Steve Irwin country

Today we explored the hinterland of Caloundra, or as it will probably shortly be renamed 'Steve Irwin Land'.

Sally drove us along the Steve Irwin Highway (really) and we passed numerous posters of a very shocked looking Steve Irwin clutching a pretty bemused crocodile (not a stingray in sight). This because we're very close to 'Australia Zoo' - we've not plans to visit (yet).

Instead we headed for the Glasshouse Mountains, which is a group of extinct volcanoes which have become eroded to leave just the lava plugs. They do look pretty amazing and form the basis of an aboriginal legend where each peak is a member of a very dysfunctional family. We then picked up the Blackall Range scenic tourist route.

First stop was the Mary Cairncross Park where we went on an hour long walk through the rainforest. The sounds of the rainforest were incredible and we saw many colourful birds and a bush wallaby - all the better because we were on our own.

The countryside on the drive was some of the most beautiful I've ever seen anywhere. This is definitely one of the prettiest parts of Australia I've seen up to now. We also stopped at a few other places of interest, a lake, some waterfalls and loads of lookout points. Altogether a brilliant day.