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In her very first attempt to photograph a butterfly with a new digital camera Jan snapped this of a Common Eggfly (we think)
exploring our site. Many different species were around but we never caught another butterfly in our lens. But we saw
thousands both in camp and on walks.
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Then we have an Agile Wallaby mother with her little joey sticking out its head to try a little grass. The
wallabies and kangaroos were well behaved and didn't beg, but we can't say the same for all the local residents at
Cape Hillsborough...
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Every day about 4 pm a flock of Kookaburras would roll up and expect a feed. They never actually threatened
us, but they are pretty menacing and have a powerful beak from chomping through lizards and grasshoppers. This
guy took up a station on our tarpolin and when I pointed our umbrella at him he just opened his beak and prepared to
bit it. A neighbour told us the people at this site before us had been feeding them bits of meat each
afternoon. Yes some of them sat in old gum trees.
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This is what the coast looks like, with Jan for scale. It is a big boulder beach then a steep
slope covered with tropical bush plus hoop pines and other uniquely Aussi vegetation. There was actully quite
a bit of storm damage from
Cyclone Ului
which came ashore North of here on March 22nd. The vegetation is adapted to
this sort of thing but a few big trees had still come down and some other trees lost their vegetation. It had
recovered well after just a couple of months.
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This second photo is looking back towards the sandy beach and to the camping area. There are extensive mud flats and
you can see some people treking across to see the sights. You can also see how the camping area is quite
low so it gets hammered by the cyclones when they do come in.
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One of the things to see while you are trekking across the beach below the high tide line is beautiful patterns made
by tiny crabs using little balls of sand. Each time the tide goes out they start their art project
again, and each time the tide comes in the art all gets washed away.
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We don't know why they do it, but the entire beach is covered in some places by their
amazing designs. In this closer version you can see the little hole where one crab emerges to
do the sidewalk art. These same crabs are found on other beaches in these parts, so it isn't just
here. Millions of crabs doing their artwork over and over each day.
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Although the cyclone damage has been mostly repaired here, it was worse further North where the winds were
stronger. However, there were a few local services which have yet to be fully restored. The picnic area had been
spruced up but a few things weren't yet online. Readers are encouraged to click on the photo to enlarge
is and figure out what the problem might be. All suggestions welcome. (This is part of my funny Australian signs series -- they do have
a way with signs sometimes).
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After a nice week at Cape Hillsborough we headed up to another favourite place: Bowen. This is the chair
from which I was typing (well, for a moment, but you can't see the screen in the glare so I moved back
inside). We have been here for one week and are staying in Bowen for another. I didn't move back inside Trev our vehicle either.
We rented a little unit by the sea. Luxury. We don't have to put the bed planks away to get to the food cupboard
each morning.
We're actually moving to a different unit tomorrow so we will be closer to our
favourite beach Horseshoe Bay. At the moment we half to walk a quarter of an hour to get there.
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Horseshoe Bay looks like this...if it is a crowded time of day. A fantastic little bay surrounded by
large rose coloured granite boulders. In our new unit we will be about 20 steps from this beach. We will still need
to head off on walking trails to help keep fit, but there are plenty of those.
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One trail we've already checked out is the one to coral bay, which is also the only "clothes optional"
beach in Bowen. In order to keep outsiders from being "offended" and getting shut down, they have a very nicely
painted rock before you get to the beach. Here is Steve examining the quality of the rock art.
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Another trail we've done is over to another bay called Murray Bay. The Murray Bay montage also
graces the opening of this report. It is similar in structure to Horeseshoe Bay (rose granite boulders and
sand beachs) but almost empty. There are 3 houses there, one of which is for sale and was also for sale in 2008 when
we were last here. After walking along the beach Steve pauses to get the rose grit our of his sandels. It may
be pretty but it sure is gritty.
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When we're on the trail we build up a hearty appetite, and nothing satisfies like a Jochheim's pie. Jan took
a photo of her Hugh Jackman
"Hunky Australian" pie. By way of explanation, Jochheim's bakery became principal
suppliers to Baz Luhrmann and co while Australia the movied was filmed in Bowen. The bakery has an
entire wall devoted to signed photos, etc. The location people found
that Bowen (pop 7500-ish) could be converted into WW2 Darwin and much of the film was made here. In fact,
the town is so proud they have "BOWENWOOD" painted on a big watertank (take that Peter Jackson).
Another Hollywood fetish can be seen
on the pie: that star is just like the ones on Hollywood Boulevard "walk of fame".
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