Snake!!

Leaving Kiama, we traveled through the Saddleback Mountains. Our mountain luck continued; just as we arrived the fog came in and we couldn't see anything. It was cool and we could have stayed longer enjoying the peaceful lookout area, but we figured if we went further inland we could actually "see" more sights.

It is amazing that in a country battling drought there are rainforests just in from the coast. We visited the Minnamurra National Park, which is just such a rainforest. The park was spectacular, as you can see from the photos, however the most exciting part happened before we even entered the gate.

As we were approaching the entry to Minnamurra, a snake crossed the road in front of us. This wasn't just any snake though - it was a red bellied black snake. For those of you who know that Australia boasts more than half of the world's poisonous snakes, you may be aware that this is ONE OF THE DEADLIEST. Not only is their venom deadly, but they can be very aggressive as well.

Fortunately, we were in the car, so there was very little danger. We were still petrified though, as the snake spanned the width of our car (a good 5+ ft long). We grabbed the camera in hopes of getting a good shot, but it quickly went into the bush next to the road. You can see the snake in the picture below, but it doesn't do justice to this terrifying reptile.


We mentioned to the Park Ranger that we had seen this snake on the road entering the park, and she said "oh, you won't see any more of those here, but you might see some green or black pythons." I'm not sure if that set us at ease or if it made us more jumpy.

We really did enjoy the park though. The rainforest had a very Jurassic Park feel with enormous trees and crazy wildlife. In the picture below, you can see a lizard but you have to look closely, as its coloring makes it very hard to spot. We saw a few lizards and birds including a lyre bird which kind of looks like a peacock, but with different colored feathers.


We also visited a couple of water falls. The first was Canterbury falls. With an over 300 feet drop, it is amazing to see. The same fog we saw earlier came rolling through as we were hiking, and you can see the mist in some of the photos. Fitzroy falls was much more stunning, and if you find yourself in this territory it is well worth the hike along the escarpment.