As we left the Atherton Tablelands we knew that the most exciting part of our touring was about to begin ! Two weeks touring across the Savannah Way to Karumba and then south on the Burke and Wills Development road.
We also realised that we were traveling on the very end of the tourist season and it was beginning to get hot (mid to high 30's), many of the attractions were getting ready to close, there were fewer people on the roads, it was quite remote and the area like everywhere else is in drought. We had never really thought we would travel the Gulf area and here we were !
Our first stop was the Undarra Lava Tubes, one of the longest lava tube systems in the world. 190,000 years ago a massive eruption caused lava to flow more than 90 kms to the north and over 160 kms to the north-west. An estimated 23 cubic kms of lava, at a temperature of 1,200 degrees celcius flowed from the volcano, at a rate of about 100 cubic metres every second. Apparently at this rate it could fill Sydney Harbour in six days.
We were there when Opera in the Outback was on so we attended the first night which was actually a Jazz - Broadway in the Bush night. What an exciting time ahead !
We were there when Opera in the Outback was on so we attended the first night which was actually a Jazz - Broadway in the Bush night. What an exciting time ahead !
Our campsite.
Before the Jazz night ...
We drove out to a part of the National Park in the morning, before it got too hot, where George could walk the rim of a volcanic Kalkani Crater and overlook the area from a viewpoint. While he did this I relaxed on a rug by the car and read. I had thought I might be able to try walking up but it proved too steep, and ... I was conserving my walking for the Lava Tube tour later in the day.
We did a special tour of the Lava Tubes in the afternoon for people with mobility problems. The tour for the general public was rated easy, but I saw they would run a mobility tour if requested and given 72hours notice. So I had rung ahead to enquire, inquisitive as to why they offered the alternate tour. The receptionist assured me the tour was easy, " it had lots of ramps and ONLY about 240 steps." Well just as well I asked ! !
... So we had a private tour of a different one, the Road Tour - Lava Tube, all on our own. This one was accessed using an inclinator .....
In the evening we attended the opera in the Outback's first night, named Broadway in the Bush, it was a Jazz night. The band Far North, from Cairns, was brilliant. It was a quartet made up of drummer, keyboard, bass guitar and a double bass The young singer was Rhys Tolhurst who had contested Australia's Got Talent a few years ago.
The setting, in an outdoor theatre in the bush was very different especially as the sun set. Many people were dressed in after five dresses and shirt and tie. We were told that it would get dressier over the next two nights as women would dress up in 'opera' gowns, and men in suits. Alcohol was available and a late dinner was also available after the shows.
Overall it was a wonderful experience and it would be great to be able to afford to go back for all three nights.
Some photos from the drive from Undarra to Georgetown.
We thought this was quite an unusual 'Beware of Cattle' sign.
We always have a laugh when we come across a red light in a remote area, especially after not seeing one for weeks at a time, and having seen no other car for ages.
We thought this was quite an unusual 'Beware of Cattle' sign.
We always have a laugh when we come across a red light in a remote area, especially after not seeing one for weeks at a time, and having seen no other car for ages.
By Lynne
No comments:
Post a Comment