Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Sat 17Jul to Sun 18Jul
We needed to be up early so as to get down to the Gorge at Lawn Hill N.P which was approx 20min down the track so as to hire a canoe being only 14 allowed on the river at once.Because Paul Jen & H needed a 3 man canoe, they had to wait nearly an hour for it as there was only 3 available.In the mean time Bob & Sue took the first one, we got one not long after and away we went.What an absolute beautiful place it was, the scenery was breathtaking and because one cannon capture the real beauty on camera I took as many as I could and did manage to get a few good ones.Meanwhile Warren row, row, rowed the boat gently down the stream, but unlike the song it was not done merrily, he found it very difficult in the hard seat and the unnatural position one had to sit in to row, but we soldiered on and by the time we had rowed (yes I did row from time to time but Warren thought I was more a hindrance than a help) up to the first level which took us a ½ hour, we had had enough exercise for the day so we moored the canoe and took a dip in the beautiful crystal clear waters where the waterfalls cascaded into the river.How pristine and unspoilt the natural beauty of this area was it just gives one a feeling of pure contentment and a great appreciation for The National Parks and Wildlife Society who run these places.Then we had to row all the way back, passing Paul, Jen& H going the other way, they had only just started out on their African Queen adventure.Paul & Jen went up to the second level (one has to drag the canoe up over the embankment to get past the waterfalls).They were fortunate enough to see 2 freshwater crocs who were just lazing around sunning themselves & who were not too perturbed by the invasion of their privacy, Jen was able to get a great shot of them both.We made it back to shore without any dramas except for a few aching muscles then met Bob & Sue for lunch by the riverside.A very cheeky bird who wanted to eat our sandwiches, kept swooping out of the tree above, Bob was the main target, he had to cover his lunch up otherwise the bird would have taken it straight out of his hand.Bob & Sue decided they had had enough so they went back to Adels Grove, Warren & I decided to take a walk along the river bank which led up a steep hill climb to Island Stack which over looks the gorge and the surrounding Constance Range.What a breathtaking view of the Lower Gorge, it was well worth the effort to do the walk, while we were looking down at the river we could see Paul, Jen & H paddling back to shore, Warren cooeed them and of course they instantly knew who it was.The walk was very exhilarating and we both really enjoyed it, Jen & Paul went in the opposite direction for a walk along the river bank which let them to the aboriginal art shelters which they said was also very interesting.Back to Adels Grove and as we were all tuckered out,we had show a show and tell at happy hour that afternoon.A great day was had by all.This was one of the highlight of our trip thus far, & well worth waiting for all these years of gunna do it one day.Don't wait, just get out there and do it.
As we all wanted to do the tour of The Riversleigh Fossil Field & as we were leaving on Monday morning, Adels Grove Tours put on a special tour for us (they needed 6 or more to be worth their while & they ended up with 10).It was another 53 ks of dirt road to get to site 6 which is the only area open to the public.The Riversleigh fossils deposits are amongst the richest and most extensive in the world, with some fossils dating back 25 million years.Turtles, fish, snails, crocodiles, lizards, pythons, birds, many types of kangaroos, bats and many other prehistoric creatures that I cannot even pronounce let alone spell have been recovered from site 6.These fossils have been preserved in limestone outcrops; the area was once a lush rainforest filled with lakes and waterways.After a fascinating tour of the site and a very informative and interesting commentary by our tour guide John, not just on the fossils but also about the surrounding bushland with its diverse range of flora & fauna, we headed back to the bus and proceeded down to the Gregory River crossing where we had morning tea.Just so picturesque, I am unable to tell you in words how beautiful the Australian outback is, it is so diverse.One minute a barren dusty landscape with a few rocky outcrops and trees scattered here and there to this beautiful lush river crossing rushing with fresh crystal clear water. It is truly beauty in the eye of the beholder.One could only appreciate fully by seeing it for oneself.The bus did a quick drive through the crossing and back again then homeward bound we were.We stopped at a couple of other interesting sights on the way home; all in all it was a great day and another highlight of our trip.And as the old saying goes, if you never never go, you'll never never know.So what are you waiting for?Our next stop will be Mt Isa where we will fill up with fuel & groceries again and do a big clean up as we have another 201 ks of dirt road to travel before we get onto the highway leading to Mt Isa.Boy am I going to get down on my hand and knees and kiss the bitumen when we finally reach it. The dust just works its way into everything.See you next time…..love to all our family & friends.Carol & Waz xxxx
- comments