After the safari

The farewells were hard and the empty feeling was strange. After our extra night in Karumba, however, we drove on to Croydon, an old mining town, of which many buildings have been resurrected as a "heritage precinct". It makes a very interesting museum and good on them for doing this. There is nothing else to Croydon now.

An old crusher from the gold mine 

The next stop was Undara, famous for its lava tubes.

Rock colours at Undarar

We had actually been there about 15 years ago, but memories are not always reliable and things change, so it was good to do it again, and also we caught up with a number of couples from the safari. Dinner together was a joyful affair, but the next morning brought more farewells. Tim and Bec and the kids were still there for another night so we had a very enjoyable walk with them and joined them in the evening for a campfire and barbecue. The crater walk the next morning was also in their company, which was delightful.

Tim and Bec, Erik and Oscar

Eventually, however, even that farewell had to come and we went our separate ways.

Our route took us on unsealed roads. Most of it was good but the rutted parts of course brought the contents of the wardrobe down and filled the van with fine red dust. Oh how we hate it and a thorough clean will have to happen before long, inside and out. The other side of it of course is the beauty of the places those roads take us to.

We have left the red empty outback now and are on the Atherton Tableland, which couldn't be more different. Beef cattle have been replaced by dairy herds, the rolling hills are reminiscent of Scotland (and the colder nights also) and it is all beautiful. On a visit to another "heritage village" yesterday we ran into our young family again and we are sure this will continue to happen.

There is so much to see that we are in no hurry to leave here. It is a country of waterfalls and it is good to see them when they are not raging torrents. Perhaps another night is justified to see some more.

Millstream Falls