emblatame (Ron)
Basalt Boulders and Water - The Boulders - Babinda - Tropical North Queensland, Australia
(all sizes for detail). This area is in the wet tropics, the wettest part of Australia. Average rainfall here in the Babinda/Innisfail area is 160 inches a year (4 metres), with some years going as high as 250 inches. This area is in the Belenden Ker Range, part of the Australian Great Dividing range. The two peaks in the range are Bartle Frere and Belenden Ker itself, both just short of a mile in height (5287 feet for Bartle Frere [1622 metres], highest in Queensland). The highest rainfall recorded on Belenden Ker was 11 metres (440 inches) and often it exceeds 6 metres a year. The Boulders is situated between the two peaks, about 8 or 10 km from each.
The Boulders is a popular tourist site and it is old volcanic with giant granite boulders, a gorge the water has formed, and wet tropical rainforest. In 2006 it suffered winds of 250 km/hour in Cyclone Larry and many trees were either blown bown, shredded or lost the top half. This really opened up the canopy. In just one year the trees have shot out with new growth and young ones are rising from the forest floor. It is quite ironic to see the crystal clear water from the ranges, at the Boulders, rushing away to the Johnstone River, then to the sea when so much of Australia is in drought. When I was there last in April 2007, I estimated some million litres of water is “wasted” every 10 minutes. After the floods of February the estimate was somewhere around a million litres a second flowing to the sea between Townsville and Cairns.
I hope in these Boulders photos (I will post about 20 in all), you will sort of see how lovely and awesome the place is. My camera does not do it justice. If I had an EOS you’d really see what it is like. Hope you enjoy them.
Basalt Boulders and Water - The Boulders - Babinda - Tropical North Queensland, Australia
(all sizes for detail). This area is in the wet tropics, the wettest part of Australia. Average rainfall here in the Babinda/Innisfail area is 160 inches a year (4 metres), with some years going as high as 250 inches. This area is in the Belenden Ker Range, part of the Australian Great Dividing range. The two peaks in the range are Bartle Frere and Belenden Ker itself, both just short of a mile in height (5287 feet for Bartle Frere [1622 metres], highest in Queensland). The highest rainfall recorded on Belenden Ker was 11 metres (440 inches) and often it exceeds 6 metres a year. The Boulders is situated between the two peaks, about 8 or 10 km from each.
The Boulders is a popular tourist site and it is old volcanic with giant granite boulders, a gorge the water has formed, and wet tropical rainforest. In 2006 it suffered winds of 250 km/hour in Cyclone Larry and many trees were either blown bown, shredded or lost the top half. This really opened up the canopy. In just one year the trees have shot out with new growth and young ones are rising from the forest floor. It is quite ironic to see the crystal clear water from the ranges, at the Boulders, rushing away to the Johnstone River, then to the sea when so much of Australia is in drought. When I was there last in April 2007, I estimated some million litres of water is “wasted” every 10 minutes. After the floods of February the estimate was somewhere around a million litres a second flowing to the sea between Townsville and Cairns.
I hope in these Boulders photos (I will post about 20 in all), you will sort of see how lovely and awesome the place is. My camera does not do it justice. If I had an EOS you’d really see what it is like. Hope you enjoy them.