2 Geckos Travelling Australia: Wed, 10th Dec, 2014 O’Neills Creek Picnic Reserve, Gowrie Park to Wet Caves Reserve, Caveside (Marakoopa Caves sightseeing)

Rain has stopped but heavy clouds hanging on the mountain tops. I had a wander to take photos of the murals on the picnic shed walls then down the road a bit for information about the 3 mountains walks and the Hydro Electric Scheme.

On the murals - Gustav Weindorfer (discoverer of Cradle Mountain) and his new wife Kate, honeymooned on the slopes and summit of Mt Roland in 1906. She was a botanist and they loved exploring. It was from here that he saw Cradle Mountain. Other ones showed the plants and animals in the area.

Interesting man greets us.

Looking over the camp area. Apparently they used to camp anywhere in the compound but now it is only on the concrete!! Things are changing.

Interesting information about the area. Gowrie Park was originally the site of the construction centre for the Mersey Forth Power Development.

Chatted with the Qld couple about Cockle Creek and other spots they have been.

Picked up Steve and we headed up a track following O’Neills Creek. There was a box with a brochure describing things along the way but that hasn’t been maintained – like the track!! Shame, seems the interest in keeping visitors in the rural areas seems to be lost on the Councils. Nice walk though, using fallen trees as bridges.

Old timber cutter slot for his standing plank to be able to chop the tree.

Amazing big tree.

Came out onto a road that leads to walking track up Mt Roland. Mt Roland is the highest peak at the northern end of the range (1233m), then Mt Van Dyke (1084m) then west is Mt Claude (1034m). There are a few walks but as the clouds are hanging we might give it a miss!!!

Back across O’Neill Creek little weir just behind our van.

After a cuppa headed off with the van back up the range to Round Mt Lookout (690m). Steve turned the van brakes up as it was the truck’s brakes that were smelling, trying to stop the 3 tonne behind us!! Up and down the narrow road – I was on car lookout as there are no lines.

Through Mersey State Forest which is a working state forest (740m). Onto some flat area for a while through the plantations of eucalypt. Passed the turn off to Lemonthyme Power Station. Down again, lots of second gear. Passed the lookout (660m) we stopped at the other day. Still a good view despite the clouds. Popped my ears at 550m following Ration Tree Creek down with the mountainside covered in eucalypt forest.

Lovely and green with the roadside lined with tree ferns and bracken ferns. Down into the Mersey Valley (310m) and across the Mersey River into the Mole Creek Karst National Park camping area.

Climb again to 440m and over and down to 410m (having fun using the elevation thing in the VMS) to the intersection. We went right the other day to Devils Gullet and Walls of Jerusalem NP. Heading left today towards Mole Creek NP and the Caves. Lines on this road as we climb along the edge of the Mersey Valley past big open dairy pastures and more timber plantations. Have the window down as it is a lovely temperature at the moment.

Passed the turn off to King Solomon Caves as we decided to do Marakoopa Cave which has the glow-worms. King Solomon is a dry cave but great as well. At $19 each thought we need to choose just one.

Passed a poppy field on the way in with it’s big “danger, no entry” signs. Could see the poppies a lot better.

Passed Stephens Road but didn’t get the camera out in time!! There is a shack for sale there!!!

Crossed the valley from one side to the other, about 4km. Not a lot of room for vanners but got it turned around and parked. Paid for the Underground Rivers & Glow-worm Chamber tour which is about 45mins. Found a stuffed Tassie Devil as we haven’t found one of these yet.

Back to the van for lunch as the tour is at 2pm. Had to walk up 700m Fernglade Walking track beside Marakoopa Creek to the cave entrance.

Nice walk beside the very, very clear creek. Comes out of the mountain caves. No tainted colouring here like at Dove Lake etc.

Lovely mossy rocks in the creek make a lovely photo.

Huge old tree.

Lots to read about how the caves were formed while we wait for our guide. Took our Bathurst coats as it is a constant 9 degrees in the caves all year. Very interesting. Can’t take photos in the glow-worm section but took heaps everywhere else. The hungriest glow-worms are the brightest. They need to be near water. This is the entrance.

The caves were discovered in 1906 by two young lads, skipping out of chores, from a nearby farm. They kept them secret for two years while they explored the area. They then applied for a permit to have them as display caves. They have been functioning like that and being well preserved for over 100 years.

The pure white ones are pure limestone and beside it the limestone is tainted with the soil from above that comes down with the water.

A bit narrow in some parts.

The skinny Pencil Tube.

The “Tuning Fork” was measured in 1906 and 100 years later measured and had only grown 2.5cm so things are very slow moving around here. It had originally been feeding the right tube but something disturbed the tube and it bent so it has been feeding the other one.

The river runs along way below us, goes underground and then comes back out where the glow-worms are.

This was an unusual feature in the pool – they call it Winston Churchill’s cigar.

This pencil must have gotten blocked!!

These walls were formed when the river originally flowed through here, depositing the limestone in ridges.

Interesting glow worm info. Oops around the wrong way - sorry.

Great reflection in the clear pool.

Marakoopa Creek makes its way out after disappearing under the ground again then up again.

Certainly was worth coming. The sun was lovely and warming as we walked back down the fernglade walk to the truck.

A cuppa to warm us up then off to find a camp for the night. Around the edge of hills then into a wide valley (250m) with the Great Western Tiers to our right.

Gog Range to our left.

Passed some sheep and into Mole Creek. Lovely little town.

Found a Gum Boot Tree.

Info plaques about a chap who built mountain shacks. They dismantled his from Liena and reassembled here for display.

Info about possum and wallaby hunting for their skins. Big business back then.

Cute little people.

Stopped at the Info Centre which was in a Café – not the friendliest but I got some leaflets and off we headed to little place called Caveside.

Passed this cleared forest area.

Great view of the mountain – I think this is Mother Cumming’s Peak we saw from the range over the Mersey Valley.

This camp is not in my book but was on the Council recommended ones we got in Burnie. It is actually National Park but looks like they don’t do much with anymore. Suits us. Parked and had a look around – found the entrance to a cave with a river running through it – hence it is called “Wet Caves Reserve”.

Further down the track which follows the river we parked in a clearing beside the hill and the river.

Very nice open area, away from falling limbs, which seems a problem at the entrance where they have sections roped off. There are also problems with sink holes in this area as in the Mole Creek National Park there are a few hundred caves etc. Must be where the name Mole came from – holes everywhere.

Set up camp and enjoyed a peaceful happy hour enjoying the birds and the sound of the creek tumbling past and the tall mountains of the Great Western Tiers towering beside us.

Steve collected wood and made a fire while I cooked dinner. Then he commented that I mightn’t get to enjoy the fire as there was a big black cloud coming.