Tuesday 21st October 2014 – Quobba Station – Fine, Clear, Sunny

Day drive north to Red Bluff

Rio Tinto have a large salt mine at Lake MacLeod and a port at Pt Curvier.  We passed (and had to stop –  as they have right of way) two salt haulage roads crossing the road north to Red Bluff.  Once you see the size of the trucks, best to stop and be nice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our first views of Red Bluff which is still part of the station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rock shelf is a fossilized coral reef.  All sorts of marine life suspended in time.

On the way back from Red Bluff, we took the turn off to the “Korean Star”, surmising that it was a ship that ran aground here.  The road was also near the salt port and we had a good view of the operation (above).  The ground at the cliff top was flat stone with rocks within it, like crazy paving.  It was perfectly smooth.  There were another two names of fishermen who died rock fishing here.

This is the view along the cliff line back to the salt port and the view to the north, back to Red Bluff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were wondering if we had missed the turn off for the “Korean Star”, when I spotted it.  Actually what was left of it.  I bet many a person has stood on this point and missed it.  Obviously it was washed against the base of the cliff and a very long time ago.

 

 

 

 We went down to the reef at low tide and found colour!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of sea urchins and clams and  purple and pink coral.

I don’t know if you would ever get a day without wind to snorkel. Sharks are a major inhibitor of swimming here.  They have very large bronze whalers and tiger sharks.

Most of the sea urchins are purple, but there are a few green ones as well.  I found one of each colour next to each other.