Free again in a sunburnt country :) — David Taylor - Master Jeweller

15th November 2023

Sunset at Chillagoe, 11th November 2023.

For the past couple of weekends I have been in the Chillagoe - Mungana area exploring. When you start seeing those rocky outcrops in the otherwise flat landscape after you have left Mareeba you know you are close to Chillagoe. Often by the time I get there it is near sunset and you get some great sunsets out there.

Smokey sky and burnt landscape, November 2023.

A large proportion of the landscape had been burnt by recent bushfires and for much of my recent visits the sky was full of smoke. That said I was not complaining.

It has been a while

At the caves at Mungana with my wife in 2019.

Four years ago I went to Chillagoe-Mungana for the first time. My wife was with me on that trip and I have asked her many times to go back with me. Illness and it being too hot when she is well have meant a trip back has never happened….until now.

My wife has now pretty much given up on joining me on my treks into the bush and it has been my plan to head back to Chillagoe as soon as I can get away from Cairns for months now.

Some new caves

Once of the small caves at the base of the main cave.

In Chillagoe there are 4 main caves. Only two of them you are allowed to enter without a guide. One of those is Pompeii Cave and on this trip I explored it for the first time. It is very large cave with an opening at the top that allows a fair bit of light in to the main section.

Looking back up out of the cave to the light from the hole in ceiling.

As you make your way to the bottom via the large rocks it does get a big dark but not the pitch blackness of Bauhinia Cave, the other cave you are allowed to roam unguided.

Like all the caves there are spiders a plenty. Be careful where you put your face and hands :)

At the bottom of the main cave are two smaller areas. One is marked off telling you not to enter and the other, shown above, you can walk in and out of freely, I am exiting above.

It would be very easy to quickly walk in and out of Pompeii cave but I took my time. Some of the details in the rocks were amazing and I need to return to study them some more.

Back in the caves at Mungana

Mungana caves were the only caves that we visited back on the first trip to the Chillagoe area in 2019. They are located a short drive out of Chillagoe. Fast forward to November 2023 and the first thing I noticed inside the caves was how dry the colours and the floor were compared to my previous visit.

Spiders were my only company in the caves on the day.

When I see lots of spiders webs in the bush I know that it has been a while since someone has passed that way. October/November there must be very few people visiting the Mungana Caves. I had them all to myself with the spiders on both weekends in November 2023.

I had to concentrate as I walked and crawled my way through the rock structures and into the caves to avoid face planting a spider. They were literally everywhere.

Cave CH33 at Mungana

Most people that visit Mungana go to The Archways and that is it. There are however other caves in the area that can be found if you explore. To the right of where I am standing the cave drops deeper down into the ground. From that hole cold air blows like as if it was from an air-conditioner.

I know National Parks are aware of these caves because you will find tags inside numbering them. The above cave is CH33 and I discovered it by roaming the bush along a cattle track. You would have to think that there are at least another 32 for me to find :)

Sun goes down, I go up.

My wife does not like it when I climb and when she is not with me I almost inevitably end up climbing. The rocks at Chillagoe are very grippy, the down side is that in most places they are also as sharp as a razor. Falling is not an option like it is in the rainforest for me.

The views of the landscape open up from a higher vantage point.

Being just that little bit higher allows me to not have to photograph up so much. I suppose a drone would be a useful tool here but that would mean I would not get the chance to climb…… and what would be the fun in that :)

The country is very dry around Mungana but I love the contrast between the new growth and the burnt. I find it very pretty in its own way.

Even in such dryness plants growing on the rocks still manage to flower. You can just see the top of a butterfly inside this flower…..I waited to get a photo of it flying out but missed it.

I guess I am easily pleased as I even find the texture and colour in the trunk of this tree a beautiful thing. Might not make such a good photo but always good memories.

Waiting for a sunset on top of the rocks.

The plan was that once I made my way up the rocks I would find a composition and wait for sunset. I never really found a composition I loved on this day and the sunset never looked like amounting to much.

Speaking of sunsets

For the last year I have not been out with my camera as much as usual and that really showed on my second straight weekend visit to the area. I arrived at Chillagoe late Saturday afternoon just before sunset and could feel the colour about to explode in the smoke filled sky.

Some of the photos of this sunset you have seen at the start of this post. I wanted to take photos of the sunset forming, the burning colour as the sun hit the edge of the rocky outcrops and of course an epic shot if I could get it.

The above photo is a great example of what I am talking about. Both the depth of field and exposure are off. Even though I still like it, it could have been a much better photo than this.

Somehow I feel like I let the moment slip away by not capturing it better….but I did get to see it :) My photography skills have fallen off over the past year. I need to be out more with my camera.

Not just caves and rocks

Especially early morning and late afternoon the bird activity in the area is off the charts. This is the first time I have been able to get photos of a Red-winged Parrot. If you are into birds and you can get up early then you will love this place. By the time the day heats up however the birds are all in the shade resting.

You will come across some Aboriginal rock art, most of it is marked by National Parks. Sadly time, weather, human and animal contact have degraded much of it.

While I was viewing the previous rock art I was joined by a little Rock Wallaby. Wallabies and Kangaroos are everywhere to be seen.

This little fella was so friendly, he showed no sign of hopping off as I moved around the art very close to him.

Rock art can also be viewed on the roof of the cave at Castle Rock in the Rampants Section of the National Park. Make sure that when you visit this magical place you resist the urge to touch the art work.

A bit of Chillagoe History

Chillagoe was once a big mining town. Between 1901 and 1945 the smelters there treated 1.25 million tons of ore. The venture never made money! From a distance you can visit and view the old smelter site.

Much of the equipment there was sold off and used in other mines. What remained has been left to rust away.

The processing of that 1.25 million tons of ore created a 100 million ton slag heap. The slag dump at Chillagoe is the last remaining one in Queensland and is the reason why it is prohibited to enter the smelter site.

If you are allergic to asbestos or heavy metals then adhering to the rules might be a good idea. I have taken all my closer photos with a 600mm lens from the viewing spots created by National Parks.

The most famous feature of the smelter is the 3 chimneys. They are visible from most points around Chillagoe.

Work has been done at the smelter to stabilise the deteriorating chimneys which are now considered an important historical feature. Worth one look for me but that will be it.

I find it fascinating how if a mining company today left that much junk when they closed an operation they would be prosecuted….yet this is a historical site?

Paying to swag

I like to rough camp up the Tablelands. I never leave a trace and know some great spots. I do not know this area very well but from what I can gather they really do not like people rough camping.

On my trips to Chillagoe by myself when I slept over I paid $15 to sleep in my swag at Chillagoe Eco Village. Off season it is very quiet, you may very well be there alone!