Australia: Granite Gorge, Fitzroy Island and Lake Barrine

On our way to Cairns, we stopped at Granite Gorge, a private park. You can buy food to feed the Rock Wallabies (supposedly it doesn't make them fat, but they sure like it), and then take a nice hike over many boulders. It was a fun and very scenic day, and then we swam for a bit in their pond to cool off (though Jeff sunburned his back here). There's also a few more photos here from Fitzroy Island, where we enjoyed the rainforest in addition to the reef snorkeling already posted. Finally, we have some photos from our walk around Lake Barrine, a beautiful lake inland from Cairns.

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Rock Wallaby looking for lunch.

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More greedy little buggers.

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You have more! Gimmee!

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The views were stunning everywhere at Granite Gorge.

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Great example of plants at work.

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More amazing boulders.

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Mid-leap.

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Clambering along.

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Pond, granite and trees.

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We made it!

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Coming back the other side was mostly very dry grassland, a huge contrast to the oasis of the gorge.

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The beach off Fitzroy Island. Walking on it barefoot was painful as it was all coral pieces.

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Jeff heading out for some snorkeling.

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Jeff and Ingrid on a walk at Fitzroy Island.

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The lovely Nudey Beach, which is not a nude beach.

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View from our balcony at the Fitzroy Island Resort.

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The gigantic Wood Moth we found—this is a female. She lives just long enough to mate and lay her many eggs. We know it was a female because the males are much smaller, typical moth size.

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Lake Barrine walk.

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Very tall tree--a Bull Kauri, over 135 ft tall and 18 ft in girth! They only live in a small part of Australia.

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Glimpse of the lake through the rainforest

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Epiphyte, high up in the tree

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The lush greenery of the forest.

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Roots of a strangler fig stretching back down toward the ground. Eventually the fig will completely encircle and kill its host tree.

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Lake Barrine after walking around the entire lake.

Entry first conceived on 30 March 2014, 18:59 UTC, last modified on 30 March 2014, 18:59 UTC
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