View into gorge from up top
The other boat on today's tour
In the gorge on the boat
Freshie viewed from top of the gorge
Good evening from the camp kitchen at Cobbold Gorge where I am borrowing the electricity to run the laptop to process the pictures and videos from today. Once again we arose at daybreak and after breakfasting we headed to the start of our Cobbold Gorge tour at 10. We travelled in a 4WD Hino truck with a bus back. The tour included a natural history description of the area and viewing of the grave of John Corbett “”killed by blacks”. We walked to the top of the gorge and by peering over the edge could view the water and a couple of freshwater crocodiles. We returned to the stream bed and boarded punts powered by electric motors. The gorge was silent and cool compared to the rest of the surrounds and every one talked in whispers. We sighted one more crocodile and numerous fish. Very peaceful and relaxing surroundings. The water in the gorge is up to 12 metres deep.
Two plants of note. The Cooktown Ironwood which is toxic and not advised to burn the leaves due to the smoke being very irritating. Apparently it has killed horses that ate the leaves. The other plant was the gidee gidee vine which produces highly toxic red nuts about half the size of a pea. 2 nuts are fatal for humans. Great hilarity as several members of the tour party searched for them.
This afternoon was spent in the pool where Susan’s bathers finally self destructed with a large oval hole in the back about 40cm long.
I chucked in my yabby traps with no success into the camp dam and later returned about dusk to cast some lures. I managed to catch one fish about twice the length of the smallest “floppy” lure you can buy i.e. it was about 10cm long. I think it was a sleepy cod but I am not sure.
Tea tonight was pasta with ham, cheese,, shitake mushrooms, onion, garlic and chilli which was delicious.
We will move on tomorrow probably to Mount Surprise. We could have used another day here but my dental appointment in Cairns is at 0900 next Friday and we have a few things to see before then.
It’s jolly warm here this evening and the cane toads are large and plentiful. Another of Australia’s ecological triumphs. However anecdotal evidence on today’s tour is that predators are “learning” to eat them with out getting killed by their poison. I resisted the urge to suggest it was Darwin’s natural selection at work as we are in the Queensland outback where lynching is still legal. Although they always give you a fair trial before they hang you.
Tonight’s blog fades out to the banjo theme from “Deliverance.”
Bye Folks
Simon
Cobbold Freshie
In the gorge on the boat
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