Purposeful Meandering Atop Oz - Week 6

Sunday is normally a day of rest for most people, but for us we had a lot going on. Sadly, the girls were flying home today but not before we managed to grab a few essential groceries and cram in a little more sightseeing. Heading downtown the streets were filled with Sunday markets and entertainment, for us though we had a look around the wealthy harbour foreshore and the V8 supercar street circuit. By lunchtime we had the girls at the airport and sad farewells ensued…. Sometimes work gets in the way of a good holiday. For Ethan and I though, we decided to get a few kilometres further south in what was to be a 5-day trip home. Some 300km later we found ourselves in Mackay where we decided to live it up for a night and stayed in a motel. With our accommodation sorted we headed downtown to do some late afternoon sightseeing and caching. Having never been to Mackay before I was keen to see what made Mackay tick, my naïve-ness was soon explained. More than 20 cargo ships were anchored off the coast, Mackay was a huge industrial town. By nightfall we’d grabbed a bit of dinner before enjoying our first night in a real bed in almost 6 weeks.

Monday didn’t start too well for us, we didn’t even clear the carpark before managing to put a dint in the car…. Oops! Pressing southward there wasn’t a lot said in the car as Ethan knew Dad was a little pissed-off, so he erred on the side of caution and said nothing. Pushing along the highway was slow going as there was endless roadworks which seemed to have us making little progress. About lunchtime we detoured off the highway to Yeppoon and Emu Park, it’d been over 30 years since I been in the area. Back then Great Keppel Island was the go-to holiday resort and I was keen to look around. Apparently nowadays Great Keppel is a ghost town, but the mainland coastal town are booming. After enjoying some time out on the coast we moved further south but once again roadworks slowed our progress. Late in the day we found a great free-camp on the banks of the Calliope River which we shared with some like-minded campers.

Tuesday and another day of slow highway driving loomed, we weren’t keen for that, so we headed out towards the coast and down to Bundaberg via Agnes Waters. By mid-morning we’d made it to Bundaberg where we headed straight to the Bundaberg Rum distillery and the Bundaberg soft drink factories where we enjoyed a tour of the factories. Continuing south we went through Childers, Hervey Bay, Maryborough and Gympie before spending a night at Leonie’s brothers place in Noosa. Catching up with family with a few bourbons was a great way to unwind after a couple of days of driving.

Wednesday started early for us as our overnight hosts had to leave early for work so we hit the road at the same time. We used the morning for a bit of sightseeing and caching around Caloundra and Caboolture before skirting south around the city of Brisbane. We made sure to time our run past Yatala Pies so we could stop for the perfect lunch feast - yum yum! Back on the road and we’d soon passed the Gold Coast and the QLD/NSW border which was a sad reminder that our holiday was coming to an end. Before getting to my parent’s place, we detoured into Byron Bay where we checked out the most eastern point of Australia, thus seeing 2 extremities of Australia in the 1 trip. After a brief stop at Byron we continued the last few kms to my parent’s house where we had a 2-night stopover. Thursday rolled into Friday as we had a day around my parent’s home catching up with family and sharing the excitement of our trip to the Cape.

Friday dawned early as we wanted to put as many km’s behind us before the roadworks of the far north coast really slowed our progress. By breakfast time we’d made it to Coffs Harbour McDonalds where a dose of coffee and a bite to eat hit the spot. Back on the road and our next stop was the once sleepy hollow of South West Rocks, well last time I visited it was. Nowadays it’s a rather busy holiday location and we had a brief catch-up with friends who were enjoying a break. Continuing southward we made one further detour into Raymond Terrace before hitting the Friday afternoon Sydney peak-hour traffic. For the next 3 hours we crawled along the Sydney arterials till we got south of Campbelltown where once again we could speed up to the speed limit. Just before 6pm, in what had turned out to be a 12-hour journey we finally arrived home.

After 6 weeks and some 9600km later we’d made it to the tip of Cape York and back home again. What an amazing adventure! 

Purposeful Meandering Atop Oz - Week 5

Our penultimate week started with us so close to Cairns that by the end of Sunday we’d be back in civilisation watching the NRL grand-final, but to get to that point we had to undertake our last dirt-road adventure. Waking Sunday morning there was a bit of indecision to whether we’d stay another night or not, after confirming some accommodation in Cairns we all packed up and headed towards Cairns. Our first stop was the picturesque Bloomfield Falls before we started down the Bloomfield Track. The track southward was very easy compared to those of past weeks, the highlight for us was seeing a Cassowary in the wild. All too soon we’d finished the Bloomfield Track and where back at the Daintree River ferry crossing. A short time later we were in Port Douglas checking out the local markets again and grabbing a bite to eat. By mid-afternoon we’d checked into a caravan park in Cairns. We quickly made ourselves at home in the camp kitchen where we ordered in pizzas for Sikky’s birthday. Having seen no TV for weeks settling in to watch the NRL grand-final. 

Monday was a public holiday in QLD, so we took the opportunity to have a lazy start to the day. For many of us, vehicle repairs would have to wait another day as very little was open. The first priority was to catch up on the mountain of washing that needed to be done, next was the chance to grab some much-needed fresh groceries followed by some further sightseeing around Cairns. Returning to the caravan park the heat ensured it wasn’t long before we were trying one of the many pools on offer in the van park. This park had so much to offer for the kids, it seemed to be hours before we seen them again. There were jumping pillows, water-slides, so many pools, basketball and tennis courts and then there was the “adults only” relaxation spa that we seemed to gravitate towards. It worked a treat in getting rid of our aches and pains, oh and some of the ground in red dust that our bodies had collected. No one seemed to know or care but happy-hour kicked in early and we spent the remaining hours of Monday enjoying a few beverages.

Tuesday was fix it day, after another slow start to the day many of us headed out to the four corners of Cairns seeking parts and repairs to our cars. For us, we were booked in for a wheel alignment, so dropping the girls off for a bit of retail therapy Ethan and I went and got the car looked at. All too soon we were done and had met up with the girls again. We grabbed a bite of lunch before heading out to do some more sightseeing. We headed out to the Cairns hinterland where we found a place called Crystal Cascades. This picturesque freshwater stream flowed over shallow rapids, down waterfalls and through deep rock pools. We spent a few hours jumping from one swimming hole to another, there was plenty of fish and the occasional turtle to see while we swam with them. Returning to the van park it didn’t take long before we were back in the refreshing pool as we did our best to beat the hot weather. By nightfall we’d gathered in the camp-kitchen where we spent much of the night feasting on fresh fruit and desserts we’d all made. It was pretty much our last night we’d all be together before our group started to disseminate and head our own ways home. For us however, we had another full day in Cairns.

Wednesday started with goodbyes as our group started to go their own way, for us though it was to be a day filled with fun and excitement as we headed to the Great barrier Reef. This natural wonder a “must do” for us and by early morning we were on a big catamaran heading to the outer reef. The 90min cruise didn’t feel long and soon enough we were donning our snorkelling gear and jumping into the turquoise waters. Watching the expression on our kids faces as they explored the numerous pockets of coloured coral was priceless. At every turn there was something new for us to see, Sam was the first to see a Nemo fish while we all seen lots of starfish and sea cucumbers on the ocean floor. All too quickly we were tucking into a hearty lunch before we once again returned to the water where tried the underwater observatory and glass-bottom boat. With our reef adventure coming to an end we had one last swim before the kids got to handle some of the sea creatures the marine biologist had collected for “show-n-tell”. Returning to the Cairns marina we all commented on what a great day we’d had on the reef but thought Ningaloo Reef in WA is just as nice. Back at the caravan park our day’s adventure soon caught up with us and after a relaxing meal it was time for an early night to bed.

Thursday was moving day for us. We bid farewell to the last of our group before heading south down the Bruce Highway. We didn’t get too far down the road before we detoured into Babinda Boulders where we changed to our swimmers in anticipation of a refreshing swim. For Leonie and Sam it was certainly refreshing, to the point it was freezing bloody cold. Ethan and I seen the looks on their faces, their teeth chattering and quickly back-peddled to high ground where we stayed nice and dry. After bit more exploring of the boulders we headed back into Babinda where we enjoyed a lovely meal of pies and pastries from the local bakery, Leonie even commenting that the pies were on par with Yatala Pies. Pushing on we passed through Innisfail and the endless fields of sugarcane and bananas before arriving at Paronella Park. This concrete jungle built in 1930’s by one man is amazing. Built beside a waterfall, Jose` Paronella had the foresight to generate electricity years ahead its time, he built 2 castles and numerous other out-houses on the property all for the enjoyment of others. For us, we spent much of the afternoon exploring the park and learning the incredible history of the parkland. By evening we were pleasantly surprised to be joined by another family from our group who’d also come to the park. Together we enjoyed the evening spectacular as the park is transformed with lights and music. A fitting way to end a beautiful day.

Friday and we had one final part of Paronella Park to explore before getting on the road. Jose`s water turbine still generates electricity to this day, enough to supply the park all its needs plus some back into the grid. Back on the road we headed across to the coast where we stopped at Mission Beach for a look around this quaint coastal hollow and the views across to Dunk Island. Continuing southward we stopped at Tully and Cardwell where there was a lot of mixed emotions for me, as I’d been to these towns only 24 hours after cyclone Yasi and the resultant devastation caused by it. Back then the towns looked like a war zone whereas today Tully is once again a thriving sugar mill town, Cardwell is a picturesque seaside town where we enjoyed lunch today. I did notice however there were a few vacant blocks of land in Cardwell where houses had once stood, while Hinchinbrook Marina seems to have not recovered after the mass devastation. Continuing a further few hours and we found ourselves in Townsville where we quickly found some accommodation before doing some late afternoon exploring along the Strand. We spent our evening relaxing and doing a whole lot of nothing as the temps were still in the high twenties well after dark.

Saturday dawned for us with an air of sadness as today was the last whole day we’d spend together as a family before the girls had to fly home. We had a lazy start to the morning, the only thing getting us out of bed was the burning heat on our swags. We enjoyed a hearty breakfast before heading out to do some sightseeing. Townsville is flanked by huge pink granite hills and we soon found ourselves exploring one of these hills which is the home to the “rich and famous”. Many of them sharing million-dollar views in equally expensive houses. From there we headed up Townsville’s major attraction. Castle Hill (mountain) towers some 300m above the city and is the centrepoint to the town with its 360deg views, we spent plenty of time up there admiring the spectacular views. To the west we’d spied an even higher mountain range, so 30min later we stood atop Mt Stuart which offered even broader views of the township and surrounding areas. Once back in town and now mid-afternoon we headed to the Strand where we enjoyed a beautiful family walk along the esplanade watching likeminded people enjoy picnics, swimming or relaxing in the sun as Townsville baked mid thirty deg temps. As dinner approached and with our holidays all-butt over, we headed to the Cowboys Leagues club to celebrate a great holiday.

Why do holidays seem to go so fast!

Purposeful Meandering Atop Oz - Week 4

Week 4 started with purpose, in fact it was the whole purpose of our trip, to make it to the most northern tip of mainland Australia. We left the van park by 9am and made our way northwards the some 40km towards the tip. Our first stop was the Croc Tent, this top-end souvenir oasis has everything relating to the cape and we stocked up. Heading further north the notable change was the landscape, the last few days had been bushland, but now it was very tropical. Soon enough we were in the tip carpark where we had some 400m walk ahead of us. After the short rocky walk, we’d made it to the tip of Australia. We’d achieved another item on our bucket list. We sat and rejoiced in the moment for a while, took a heap of photos, watched a huge turtle float by before heading back to our cars. From the tip we headed around to Somerset and the 5 beaches 4WD trek. It was at this point a few of our group opted to stay in the area for the night while the rest of us continued exploring the coast. For us, we headed back towards Bamaga where we found a number of WWII plane wrecks scattered in the bushland. With our day culminated, we explored a few local aboriginal communities before returning to the van park. By night fall we had dinner in the park restaurant basking in the nights’ special of ‘fish-n-chips’ on the beach.

Monday was moving day, but not before we experienced our heaviest rain of the trip, leaving us to pack up in the rain. We grabbed a few last-minute supplies and fuel in town, met up with the rest of our group before pushing south to the Jardine River ferry. This 6-car ferry traverses the narrow river crossing regularly and we were soon on the southern side. Continuing southward the corrugations on the Peninsula Development Road (PDR) were true to form, the car was literally shaking itself to pieces as we made our way the some 120km to the next destination of Captain Billys Landing. Arriving at our campsite sadly the southeast winds made the area less than attractive, but we made it work for us settling up the cars to form a nice wind-break. One of our members decided to head to Weipa to seek medical aid for an infected took foot. For the rest of us our day we relaxed by the beach, strolled along the foreshore, explored the many caves which become accessible at low tide, drove along the sand. For those keen fishermen amongst the group they were pleased to finally catch some fish while the kids took delight in building little homes for the numerous hermit crabs they’d found. As darkness came the wind persisted stopping us from having a campfire but we still took the opportunity to celebrate a group members birthday with cake.

Tuesday saw us moving again. Retracing our steps back to the PDR we continued further south over countless corrugations and dust to the Bramwell Roadhouse, returning to this place felt like we’d completed a big loop as we’d been here a week or so earlier. The need to refuel at $2.05/ltr hurt but was necessary if we wanted to continue seeing this amazing area. Pressing on we’d soon arrived at the Old Morten Telegraph Station which in its day was an integral link in communications heading north/south using Morse Code. We enjoyed the homestead hospitality while checking out the history and photos of recent floods that devastated the area. A short distance down the track we turned off for our next adventure, the "Frenchman’s Track" which in itself is an adventure but in reality, is a shortcut to Chilli Beach. The track, at times was very rough with us soon dropping down the steep descent into the Wenlock River where we took advantage of the perfect river conditions to swim and play for the next hour. Back on the track we encountered a couple more waterholes and steep climbs before reaching the Pascoe River. It was here the recent wet season had caused significant track damage resulting in the track being close up until recently. The entry and exit to the river were steep and rough with the water level in the river being up towards the bonnet level again. We were soon across safely and, on our way. Too our surprise our injured member was waiting for a few kilometres down the road, having had a 2cm palm spike removed from his foot. With time getting away from us after what was a big day we eventually arrived at Chilli Beach. Sadly the winds had persisted along the coast but camping in a little more protected area we were able to enjoy the spoils of a campfire in the night.

Wednesday was all about chilling at Chilli beach, we had a bit of sleep-in before having morning coffee on the beach. Most of us spent the morning either doing minor maintenance jobs, relaxing by the camp or on the beach. The kids had taken a few shovels down to the beach and started digging out a beach fire pit for us, while a few adults tried our luck getting coconuts from the countless palm trees that littered the beach, we even attempted to scale the trees Fijian style. After lunch and with the tide running out we took the kids for a bit of beach driving before going out to explore the surrounding area. We found a local selling cooked prawns so we grabbed some before returning to camp. Regrettably the wind had not abated but that didn’t stop us from spending a couple of hours around our beach firepit devouring prawns and bourbon on the beach. After dinner we enjoyed another campfire, telling tales, sipping port and reminiscing at what had been a lovely day at Chilli Beach.

Thursday saw us on the road again heading back towards the PDR, but not before we detoured via the aboriginal community of Lockhart River, this was certainly an interesting excursion highlighting the multicultural lifestyle of others. The road heading back to the PDR was good and we made good time and speed along the dirt road, however as we re-grouped at the PDR road junction car troubles struck the group. One car simply wouldn’t re-start again, after a bit of diagnosing we decided to push-start it and head into the Archer River Roadhouse for further investigation. We opted to have lunch at the roadhouse and while sitting at lunch we got to witness farm life at its rawest, sadly a lame bull had to be put down in eye-shot of the roadhouse. With a band-aid fix done on the car and a swim in the nearby river we kept motoring south towards Coen. Once in Coen we grabbed some fuel and basic supplies before having a drink at the local. We’d spied a good campsite as we drove into town so after enjoying refreshments we headed out to camp by the river. Once setup the kids swam, the guys threw a line in the river before we enjoyed jaffles in the campfire.

Friday dawned with beautiful sunny views over the river. After packing up we were on the road again. It was some 250km to Laura but who would have known that shortish distance would take us most of the day. The PDR was as rough as we’d experienced. Once again, the corrugations generated noises in the car which had us 2^nd guessing whether the car was self-destructing. For some of the group car issues were a reality, at Musgrave we pulled an alternator out of one car while another car continued to have starter motor issues. Our roadside mechanical repairs took us up till lunchtime. After lunch we were back on the road heading south, the PDR was still an adventure, the bull dust coupled with corrugations and oncoming road-trains had us at reduced speeds much of the time. Just when we thought it’d be an easy run into Laura car problems presented themselves again. The car with starter motor issues yesterday simply conked out mid-road. Further investigations and a short tow to the nearest roadhouse saw us doing more repairs. By late afternoon we’d finally arrived in Laura having done that 250km, sadly another car had succumbed to car troubles, the PDR had claimed another casualty with a car battery rattled itself to pieces and dropped a cell. With it late in the day we wanted to press on, starting our next offroad adventure along the Old Coach Rd towards the Palmer Goldfields. With dusk nearing we got a couple of hours down this renowned rough track before finding a suitable spot to camp for the night. As we setup camp we reflected on how fun the track had been so-far. The terrain was challenging, technical in spots and at various times there were great views across the ranges. After a long day in the saddle it was so good to sit and relax by the fire, watching the stars and the serenity of being in the bush.

Saturday had us excited about what the Old Coach Rd had install for us, as the morning unfolded the track didn’t disappoint. There were steep rocky climbs, creek washouts, wombat holes that had us on 2 wheels at times, off chamber sections that had us flipping ‘n’ flopping through weird angles plus more of the great scenery. The closer we got to Maytown the remnants of yesteryears gold lifestyle were unveiled. We found old stampers, boilers and abandon mineshafts scattered across the countryside. Coupled with the old, was the new, we found a handful of operating mines where people were hard at it trying to make their riches from the minerals which lie beneath. Once in the historic township of Maytown the size of "what once was" hit home. Only the cobbled gutters and a few house piers remained but once where a building stood now a plaque identified the numerous shops and multiple pubs that stood on site back in the 1880’s when over 18000 people lived in Maytown. We had lunch at the nearby Palmer River before heading towards our next campsite. The road out of Maytown weaved its way over the ranges and at times felt like we were riding a rollercoaster as it twisted and turned. The day wasn’t without more car issues but nothing that couldn’t be fixed beside the dirt road. By mid-afternoon we’d reached a main bitumen road, the sensation of driving on a smooth black road felt strange after so many kilometres on dirt. Late in the day we arrived back in Bloomfield, a familiar campground for us as we’d stayed here on our way to the tip. Week 4 had concluded with some amazing highs, a few car problems for us to deal with once we were back in Cairns and a whole lot of dust and corrugations behind us.