The kookaburras started up this morning , then stopped , and the rest of the birds must have rolled over & went back to sleep - half their luck - it was still quiet as and hard to sleep - eerily quiet !!!
We got up at 6:40am and had breakfast and got organised for todays adventures - Eungella Dam for a paddle , and yes the paddles were a bit excited - they got to come for a drive today !!
As we drove up the valley towards Eungella , the clouds were hanging low over the escarpment , but gradually moving off ( imagine driving up to Macquarie Pass from Albion Park ). Eungella is situated on top of the mountain with spectacular views back down the valley towards Mackay.
Todays mission was to go for a paddle , so we continued on the 28 kms to get to the dam . The first section of winding road is through rainforest and next to the escarpment , before it opens up to some dairy's and grazing country . It then drops down to Broken River where there is a camp ground and National Park Office and restaurant & cabins . You can do rain forest walks , but it is more famous for spotting platypus . We drove straight past , this wasn't on the agenda till later . There are some magnificent gum trees beside the road .
Arriving at the dam , we drove through the camping area and made use of the toilet block , before going down to the waters edge . Unloading the kayak & paddles and carrying it down to the water , we could see how little rain they have had here - the waters edge is about 20 m further out than when we were here three years ago - it was full then - but now is over 2 m lower .
Heading off we went straight out for about one kilometre and around the first corner . The water was clear and not cold , plenty of weed beds , and in another kilometre or so , it turned into a graveyard for trees - apologies , you are about to get bombarded with photos . There was plentiful birdlife - pelicans , cormorants , ducks , waterfowl , swallows & willy wagtails , fish were jumping , and turtles were basking in the sun on tree stumps . Reflections were at a premium - so here we go .
We slipped into the water at 9:20am , and time seemed to stop , it was peaceful and quiet - apart from the birds - we were the only ones out gliding silently on the water . There were dragonflies scooting around everywhere - little ones , big ones , blue ones & green ones - some even landed on us for a free ride around the dam . They are amazing when you get up close & personal - intricate wing structures & colours .
We paddled in & out & round trees & branch's , soaking up the scenery and sunshine . Tick this one off the bucket list !!! We'd gone about 3klms up the dam and decided to return to the ute , a breeze was starting to upset the reflections now , so the camera had a rest for a while , at least half an hour anyway !!
The ute was obediently waiting for us , so we headed to it , the gentle breeze giving us a hand to get there . Upon checking , we found time had not stopped at all , it was 12 noon - that was a great two & a half hour paddle . We packed & loaded up then had some lunch , before driving around the camping area and finding another 6 campers over the other side from where we put in .
Driving back to Eungella , we turned off onto Crediton Hall Rd , which looped back around to Eungella Rd a bit further up . It was a pleasant diversion down some winding dirt roads , past several houses & farms , reaching Crediton Hall & camp ground , before going back into rainforest and meeting back up to Eungella Rd .
We arrived back at Broken River in no time at all , so stopped to see whether we could catch a glimpse of the elusive platypus . Our chances of seeing one were slim , it was only 1:45pm , and best viewing times are early morning or late afternoon - not middle of the day . There is a viewing platform perched above the river ( which is really an average size creek with rapids and small waterfalls ) . There were lots of fresh water tortoise / turtles - take your pick - we saw at least 15 in the river , whilst looking quietly for our elusive prey . Nothing happened , so we went for a walk in the rainforest , and then over to the restaurant / office and wandered down to another section of the river to where there was another viewing platform . The view was nice , but the main pool was blocked off by trees , so we kept going down the path - the boardwalk had finished and the track turned to dirt . We stopped to check the pool out , but the sun was at a horrible angle , so we went further round to an area where you could see the whole pool . Next thing , up it comes and floats around , and then duck dives and disappears again - we have found a platypus !! It continued to do this for another three times before disappearing again . We started to head back to the ute , but stopped at some steps that lead into the water near the viewing platform . We sat to rest for a while , then it appeared again , doing the same thing , but this time another 6 to 8 times - busy little bugger !!
We had defied convention , and seen a platypus outside of the best viewing times - obviously no one told the platypus what the preferred times were !!!
Well thats it for today , hope you enjoyed it a much as we did .
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