New Years (aka fat-camp week)

Karin's mom was in town over Christmas and so we headed up north, almost to QLD. Up into the rainforest. Karin found us a nice FEMA trailer to live in for three nights. "Glenwood Park" was it called. Some people lived there for reals. It was depressing. But they had grills and we cooked out a couple times.

We found a nice spot in some rocks on the coast to jump into. We were holding hands to jump in together, and we didn't trust eachother, so first my hand went forward, then hers, with no change in CG, then we both realised what we were doing and jumped in together. It was cold.

When we got to the rainforest we were really exited. It was so cretaceous! But even dinos had leaches. Fast leaches.

It was an 8.5km loop. The remainder of the trip was spent looking at the feet for leaches. I ran the last 3km to avoid them and just get it over with. It was the worst hike I have ever been on, hands down. It could have been the coolest if there hadn't been leaches. So many leaches.

Here are some mating millipedes. They have mites.
Mites zoom-hance!

There was a black Goanna on the trail. People in these parts have "Goanna Pulls" where two Goannas play tug-of-war.

The jungle had a lot to see in the understory and the canopy, which was full of Bird's Nest ferns.

Strangler figs stole the jungle show.




Last leaches check on the bridge. Gak.

One leach got me and I pulled it off in a panic. It bled for 3 hours. The locals patched me up with some salt on the wound.

Ah, back at the ranch.

Mohawk pigeon.



This is a very rare cockatiel coloration. I used to have cockatiels.

Just went for a dive at Bare Island. It was nice, with a cold clear pocket on the downstream side from an outgoing tide. Camera plinked out because I forgot to give in mems.

Too bad, because I saw a 400mm giant cuttlefish in the rocks. I found a small plastic bread-bag clip, which looked a lot like his tentacles, so I showed it to him but he didn't understand. I just spent 10 minutes hanging out with him next to the ledge.