Faster than a speeding bullet

The countryside around here is beautiful and in some places very dramatic. We have moved 1 hour north of Brisbane to stay at a place called Maleny. It is about 20 minutes from Australia Zoo (the main road to the zoo has been named after Steve Urwin as a tribute).
We have been on a Tiki tour around the district and saw some awesome sights. Unfortunately the rain has continued intermittently, but someone told us today this is the worst year for rain on the Coast. The weather is very tropical so even though it is raining you can be sweating profusely, (a very uncomfortable feeling). Just after you have showered you are ready for another. Anyway back to the Tiki touring.
We went for drive to look around and these Australians have some weird ideas about roads. Rather than going around a hill, they go straight up it. We encountered a road with a sign prohibiting trucks and caravans. Why? We asked each other. However the question did not go unanswered for very long because within 2 minutes we were heading UP, at a 35 to 40* angle, with a cliff face all the way to the top, straight outside the passenger side window. A good 10 minutes of white knuckles and shallow breathing. It was just amazing I couldn’t believe it. Mind you half the reason is they have built their towns/villages on the top of mountain ranges.
One place which is very quaint and aimed at tourists with themed shopping (ie India shop, Irish shop, Africa shop) was situated along the top of a range with the shops and houses placed half on land and the other half on stilts overhanging the side of the hills. Makes for awesome views but not sure how comfortable I would be in one especially after the landslides in NZ.
We also had spectacular views from another range, of the Glasshouse Mountains, which was breathtaking and a photo is attached.

We have also got out of the vehicle (of course) and walked. We found a reserve which is a remnant of an original rainforest. So very cool, we were walking along and Cassandra spotted some movement and there across our path ran little kangaroo thingys (later to be renamed by their real biological name of Pademelon (a small bush wallaby) we were lucky because during the walk we were graced with the presence of Pademelon about 7 times and they seemed to have no real fear of us.
Another walk we took ended in a nice peaceful lunch, NOT. We sat down at the picnic table and the magpies came and then through the shadowed bush I saw a lizard/dragon type thing about the size of a small cat. We all oo’ed and arh’ed about how cool it was, then we began to prepare lunch, ‘tomato sandwiches’. Suddenly, ‘faster than a speeding bullet’ Johnathan is standing up on the picnic table, very quickly followed by Cassandra. I was a bit slow catching on but made an effort to raise my feet off the ground and almost fell off the seat. What’s the matter? Johnathan thought he was going to be attacked, because the lizard covered the ground between itself and us at the table (about 2-3 metres) in a split second and then set an attack pose (or so we thought). When all had calmed down and before Johnathan got down a photo was taken and is attached for your amusement.

We found out the lizard was actually just begging for food because as soon as Johnathan threw him a piece of tomato he was on it. (Johnathan feed him in an effort to distance him from us, not to be kind.) Despite a moment of fear it gave a decent laugh, although we aren’t in any hurry to repeat the experience. We found another walk which took us to the top of a waterfall and a swimable rockpool, which only Cassandra and Johnathan braved; it was too murky for me. Lovely location, whilst they swam I roamed and saw my first live snake sliding along a rock face. Later the same day we saw two more snakes asleep in a tree and as the adage goes "poke it with a stick to see if it’s alive". It wasn’t me or Cassandra though, but Johnathan who violated those poor little snakes slumber. I have to admit he did however have the decency to jump like heck when the snake raised it head and slithered off.
Our adventures in Australia continue and we remain happy and anticipatory.