Sensory overload
In the spirit of Travel Styles, today we had an amazing encounter while walking some of the trails around Buchan Caves in Victoria. First we heard a fire engine siren, then a mobile phone started ringing which left us a little confused. Then after some motion through the bush an extraordinary example of a male Lyrebird emerged on the trail right in front of us and started digging around.
For those of you not familiar with this amazing bird then it’s something you should research. These birds are able to mimic any sound they hear and they do so convincingly. There were a couple of males around vying for the attention of quite a few females and were mimicking in great detail the calls of Magpies and Kookaburras and even the sounds of a digital camera. An amazing experience that had us sitting in the dirt for over an hour.
The rain set in that night, so rather than break a wet camp the next morning we stayed an extra night and explored some of the wild caves and sink holes that this ancient limestone region is famous for. We also tagged onto a guided tour through the Royal Cave which is the most spectacular example of a wet cave system I have ever seen. Our guide was amazing and he took great care in explaining how caves form, the processes which take place over the centuries to decorate their interiors and the importance of NOT TOUCHING ANYTHING!
