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Hey all, snorkelling is one of my passions, and I have been lucky enough to have lived in the pristine rainforest setting of the beautiful Pioneer Valley of Northern Australia. The valley is croc free, and has some of the most stunning rainforest in the world, including Eungella National Park. The area has a myriad of crystal clear waterways, ranging in size from a few metres across to full size rivers. A lot of them are in virgin rainforest and they are all home to countless species of fish and crayfish, from sooty grunter and eel tailed and salmon tailed catfish to dwarf rainbow fish and eels. The resident crustaceans are usually red claw crayfish, common yabbies and grass shrimp. There are also saw-shelled, long-necked and maquarie turtles. The snorkelling is amazing, and the icy creeks refreshing like nothing else when the temperature is 40 degrees Celsius and near 100% humidity. There are mazes of fish holding structure with 50cm+ sooty grunter holding in them, with a breeding pair of tandanus catfish cruising around the bottom, some rainbow fish swimming in huge schools around the surface with smaller sooty grunter and spangled perch cruising the open patches of sand near the bottom, and maybe a turtle or two walking around the bottom. Depending on what creek you go to, the water can range from bathtub warm to icy cold. And the fishing is spectacular! If you ever get a chance to snorkel North Queensland, especially the Pioneer Valley, I highly recommend it, it is just breathtaking! Cheers, Jim
