My time in Mackay
Trip Start
Jun 05, 2005
1
4
12
Trip End
Jul 30, 2005
Mackay, Australia
Sunday, July 3, 2005
>>>Our first day of work in Mackay we had to pick litter on the edge of the city dump. We were told that we were just to be seen, so not to work too hard, but it still was not incredibly pleasant. At that point I was just happy not to be doing anything involving cane knives. As long as the wind didn't shift we were OK because we stayed pretty much upwind from the main part of the dump. Yucky. There a gazillion birds out there, hawks, ibises, egrets, gulls, crows, and even some magpie geese. The rest of that week, we were along the various beaches of Mackay, which are gorgeous. We did pretty much the same thing everyday, watering and mulching trees that had been planted a month before. It was mind numbingly boring and repetitive, but I was tired so at times it was good that I could sleepwalk and still do my job just fine. The second week in Mackay, we were supposed to go about an hour and a half away to a place called Proserpine. I was so exhausted that I decided not to go, and instead stayed at the hostel in Mackay. We had been there the week before because the CVA house had been full, so I knew my way around just fine and had met some nice people there. Korrie and Mara went ahead to Proserpine and had a good week, although the place they stayed was I guess a bit creepy. the one exciting thing that I did during that second week in Mackay was go to a place called Eungalla (about an hour away) with some Irish guys that I had been playing cards and sharing groceries with. I thought I'd type out my journal entry from that day here, because it really was amazing.
>>>June 30, 10 pm
>>>My second to last day in Mackay was just gorgeous, maybe because I was actually in the rainforest and not Mackay at all. The two Irish guys I went with (Mark and Tom) and I woke at the oh-so-early hour of half past seven, and by a little after eight we were out the door on our way to a place called Eungalla National Park. With only a general idea of where the place was, and where we were going when we got there, we set off in Mark and Tom's little car in hopes that it would be able to make it there and back again. After 80km, an hour or so of driving, we veered off on a narrower country road. After a few more turns the road changed into a bumpy dirt road, complete with concrete fords through the middle of some streams. We found the Finch Hatton Gorge trailhead at the end of the dirt road. A 6 km hike took us through amazing rainforest to two thundering falls. The first was impressive, with green pools of water below the churning white water of the falls. Crossing the river to get to the other side for a better picture higher up, I slipped and one foot got a soak in the water. I felt a bit like an idiot since I was the first to fall in, and was not particularly happy to hike with a wet shoe. I saw Mark a few minutes later soaking wet and scraped up from a much worse fall than my own. That made me feel a bit better :). The second waterfall was only 1km further, up over 200 concrete stairs going uphill. My legs quite hated me by this point, but the second falls was so close that it was enough to keep me going. It was well worth it. The waterfall zigzagged down a long cliff into a large green pool. The pool was surrounded by hillside and rock wall on three sides. On the fourth the pool spilled on down the hill, continuing its journey as river and falls. To heck with the clouds in the sky and the freezing temperature of the water, Mark and I stripped to our suits and jumped in. I didn't last much longer than it took to take a couple pictures, but Mark had a nice little swim across the pool to the waterfall and back. The trees were so very green and tropical, all covered with spiky vines. The waterfall was a frothy white over grey, pink flecked stone. It was something out of the pages of a magazine, and for a while we had the place to ourselves. I was happy to be in such a place with the Irish lads, we got along well.
>>>When others showed up at the falls, we dried off and soon headed back down the trail. We piled back into the car and headed towards the main road to the tiny town of Finch Hatton. There we stopped at an information place to find a map to the area where we could find platypuses. We also got some snacks that were a sorry excuse for a lunch (when we got back to Mackay I ate an entire 12 inch sub on my own). Back in the poor old white car, we drove up the mountainside, and I thought the little thing might not make it. The car did thankfully make it, all the way to the Broken River ranger station. We drove over the river bridge, and I pointed out the people at a viewing deck below. I said that they might be looking at a platypus, but was told that no they were probably just looking at water. After a luckless wander in the other direction, dead ending at a large pool with a duck as its only living occupant, we turned and headed back towards the bridge. The rain came down, gentle at first, and then harder, ruining hopes of seeing a platypus. We saw a square-looking snapping turtle out for a jolly old swim, and some black ducks with bright orange beaks. As I was about to give in, I spotted a little something on surface the other side. He was a little guy, maybe a foot to a foot and a half long, and I hope I got off at least one decent shot of him. I could have stayed there longer, but it was wet and growing late, so we left for home.
>>>We all collapsed into bed when we got back, and I only got up for a bit to walk down to Subway for some dinner. I was supposed to cook a chicken, but was way too tired. It was a good day, and I'm so very glad that I got to go before I had to head back up to Cairns.
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