Everything under the Capricorn Sun
By Tony Walsh

Centred around Rockhampton in Queensland, the Capricorn Region offers an unusual mix of attractions and retreats for visitors with a wanderlust.

for a part of Australia that is generally recognised as being the Tourist State of Australia it takes a fair degree of self-assured expression to claim the title of being Queensland's oldest privately-owned tourist attraction.

Cave adventures

Step for ward Capricorn Caves near Rockhampton. While some may argue with their claim, no one can deny that they have a very special natural attraction which has been a magnet for visitors since it was discovered in 1882 by Norwegian pioneer John Olsen.

Unlike most of the cave systems in Australia which are set underground, These caverns are located above ground level in a high limestone ridge and provide a very pleasant atmosphere even for the most claustrophobic person. The caves are wheelchair accessible, with ramps to the major gallery, Cathedral Cave.

Ken and Ann Augusteyn took over ownership of the caverns from the descendants of John Olsen.

All tours are conducted personally by a well infor med guide. The most popular is the one hour exploration to Cathedral Cave. This tour meanders through large caverns with stalactite and stalagmite decorations set against the beautiful natural colours of the creamy limestone, rusty iron oxides and greens of the mosses and algae. but it is when visitors enter the 20m-high Cathedral Cave that the loudest 'oohs' and 'aahs' can be heard.

Restored church pews offer a place to sit and take in the magnificence of this environmental wonder. The Augusteyns have installed a sophisticated stereo sound system; its music enhanced by the natural acoustics of the cave. Small wonder that the Cathedral Cave is now in demand as a special wedding venue. In December each year, it is also used for the local Carols by Candlelight celebrations.

A very unusual natural phenomenon occurs in one of the caverns during the Summer Solstice on December 22 each year. Ann Augusteyn explains," Because the caves are located close to the Tropic of Capricorn, the Sun shines directly overhead at around 11am during the Solstice. for tunately, there is a natural vertical shaft in the roof of the cave and the rays of the overhead Sun pour through with brilliant effect into the darkened cavern."

The caves are also home to thousands of little insectivorous bats. Though their presence is seasonal, those visitors for tunate to be at the caverns at the right time are rewarded at sunset when the bats leave to feed for the night.

Capricorn Caves are located 23km north of Rockhampton off the Bruce Highway and are open every day of the year except Christmas Day.

for more infor mation:
Capricorn Caves
Tel +61 7 4934 2883

Crocodile Encounters

for a close encounter with another of the the region's natural inhabitants, but with a bigger appetite than the Augusteyns's bats, head for the Capricorn Coast and John and Lillian Levers' Koorana Crocodile Farm.

John has more than 25 years experience dealing with crocodiles both in Australia and New Guinea and opened Queensland's first commercial crocodile farm on the island in Coorooman Creek in 1981.

In his daily guided tour of the farm, John stresses that the common perception of crocodiles as nasty big animals with the sole purpose in life to rip You r legs off is far from the truth.

"In reality, they are highly-sensitive, caring animals to each other. In fact, that's what makes them dangerous to humans. The vast majority of attacks that occur in Australia are not hunger attacks but territorial attacks where the male is caring for the female and the female is caring for her You ng," John Lever explained.

Mr Lever said that research had shown that attacks had occurred between November and March which coincided with the breeding season. "We have to try and understand the behaviour of crocodiles because there are so many falsehoods around. Every pub in Australia has a resident crocodile expert sitting around the bar."

Some common crocodile myths:

If You are being chased by a crocodile, run in a zigzag fashion. Because of its huge tail, a crocodile cannot change direction quickly without losing speed.

"That's a load of nonsense," says John. "Crocodiles have been clocked at 42.5km so You just take big steps!"

Crocodiles love eating rotten meat.

"That's not true either," says John. "Crocodiles prefer their meat fresh. Crocodile Dundee said in one of his movies, and he was wrong, that when a crocodile grabs hold of You , he stuffs You under a log and saves You for another day."

Koorana Crocodile Farm was the first private enterprise crocodile farm to be established in Queensland and was originally stocked with rogue crocodiles caught by John at the request of the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Some of the more interesting and dangerous of the 2,000 reptiles at the farm are housed in a separate enclosure with their own pond.

The farm was also the first to serve crocodile meat, so a visit to Koorana is not complete without trying one of Lillian Lever's crocodile pies.

The park is open everyday of the year except Christmas day, 10am-3pm.

for more infor mation:
John & Lillian Lever
Koorana Crocodile Farm
Tel +61 7 4934 4749

Diverse Attractions

While the range of attractions in the Capricorn Region in Queensland is so diverse, some visitors simply head for the big integrated resorts like Rydges Capricorn Resort or Great Keppel Island, unpack and spend all their time enjoying the myriad of activities available on the one property.

At Rydges Capricorn Resort, These include two 18 hole golf courses, horse riding and landsailing on the 20km ocean beach. While on Great Keppel Island, the relaxed lifestyle of island living ensures a pampered carefree holiday.

The region also boasts the Dreamtime Aboriginal Cultural Centre, the historic mining town of Mt Morgan and the opportunity to fossick for gemstones at the aptly named centres of Sapphire and Rubyvale.

for a few days of a real country experience, visit some of the vast cattle properties that are now welcoming guests. Such cattle station experiences include Namoi Hills, Cooper Downs, Henderson park, Myella and Kroombit Tops.