The Sub- Tropical Mountain Gondwana Land Rain Forests On the Great Dividing Range of Australia. -2 New England NP

The New England National Park sits at the top of the Great Divide above the Pacific Ocean west of Coffs Harbour.

The route south through the mountains was chosen to catch up with friends in the NSW borders and explore some beautiful rainforest.

Heading south from the Lockyer Valley in Queensland I take the backroads out through Peak Crossing toward Boonah. Then winding my way toward the border with NSW and down the wonderfully twisty Lions Road to Kyogle and the start of the Summerland Way.

A good place to stop overnight and for a swim. Although it comes with the risk of getting bombed by Patch the flying cattle dog.

The next day I headed along the Summerland Way to Grafton where I turned off and took the winding mountain road up to Ebor at the top of the Great Dividing Range.

Ebor is a good stop to top up the bikes fuel tank. Fusspots Cafe is also a good place for coffee and lunch. To refuel thy self.

The turn off to New England National Park is about halfway between Ebor and the Regional Centre of Armidale along the waterfall way.

There are campgrounds in the Park and lodges in and around.

The heavens had opened and luckily there was a local cabin vacant.

Clearing skies invited setting up camp in Thungutti campground the next day.

The damp weather and recent rains added an additional challenge to walking the steep rainforest tracks.

But there is something special to walking in a rainforest in the misty rain.

The fungus looks all fresh and shiny.

Frogs and toads have spawned in the puddles,

And the rains invited this orange Red Triangle Slug out to show itself. This slug was first identified less than two years ago.

The moisture caught in the moss, lychen and tree follage just beautiful.

With all the rain the waterfalls and small cascades were flowing strongly.

The walk and paths were tricky so it was good to do it in company.

Quite challenging for a piece meal adventurer

Nitmiluk NP 3 – the Arnhem Land Plateau and Aboriginal Rock Art

There are significant sites of rock art all around the Nitmiluk NP.

There are sites in the public access areas of the Gorge

There are remote areas accessible only by helicopter

And special areas only accessible with aboriginal guides, in remote communities. Unfortunately due to Covid 19 access to remote aboriginal communities is not available.

The Arnhem Land Plateau is amongst the oldest exposed rock in the world.

Being formed 1,600 million years ago.

In the wet season the sandstone acts as a giant sponge soaking up the flooding waters that flow as springs and waterfalls in Nitmiluk and Kakadu in the dry season.

We landed at a spring atop the Arnhem Land Plateau

Around the spring were six galleries of aboriginal art

This was a place for dreaming hence the yellow Mimi spirit, catching fish, and giving birth.

I can’t capture the galleries painted thousands of years back are.

In the main Gorge the rock art is more accessible

For us, non aboriginal people this art are interesting images.

For aborigines they tell a story of how the land was formed and changed over tens of thousands of years

How to find food and water in the wilderness.

How to live as one with the land.

Boodjamulla National Park -oasis on the Queensland /NT border

From the Oasis that is the Gregory River there is a rough dirt road that runs west into the desert.

Boodjamulla NP and Adels Grove are oasis neighbours on the spring fed Lawn Hill Creek

Adels Grove is a large campground oasis flanking both sides of the stream.

There is small bistro, lots of camping and cabins, swimming holes, bushwalks and wildlife.

Quite amazing for somewhere so remote.

Adels Grove has an amazing history. Planted as a tropical botanic garden in the 1920s.

Remnants of those original planting still flank Lawn Hill Creek

Approx 8km upstream from Adels Grove is Boodjamulla National Park and spectacular gorge.

The gorge can be enjoyed by kayaking in the 3km of gorge open to the public or by walking the top of the gorge.

The waters at Boodjamulla are healing in Waanyi dreaming.

When I arrived at Boodjamulla the months on the road was telling on my body.

Indeed a week bathing in these waters were healing.

Off the Tableland and onto the Savannah Way

Waterfalls, like the Millstream Falls are are true feature of the Atherton Tableland.

The falls lay between Ranenshoe

Queensland’s highest town and

Innot Hot Spring there are thermal waters in the creek or spa centre to ease an adventurers tired bones.

Past the Springs the land opens out to the savannah at 40 mile scrub.

Not for on I found a spring fed water hole for a cooling dip.

Before stopping at the little town of Mount Surprise.

An old gem stone fossicking town close by the Undara Volcanic National Park and its amazing Lava Tubes.

This is my second visit to the Lava Tubes. Back in 2015 returning from Cooktown I stayed at the Undara Resort. This time I chose the Bedrock Village at Mount Surprise.

The lava tubes are remnants from volcanic eruptions 190,000 years ago.

And are inhabited by little micro bats about the size of your thumb

The scale of the tubes can be seen here. Look for the guide in the bottom left hand corner.

The National Park is home to hundreds of extinct volcanoes.

The Kalkani Crater is accessible for walking.

With informative interpretation signs.

If you walk quietly you may see pretty faced wallabies

The beautiful Wonga Vine

And amazing views over the savannah.

As I write a new covid 19 outbreak has emerged in Australia and who knows how that will effect my travel plans across the continent.

One has to be flexible while travelling in the time of Covid 19.

Time to Say Goodbye to the Pacific Ocean and head West, back to the Outback

Wongalinga Beach on Queensland’s north coast is a beautiful place to rest and regenerate before heading inland again.

The clear water is warm and being inside the Great Barrier Reef the waves are gentle.

Perfect for daily swims to ease the muscles tight from three and a half months on the road.

Scotties Hostel, which is only a few hundred metres to the beach was a perfect place to find a bed and give the tent a rest.

But I wanted to see the Reef again before I needed inland.

Kings Reef is the closest part of the Great Barrier Reef to the mainland.

So I found myself a camp site right beside the sand at Kurrimine Beach.

A good travelling friend had recommended it.

Here, when the moon is coming onto full and the very low tides fall during the day

One is able to walk out to Kings Reef

I walked past the yacht sitting at rest on the sand

And out to the reef

Being exposed so much the coral is sparse but there are beautiful patches

So it was goodbye to the Pacific Ocean.

The next Ocean I will swim in will be the Indian Ocean on the other side of the continent

It was a beautiful ride up onto the Atherton Tableland past the waterfalls and rainforest to historic Herberton, just off the Savannah Way and the route to the west.

And the Outback