Alternatives
Free Glow-Worms In Tasmania
Sunday, June 7th, 2009Glow-worms can be viewed on a number of paid tours, such as Waitomo Caves and Te Anau in New Zealand, and Marakoopa Cave in northern Tasmania. Less well known is the fact that anyone can see these luminous insects - without having to pay or enter a cave - near one of Tasmania’s most popular attractions.
The location is Russell Falls, 75km west of Hobart - possibly the most beautiful waterfall in the state, and one which nearly everyone who visits Tasmania sees at some point.
The catch: the falls are normally visited in daylight, whereas the glow-worms are only visible when it’s dark. This generally limits the glow worms’ visitors to those with their own transport who linger after dusk, or those staying in the area’s limited accommodation. If you have a van or are otherwise equipped for camping, the Land of the Giants Campground is a very pleasant spot by the river within walking distance of the falls.
Seeing the glow worms is easy. Once it is dark, simply grab a torch and follow the flat and easy walking path towards Russell Falls, about ten minutes from the car park. A small glow worm grotto - some damp rock overhangs and fallen trees - is in the rainforest on the left side of the track shortly before the falls. A sign indicates the area, and tells you where to look.
After your eyes have adjusted to the dark, the luminous larvae of the mosquito-like insects become more visible, and can resemble a field of stars in the night sky.
The glow worms at Russell Falls are not as impressive, nor nearly as extensive, as the displays you pay to see in caves elsewhere. But if you’re in that part of Tasmania it is a free and easy glimpse into their world, and the local wildlife makes a dusk walk in the Russell Falls area a pleasant thing anyway.
Links:
Parks & Wildlife Service - Mt Field National Park
Wikipedia article on Arachnocampa (the genus of glow-worms found down under)
Topics: Alternatives, Tasmania | Add Your Comment »
Lake Clifton Thrombolites, WA
Saturday, May 16th, 2009The stromatolites of Shark Bay, on Western Australia’s north western coast, are well publicised in the tourist literature. However you don’t need to go to such a remote place to see these pre-historic living rocks. Their close cousins - thrombolites - can be seen just south of Mandurah, within 100km of Perth.
In case you were wondering what these things are, both are types of rare and extremely primitive life forms. They consist of single-celled bacteria which deposit layers of silt and calcium that slowly grow into rounded rocks. Scientists believe they are the earliest form of life on earth, dating back about 3500 million years, and the origins of oxygen in the atmosphere. These relics are mostly extinct and exist only as fossils - living examples can still be found growing in just a handful of places in the world. Shark Bay is the well known Western Australian example, but Lake Clifton is more accessible.
Lake Clifton’s thrombolites can be reached from either of two roads - Mount John Rd and Clifton Downs Rd. Both are turn-offs from the Old Coast Road, south of Mandurah (and south of the Dawesville Channel) but north of where the new John Forrest Highway branches off towards Perth (see link below for map).
A few minutes drive brings you to a parking area with toilets and signs telling you about the thrombolites and their environment, which is part of Yalgorup National Park. From there a boardwalk takes you out over the shallow lake to where the thrombolites can be viewed from many angles. And what do you see? A community of rounded rock-like structures lying just beneath the surface … or just breaching the surface, depending on water levels. Their humble appearance gives no indication of their status as extremely rare and ancient life forms - living fossils.
The thrombolites are more exposed in the lower water levels of summer and autumn, but are still easily seen at other times. Visibility is more affected by wind - strong winds may roughen the water surface and limit the underwater view. On the other hand, wind helps keep away the mosquitoes which can be a nuisance in still weather.
Links:
Google map showing location of Lake Clifton Thrombolites
More about thrombolites and stromatolites
Environment and Conservation Dept - Yalgorup National Park
Topics: Alternatives, Western Australia | Add Your Comment »
Te Anau Wildlife Centre, NZ
Friday, April 10th, 2009
A friendly kaka
New Zealand has some great native birds you won’t find anywhere else, however many of them are rare or endangered, and hard to find out in the wild. You could pay to visit some sort of zoo or wildlife park, but a cost-free alternative is to visit the Te Anau Wildlife Centre.
This centre is run by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, and houses native birds which are rare, endangered, injured or needing special care. It takes the form of aviaries and enclosures scattered among parklands on the edge of Lake Te Anau, about a kilometre from the town of Te Anau in the south island. Beneficiaries of this scenic sanctuary include the kereru (native pigeon), pukeko (blue flamingo), tui, kea, kakariki, kaka, takahe, and weka.
Although it can be reached by car, a more pleasant way to get there (weather permitting) is by following the path along the edge of the lake - about 15 minutes walk from the town’s visitor centre is all it takes. That’s how I accidentally found it … I went for a stroll to explore the outstanding lake views and see where the path went, and suddenly found myself among an amazing assortment of birds. You can get quite close to some of them (if they cooperate), and information panels tell you something about what you’re looking at.
Views on the walk to the centre
Most people visit Te Anau in order to see Milford Sound or Doubtful Sound, walk the Milford Track, or partake of the multitude of other well promoted excursions in the area. The Te Anau Wildlife Centre gets little publicity in comparison, but also deserves a place on any visitor’s itinerary. Seeing so many beautiful birds in one charming location, with no entry fee, is a blessing all too many visitors miss out on.
Link:
NZ Dept of Conservation - Te Anau Wildlife Centre
(more information, including map)
Topics: Alternatives, New Zealand (south) | Add Your Comment »
The Little Pinnacles Of Cape Leeuwin
Friday, March 6th, 2009
The real pinnacles, Nambung N.P., WA
The Nambung National Park north of Perth contains one of Western Australia’s better known scenic attractions - The Pinnacles. This area contains what must be the most impressive examples anywhere of limestone pillars, but lesser examples can be found elsewhere.
Little pinnacles near Cape Leeuwin, WA
I stumbled across a patch of dwarf pinnacles near Cape Leeuwin, which is close to Augusta at the south west corner of Western Australia. From the town, if you follow the road out to Cape Leeuwin, near the end there’s a gravel road veering right to Skippy Rocks. From the car park a narrow unmarked trail leads north through coastal vegetation to a sandy hillside littered with interesting outcrops. I first found the spot while looking for good viewpoints for dusk lighthouse photos. Once I noticed the unique outcrops, I forgot about the lighthouse.
Like the real pinnacles, these little ones are the result of calcite in the sand dissolving and forming cemented layers around plant roots, or clusters of roots. When the plants eventually died and the surrounding sand blew away, these fossil roots (rhizoliths) were left behind. Near Augusta, most are in the form of erect pillars varying from thin to chunky, although some defy convention and point at an angle, or even bend.
The biggest is barely a metre high, and some of the more interesting ones are no more than 20cm; also they are not numerous, and are scattered among a lot of ordinary rocks. If size and extensiveness are important to you, these little pinnacles may underwhelm. But if you can appreciate detail and natural artistry, and are prepared to wander around, exploring the interesting variety of shapes can be rewarding.
The best time to see and photograph the wee pinnacles of Cape Leeuwin is in the last hour of daylight on a sunny day. That’s when the low angle of the sunlight highlights the sand texture, and the rocks look good bathed in the redder light. Sunrise wouldn’t work as well because the ridge to the east blocks off the rising sun.
I must emphasise that these little pinnacles are no substitute for visiting the real ones. But if that sort of thing appeals to you, and you happen to visit Augusta and Cape Leeuwin, the little pinnacles are also worth a look.
Links:
Google map showing location of little pinnacles
Explanation of how pinnacles form
Topics: Alternatives, Western Australia | Add Your Comment »