Queensland - Scenery, September2011

There are some beautiful parts of Queensland, (Qld) where there are very few people. These areas are  oases, some of them with permanent water.

 Taken from a rocky outcrop overlooking the river at Dimantina NP, Qld.

 The view from my campsite at Diamantina NP.

 This is taken at Manton Dam near Mt Isa (large inland mining town). Such a nice place to watch the sun go down. Mt Isa was one of the larger towns we went through. 

 In some parts of Australia there are countless termite mounds. Some are very tall, maybe even 5m tall. These ones are about the height of a person.  In cities the last thing we want is termites eating our homes but out here they perform an important function. They recycle nutrients from the plant matter they feed on. They belong here. This is near Bourketown.

 This spot is near Karumba, which is on the Gulf of Carpentaria.  The sky is a bit smokey as there were a lot of bush fires in the area.
In the foreground I think these are Agile wallabies. On the opposite edge of the waterbody is a feral pig (the black blob). These animals are a real pest to Australian water ways, Our animals dont have hoofs and becasue of this they dont compress the soil as much. Our plants (lots of the grasses)  have evolved in soil that is open. not fouled up and compressed by pigs wallowing in it. All the edge vegetation is destroyed by them. So they have little chance once pigs move in. They are increasing in numbers and seem to be less afraid of people than they use to be, In the two months I was away I saw around 30 of them. Some from much closer than anyone would want to be. I use to think in Australia that we were lucky becasue we dont have bears or lions to worry about when we camp (just deadly snakes and spiders :) ) But the tusks of pigs look huge and because I sneak around taking photos I have surprised a few of them when I have been down wind from them. A family of pigs running by you is terrrifying! worse than any snake or spider.

 This is another shot taken at Karumba. Egrets in the foreground and a flock of darters in the background drying off.  Also below.

 This is the Leichhardt River near Bourktown. There are some safe spots to swim here where there are no crocs. (above and below)

 These are kangaroo tracks of a mother and a joey. I think its really cute. This is from the joey hanging out of the puch as mum leans forward. In many of these places the only tracks you find are from wildlife, no people tracks and no rubbish....so nice.

This is a river near Gregory Downs. I sat here till the sun went down and watch flying foxes fly up the river, using it like it was a highway.

 This is a view over Lawn Hill NP

 I hate heights, and I get awful vertigo but after walking up here in the heat I was determined to look over the edge.This is the gorge that the river runs through at Lawn Hill. It is a permanent waterway.

 On the track walking to the top of the gorge. The tree with the white bark is a Eucalypt (Gum tree) 

 This is a clump of Spinifex grass. Very common in this part of Australia. This is about 5ft wide. This stuff is pricklier than any cactus I ever seen. Every blade of grass is like a needle. If you walk to close and it brushes bear skin it prickles you. Usually when I see it, it is dried off and brown, but it is just as prickly when its green. Lots of little creatures like reptiles and little mammals take refuge in these plants.

 This is the river at the bottom of the gorge.

 I canoed for a way down the river, so very peaceful. There are freshwater crocs in this water and some large turtles that aren't found in many other spots.

The line of blue gums run along the waterway. These lines of trees are a give away to the fact there is water there.

I took the two pics above as we entered Lawn Hill. I love the way trees seem to be able to grow out of solid rock.

 After driving in a general north direction in Qld, this was about as far as you can go (unless you are doing the east coast up to Cape York).  Taken in Karumba, this is the Gulf of Carpentaria. This is where we turned left to go west across to the Northern Territory.