Mount Warning- Another update

The spot we had originally chosen to set up camp turned out to be in the full sun most of the day.  Knowing that we will be staying here for at least one more week, we asked one of the managers if we could move to a shadier spot.  He readily agreed and, as we had no car, he even brought his work truck to move it for us.  We ahd quite along chat with him, and heard all about the history of the camping ground and the wildlife we're likely to encounter.  He confirmed that the snakes we've seen would be Eastern Carpet Pythons, and told a story about one he encountered a few years ago.  It was crawling slowly across the road and he rang a friend who collects snakes.  The friend wanted to know how long it was, so he lay down beside it and found it was twice his body length.  As he was six feet tall, that meant the snake was twelve feet (3.75 m) long, and about 12 cm in diameter at it's middle.  The ones we've encountered have only been 5 or 6 cm in diameter.  I did finally manage to get a portrait shot of one today, incidentally- although the lighting wasn't perfect!

Moving camp was hot work and it was a hot, humid day too, so we tried to find cool activities- reading in the shade, playing in the creek, swimming in the pool... and cold drinks at the Rainforest Cafe!

Esther was fascinated to see these Common Water Spiders running across the surface of the water. 

*************

Today we thought we'd drive into Murwillumbah to have a look at The Grainery.  We had heard it mentioned by several locals as well worth a visit if antiques and collectibles were our thing.  I went to the office to ask for directions, and the manager suggested that we take the scenic route to get to Murwillumbah and also recommended a visit to the Austral cafe, where he said they make the best milkshakes he's ever tasted. He drew some directions on an envelope, with a whole lot of verbal instructions which I promptly forgot.  Nonetheless, we ended up at Murwillumbah via the scenic drive, and eventually managed to find The Grainery, too.  Philip was impressed immediately when he saw a 1947 DB-18 Daimler Consort on display in front of the store!  It was exactly like the one he used to own just after he sold his horse and carriage.  I think that for a brief moment he considered trading it in for the Patrol, but for the fact that it wouldn't pull the caravan! Even the children enjoyed looking at the treasure trove of  "old things" inside the warehouse and we spent a good hour just browsing! We didn't have any cash with us, and may have to come back for another look. 
As it was lunchtime by then, we found the Austral, which turned out to be a retro-style cafe where the milk shakes lived up fully to the expectations we'd been given.  The children were most impressed to find that they were served in a fancy glass, with a refill supplied in a tall old-fashioned metal milkshake container. Their pies and devonshire teas are also to be recommended.

The Tweed River and the Border Ranges

Micaela and her Mum were heading off after lunch to spend a few days at home (Michaela has pre-school to attend) so we said goodbye for now.  They hope to be back on the weekend, having booked a cabin so that Michaela's Dad can join them too.  We dropped in at Murwillumbah Transmissions to collect a car seat we'd left in the Patrol and to get a quick update on the car.  The torque convertor has been sent to Brisbane for analysis and repair.  It will probably take some time before we have our car back, but there could be less pleasant places to be stranded than the Northern Rivers District!
We took the scenic route again on the way back and continued up the Mount Warning Road past the caravan park to where it ends at a picnic ground and the start of two walking trails. The Summit Track takes four to five hours one way and involves some steep rock climbing.  The Lyrebird Track is a twenty minute return trip through the forest to an observation platform.  Guess which one we're planning to do one of these days?

Meanwhile, though not as hot as it was yesterday, we're just relaxing around the caravan.  Phone reception seems to be better during the day than in the evening, so I'm making the most of the quiet afternoon to update this page.  I'll conclude with a picture of a creature we see a fair bit of around here, especially at night: the infamous Cane Toad. This one was about 10cm long.