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| Day 9: November 8 -
Rockhampton to Eungella |
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Another
long travel day in the van. We had about 4 hours
of driving that we needed to cover. We went from
the sparse dry heat of the plains to the lush humid
air of the rainforest. Driving out of Rockhampton
we followed the Bruce Highway which takes you along
the coast, but also through the scrub. We decided
that the bush is scraggly and really barren in places.
Part of the reason is Australia's obsession with
fire control. In those areas, the grass grows high
and dry and if it were accidentally ignited, a devastating
fire would ensue. So, as prevention, Australia regularly
sets controlled burns to thin out the grass and
scrub. Oddly enough, fire is also required for some
of the trees to drop their seed pods.
We had lunch at Camilla Beach in Camilla. The tide was out and there was a good football field length of open sand. When the tide rolls
in, it must come very far in but be very shallow.
Another few hours drive landed us in Eungella National Park. We arrived around 5:30 and went immediately to the platypus pond. We were in
luck and were able to observe 3-4 platypuses for quite some time. They were easy to spot because they blow a lot of bubbles just before
surfacing. They ranged in size from about a foot to two feet. Very strange looking creatures. Apparently this was a special day because it's
not often that they are this active.
Once the platypus viewing ended, we headed for a
short (900m) circuit through some rainforest. It
was a typical interpretive hike with information
about the type of trees, ferns and wildlife that
are native to this rainforest. On the walk we saw
a beautiful palm tree that stretched over 100 feet
tall and had a perfect set of fronds at the top
that made it look like a starburst. Approximately
halfway up the trunk was a complete circle of epiphyte
ferns living off of the moisture and nutrients of
the tree. Tomorrow we will hike this rainforest
and Finch Hatten Gorge before we get on the boat. |
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Camilla Beach |
Flame Tree |
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Sugar Cane fields |
Snail |
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