Chillagoe

Chillagoe was a surprisingly interesting area to spend a 'rest day'. The town itself was quaint and small, but bustling with the school holiday chaos.

I spent my first night at the caravan park in town but was driven out by a few pesky aboriginal locals. So I packed up early and moved to the 'Eco-lodge' where I could camp out in the beautiful bush scenery for a very cheap price (I would highly recommend this place for any travelers!). The owner was a great man and he gave me some invaluable information on where to go and what to do. 

I then packed my day with activities within the wild surroundings. 

I swam in some beautiful croc-free swimming holes, climbed some incredible rock formations and tried my hand at some solo cave exploring. 

The owner of the Eco lodge had drawn me a map of a huge, uncommercialised cave system unknown to most. The entrance was accessible only by a bush walk and was many km's out of town. This all sounded too enticing to resist! 

So I packed two torches and climbed down the slippery rocks into the black abyss below. I felt like a real explorer down in the cave by myself walking through giant rock chambers and extravagant halls. There were small cracks to squeeze through and a few tunnels to squirm through on my hands and knees. The blackness seemed to penetrate everything - even my torch struggled to light the way. Suddenly I panicked. Had I come from this passage or that passage? How far had I gone in? Where was I? The questions all came flooding in suddenly and reason seemed extinguished by the darkness. People had been harping on about safety the entire bike ride but here I was, alone and lost in a maze of tunnels deep down in the dark. The only living creatures were cockroaches, spiders and the occasional whoosh of a bat in flight. Before I viewed them with intrigue and wonder, now they were eerie and frightening.

I sat down in the darkness, turned off my torch and willed myself to gain reason. I just needed a systematic approach. So I picked up a rock and scratched markings into the walls of tunnels I had already tried until finally, FINALLY I saw the tunnel leading up into the dazzling sunlight. I was free and a valuable lesson was learnt - always bring a cut lunch and a cold beer when going caving, it could be some time before you come out. Right??

That night the Eco-Lodge played a movie on an open-air cinema screen, and it was amazing to relax on the still, warm night with a movie and a buzzing atmosphere.

On sun-set I climbed the highest rock I could see on the horizon, and enjoyed the stunning view. This was also the first time I had seen clouds in months. 

So now I was rested, and ready to make my move to the Daintree Rain-forest, which I was very excited about!