Dianne Brucer Anne & Dennis Matesontour

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Hi,

You need to read all of this one it is great.

Well have finally reach Atherton west of Cairns and a decent Internet.

1. We arrived at Mt Surprise on Tuesday in the wet & cold which has been the norm most of the trip.

The last 2 and half days has been cool but cloudless thank goodness it let us do some adventuring and adventuring it has been.

2. Wedneday we went to Undara Lava Tubes but had to meet at the Lodge at Undara to start the tour. This was an unreal experience did some busing into the jungle and trekking to the Lava Tubes.

The Lodge where we met was really unique it was set up as a Railway Station with original carriages for Dining plus a massive dome over an outdoor eating area looking across the Newcastle Ranges - the sides of the outdoor were surrounded by 3 Railway Carriages, a coffe Shop,Kitchen, Hotel and Diningroom all in the carriages. They had carriages set up for accomoadation which were decked out great.

The Lava Tubes Tour was enhanced by a great Guide and very Historical along with some tall stories. We hope to download our photos on to CD's today so we can put them on this Blog up the road which should be Cooktown.

3. Yesterday was the utmost. We were unable to go the day before due to floods and road blockages so we checked with the Information centre and the Police and headed off to Cobbold Gorge on the shortcut as we wanted to see a small town called einesleigh with a quaint pub and miniture museum another gorge called the Copperfield.

The Savahanah overlander Train goes through Mt Surprise but it was not going to return until the next day so we pack our picnic lunch and head off.

4. Thurty onek's on the tar west we turn left and do 20k's on the dirt and see a sign that says PUB 20k's so we continue on and after some small floodways and more dirt road we come across a sign that says PUB 5k's so we had been following the railway line for a few k's and veers off. We go up a hill around a corner and come to the Flooded Einesleigh River 1 metre accross the road so we decided to have morning tea and another couple turn up and then a couple of local guys with two kids 8 & 9.

5. They said, quote " we will go over the railway bridge we said would we be able to go over it as well and they said yes follow them. So we do and before we know it we are straddling the railway line on sleepers going across the bridge with raging flood waters under us. We had to let Anne and Dennis walk the bridge because of her back and what was going to be very bumpy. It was very scary for them also as they had to walk on centre planks which were spread apart.

6. The locals told us that 30k's back the river had come up and they could not get to Mt Suyrprise on the road we had come over so we had no option other than to stay for 2 days until it subsided BUT !!! we did not have the vans with us we were only in the ute.

7. Successfully crossed and vowing never to confess about this hair raising experience we made it to the PUB. A drink to recoup and gather our nerves mind you we were 30 fee above the raging waters that were only 3 feet under the bridge and the Savanah Overlander due across in 40 minutes we were hoping we did not get a puncher or blow out.

I took a movie but have not seen it as yet.

8. We head off on another 70kl dirt trek to Forsayth (This is the short cut we are suppose to be on) we arrive at Forsayth and Dennis uses the EFTPOS we check the roads and head to Cobbold Gorge another 45k's of Dirt Road. Our trip was booked for 3pm as the 10am trip had been booked out - but uh! oh! Dennis has left his C/C behind at Forsayth and we are 45k's away so ring through and make arrangements to pick up at the local pub on the way back in the night time.

You think the day is over not so ..... we get to Cobbold Gorge Lodge with 10 minutes to spare eating our picnic lunch we climb aboard a bus but they decide we have to get off and get onto a smaller bus that they are still reparing and off we go only to get a message from another bus that the river has come up at the Gorge and we can not get accross we have to take off our shoes and socks and wade across 3 rivers ..... Do we want to do it? asked the ranger, with the other passengers we all voted yes ... we should have asked more questions but like recycled teenagers that we are we didn't.

9. Shoes and socks off sharp rocks sand and pebbles like glass we head off over three rivers to the electric boats in the Gorge only to find three freshwater crocodiles watching us.

10. We get into the boat all 10 of us and went through the Groge and saw Fish, Turtles and more Crocodiles it was absolutely exquisite deadly silent, beautiful and out of this world and worth all the dangers we went through to see it.

11. On our return the river estuaries had risen 3 inches ... not much and the Ranger had a twoway contact had we been stuck they were going to let usd camp the night and bring us out by helicopter. This didn't eventuate so we climb onto the bus and head back to the Gorge Lodge get in the Ute and head for Georgetown via Foesayth for the C/C.

12. 85k's to Georgetown and we have Dinner then another 92k's to Mt Surprise fell into bed and left this morning for here but stopped at some hot springs at Innot on the way.

Thank you to all of you who have written back to us it is great getting News from Home.

Until next time Adios from MatesonTour Dianne Bruce Anne & Dennis.

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Comments

[rhonda a d peter]

bloody mad
sounds just like so much fun just very gratefull to be sitting here in my recliner but i am a real deadshit and denis will be agreeing about that no doubt you will have lots os experice plenty of tales to tell and maybe even some big stretched ones any way travel safe and do keep in touch and we really are green with envy it all sounds greattake care till next time love Rhonda and Peterxxxxx