Wednesday, August 12, 2009

thursday 13th august







Thursday the 13th, well I have been pretty slack and not updated the blog for a week. After Karumba we went to Mt Surprise and stayed at the Bedrock Caravan Park. This is the best caravan park we have stayed in so far. On the first full day there (Friday 7th of August) we went on a tour of Undara Lava tubes. Well worth a look. They are believed to be over 160 thousand years old and once ran for many kilometres. The tour actually took us into three tubes which many years ago would have been the one tube. However over the year the tube has caved in at many points. The photo show the end of one tube where it actually dropped over the edge of a cliff. The tube also turned and that is the way we went out. In the tube there where bats (very small) frogs (also very small) and large cave spiders. The photo is of one of the smaller spiders I found. Jenny, Cassidy and I where the only one’s on the tour to find any creatures apart from the guide. The following day (Saturday 8th August) Cassidy and Jenny went to O’Brien’s Creek fossicking for Topaz. They found a couple of pieces and of course I am now paying for them to be cut. That evening we had Pizza for tea cooked in the out door wood oven at the Bedrock Caravan Park. The meals, cafĂ© etc at Bedrock are just wonderful. By the way there is nothing much more in Mt Surprise. Another Caravan park, Gem shop, a small museum, a Hotel, Police Station and a community health centre. Sunday the 9th of August it was off to Innot Spring for a swim in the six mineral pools. The water for these comes out of the ground at over seventy degrees, the pools range from 42 degrees down to a spa at about 30 degrees and then a swimming pool that was air temperature. We only stayed in Innot springs over night. Then it was off to Atherton (Monday 10th of August) (Yungaburra) where we have been all week. Monday was a catch-up day shopping and starting to get ready for the trip to Cape York. We went to one of the local dairies where we purchased four of their locally produced cheeses. (Tuesday 11th of August) It was off to Nerada tea for a tour of the factory. Currently they are not picking tea as they recently had a frost and you need to wait 6 weeks from a frost until the tea is ready to pick again. Also they are installing new dryers which will make their tea even better. After Nerada it was off to Mungalli Creek Dairy for some Lunch. Very nice dairy which we visited last year and we had to go back again to get some of their Mango Chutney. Hopefully this time we will be able to work out what is in it and make something ourselves which will be similar. On the way back to camp from Mungalli Creek we stopped off at three of the districts water falls. The last one being Milla Milla falls which is the one in all the postcards of the Artherton tablelands. Wednesday the 12th. Very busy day sorting out the camper and buying stuff for the big trip, ended up at Yungaburra having a hair cut and Jenny had a massage. Whilst Jenny was having a massage Cassidy and I sat in the local park with the laptop updating our spend spreadsheet. Thus so far we have spent over five thousand. Thursday the 13th our wedding anniversary also Larry Fraim birthday. Happy birthday mate. Spent most of the morning sorting out the stuff we are taking north. Cooking and vacuum sealing and then freeze pasta sauce (which I cooked). Had prawns for lunch and then Cassidy and I went swimming in Lake Eacham. Which is a crater lake. Water was crystal clear with many small fish. Not too cold either. Staying at Lake Eacham caravan park, very small, however Jenny feels right at home with Chooks and chicks running around, a rooster crowing a 4.30am, a pig, a goat (no Masonic jokes) and an Ostrich. Well better go and see how to set up this camper. More update when we next get mobile coverage. Maybe a fortnight. Just for Larry this pig is at the Caravan park at Lake Eacham and is walked everyday. Jenny had the shit frightened out of her when she came wondering up.

6 comments:

  1. Happy anniversary! Have fun going up to the tip of Aus.

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  2. Good to hear from you today. Have a great, safe time on your way north (and south again!) Hope you are feeling relaxed on your trip.

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  3. Happy 26th Wedding Anniversary!!!!!!!! Great update Greg! Travel safe and can't wait to hear from you all again when technology catches up with you!
    The Werners xo

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  4. Wow! Great blog Greg. Imagine how long your next one will be once you'be been to the top!
    Glad Jen found time for a massage. SItting and driving the k's you are certainly would play havoc with your backs.
    $5K. Not bad considering the price of fuel. ANyway it's only money.
    Safe travels to the top. I'll forward to the blog.
    Kath

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  5. Gorgeous. How I would love to go and look at those lava tubes, it sounds absolutely wonderful.
    Did the massage get rid of some tension Jenny?
    The waterfall looks simply stunning and to see all those animals in your caravan park your staying in sounds wonderful.
    Mango chutney...sounds interesting although I think you would be able to find the recipe on line if you looked hard enough.
    Have fun in Cape York.
    Angela

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  6. i bet you get up jenny, when the roster crows

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