Last days in OZ ..July 09

The opportunist...orchid...

As J was completing her school work...and D was completing his kids camps at his school.... they managed to have 2 weeks "off"...to commit to lots of driving and showing me sites that were very special to them in Queensland...and now to me.

Toured the north of QLD with J and D guiding me .... kayaking at Paluma Lake Dam (up in the range), exploring the range winding roads, stopping to view the old stone bridges, and waterways.... and stayed at Hidden Valley cabins ...eco friendly environment with solar powered everything...Ist "resort" in OZ to be so...
see their info at : www:hiddenvalleycabins.com.au
Climbed down into a gorge not too many folks see (thanks to D's camp life) and generally was introduced to plantations of bananas, sugar cane, mangoes, old open pit "tin" mines, ...etc etc.
I learned much and experienced the same

Lake Paluma in search of platypus... bubbles only seen...

D prepared "tea"...snacks and tea prior to our paddle... I applied bug spray++

J with baby..Gomez sleeping in her sling..... ahhhh!! I believe this was the Crystal Creek Bridge.... and waterfalls.... many waterfalls small and large along the Range drive...

Beautiful handmade bridge..over a rugged river bed.

This is Gomez the Brushtail possum that was in J's keep ...she has been trained by the wildlife group to be a "carer" for snakes, possums and other marsupials... when they have been abandoned for numerous reasons...they are nutured , cared for and eventually released into the wild again ...when ready. She's fostered a snake, and 3 possums over the past year and does a fab job of all involved...and it is INVOLVED.

J had a great idea, while we drove thousands of kilometers... to hang Gomez's pouch from the car's "hook" in the backseat..and he loved it...as it swayed with the movement of the car...and he slept...(being nocturnal...he sleeps in the day)... at night as we slept in our cabin or hotel room, he was nestled down in his carrier...for the night.. too cute...


Hidden Valley Cabins: a sustainable experience.. off of Herveys range road, close to Paluma Winner of awards in excellence in sustainable tourism. A huge number of solar panels are located on a hill behind the cabins.
Our cabin is next the the most visible one here... very quiet and private. Clean, and nature literally visits your door...

Climbed down a path with D's help...to come apon this outstanding gorge...at "Puzzle creek"... remember it was their WINTER... and the water levels are low... it goes up by many meters in the WET season.. Temperatures were 28C in the day and 10-15C at night..in June/July..MY KIND OF WINTER!!

D climbed down into the gorge and stripped down to go for a plunge off the side of the gorge..but first he had to swim over to it and then climb up it to a good height...then jumped...after counting..so I'd get the "shot"... That's him on the little outcropping below... J and I stayed uptop and enjoyed the calm view...no one was there...but us.


D starts his ascent ..up the cliff face...you can just see him..


Yes, there he goes... off the cliff face...into the greenish water... (close up below)


Trip to D's parents in New South Wales... stopped off at the most easterly tip of Australia...and saw this fabulous lighthouse and calm water of the bay and wild water of the ocean..unprotected by the Great Barrier Reef. Very different without the reef's influence... Whales and Dolphins visit this area close to shore...and many folks were searching to see one! This area is big for surfing.

Unprotected side...