So, after a few days in the bush, I visited the town of Atherton. Partly, I needed to do some shopping, but I also wanted to visit a museum called the Crystal Caves.
The shopping had one amusing moment. Atherton is no hippy village, but a farming town with tourism supplements. I dressed accordingly, to not freak out the normals: thoroughly washed, shirt and shorts, shoes with socks, even! When I went inside the shopping centre I even took off my hat and sunnies, to complete the Polite Young Man disguise. Yet, I still seemed to be getting disapproving looks from the little old ladies of the Country Women's Association. Sod 'em. I did my shopping, and as I was going through the cold-goods aisle in the supermarket, felt that it was bit chilly. Then I realised I had the top FIVE buttons of my shirt undone, down to below my navel.
Then to the Crystal Caves, which is in fact a shop in town.
The museum section is done out cave-style, with foam walls and stalagmites and stuff. You get a helmet with a light, partly as a gimmick, but also because you'll bang your head. You are encouraged not just to photograph, but in most cases, to TOUCH the displays.
Some fancy quartz crystals (no touching these)
Fossils, including trilobites, and the cave decor:
A darkened room, with a ceiling of thinly sliced back-lit agates.
There was another dark room with black lights to make minerals fluoresce (not shown).
This artificial fountain, using four tons of rose quartz.
