Kuranda and the Never Never

With one day to go befor the eclipse, the weather is still unstable. Our first idea was to watch the eclipse from the beach by our hotel, but now it looks like there will be clouds on the coast in the morning. Also, the tide will come up and completely engulf the beach by the end of the eclipse. Koen wants a full sequence from first to last contact on camera, so we need a plan B. The weather inland looks a lot better, so we decide to search for a new observation location. We head towards the Dividing Range, to a vantage point called Bob's Lookout.

As soon as you turn away from the coast, the landscape changes dramatically. Gone are the lush rainforests, towering palm trees and twittering birds. Instead you get dusty roads, dry grass, and empty lands. Here and there we pass a few houses, but the road and the warning signs are often the only sign of civilization. The further we go, the less traffic we encounter. It's beautiful, but also a bit eerie. The charred remains of trees ravaged by bushfire only add to that feeling. Now I understand why Australians nickname the outback the Never Never. This would be a perfect setting for the Lost Highway soundtrack, too bad the car doesn't have an iPod connector.

Bob's Lookout is the perfect place to watch the eclipse. High up in the mountains, the weather is a lot better, and we have a perfect view of the horizon where the sun will come up. Satisfied that we have found a decent observation location, we head back to civilization, to vist the Kuranda Butterfly Sanctuary. Lots and lots of pretty butterflies, so we get some nice pics.