Dance Brolga, Dance!

Crossing the Atherton Tablelands we saw, some of the prettiest scenery so far on our trip. We were surrounded by green rolling hills, covered in big black and white dairy cows, then we were driving through thick rainforests, then cute little villages.

 

We stopped at Ravenshoe, a town that boasts 'the highest pub in Queensland". We HAD to stop there and have a counter meal and a cold beer.

Pulling into the BP at Mount Surprise, I went inside to enquire about staying at the caravan park behind the petrol station. I met the rudest man I have ever encountered! I don’t know if I caught him on a bad day or he was just grumpy. The only reason we decided to stay there was because my dad had just told us about a Dancing Brolga who lived at the park.

We chose a site near the fence, climbed out of the car and took some carrots over to feed the miniature ponies and watch the brolga put on a show for us.

 

 

 

 

It had been a long and hot day in the car, so we put on our bathers and headed for the pool. Will, Dan and Zac were already in, and before I joined them I pressed the button to turn on the spa. As soon as the bubbles started a huge cane toad jumped out of the pool. Needless to say, I no longer felt the need to go swimming!

 

Up early the next morning, we headed to the Undara Volcanic National Park. The area is situated within the McBride volcanic province and contains 164 volcanoes, vents and cones. The lava tubes are regarded amongst the largest and longest on the planet. The word Undara is Aboriginal and means ‘a long way’. The volcanic activity that formed the tubes occurred approximately 190,000 years ago and the volcano Undara expelled massive amounts of lava onto the surrounding Atherton Tableland. In total it was estimated that over 23 billion cubic meters of lava that was released covering an area of 55 km2.

 

We spent a couple of very relaxing days camped next to mum and dad on the banks of Fletcher Creek. The boys had a lovely time jumping in the river and floating down to where Dad and I sat on the grass fishing.

 

One morning I woke early and managed to catch sight of a magical sunrise.

 

 

On our last morning with mum and dad, before they continued south to be home for the birth of my brothers' baby, we had a father's day breakfast in Charters Towers.

 

Charter's Towers was founded in the 1870s when gold was discovered by chance at Towers Hill on Christmas Eve 1871 by 12-year-old Aboriginal boy, Jupiter Mosman. Jupiter was with a small group of prospectors, searching for gold, when their horses bolted after a flash of lightning. While he was searching Jupiter found both the horses and a nugget of gold in a creek at the base of Towers Hill.

The Charters Towers gold field produced over 200 tons of gold from 1871-1917, and was Australia's richest major field.

 

 

We are now heading west back to Outback Australia to catch up with friends and explore the Northern Territory!