Fair Trade

From Rockhampton we headed north and a bit west to Eungella National Park. After a 5K climb, we reached the Eungella region and the park where we had made a reservation. The reception was already closed and requested that we pay in the morning. Trust is alive in well in Eungella. The park overlooked the entire valley and neighboring peaks, whetting our appetites for the next day. We spent the night trading stories with a British couple and a trio of Germans. Long after sunset, clouds fell at our feet, giving credence to the town's Aboriginal name, "land where the clouds lie low over the mountains." We woke the next day to what looked like a snow day. Pure white clouds covered the land as far as the eye could see. I fell back asleep with dreams of my mom's pancakes and hot chocolate, snow day staples, but I awoke in Australia, the clouds having lifted to reveal a beautiful day. We lounged for a bit, eating breakfast with our new German friends. Before heading out, we swapped six Heath Bars for the use of Gayo's computer. In my opinion, this was a totally fair trade. We called my mom on skype for the first time since I left the US. It was 6:30 pm on November 25th, her 60th birthday. Happy birthday Mom! It was so awesome to see my Mom and Dad's faces, but now I miss them more. They went off to dinner and left our new friends to go explore the national park.

Oded has accrued the majority of injuries so far--a sprained finger, a pulled neck muscle, sea sickness--not really an injury but a bummer all the same. My turn had come. We hiked in to the Finch Hutton Gorge, stopping to check out some falls and watering holes along the way. After almost 3Ks, we made it to the main swimming hole, a big, cold circle fed by a modest falls. Oded jumped right in, but the two eels slinking around kept me from cannon balling immediately. The eels were soon joined by a rogue shrimp. As I moved out of its path, I slipped on a large submerged rock, and crashed down hard on my right side. I tend to pride myself in being more graceful than this but alas grace had deserted me. In her place, pain arrived. It hurt--like hell--but not for long. Now wet, I dove from the cliffs and swam with the eels. By night, I resembled Miranda in the episode of Sex and The City that she strains her neck. She can't move her neck or her body and Aidan has to pick her up off the bathroom floor... It was awful. Fortunately I am 29 years young and healed quickly.

To see photos of Eungella National Park, please click me