Indiana Jones Meets Jurassic Park!

"The  most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious".  Albert Einstein

Today we opted to have our own adventure and go where the muse takes us! I have to say maybe ten years ago I would have thought nothing of driving on this Island. I wouldn't do it now so was glad Blair was up for it! We picked up our buggy complete with a near personal reg. -LXC as opposed to LEC-  and took off up the dual carriageway (maybe a slight misnomer) out of Kingfisher Bay, through the protective Dingo Fence, onwards and upwards and onto the dodgy roller coaster main road (another misnomer).

Blair was obviously enjoying the challenge as we bumped and dodged our way along the highway. Top speed hit the high spots of 30kph for at least 2 minutes.

Yesterday we learned that there were 3 eco systems across the island, Banksia Forests, Satinay Forests/Tropical Rainforest and Primary Forests (the first growth on the Sandy Island). We renamed 2 of the areas as Jurassic Park and Primeval Forest. At any one point in time I expected a Tyrannosaurus Rex or a Veloceraptor to cross our path or come crashing through the dark, dense forest after us! It took us an hour to travel to the first stopping point yesterday and, having learned a little more about the sand blow,  I could look at it with more informed eyes! I would love to walk across it but that is maybe for another time and with a Ranger Leader.

It had rained on and off but as we slithered down the deep sandy ruts onto the Beach Highway the downpour really started. No-one else there and ahead of us in this 30kph limit stretched the sea and the ocean into infinity! Overwhelmingly beautiful despite the tropical rainstorm.

It was such fun travelling along the beach especially when the speed limit upped to 80  - 60 was our maximum! We passed the "speed cops" parked just below the greenbelt on the inner edge of the beach. Not too busy on this highway ( a gross understatement) maybe seeing 5 other vehicles in total along the way. We of course were also travelling along the airstrip!

Great care had to be taken crossing creeks and little rivers as they flooded out of the hillside into the ocean. Only on 2 occasions did we leave the beach for a little detour as the ocean was right up to the edge of the sand dunes and we didn't want to take a chance being stranded in the water. Bear in mind you are not allowed to swim there because of the large numbers of sharks.

We took time to examine the black rocks occasionally scattered along the beach. Neither Blair nor I were sure we had the correct story/ believed what the Ranger had informed us yesterday. The black rocks were very shiny and from a distance looked like any other black rocks on beaches across the world. They are formed with black minerals in the very white sand.

Pulling up in the rain beside an outcrop  we bent down to feel the hard shiny surfaces. Looking at each other as we tried to break off pieces we said ...absolutely not! Moving along a little Blair tugged hard and yes.........  he broke off a piece!

He did crumble some of it in his hand just as the Ranger had told us. If I hadn't seen Blair do it I would not have believed it possible.

Needless to say  a few kms further on we found a couple with their bonnet up!  Blair stopped to offer assistance   to a french couple who had  come through the same very deep flooded hole we had managed to get through....the black water (coloured with teatree minerals)  did splash up and over our roof!

We stopped again at Eli Creek for lunch. Having to pay a visit to the "restrooms" I found our companion of yesterday, a very large spider was still in situ with a few more victims added in its web!

Instead of coming back down the creek  as we did yesterday, we took the civilised route back along the boardwalk and arrived at our buggy for our picnic lunch just ahead of the monsoon rains and squalls which quickly cleared the beach. It did seem somewhat odd to see folks with kagoul/ raincoats on when they had just been in the river wandering downstream and were very wet anyway!

There was also a passing bin lorry heading somewhere?

Eli Creek pours 4.3 million litres of crystal clear
water per day into the ocean, 6 times the water volume in Sydney Harbour!

After a "rest" in our buggy just watching the endless ocean in the driving rain we set off back down the highway to Eurong, the "Resort" on the east coast of the island.

A quick coffee and necessary toilet stop introduced me to another type of companion.......... a large, prehistoric type lizard,  I later learned called  a Lace Monitor!!!!!

Having got myself organised  I heard this strange noise, like the impatient tapping of long nails on a glass table.  I  looked  upwards and behind in the direction of the noise and...... lo and behold! Believe me - I moved somewhat quicker as my toilet companion  moved closer towards me!!! 

This creature was as wide as both my thighs and almost 2 metres long! Its tail flicked over towards my side of the wall as its claws clicked on the breeze blocks and I didn't think it was a friendly Hello! Needless to say as camera was slung over my shoulder I did manage a quick pic. even although I was, to say the least, a bit apprehensive!

I insisted on Blair returning with me just to share my experiences with him! Have several more scary pics to prove this was no exaggeration! 

 So far have seen a bit of the wildlife of Australia, maybe a bit closer than I might  have wished for! After a somewhat forced laugh on my part we turned inland and headed back across the island towards Kingfisher  Bay. You might want to have a look at this You Tube video showing the difference in growth rate. Apparently some folks keep these beasts as pets! You Tube - Jurassic Apartment!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoZtsaZ5kYU&feature=related

A couple of times Blair had to reverse back down the track to find a "Passing Place" to allow oncoming vehicles to pass...not an easy task.  Our day's excitement was not yet over however!

A tree had come down blocking the road and we reckoned it had happened only   10/15 minutes previously. It was raining hard and in this  darker part of the forest.  Needless to say I had my Teva sandals on so was very careful where I was putting my feet as some very large and different types of scary insects were crawling and flying around. Needless to say I did not draw Blair's attention to them!

He had a really hard  job trying to move the tree and sadly I have rain on the lens of my camera thus blurring the pics!  Indiana Jones look out!

Issie I should add that I have a memory of a lady who managed to acquire  a massive tree from who knows where on the night of her 21st in Ryvoan Bothy! 

To this day no-one knows from whence she found the tree as the area from the Green Lochan  has no trees!

Back at the ranch now fairly tired but a "Golden Day" one of those I will remember forever. Jim you really must visit here....... right up your street or highway I should say!