Our last full day at Mornington was a doozy. We began bright and early with a quick trip (via chopper) to the Fitzroy to check on Cath's quoll traps. Catherine is studying the Northern Quoll (an endangered marsupial, see spotted cutey in the photo above), and she had three healthy specimens for us to admire. The first scrambled out of the trap before anyone could get a good look at it, but the next two were beauties. They're carnivores as you can see by their teeth. The males die after mating (!), so yep, the population faces some tough obstacles. Cath and Sarah handled them masterfully, only getting a few bites and scrapes on their hands. They quolls were glad to be released and Cath ended up with the data she needed. Very cool bush science at work!
After breakfast we took another helicopter trip to the base of a massive waterfall. It took about an hour to of rock hopping and climbing to reach the high pool under the waterfall. On the way up, Clare and Isabella spotted a 10 foot Olive Python lying in the sun--he or she slid away into a crevice until we all passed (see photos). It took all my concentration to put the snake at the back of my mind as we continued up the scree.
The climb was well worth it--the Edenic pool was icy but invigorating, and the vistas were beyond gorgeous. We had our morning tea up there in paradise and then began the downward climb. Isabella and Clare kept up a fierce pace, but toward the end of the climb, Isabella fell and turned her knee fairly badly. Philip carried her across rocks and streams to the helicopter. Always resourceful, the AWC gang found her some crutches back at camp.
That night we had our farewell dinner--lots of laughs, lots of drinkies. Fun times. The best of times.
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