Introduction
Nature is amazing because we can scarcely comprehend what we encounter on a daily basis. The beauty that surrounds us... mountains, beaches, forests, deserts, oceans... you name it! Last weekend I explored Riversleigh, an area in Queensland, Australia, where I was dumbfounded by its colorful beauty and ancient fossilised remains within the rocks.
Having left Mount Isa some 270km south of me late Friday afternoon I ended up near Riversleigh which is not far from Lawn Hill National Park. I camped out in a gravel pit on the way and had a cozy campfire going which I shared with my partner and a glass of red wine.
Early Saturday morning we reached Riversleigh and so our Palaeontological expedition began. When one goes walking in far north Queensland you set of early morning because of the sweltering heat. We brought water, hats, boots and our sense of adventure.
My country
Imagine a dry savannah that's dominated by spinifex and ancient dry red soil, which was once carved by streams and rivers. Wind, rain and extreme weather conditions have eroded the limestone rocks tumbled and piled up high reaching into the shimmering heat of the day. The sun continuously beating down on you as you follow a palaeontologists trail discovering fossilised remains.
Imagine a supercontinent called Gondwana which included the current countries of Australia, New Zealand, India, Madagascar, South America, Africa and Antarctica. When Gondwana broke up into different landmasses the current Australian landmass continued to drift north and has become the climatic and environmental continent we have today, according to Scientists who studied this phenomenon.
According to one of the signs posted at Riversleigh, D Site was the first major fossil deposit found at this amazing natural location in Queensland, so I decided to walk in the footsteps of palaeontologists and discover preserved fossils on my journey. Apparently it was discovered in 1976, when a single marsupial fossil jaw was exposed and palaeontologists started their diggings chipping away to find they were surrounded by fossils. Since then thousands of fossils from over 300 different kinds of animals have been investigated at Riversleigh.
Walk through this small area and you can discover some of these fossilised remains. Some of the Palaeontological finds are the remains of turtles, fish, crocodiles, lizards, snails, dromornithids, diprotodontids, palorchestids, marsupial lions, thylacines and pythons.
Although many animal remains have been found here the bulk of fossilised remains are aquatic vertabrates. It is believed this area was once a vast inland lake or swamp, sustaining life in abundance.
The signage and educational content at D Site is fascinating and contains a wealth of information. Zoom in on the photos I have attached to read about this fascinating Palaeontology Site and enjoy the opportunity to learn more about fossilised remains within this limestone bluff.
Entering this ancient world of fossils and dinosaurs is done in style through a beautiful look-alike cave.
As you wind your way up the track you will encounter signage pointing out the fossils within the rocks.
Zoom in on the photos to gain a better view of the fossilised remains.
Chelids (above) left this crescent shaped fossil behind in the rock. Chelids are a type of turtle and you can still find those turtles in nearby freshwater rivers, lakes and creeks.
The circular fossil (above) is a cross-section of a limb bone of the crocodile species Baru wickeni, and it was a huge monster croc and a skilful predator.
The dromornithid is also referred to as 'Big Bird' because it stood 3.5 meters tall and weighed up to 300 kg. It was a flightless bird like our emus and cassowaries. Apparently they're related to ducks and chickens. Imagine cooking this chook!
The above fossilised remains belong to Big Bird. Zoom in on the photo above to see the shape of it's leg and feet.
Leaving our precious dromornithid behind we go up a set of well-laid steps which creates a unique feature within this rugged country leading to stunning limestone escarpments.
Once you've reached the escarpment you can see detailed rock formation of Cambrian Pancakes, strange dome-shaped rocks which are remnants of a once continuous bed of limestone.
After you have submerged yourself within these Cambrian Pancakes you eventually escape this wonderland through a narrow track leading through a section of spinifex country, and then out through the other side of this man-made cave. Your journey is almost complete and it will certainly leave you impressed as you depart from this breathtaking fossilised part of the world, Riversleigh... my dream-time country.
Sunday saw us traveling back to Mount Isa, and eventually after nearly 600km of dirt road we arrived safely back home. This amazing place is great to visit just by yourselves but also for school children or homeschool families who can learn heaps about palaeontology.
We left behind only our footsteps, but took with us plenty of photos, memories and a keen sense of adventuring ideas for next weekend.
Photography & written work is my own.
©️ingridontheroad