Monday, April 13, 2009

MY WORLD ~ 23 Carnarvon Gorge

Most photos may be enlarged, I hope you do.



After driving a few hundred kilometers out of
Yeppoon, see previous MY WORLD post, we started
out on the last 21km of rough gravel road to the gorge.
After a few km, there was a slight hitch...did I mention
the gravel was rough?.., while the Prof attended to a
few minor adjustments, I, being helpful, photographed
the scenery.




A view to the mountains that contain the 16,000ha
gorge area which is part of the much larger Nat.Pk.



We treated ourselves to a comfortable night in a
de luxe safari tent wit Q-sized bed and bathroom.
We felt the extravagance was warranted since we
had just passed our 50th wedding anniversary.
Early next morning we were greeted by this kangaroo
and her many friends as, armed with a large water
bottle and two apples, we headed on a daywalk
exploring up the gorge.



These are the largest Cycads we have encountered
anywhere. They must be hundreds of years old to
have attained this size.
Cycads are in a class of their own, being neither fern
not palm.



The seeds are a beautiful bright red and the whole
seed head looks much like a pineapple.



There had recently been raging floods down the river
and the track had only just reopened after major
repairs to the many crossings and destroyed rock
scaling aids 20' above the normal river height.


Because of the extra water, the Acacias were in bloom



also this pretty blue Solanum



The Heron took advantage of one of the stepping stone
crossings to look for his lunch



while pretty pink grasses swayed on the riverbank.
We hiked over eight crossings at roughly 1km
spacings which exhausted my energy, so Hobbit
fashion, I dabbled my hot feet in the water while
the Prof went on to the Moss Gardens.
There are many points of interest to hike to if you
are young and/or fit..unfortunately I am neither.


We saw a number of hopeful Herons of different
colourings on our return journey


I hardly think these fingerlings were what they
were hoping for.


This little Hibiscus like flower eased my tired spirits
as I looked up to the possibilities of scaling the cliffs
further up the gorge.


The next night we froze in a canvas cabin
without amenities, in the camp groud, but
somehow it was more pleasant to be among
other nature lovers rather than purely luxury
seekers.
If you are still interested, tune in to the next exciting
episode, without shredded tyres, next week.

For more glimpses into other places click on the Logo
at right and travel the world from your armchair.

My thanks to Klaus and the MY WORLD team for
keeping us on our toes and blogging.

55 comments:

  1. oh this looks like a wonderful adventure...and all the beauty around you...wow.
    have a wonderful day.

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  2. First of all Happy 50th Aniversary!
    So glad you got to enjoy some luxury for one night!! Next, your photos are so breathtakingly beautiful! I feel like I've been there! Love the kangaroo, can just imagine how much fun it would be to "bump" into one!! The plants, flower, trees all magnificent! Thanks as always for sharing so much beauty! Makes my day!

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  3. Beautiful scenery.Too bad we loose some energy as we get older,it looks like you are still enjoying the scenes.
    Blessings,Ruth

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  4. That really looks like a little adventure. Beautiful post and interesting photos as usual!

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  5. Thank you once again for fantastic photographs and commentary about your travels to exotic climes. Tyre seems a tad worse for wear. Thanks for sharing your world with us.

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  6. Thank goodness the Prof had some minor adjustments he needed to make because you got some great shots here! The trunks on those trees are huge! Great post!

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  7. Beautiful trip, photos are great. Thanks for sharing.
    Have a wonderful week
    Mary ElizabethBlog.

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  8. Great trip and great photos, too.

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  9. Marvellous compendium of images of a very beautiful country. One day I hope to show you the escaped wild wallaby here. Happy 50.

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  10. I like your own way of helping. I do the same thing too :)

    Beautiful scenery and I love the photos.

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  11. How fascinating to see kangaroos in the wild. I like those giant cycads and pretty pink grasses too!

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  12. Always a wonderful tour through your blog and photos... I like the Herons.

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  13. Happy Anniversary!
    I can see that you two are quite the team, your camera work is excellent - I am sure it made changing the tires so much easier! :-)

    Nature in your part of the world is something quite wonderful, such variety, such brilliance in colours, simply breathtaking. I enjoy every visit with you. Thank you!

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  14. Hi Arija,
    I love armchair traveling while you and the Prof do all the work! Your hike and the scenery are amazing. That poisonous seed does look like a pineapple - no wonder they posted a warning! Lovely, lovely pictures.
    Happy 50th - keep celebrating!

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  15. A wonderful series of photos. Each and every photo is wonderful. Love going along on trips with you! Fifty is quite an accomplishment. Congratulations!

    Nebraska Birding

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  16. Uh-oh, that tire had a really bad day.
    Beautiful flora and fauna. Fun to see the kangaroo in a tropical environment.
    Happy 50th!

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  17. The pink grasses are just lovely! And 50 years? Wow,... congratulations! We are about the same vintage, I think,... I would have been married 48 this coming June! Love your photos!

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  18. Happy anniversary, you two! Congratulations, and best wishes for many more.

    This looks like a lovely spot for a celebration. I would be over-the-top excited at seeing a kangaroo in the wild. Were you, or are they just to common where you are?

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  19. That looks like so much fun. Great shots from your trip.

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  20. So glad you photographed the scenery for us. Wonderful sights.

    Paz

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  21. That's a very nice trip. I hope the busted tires did not delay your trip!

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  22. Congratulations on 50 years together! Fascinating world you live in, with the unusual (at least to me) critters and plants!

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  23. Thats beautiful, every bit as nice as Pinnacles. Your herons are different. It's fun to see how similar birds take varried forms.

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  24. Extra fabulous photos, this time, Arija! Just stunning.

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  25. Oh, and I forgot to wish you a very Happy Fiftieth!!! :D

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  26. nice adventure! thanks for sharing the photos

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  27. Wow, it looks like you visited many magical places. And congrats on your 50th aniversary! It sounds like you have lots of energy to me! You are on a journey that many young people wouldn't have the guts to take!

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  28. Arija, this is amazing country you've taken us to. Those poisonous seeds look so tempting.

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  29. Happy fiftieth Wedding Anniversary!
    And what a treat for us! Lovely shots!

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  30. Happy Gold anniversary to you and your love one!
    That's an interesting post and I enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing.

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  31. I like the kangaroo shot - you've captured a wonderful expression on its face.

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  32. Goodness! That tyre really had had it.

    So you have your 50th anniversary celebrations. I am totally in awe that you have managed to stay together all that time and are still such active and adventurous people to track around the country like that. Respect is in order.

    You are a master with the camera too and I do enjoy following on this trip through the wonderful scenery and habitats with you. The cycads became my favourites from this post but the cangaroo is ever so cute.

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  33. Canarvon gorge is fantastic so much to see and click! It is always handy to have mechanical knowhow.

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  34. Congratulations on hitting the 50-year mark. That's quite an accomplishment any more.

    Beautiful scenery, thanks for giving us a peek at it. Hope your next adventure is easier on your tires though.

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  35. Arija: What a wonderful look at this area of your woods. Thanks for sharing.

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  36. Thank you so much for sharing this lovely journey with us, I would so love it. Congrats on your 50th Wedding anniversary, such an accomplishment in these times. I look forward to the rest of your journey.
    Smiles

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  37. Thanks for the lovely trip! you've seen a lot of beautiful things. Thanks for your visit too.

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  38. What a great tour this was! And what a disappointment that those delicious-looking red seeds are poisonous! Looks like something's been at them, though. Or is that just general over-ripeness?

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  39. Oh a kangaroo. Your world is so different from mine, and so it was a real treat to see yours!

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  40. Very interesting trip. How nice for you to be able to take the time to enjoy the world around you.

    You remind me to pray for the drought ridden places all over the world through your comments and posts. I forget easily with all our rain we get. It is good to hear that your area of the world had some recent rain, enough to swell a river.

    I hope you have a good week and that things go well for you.

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  41. What amazing photos! Looks like a fabulous trip was had - well, except for the blown tire(shredded) :)

    Smiles!

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  42. That was fun! The flora and fauna are so different from Canada's. I KNOW that but it still amazes me. I can't even imagine seeing a kangaroo right outside my door.

    Happy anniversary!

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  43. some classic Australian scenic shots here..

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  44. Good to know that a marriage can last 50 years with the wife standing to one side taking piccies LOL! Congrats on that awesome number and what a wonderful tour you went on.

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  45. 50th!! Warm and happy congratulations. Was it recent?

    I loved the photographs of your fascinating homeland. Can you just imagine what Edward would do if he saw a kangaroo in his garden??!

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  46. hey happy 50th anniversary!

    this was such a wonderful post! enjoyed it thoroughly! looking forward to the next!

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  47. A paradise! These are gorgeous photos.

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  48. Happy 50th wedding anniversary! That is such a lovely way to spend your time together - with mother nature :)

    I love all the pictures; they're beautiful!

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  49. Beautiful pictures ! but I felt in love with the sweet kangaroo ! I wished I had one hopping here around !

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  50. Thanks for taking us along on your trip to the gorge. I'm sorry I couldn't help change the tire!

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  51. Arija, wow such beautiful photos! I don't get to see Australia very much. We visited your great country about 10 years ago and loved it! :)

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  52. What a great trip, that is a seriously shredded tyre - no half measures there! Happy Anniversary :)

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  53. A good quality camera makes all the difference in photographic ingenuity. And that's what exactly you are showcasing here.

    Hello from Sydney. I took the privilege of featuring you in my blog:

    http://parchedlandaustralis.blogspot.com/2009/04/im-100th-follower.html

    Hope you don't mind. A surprise thought for you, my way of appreciation.

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  54. happy 50th anniversary, Arija... I have missed visiting

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  55. What a marvelous way to celebrate your 50th! Happy anniversary , Arija!

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