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Today was spent in the company of Captain Kiwi Matty, a friendly and excellent tour guide, on a day that took us to three rainforest swims, the site of a famous Aboriginal folk tale, a town straight from the 1970s and a chocolate and cheese factory.
The day started at 0730 with the pick up outside the hostel, and once everyone was aboard Captain Kiwi soon developed slang for the group - the three Kazazhs were just 'Kazakhstan', a male hairdresser from Shrewsbury 'porn star', his friend 'Blondie' and his Mum 'Mum'! He also said that he recently called a German girl 'Blondie', to which she took exception as that was the name of Hitler's dog!
The first stop was at Babbinda Falls, an amazing collection of giant boulders with water flowing through them. The legend has it that they were formed by a girl crying for a month after her lover was banished by his tribe. After she committed suicide jumping off the cliff they say her spirit haunts the waters - 25 males aged 18-22 have drowned there, all receiving the same marks to their lower body. Her spirit is said to drag them down to kiss them, believing them to be her lover, before realising they are not. By the time she realises, the human has drowned.
Next stop is Josephine Falls in Wooroonooran National Park. It is a large pool of water surrounded by rocks of various sizes, and a naturally occuring slide to slide down into pool on. Here we swam! At this juncture I should point out a potential error on my part - no towel! However, given the heat, drying wasn't a problem. More of a problem was the lack of swimming trunks so, after a thought of about a second, in I went with my underpants on in lieu. Very refreshing, it is fair to say, but once accustomed a wonderful experience. After clambering up one large rock and slipping and sliding across it, you find yourself at the top of a cascade of water, about 15feet, ready to hurl you back down to the calm pool. In the middle of a rainforest, could you experience anything better? Well, as it turned out, actually you could.
The second swim was at Millaa Millaa Falls (in the old language, meaning Water Water) up in the Tablelands, 720m above sea level. In a volcanic area, these Falls are 10,000 years old, framed by lava routes. (It is also the scene where the video for Peter Andre's 'Mysterious Girl' was shot.) With this in mind, or not, in we went. This time it was beyond icy cold, but so incredibly refreshing that I felt like I was as good as new. A slow swim towards the falls themselves, the splash of water hitting water was quite fearsome. Stop short, brace yourself, shut your eyes and pull yourself through, thousands of tiny sharp shocks against the skin. Then, clear again, and pull up onto the rocks and sit on the reverse side of the Falls, the sun streaming through, warming. Beautiful!
Then the return journey, stand in the sun to dry off, discussing Rugby with Captain Kiwi. Most of the eswimming had been watched by a coachful of Japanese tourists. The third swim was at Lake Eacham, a huge circular lake (63.2 m deep, 3 1/2km circumference) enclosed once more by beautiful rainforest. This time there was a jetty to thrown yourself from - the water refreshing again, but not as cold as before, with warm pockets of beautifully warm awter in places. A little bit like swimming in a dream.
After this we plunged 6 1/2km through Gillies Range, with 250 turns along the way. On a couple of occasions some of the forest was burning, however this was not wild fire but friendly fire - fires started deliberately, not as hot as wild fires, so as to turn some trees to charcoal, which trap nutrients for the plants, and also to stop wild fire spreading when it starts.
Other stops during the day were a stop at Henrietta Creek, where we picniced and walked, and I took a great picture of an unsusual insect. A stop at Crawfords Lookout, down a very long hill which was where huge logs where transported up and down. Dangerous if one of the logs were to escape! A beautiful sight. Just prior to the Millaa Millaa Fals we had stopped in the town of Millaa Millaa. It was like an old American town, deserted, and like stepping back in time. Chicken in a basket was available for lunch! At some point today someone misquoted a Dad's Army classic, mixing it with a Fawlty Towers one 'Don't mention the war, Pike!'
On returning to Cairns, purchased some food for the long trip tomorrow, and after a brief meeting with last nights girls, retired to bed.
Some interesting facts garnered from this trip:
In one town of the area, crushed cane was burnt to form electricity for the local mill, and for three months of the year, for 2/3 of the town as well.
The most dangerous job, statistically, in Queensland, is holding a STOP/GO sign on a road where there are roadworks.
There are over 500 Aboriginal cultures - but the didgeridoo only appears in Western Australia.
The North area of the Tablelands is all orchards, and the South beef and dairy.
There are 26 Harley Davidsons - brand new from WWII - at the bottom of Lake Eacham.
A nice one to finish - termite faeces are rich in immodium, so crushed and mixed with water made a good drink to help with 'such matters.'
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