Waterfall Safari
We were a bit disappointed to
learn that the famous Jim Jim and
As
this site goes live at the end of June 2003, the croc was still keeping the falls closed.
However,
the tour operators had scheduled another trip to alternative waterfalls…
This is Ganlum,
which cascades down from the escarpment into this pool below.
The white polystyrene ball in
the distance is a bait for crocs, which is examined
daily to see if there are any teeth marks, which would mean a croc in the area.
The tangle of debris in this
bed of melaleuca trees is testament to the huge
volume of water that comes through the system during the wet season.
After a challenging climb to
the top of the falls, one finds a wonderful series of
Pools though which the water
initially cascades
Time and water have smoothed
and polished this sedimentary rock, so that its layers are clearly
visible.
And then it was on to Maguk, which had only just opened to tourists that day.
We were invited to enjoy a
swim but I chose not to participate, my caution for the crocs being greater
than the heat.
And perhaps I was wiser than
anyone else- this is a baited croc trap in the creek coming from Maguk.
We also found a sign that our
guide had not known about, warning that swimming was a risk.
The black crusty line coming
up this paperbark tree, is
the covered route built by termites to travel up the trunk towards the branches
which they then hollow out. This creates the hollowed branches that the
Aborigines use to make didgeridoos.