Living in the Rainforest at Home Rule pt 1

May 8: Black Moutain is made up of a big pile of black rocks which came from...?  Well, there are many theories, so you can look it up and decide for yourself.  It is indeed a strange spectacle, which amused Indigo Velvet greatly.

So after I conceded that I was wrong, we went back to the same turn off and headed along the dirt road past the Lion's Den Hotel.   Driving through the rainforest was amazing - dark and mysterious with rocky creek crossings and single lane bridges. 
Home Rule is a 105acre property consisting of camping grounds and huts, run on Hydro Electricity.  It is also home to the Wallaby Creek Folk Festival in September and Bush Week in July (pic of DJ booth palm frond face, still standing from 2010). It backs onto a pristine creek and is run by Hal, a fit and interesting 82yr old  from Rhodesia. 

After some deliberation, we parked Keith on the upper camping area.  Then Hal showed us around,   including a dwelling consisting of 2 donga's that make up his sleeping quarters  (and his family when they visit).  That night, Helen who lives in one of the huts, cooked us the first of many great meals, which we ate in a communal kitchen/dining building. We had an interesting chat with 2 botanist guys from Cairns - one a  bonsai collector, studying and documenting the local bush tucker.

 

 May 9:  We got an early start.  Hal, Danny, Indigo and me all headed up the 2.5km track to the waterfall.  The boys carried a piece of sheet metal with a length of wood bolted to it.  It was a steep climb to to the top, with remnants of the old hydro pipe clamps and machinery.  Hal and Danny placed the metal sheet in the rock pool, to divert more water towards the pipes that carry it hundreds of meters to the creek.  We also gathered pieces of wood to send up to Hal via rope to protect the pipeline from falling rocks.
The walk was very difficult in parts, but enjoyable to get over the fear of rock climbing.   Indigo even found it difficult to navigate the rocks and fallen trees.

 

That arvo, I cleaned the 'Ablutions' block and Danny & Hal got up on the roof of the dongas to remove vines from a large fallen tree which just missed his bedroom.  The only way up was via a steep ladder (Danny is not too keen on heights) and coming down involved holding tightly onto a rope and trusting your feet to find the ladder rungs.   Danny also went for a photographic expedition on his push bike around the property and up the road to Rossville.