Quick update before we disappear into the depths of Cape Range National Park and the Ningaloo Reef tomorrow morning. Since Wednesday we have driven down from Karratha via Onslow and tonight are in Exmouth.
Just outside Onslow is an amazing plain with hundreds of termite mounds. They are the homes of spinifex termites,
which are found right across northern Australia. Most of those in this photo are at least 2 metres
tall, although they can be as large as 7 metres - spinifex termites build the
largest mounds of any of the termite species.
Each mound is home to just one colony or family group – mum, dad and a
million or more kids. Imagine trying to get all of them to leave home! Did you know that termites, which are
commonly called white ants, are more closely related to cockroaches than ants? I didn't, but now I do!As I have taken very few photos since we left Karratha, there is not much else to share! We did however see a few lovely birds on Thursday, when we camped by the Ashburton River near Old Onslow. The Rainbow Bee-eaters amused us for ages as they swooped over the river catching insects and as the dead tree they were using as a dining area and perch was right in front of us, I was able to get a few shots of this one:
Further down the river this group of pelicans was resting and even though I didn't manage to get a photo, there was quite a large flock of Little Black Cormorants like the ones in this photo, swimming on the river. We have seen a few large flocks of these cormorants recently, which has amazed us somewhat as we have never seen them in such large groups before.
Today was taken up with boring stuff like washing, shopping and filling the van tanks and jerry cans with water to make certain we are organised for two weeks of bush camping, although this time it is bush camping with the caravan. We are, of course, very excited about having two weeks in one spot, especially when it is such a beautiful spot! The snorkelling gear is all ready to go, as is the fishing gear.
After the two weeks, we will return here to Exmouth for about five days so Murray can do some offshore diving and as we are assuming that there we will not have phone reception whilst in Cape Range, this will be it until then.
And now we know it, too. Ants come in many colours. Of course white ants don't cause us physical pain when we sit on 'em. Or do they? They just pulverise a house - with their gazillions of kids. Vandals. Green ants on the other hand - yeeouch. And red ones. It seems a bit weird that they destroy timber when they build solid, impenetrable fortresses. With that many kids they'd need a bloody great mac-mansion-mound and methinks it would be easier for Mum and Dad to move out to a granny flat down the back. Doesn't surprise me that they're closer to cockroaches - everything impossible to defeat, is. Well, maybe not everything.
ReplyDeleteYour blog should be available to schools so that kids can learn all about this big incredible island. It is teaching me plenty. I want to do a test! Do you think that there are more creatures of all kinds because of the record widespread rainfalls over the past 12 months? You really are getting an absolute feast of variety in all critters.
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