The Phoenix Tour

Another cool start as I made my way to the beautiful Meander Valley to check out some caves.

This morning I really appreciated why they call it The Great Lake. For over 30kms after I left the hotel, I had The Great Lake to my right. It really is Great…

More great riding past ragged towering ranges of conglomerate. There was some truly spectacular scenery. Problem was, there was nowhere to pull over to get photos due to super narrow verges that were made up of football sized jagged rocks. I finally found a small clearing where I could get a couple of shots.

Dropping down into the Meander Valley was breath-taking. Literally. You know when you come across a view so stunning that it takes your breath away? That was what it was like cresting the curve and seeing the valley sprawling out as far as the eye could see.

A sweeping, twisty rural road snaking through farmland, always with the mountains as a brooding backdrop.

Found my way to the Marakoopa Caves where I did not one but two tours, the Underground Rivers and glow worm tour and the Great Cathedral Tour. The rivers tour took us through the lower chambers where you could see how a ‘wet’ cave grows and changes. It was incredible to stand in there and realise that it is constantly growing and changing all around you. The guide was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the caves and how fragile the structures are. We were not allowed to touch anything. Just lightly touching any of the surfaces leaves a film from our skin which basically stops any further growth of that structure.

Caves always fascinate me. They appear to be made of plastic. My brain looks at all the intricate shapes and smooth, shiny surfaces and cannot fathom the sheer time that it has taken for each of them to form. Some of them immense and some as fine and delicate as drinking straws (interestingly, that is what those are called- straws). Some are hanging (stalactites), striving to make contact with the ground below, others pushing upwards (stalactmites) vying to contact the ceiling.

Others meet in the middle creating ‘columns’.

Clinging to the walls and ceiling are the ‘shawl or curtain’ structures that resemble swathes of fabric, draped elegantly in ripples and folds.

Then there is the flow rock. Areas where water has more constantly flowed over rather than dripping. This flow rock looks like a weird moonscape sometimes with craters where water has dripped over time.

Marakoopa is quite deep, in some parts up to 150 metres below the ground. At one stage during the tour we were able to stand in one of the inner chambers and our guide turned off all of the lighting. It was a weird but somehow very calming experience to be in absolute, total darkness with no light source whatsoever. Complete blackness. I imagine it would be less calming if it was over a prolonged period or if you didn’t have the security of knowing that the lights would come on again.

We then got to visit the glow worm chamber. Absolutely no cameras or light sources were allowed due to the worm’s extremely high sensitivity to light. It was surreal. Like looking up into a starry night sky but with utter darkness everywhere else. We learned that they are not actually worms at all, rather, the larvae of a fly (so they are basically glow maggots). Only the larvae and female flies glow.

I then moved onto the King Solomon caves, about a 15 minute drive from Marakoopa. King Solomon is similar but is a dry cave. Unlike Marakoopa, which had networks of flowing water moving through constantly, King Solomon has no water source internally at all. It is also much closer to the surface, only around 20 metres at the deepest point. Water therefore ingresses through cracks and fissures in the rock at surface level, which is how it develops, grows and changes. Our guide for this tour was awesome. He was even more enthusiastic about the ecology and importance of protecting these sites. Sadly, he spoke of damage done in recent times where people just can’t seem to help themselves and break parts of the structures. He, and our previous guide, told us that only 20% of the entire cave system is accessible to the public. He spoke of this 20% as being ‘sacrificial tourism’ which made sense. Obviously tens of thousands of people trudging through these areas, no matter how careful, are going to have a detrimental effect over time. Yes, the caves are constantly growing and regenerating but at such a slow rate that damage will, and is, being done. Therefore, by ‘sacrificing’ the 20%, it means that the other 80% is kept safe and pristine and people can hopefully be educated and learn to appreciate these incredible places.

Some King Solomon pics;

Out of the caves and back on the bike, to warm up!

Onto Sheffield along a lovely country road that was a bit like a rollercoaster, up and down, bends and turns. Warm, dry and easy on the eye scenery made for a nice ride.

I am staying at a place called The Station House. It is, as it says in the name, the old station house in Sheffield. It has been restored to a really high level and split into 3 ‘apartments’. My room is lovely with a bedroom, ensuite, kitchenette and a sitting room. There is what they have called the ‘mini bar’ which is actually in what was the foyer of the building. It has chocolates, snacks, drinks, full bottles of wine, local honey and a lending library of books. Such a lovely place.

Walked into Sheffield, the Town of Murals, for a look around.

There are a lot of murals. It started out as an idea to reinvigorate the town through tourism. The first mural was completed in 1986. It just grew from there, I guess, to a point where almost every possible vertical surface has something painted on it. Some are three dimensional, where they have incorporated unused awnings and doorways into the murals. Some are on building walls, some on frontages and others are just on walls that seem to have been purpose built. Even a couple of little alleyway walls have little murals on them.

Here’s a small selection;

As I was walking, checking out the town, I heard music blasting from down in the main street. Sounded like a party or event. I, of course, needed to investigate. The music was coming from a little shop with a cow print roof, Doktor Mojo.

What a feast for the senses! The front windows (and most other surfaces) were covered in hand written quotes, ideas and ramblings. Outside was a colourful piano beseeching kids to play. With a note asking people NOT to lick the piano keys….

Stepping inside was like entering another world. Every kind of knick knack and curio you can imagine seemed to be for sale including coins, instruments, clothing, collectibles. If you can, zoom in on the picture below to read the descriptions on the guitars….

Most notably, hundreds and hundreds of vinyl records. You could spend days in there and not see them all. And multiples of some. Some in mint condition. Incredible music in this tiny little shop in Tasmania. Every one of these hundreds of records had stickers on them telling of their condition and other funny lil messages.

The owner was the most eccentric human I have ever seen, long white hair and beard, bright patchwork clothes, belting out every song at the top of his lungs, word for word (mostly 60’s and 70’s, obviously).

He seemed to have an obsession with people not licking stuff;

And, they had a ‘book room’ which was overseen by a couple of furry friends.

Tomorrow, I am off to Cradle Mountain. Hoping the weather behaves (its currently raining)