.
Back on the bus, our driver spotted a parked road train, so we promptly pulled over and jumped out to take a few photos. It's pretty rare to see them stopped anywhere because it takes them half an hour to get back up to speed again, so we were especially lucky. Road trains are usually preferred to the rail link that now runs from Adelaide to Darwin because they can transport goods by road along the same route faster than by rail. Whether it's a job that any of us would contemplate doing is another matter!
Lunch was at an art gallery in Ti Tree, not far north of Alice. Although it seems like another little settlement on the never-ending Stuart Highway, this one has a somewhat infamous past. It was where Peter Falconio and his girlfriend were attacked in 2001, leading to his death while she escaped, with the killer recently put away for 28 years. We only found that out after we'd left town!
Our penultimate stop of the day was at the Tropic of Capricorn, before we arrived in Alice Springs at about 6pm that evening. A few of us checked into the YHA there and we met up later for a few drinks to end our Darwin to Alice trip.
After that, it was on to Barrow Creek Telegraph Station, an example of what made the Stuart Highway as important as it was. Before Adelaide was linked with Darwin, messages took weeks to be delivered back to Britain, but with the telegraph line that joined the north and south of the country, this was reduced to days. Every few hundred miles, a telegraph station was built next to the line as a repeater station, with a few men manning and maintaining each. The sheer isolation and dangers of such a job must have been incredible.
Back on the bus, our driver spotted a parked road train, so we promptly pulled over and jumped out to take a few photos. It's pretty rare to see them stopped anywhere because it takes them half an hour to get back up to speed again, so we were especially lucky. Road trains are usually preferred to the rail link that now runs from Adelaide to Darwin because they can transport goods by road along the same route faster than by rail. Whether it's a job that any of us would contemplate doing is another matter!
Lunch was at an art gallery in Ti Tree, not far north of Alice. Although it seems like another little settlement on the never-ending Stuart Highway, this one has a somewhat infamous past. It was where Peter Falconio and his girlfriend were attacked in 2001, leading to his death while she escaped, with the killer recently put away for 28 years. We only found that out after we'd left town!
Our penultimate stop of the day was at the Tropic of Capricorn, before we arrived in Alice Springs at about 6pm that evening. A few of us checked into the YHA there and we met up later for a few drinks to end our Darwin to Alice trip.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Warning
Warning
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
You won't find a sign like this at home, that's for sure!
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Adventure Tours day four - on to Juno Farm
On the 27th, we set off south again down the Stuart Highway, covering much of the same ground we had seen on the Desert Venturer trip days before. Our first stop was at Mataranka, where we went for a swim in the thermal pools, before continuing on to Daly Waters for a barbecue lunch. Our next break after that was at a roadhouse where we got to handle a few snakes and lizards, including a bearded dragon which was quite cool in both senses of the word (they're cold-blooded). Our overnight stay was at Juno horse farm, where Adventure Tours have another private permanent campsite. We slept in 'swags' that night, which are basically canvas sleeping bags with a mattress sewn into them. You sleep under the stars, inside your sleeping bag and swag, hoping not to wake up with a dangerous animal crawling all over you!
Friday, June 23, 2006
Adventure Tours day three - Katherine
On Friday the 26th (of May), I had a now usual early start to join a new three day tour from Darwin to Alice Springs. Although it was a completley new tour, I already knew a couple of girls - Alex and Nina - in the group who had the same national pass as me and who had been on my buses since Mission Beach and would be on all my tours down to Adelaide. You're generally quite lucky if someone's on two of your tours, so getting people who are on half of them is even better. When you're backpacking, you're meeting and leaving people so often that it's nice to have some continuity and not have to start again from scratch every time.
So after meeting our new guide - Ryan - and assistant trainee guide - Travis - at the hostel, we boarded the bus and headed south, stopping first at the Adelaide River roadhouse (where we'd been days before on Desert Venturer) for breakfast. After three hours of driving, we got to Katherine Gorge and then had the oppurtunity to do a helicopter ride, a cruise or a walk. All but two of our group chose to do the free walk, so we set off on the 8km hike after lunch.
After a steep climb up the side of the Gorge, we had a lengthy walk through the bush at the top of it, ending up at a secluded waterfall called Southern Rock Hole. We had a relaxing swim around for about half an hour, then headed back the way we came to the bus. We stayed at an Adventure Tours purpose built permenant campsite that evening, one of several they have through the centre of the country.
So after meeting our new guide - Ryan - and assistant trainee guide - Travis - at the hostel, we boarded the bus and headed south, stopping first at the Adelaide River roadhouse (where we'd been days before on Desert Venturer) for breakfast. After three hours of driving, we got to Katherine Gorge and then had the oppurtunity to do a helicopter ride, a cruise or a walk. All but two of our group chose to do the free walk, so we set off on the 8km hike after lunch.
After a steep climb up the side of the Gorge, we had a lengthy walk through the bush at the top of it, ending up at a secluded waterfall called Southern Rock Hole. We had a relaxing swim around for about half an hour, then headed back the way we came to the bus. We stayed at an Adventure Tours purpose built permenant campsite that evening, one of several they have through the centre of the country.
Gunlom
Gunlom
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
The view from the top of the Gunlom waterfall, where we went for a swim.
Adventure Tours day two - around Kakadu
On Thursday (May 25th), we drove back into Kakadu and went straight to Gunlom Falls in the south of the park, another backdrop for the film Cocodile Dundee. After walking around the base of the pool at the bottom, we set off to climb up to the top of the waterfall. Once up there the view was fantastic, but even better was that we had the pools to ourselves. Most of us went for a swim around and it was surprisingly warm for 9:30 in the morning!
From there we went to Boulder Creek for another relaxing swim amongst the waterfalls. The water was a bit colder, but then how often do you get to swim in a place like that? After a quick picnic lunch, we had enough time to go and check out another Aboriginal art site and a lookout over some escarpment country before we made our way back into Darwin for the night.
From there we went to Boulder Creek for another relaxing swim amongst the waterfalls. The water was a bit colder, but then how often do you get to swim in a place like that? After a quick picnic lunch, we had enough time to go and check out another Aboriginal art site and a lookout over some escarpment country before we made our way back into Darwin for the night.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Adventure Tours day one - into Kakadu
So just to recap, I booked a bus tour which loops around Australia, starting from Sydney then heading north to Cairns, then across to Darwin and Kakadu, then south to Adelaide through the red centre, then back to Sydney via Melbourne. By this stage (May 24th), I had done the tour to Cairns run by Oz Experience and the tour from there to Darwin by Desert Venturer. The remainder of my trip all the way back to Sydney would be on Adventure Tours and although this second half of my loop wasn't one large continuous tour (more like five), I'll bundle them all together under one heading because they're run by the same company. Still following what I'm saying? Awesome!
After spending the night in Darwin, I departed on a two day tour of Kakadu with Adventure Tours. It was another early start to meet the bus, this time a small 4x4 vehicle and my new driver guide, Celia. Our first stop on the way to Kakadu was in the Mary River Wetlands, where we went on a two hour cruise in a small motorboat. Here you'll find the highest concentration of crocodiles in Australia, if not the world. Although Cyclone Monica had been through not long ago, there was still plenty of wildlife to see including sea eagles, jabirus (a stork-like bird) and of course crocodiles. The cruise was a bit quiet at some points, but it was enjoyable nonetheless and we got to see animals that you're very unlikely to spot on land or on your own.
After lunch, we headed east into the main park. Kakadu National Park has a double World Heritage listing - only Uluru and Kakadu have two in Australia - and covers 19,804 km² which is the same size as Switzerland. It's one of the country's most important habitats for wildlife and we headed straight for its eastermost border.
Our main stop for the day was at Ubirr Rock which we climbed, looking at the Aboriginal art there on the way up. A lot of the art is used for teaching kids about laws, morals and wildlife. Kakadu has a huge variety of wildlife and this is reflected in the art, showing the different types of animals, which can be caught and when (even the Aboriginals regulate hunting to seasons). On top of Ubirr Rock, you're greeted with some of the best views to be found in the park. The sheer diversity is most apparent here, with escarpment, forest and wetlands on display in all their glory. It's here that one of the scenes in Crocodile Dundee was filmed and you can see why; it's the perfect place to show off the wonders of Kakadu.
From there, we headed south west to a hostel where we would stay the night. We were originally meant to camp in Kakadu, but because of Cyclone Monica, the campsites were still closed. We were also meant to go to Jim Jim Falls for a swim, but that was closed as well for good reason; they pulled a 4m crocodile out of it the next day!
After spending the night in Darwin, I departed on a two day tour of Kakadu with Adventure Tours. It was another early start to meet the bus, this time a small 4x4 vehicle and my new driver guide, Celia. Our first stop on the way to Kakadu was in the Mary River Wetlands, where we went on a two hour cruise in a small motorboat. Here you'll find the highest concentration of crocodiles in Australia, if not the world. Although Cyclone Monica had been through not long ago, there was still plenty of wildlife to see including sea eagles, jabirus (a stork-like bird) and of course crocodiles. The cruise was a bit quiet at some points, but it was enjoyable nonetheless and we got to see animals that you're very unlikely to spot on land or on your own.
After lunch, we headed east into the main park. Kakadu National Park has a double World Heritage listing - only Uluru and Kakadu have two in Australia - and covers 19,804 km² which is the same size as Switzerland. It's one of the country's most important habitats for wildlife and we headed straight for its eastermost border.
Our main stop for the day was at Ubirr Rock which we climbed, looking at the Aboriginal art there on the way up. A lot of the art is used for teaching kids about laws, morals and wildlife. Kakadu has a huge variety of wildlife and this is reflected in the art, showing the different types of animals, which can be caught and when (even the Aboriginals regulate hunting to seasons). On top of Ubirr Rock, you're greeted with some of the best views to be found in the park. The sheer diversity is most apparent here, with escarpment, forest and wetlands on display in all their glory. It's here that one of the scenes in Crocodile Dundee was filmed and you can see why; it's the perfect place to show off the wonders of Kakadu.
From there, we headed south west to a hostel where we would stay the night. We were originally meant to camp in Kakadu, but because of Cyclone Monica, the campsites were still closed. We were also meant to go to Jim Jim Falls for a swim, but that was closed as well for good reason; they pulled a 4m crocodile out of it the next day!
Desert Venturer day four - to Darwin
On Tuesday (May 23rd), we set off from the Heartbreak Hotel at Cape Crawford towards Darwin. It was another long day of driving and our first stop was when we reached the Stuart Highway at Daly Waters. The Stuart Highway connects the country through the centre, running from Adelaide in the south to Darwin in the north. Daly Waters is a small roadhouse on the highway famous for well, just being famous. We stopped there for about half an hour, enough time to look around at the insane collection of memorabilia from around the world. I added my name to one of the Union Jacks before we left Daly Waters and headed north.
Our next stop was for lunch at Mataranka, where we there was also a natural hot pool and a walk through the forest. I didn't opt to go for a swim (we'd be coming back in a few days anyway) so went for a walk down to the river instead. Back on the road, our next stop was for a quick break at Katherine, the largest town south of Darwin for a long way.
The final stop of the day before Darwin was at the Adelaide River roadhouse, home to 'Charlie the water buffalo' from the film Crocodile Dundee. Our driver, who's a bit of a joker, made us believe that he was still alive, so we were a bit surpired and got a few weird looks when we rushed in to find him stuffed and standing on the bar!
We got into Darwin at about 6pm, ending the second major section of my trip. We finished the four day trip with a meal at the Vic Hotel to say goodbye and go our seperate ways.
Our next stop was for lunch at Mataranka, where we there was also a natural hot pool and a walk through the forest. I didn't opt to go for a swim (we'd be coming back in a few days anyway) so went for a walk down to the river instead. Back on the road, our next stop was for a quick break at Katherine, the largest town south of Darwin for a long way.
The final stop of the day before Darwin was at the Adelaide River roadhouse, home to 'Charlie the water buffalo' from the film Crocodile Dundee. Our driver, who's a bit of a joker, made us believe that he was still alive, so we were a bit surpired and got a few weird looks when we rushed in to find him stuffed and standing on the bar!
We got into Darwin at about 6pm, ending the second major section of my trip. We finished the four day trip with a meal at the Vic Hotel to say goodbye and go our seperate ways.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Watch out
Watch out
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
Just before we crossed over into the Northern Territory.
Desert Venturer day three - to Cape Crawford
On the 22nd (of May), we had an early start as usual to set off on our longest day of driving yet. Because of a flood, we would have to take a longer route than normal and would cover over 900km in a single day.
Our first stop was the World Heritage listed fossil site at Riversleigh. Here scientists have found the remains of a huge number of exstinct animals including giant kangaroos and other fossils unique to the Australian continent. We didn't get time to walk all the way around it, but it was interesting nonetheless.
We continued north west and into the Northern Territory, going along some of Australia’s most remote roads. The folra and fauna got gradually less distinct until we got to the Barlay Tablelands, where it was almost completely flat. It was here that our driver had to stop for his logbook and we got a chance to go for a walk in, almost literally, the middle of nowhere. Everywhere around you, all the way to the horizon it was dead flat and the only objects to stick out were the odd sign or cow. I don't know how far you'd have to go from home to get a similar view, but it would certainly be a long way!
Most of the rest of the day was spent driving, apart from a stop at Hells Gate Roadhouse before we reached our destination for the day, the Heartbreak Hotel at Cape Crawford.
Our first stop was the World Heritage listed fossil site at Riversleigh. Here scientists have found the remains of a huge number of exstinct animals including giant kangaroos and other fossils unique to the Australian continent. We didn't get time to walk all the way around it, but it was interesting nonetheless.
We continued north west and into the Northern Territory, going along some of Australia’s most remote roads. The folra and fauna got gradually less distinct until we got to the Barlay Tablelands, where it was almost completely flat. It was here that our driver had to stop for his logbook and we got a chance to go for a walk in, almost literally, the middle of nowhere. Everywhere around you, all the way to the horizon it was dead flat and the only objects to stick out were the odd sign or cow. I don't know how far you'd have to go from home to get a similar view, but it would certainly be a long way!
Most of the rest of the day was spent driving, apart from a stop at Hells Gate Roadhouse before we reached our destination for the day, the Heartbreak Hotel at Cape Crawford.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Desert Venturer day two - Lawn Hill
On the 21st, we had another early start and continued driving west on the Matilda Highway. After a stop at the Burke and Wills Roadhouse, we joined the Wills Development Road before arriving at Gregory River for lunch. We stopped at a field full of termite mounds shortly after to take a look at one of the Outback's trademark features. Made by colonies of ant-like creatures, you find them all over the Northern Territory and Outback Queensland, up to four metres high in places. Some termites burrow into trees - that's how didgeridoos are made - while others build mounds above the ground. They may just look like plies of dried mud, but when you think of how small these insects are then their mounds are nothing but impressive.
We arrived at Lawn Hill National Park in the early afternoon and it was here that we would spend the most time. We had the oppurtunity to do kayaking or walking and I chose the latter, opting for a 10km walk around the walls to a watering hole. The scenery wasn't spectacular in its scale, but it certainly was beautiful. The grasses in Australia always seem to have an unreal quality to them, like someone's airbrushed them into the landscape. After our hike aroundthe park, it was back to the nearby Adel's Grove campsite for the evening, where we could relax and play a few games of cards as the sun went down.
We arrived at Lawn Hill National Park in the early afternoon and it was here that we would spend the most time. We had the oppurtunity to do kayaking or walking and I chose the latter, opting for a 10km walk around the walls to a watering hole. The scenery wasn't spectacular in its scale, but it certainly was beautiful. The grasses in Australia always seem to have an unreal quality to them, like someone's airbrushed them into the landscape. After our hike aroundthe park, it was back to the nearby Adel's Grove campsite for the evening, where we could relax and play a few games of cards as the sun went down.
A pyton and I
A pyton and I
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
My new best friend (just as long as I can give him back!)
Desert Venturer day one - to Croydon
On Saturday the 20th (of May), I had another 5.30am start to join a Desert Venturer four day bus tour from Cairns to Darwin. It was part of my Oz Experience pass that would take me all the way around Australia in a big loop and this section is run by Desert Venturer.
A bus met us at our respective hostels and took everyone to the bus that we'd be travelling on in the next four days. The first thing that struck me was the size and quality of the vehicle. Instead of the normal coaches or extended minibuses, the coach we would be in was similar to a standard lorry, but with 4-wheel-drive and only 25 seats. There was a huge amount of legroom, a plasma TV, a decent sound system and plenty of space to store your luggage. It was like having a first class seat for the price of an economy ticket.
We set off westwards, first passing through the cyclone damaged Atherton Tablelands and then stopping for a brief walk down to Millstream Falls. Soon after, the rainforest disappeared and the Outback beckoned. The change was gradual, but definitely noticeable. The lack of traffic, buildings and infrastructure gives you an ever increasing sense that you're venturing into the middle of nowhere.
We got to Mount Surprise at midday and stopped at the town there for lunch. Of course, the word 'town' is a bit misleading because Australians only use 'town' then 'city', whereas in Britain you have 'hamlet', 'village', 'town' and 'city'. So an Aussie town might have about five people living there, whereas a UK town would have at least 10,000.
After lunch we were introduced to a local who would give us a snake demonstration. This guy, whose name I forget (probably Bruce), had just about every native Australian snake in his barn. We got to handle a few of them, mainly pythons and see feeding time, where he put a live mouse into a cage with a snake and well, 'let them get on with it'. It was a pretty interesting stop though and a useful insight into how snakes work, even if it was a bit gruesome at times! Australia contains the vast majority of the world's most deadly snakes, not least the Black Headed Taipan, whose bite can kill 200 grown men. That's something you don't want to step on!
We drove on, passing into what increasingly looked like savannah. The rest of the day was spent driving and after a brief trip to Lake Belmore for sunset, we arrived in Croydon (no, not the one in London) at about 6pm. To give you an idea of what it was like, we stayed in the only two-storey building in town!
A bus met us at our respective hostels and took everyone to the bus that we'd be travelling on in the next four days. The first thing that struck me was the size and quality of the vehicle. Instead of the normal coaches or extended minibuses, the coach we would be in was similar to a standard lorry, but with 4-wheel-drive and only 25 seats. There was a huge amount of legroom, a plasma TV, a decent sound system and plenty of space to store your luggage. It was like having a first class seat for the price of an economy ticket.
We set off westwards, first passing through the cyclone damaged Atherton Tablelands and then stopping for a brief walk down to Millstream Falls. Soon after, the rainforest disappeared and the Outback beckoned. The change was gradual, but definitely noticeable. The lack of traffic, buildings and infrastructure gives you an ever increasing sense that you're venturing into the middle of nowhere.
We got to Mount Surprise at midday and stopped at the town there for lunch. Of course, the word 'town' is a bit misleading because Australians only use 'town' then 'city', whereas in Britain you have 'hamlet', 'village', 'town' and 'city'. So an Aussie town might have about five people living there, whereas a UK town would have at least 10,000.
After lunch we were introduced to a local who would give us a snake demonstration. This guy, whose name I forget (probably Bruce), had just about every native Australian snake in his barn. We got to handle a few of them, mainly pythons and see feeding time, where he put a live mouse into a cage with a snake and well, 'let them get on with it'. It was a pretty interesting stop though and a useful insight into how snakes work, even if it was a bit gruesome at times! Australia contains the vast majority of the world's most deadly snakes, not least the Black Headed Taipan, whose bite can kill 200 grown men. That's something you don't want to step on!
We drove on, passing into what increasingly looked like savannah. The rest of the day was spent driving and after a brief trip to Lake Belmore for sunset, we arrived in Croydon (no, not the one in London) at about 6pm. To give you an idea of what it was like, we stayed in the only two-storey building in town!
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Cairns Dive Centre trip day three
It was another early start on the 19th with our first dive of the day at 06:30. Frank and I went down to 18m at a bommie (that's a collection of coral) at the rear of the boat, but light and visibility wasn't ideal so I couldn't take many photos. After breakfast, we did a combined boat and fish identification speciality dive, whereby we were dropped off by a small boat to a bommie, rolling backwards into the water off the side of the hull.
I got a fair number of decent photos this time around, catching all sorts of fish. Photography is completely different underwater and it's like learning it from scratch. There are so many new issues with light, colour and being quick enough that it makes getting a good photo very tricky.
My final dive of the trip was at 11am that day and I chose to have it guided to make the most of it. Benny showed us plenty of wildlife, from giant clams and sea stars to pufferfish and angelfish. It was a great end to an excellent trip.
After lunch we moved back to the East Timor site and a number of us left the Kangaroo Explorer for Cairns. We got the Sunlover cruise back and arrived in town at about 6pm. By sheer chance, I met up with two people who I already knew at the hostel I was staying in, so we went to the Woolshed (a bar), where I also met at least five other people who I also had been travelling with on Oz Experience. It's always nice to bump into people like that and catch up on journeys past.
I got a fair number of decent photos this time around, catching all sorts of fish. Photography is completely different underwater and it's like learning it from scratch. There are so many new issues with light, colour and being quick enough that it makes getting a good photo very tricky.
My final dive of the trip was at 11am that day and I chose to have it guided to make the most of it. Benny showed us plenty of wildlife, from giant clams and sea stars to pufferfish and angelfish. It was a great end to an excellent trip.
After lunch we moved back to the East Timor site and a number of us left the Kangaroo Explorer for Cairns. We got the Sunlover cruise back and arrived in town at about 6pm. By sheer chance, I met up with two people who I already knew at the hostel I was staying in, so we went to the Woolshed (a bar), where I also met at least five other people who I also had been travelling with on Oz Experience. It's always nice to bump into people like that and catch up on journeys past.
A green turtle surfacing
A green turtle surfacing
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
A green turtle coming up for a breath in the rain
Carins Dive Centre trip day two
On the 18th (of May), we got up early at 5.30am and went for our first dive at 6, just as the sun was rising. Jillian, Gary and I went with Annika - a German instructor - do do our speciality deep dive. As a general rule, you always do your deepest dive of the day first, then do progressively shallower ones. If you have what's called a 'reverse profile' where you do a deeper dive than the last, then they can suspend you from your next dive to allow excess nitrogren to filter out of your body.
Ideally, you should descend to just above 30m because nitrogen narcosis - the same effect as being drunk but induced naturally by pressurised nitrogen in your body - starts to kick in there, but we could only find 22m. Annika did a few demonstrations like releasing an egg yolk into the water - where the pressure suspends it in a ball - before we ascended again. Her compass reading was altered by accident during our dive, so we came up to surface about 100m away from the ship and had to get towed back by the motor dingy, which was a bit of added excitement.
After breakfast, we went down again at 10:30 to do our navigation speciality dive. It wasn't particularly difficult - just using a compass to do circuits - but it gave me an idea of how to find my was around underwater. Usually you don't need a compass when diving, but should I need to I now know how. I said goodbye to Jillian and Gary after that dive as they were only doing a one night stay, then went for another dive at 4 with my new French buddy, Frank. We went down to about 12m as I did my photography speciality dive, which didn't need to be guided. In fact, it was my first dive where I was the most experienced diver, so I got to lead it in the sense of making sure we weren't lost and knew where the boat was. It's no formality, but usually the more experienced diver keeps an eye on the state of the dive as you're going along.
I had my second night dive that evening and chose to go guided just so that I'd see more. We only went down to 10 metres, but Benny - our Dutch guide - found us all sorts of wildlife, including a pufferfish, an amusing creature which looks like an overinflated balloon with fins.
Ideally, you should descend to just above 30m because nitrogen narcosis - the same effect as being drunk but induced naturally by pressurised nitrogen in your body - starts to kick in there, but we could only find 22m. Annika did a few demonstrations like releasing an egg yolk into the water - where the pressure suspends it in a ball - before we ascended again. Her compass reading was altered by accident during our dive, so we came up to surface about 100m away from the ship and had to get towed back by the motor dingy, which was a bit of added excitement.
After breakfast, we went down again at 10:30 to do our navigation speciality dive. It wasn't particularly difficult - just using a compass to do circuits - but it gave me an idea of how to find my was around underwater. Usually you don't need a compass when diving, but should I need to I now know how. I said goodbye to Jillian and Gary after that dive as they were only doing a one night stay, then went for another dive at 4 with my new French buddy, Frank. We went down to about 12m as I did my photography speciality dive, which didn't need to be guided. In fact, it was my first dive where I was the most experienced diver, so I got to lead it in the sense of making sure we weren't lost and knew where the boat was. It's no formality, but usually the more experienced diver keeps an eye on the state of the dive as you're going along.
I had my second night dive that evening and chose to go guided just so that I'd see more. We only went down to 10 metres, but Benny - our Dutch guide - found us all sorts of wildlife, including a pufferfish, an amusing creature which looks like an overinflated balloon with fins.
Cairns Dive Centre trip day one
So, on the 17th of May (yes, I'm a bit behind with writing this up!), I got up early to meet the shuttle bus for Cairns Dive Centre. I had booked a liveaboard dive trip which would take me out on the Reef for ten dives over three days. Now that I had my dive certification which I earned on Magnetic Island, I could go diving without an instructor and put my skills and knowledge to the test.
After a brief at the Carins Dive Centre office, we were driven down to the marina and boarded the Sunlover cruise to Moore Reef. Normally CDC have their own boat which takes you out to their liveaboard boat, but it was being serviced so we got a more comfortable ride on this other operator's ship. It was packed with tourists who didn't exactly look prepared for the rough ride to the Reef, but it got us there without any of us throwing up. From the Sunlover pontoon, we had a short ride over to the Kangaroo Explorer, our home for the next three days.
After a safety and site briefing, we got straight down to business and went for our first dive of the day. Since I had done my dive course only a matter of days previously, it was all very farmiliar to me and I had no problems getting into it all. Your first dive had to be a guided one and so my buddies Jillian and Gary set off with one of the instructors - Benny - at a dive site called East Timor. Whilst the visibility wasn't as good as it was on Heron Island, it sure was a lot better than Magnetic Island!
With our first dive done, we had a buffet lunch in the canteen onboard. The food was actually pretty good, probably better than I had expected given the price of the trip ($450 for ten dives all inclusive). After lunch we had a short break before going for our second dive at 4pm. Jillian (a Sydney-based solicitor), Gary (an Irish computer programmer) and I went on our own this time, heading down to 12m. As well as seeing numerous fish and coral, we found a series of caves in the coral which we could swim through, something that would prove to be the highlight of the trip.
Orignally, I had intended just to do ten recreational dives, but I learnt that for $60 more, I could gain my Advanced Speciality certification onboard by doing a few guided dives that focused on certain specialities of diving. It made a lot of sense to go and do this because you got guided dives on the cheap and the tasks you had to do were pretty simple.
Our night dive that evening became my first speciality dive and I went guided, as I would have had to anyway because it's my first night dive. Diving is slightly different at night because you have to learn a few new procedures to account for the changing conditions. As well as carrying torches, there are different signals which are used at night to communicate between your buddies, yourself and the boat. We didn't see a great deal of exciting wildlife on that first night dive, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
After a brief at the Carins Dive Centre office, we were driven down to the marina and boarded the Sunlover cruise to Moore Reef. Normally CDC have their own boat which takes you out to their liveaboard boat, but it was being serviced so we got a more comfortable ride on this other operator's ship. It was packed with tourists who didn't exactly look prepared for the rough ride to the Reef, but it got us there without any of us throwing up. From the Sunlover pontoon, we had a short ride over to the Kangaroo Explorer, our home for the next three days.
After a safety and site briefing, we got straight down to business and went for our first dive of the day. Since I had done my dive course only a matter of days previously, it was all very farmiliar to me and I had no problems getting into it all. Your first dive had to be a guided one and so my buddies Jillian and Gary set off with one of the instructors - Benny - at a dive site called East Timor. Whilst the visibility wasn't as good as it was on Heron Island, it sure was a lot better than Magnetic Island!
With our first dive done, we had a buffet lunch in the canteen onboard. The food was actually pretty good, probably better than I had expected given the price of the trip ($450 for ten dives all inclusive). After lunch we had a short break before going for our second dive at 4pm. Jillian (a Sydney-based solicitor), Gary (an Irish computer programmer) and I went on our own this time, heading down to 12m. As well as seeing numerous fish and coral, we found a series of caves in the coral which we could swim through, something that would prove to be the highlight of the trip.
Orignally, I had intended just to do ten recreational dives, but I learnt that for $60 more, I could gain my Advanced Speciality certification onboard by doing a few guided dives that focused on certain specialities of diving. It made a lot of sense to go and do this because you got guided dives on the cheap and the tasks you had to do were pretty simple.
Our night dive that evening became my first speciality dive and I went guided, as I would have had to anyway because it's my first night dive. Diving is slightly different at night because you have to learn a few new procedures to account for the changing conditions. As well as carrying torches, there are different signals which are used at night to communicate between your buddies, yourself and the boat. We didn't see a great deal of exciting wildlife on that first night dive, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
A saltwater crocodile
A saltwater crocodile
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
Something you don't want to find in your swimming pool...
Oz Experience day ten - on to Cairns
The next day, we set off on the final day of the Oz Experience part of my trip towards Cairns. One of our first stops was in Innisfail, where the centre of Cyclone Larry had hit the mainland. Apart from the obvious damage to the rainforest and crops, there were still plenty of roofs with tarpaulins on them to keep the rain out and a number of buildings that had evidently been abandoned because they were so badly damaged.
We weren't able to go to one of the walks in the Atherton Tablelands because it was still closed, so we went instead to the crocodile farm in Innisfail. We had a guided tour around the working farm at feeding time, getting a good look at both saltwater and freshwater crocodiles. The freshwater ones can grow up to about 3 or 4 metres and attack people unless you provoke them, but the saltwater crocodiles are the ones to watch out for; they grow up to 7m long, weigh up to 1000kg and see you as just another source of food.
Crocodiles are the longest surviving relatives of the dinosaurs and look the part to match. As the world's largest reptiles, they hunt using stealth but not so frequently as they can survive months without food. Left alone in the wild, crocodiles can easily live up to 100 years old.
After the tour, we had the chance to handle a snake, a baby crocodile and a blue-tongued lizard, which I had a go at. Snakes aren't as slimy as you might think and feel like one giant leather muscle, which I guess they are in a sense. The baby crocodile had its mouth taped shut, but even though it was small you wouldn't want to get in its way!
We drove to a lake for lunch and had a look around before driving further north towards Cairns. On the way, we stopped briefly at a waterfall in the Atherton Tablelands and the Curtain Fig Tree, a huge and unique plant formed from the freak collision of two fig trees. Our penultimate stop of the day was at the A.J. Hackett bungy jump site, the only one in Australia. I didn't opt to do a bungy because I think it's overpriced and not as good as the ones in New Zealand, but several of the group did and seemed to enjoy the thrill a great deal. We finished the day by driving into Cairns and then went out that evening for our farewell dinner at The Woolshed.
We weren't able to go to one of the walks in the Atherton Tablelands because it was still closed, so we went instead to the crocodile farm in Innisfail. We had a guided tour around the working farm at feeding time, getting a good look at both saltwater and freshwater crocodiles. The freshwater ones can grow up to about 3 or 4 metres and attack people unless you provoke them, but the saltwater crocodiles are the ones to watch out for; they grow up to 7m long, weigh up to 1000kg and see you as just another source of food.
Crocodiles are the longest surviving relatives of the dinosaurs and look the part to match. As the world's largest reptiles, they hunt using stealth but not so frequently as they can survive months without food. Left alone in the wild, crocodiles can easily live up to 100 years old.
After the tour, we had the chance to handle a snake, a baby crocodile and a blue-tongued lizard, which I had a go at. Snakes aren't as slimy as you might think and feel like one giant leather muscle, which I guess they are in a sense. The baby crocodile had its mouth taped shut, but even though it was small you wouldn't want to get in its way!
We drove to a lake for lunch and had a look around before driving further north towards Cairns. On the way, we stopped briefly at a waterfall in the Atherton Tablelands and the Curtain Fig Tree, a huge and unique plant formed from the freak collision of two fig trees. Our penultimate stop of the day was at the A.J. Hackett bungy jump site, the only one in Australia. I didn't opt to do a bungy because I think it's overpriced and not as good as the ones in New Zealand, but several of the group did and seemed to enjoy the thrill a great deal. We finished the day by driving into Cairns and then went out that evening for our farewell dinner at The Woolshed.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Rainforest devestation
Rainforest devestation
Originally uploaded by Toytown Mafia.
The rainforest near Mission Beach after Cyclone Larry
Oz Experience day nine - Mission Beach
On Monday (the 15th) I got back on the Oz Experience bus and left Magnetic Island at midday after a relaxed morning as we headed north out of Townsville. Our new driver Tanya would take us to Mission Beach as we entered land affected by the recent hurricane.
Cyclone Larry hit the Queensland coast on March 20th at a rating of catagory five, the highest possible. No-one was killed, but it caused a lot of structural damage and destroyed much of the agricultural and native vegetation in the area.
Even though it was nearly two months after the cyclone hit, as we drove north it was obvious that it had been through. We didn't see the worst of it as we only got to Mission Beach that day, but it was certainly evident everywhere you looked.
We went on a walk through the rainforest which had just been re-opened that day and the damage to the vegetation there was somewhat shocking. Before the cyclone, 90% of the forest floor was in shadow, but now it was more like 10%. The rainforest has been completely gutted, with trees lying all over the place and foliage ripped down from the canopy, leaving it open to the sky above. It's certainly a sad sight and it'll take 50 years until the forest recovers.
We got into Mission Beach late that afternoon and stayed at Scotty's Backpackers, which must have been one of the best hostels that I've stayed in. After months of travelling, you can spot the good ones from that bad in an instant and this one was right at the top of the pile, so to speak. We even got a free fire show thrown in, a spectacular display before our final Oz Experience trip the next day.
Cyclone Larry hit the Queensland coast on March 20th at a rating of catagory five, the highest possible. No-one was killed, but it caused a lot of structural damage and destroyed much of the agricultural and native vegetation in the area.
Even though it was nearly two months after the cyclone hit, as we drove north it was obvious that it had been through. We didn't see the worst of it as we only got to Mission Beach that day, but it was certainly evident everywhere you looked.
We went on a walk through the rainforest which had just been re-opened that day and the damage to the vegetation there was somewhat shocking. Before the cyclone, 90% of the forest floor was in shadow, but now it was more like 10%. The rainforest has been completely gutted, with trees lying all over the place and foliage ripped down from the canopy, leaving it open to the sky above. It's certainly a sad sight and it'll take 50 years until the forest recovers.
We got into Mission Beach late that afternoon and stayed at Scotty's Backpackers, which must have been one of the best hostels that I've stayed in. After months of travelling, you can spot the good ones from that bad in an instant and this one was right at the top of the pile, so to speak. We even got a free fire show thrown in, a spectacular display before our final Oz Experience trip the next day.
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