Where The Forest Meets The Sea!

Etty Bay! Just below Innisfail is Etty Bay. Spectacular as it is situated in a tiny council owned pocket of land among Moresby Range National Park. There are only six sites available on a first in basis, no forward bookings. The forest comes down to meet the beach on both sides. Unfortunately no room for us!!
Cowley Beach is still recovering after the recent cyclones, having lost much of the sand from the sea front which ended up in people's houses. The clean up along the beaches is yet to be done.
Taking the Canecutter Way, we drove through sugar cane and fruit farms.
Kurrimine, also badly affected by the cyclones was tidier and cleaner. Most repairs having been completed. The council-run caravan park and overflow areas were full of loud, beer-swilling men, packed in. It looked unpleasant. So we stayed the night at Kurrimene Beach holiday Park. The owners had come up to this area to help after the clclone and ended up by buying the caravan park. They have a very short season and cater, mostly for young families, with their huge pool and aquatic play areas. It also had one of the very few cafes.
One mango farm on the road to Kurrimine is trying to value add to the farm income by creating exotic fruit wines. On the way out of Kurrimine we made a detour to taste test their products. Not really to our taste - interesting, and quite expensive. We bought a bottle of Pineapple Port, which was a bit sweet but drinkable.
We arrived at Bingil Bay, early in the morning to find a "No Vacancy" sign at the local Council-run camping site. We went to look in anyway and found two vacant sites! There are only eight sites! So we decided to stay! Right on the beach, in the middle of Clump Mountain NP. Again where the forest comes down to the sea!

We thought this area was "magic"! We took every turn we could to the secret spots in the area. We discovered beautiful Garner's Beach and Brookes Beach, secluded and pristine.
We loved Mission Beach area with its very friendly community and lay-back lifestyle. It has a really lovely feel to it! The weather was perfect and we could swim in the water! Just delightful! Having booked and paid for just one night, we ended up staying four!

Bramston Beach

Our friends Robin and Geoff have bought a house at Palm Cove and are re-modelling it. Palm Cove is close to Cairns so we thought we would take a visit to Palm Cove and catch up with Robin's brother, Ray who was staying on the blck with his Winnebago.
The house is going to be sensational when finished with beautiful large living spaces, pool and lovely guest quarters.
The beach at Palm Cove is clean and the water clear and sparling. There are "stinger nets" to protect people from the deadly Box Jelly Fish as well as the nasty tiny Irukanji Jelly Fish. Surf life savers patrol the beach, year round. We saw very few people in the water or on the beach despite these precautions.
Having never really explored this northern beaches area of North Queensland, we thought we would see as much as we could whilst the weather remained favourable. So it was our intention to try to go in to as many beach lcalities as possible.
The beachside towns just below Palm Cove are not nearly so picturesque. They have high rise buildings and shopping centres.
After Cairns there are few beaches. We had been told that there were two beautiful places on the way to Bramston Beach that we really should see. These were, Babinda Boulders and Josephine Falls. We only stopped at Babinda Boulders, but were determined to visit them an Josephine Falls later.
We arrived at Bramston Beach on a school holiday long weekend to find only one site available to us and the we would have to move to another site. This is a beautiful and sleepy beach village with one cafe/shop and the Council run caravan park.
We also took the opportunity to visit Russell River NP just above Bramston Beach. Very sand fly prone with lots of running creeks and mangroves.

We had an absolute beach frontage site, but were hemmed in by lots of other campers; families, mostly from Cairns. The place was packed for three days!
We found the other campers to be very friendly and their kids were delightful!
Because of the long weekend/ school holiday period, we thought it was best if we stayed put until everyone went home as we couln't be sure of getting in anywhere else.
So this was our opportunity to go back to visit Babinda Boulders and Josephine Falls.

Above two photos are of Babinda Boulders. There is a lovely free camping area, provided by the local council, just nearby that has toilet facilities. It only has six sites as is on a first-come first-served basis. Obviously full this time but a great option on another occasion.
A swim here was very cold, but refreshing.
The creek runs through a tight ravine and has carved amazing dhapes into the rocks. It would be very treacherous during the rains as the water level would be very high and the current very swift and swirling through the waterfalls and cascades. The lcals told us that many people had been drowned here as the warning signs and barricades are ignored by mostly young international tourists. This time, Babinda was declared "very dry" by the locals. The area around Babinda normally gets the highest rainfall per year, after Tully.
Next stop, Josephine Falls, which were even more beautiful and spectacular than Babinda Boulders.

Josephine Falls is on the same road as Golden Hole and Bartle Frere.

Cairns

As you already know, Peter's plate needed further repairs and or modification, so back to Cairns to the same dental clinic; a day early, due the severe wind and coldebess at Lake Tinaroo. A large passenger liner, The Sea Princess was berthed at the wharf, so parking and driving around town was fraught that first day!
Phoned the clinic and again given the appointment time of our preference and job completed in one day! Amazing given how long it takes to get an appointment back home.
We stayed at the NRMA caravan park, which gives discounts to NRMA members. It's very close to the centre of town. We spent the day searching for items only found in large towns or cities. That night we dined out in the night market area. It was fun! Cairns has an amazing new aquatic park built on the foreshore just in front of the night market area. It is not eclosed by fences and is free to everyone. Water equipment for children and fun games structures are also here. A great place for young families, where everyone can cool off after a humid and hot day.
Friends Robin and Geoff have bought a house in Palm Cove and it is in the process of being remodelled, so we took a drive to Palm Cove to check it out!
It will be very beautiful with spacious living and guest quarters when finished and has a large swimming pool.
As the inland was now so hot and dry, we decided that we would explore the north Queensland coastal area. We have never done this before. And we would take our time doing it!

Back to Lake Tinaroo

After the bleakness of Gilberton Station, we decided we needed to see green again, so headed towards Atherton. An overnight stop in Mt Surprise before heading to Atherton, saw us in a very secluded end of the local caravan park. Very run down but dark and quiet at night.
We booked a campsite for three nights at Platypus Point for the second time. This time it was very cold besides the lake and very full due to school holidays beginning.

Stone Curlews in the National Park.

The biggest Nankeen Night Heron I have ever seen.
Shortly after arriving, two young girls drove in a set up their tent. I knew their faces. From where?.........
Rachel worked at the IGA in Moruya and Siaborrn(?) Thresfel from Nerrigundah. She was completing her honours degree in marine management and Rachel was their visiting her friend.
Whilst we were at the lake a huge number of stand-up paddle boarders appeared. It was getting dark. These people had all driven from Cairns to take place in a full moon stand-up paddle board tour, the first time held in Australia.
The paddlers prepared a fire so that they could find their way back and all wore fleuro bands and torches, so that they could see each other on the lake.

Whilst there, we met somone who had created a very cleverly designed tripod and grill for the open camp fire.

To Cobbolt Gorge and Gilberton Station

From Mt Isa, we took the Flinders Highway until Richmond, where we camped besides the lake. A guitarist and violinist playedfolk music in the rotunda. They were practising, so we had a rare treat of live music. They were going back to Atherton to play at some gigs.
From Richmond we headed up the dirt roads to reach the Gulf Developmental Road just east of Croydon.
At Georgetown we headed for Cobbolt Gorge, where we stayed two nights.
Bookings are essential as this resort is very much sought after by travellers. We chose to go on the gorge tour, which entails a one hour walk to view the gorge from the entrance and from above, before taking a purpose-built boat for the water cruise.

We thoroughly enjoyed our two days. Both days we had the luxury of swimming in the "endless" boomerang pool. Very cool, but very refreshing. The resort has been made into a nture reserve area ater the Terry family divided the Robinhoid Station into four. One is still called Robinhood, Cobbolt Gorge is the 5,000acre section, Old Robinhood and one other cattle station. It seems the Terry family are the great dynasty of the area as they own huge parcels of land in the area and most of the closest small town, Forsayth.
Cobbolt Gorge was created by fissures in the limestone and then erosion by water. The area is criss crossed with cracks.
We had heard that you could prospect for gold on some of the local stations We had also been told that the camp site near Agate Creek Mineral Reserve was really lovely too.
There was only one other camper when we arrived at the camp, which surprisingly had flushing toilets and showers with a hit water donkey that required a fire for hot water. All very clean and beautiful.
We stayed for two nights and went fossicking for agates. It was fun, albeit hot and dusty. In one of the cattle trails, I found a really good agate which will need to be cut to see what is inside. Hopefully it will have beautiful colours.

From Agate Creek we went to Gilberton Station. We were dismayed to find noone at home in the campers' caretaker's home. The sign at the gate read, "Drive slowly. If you hit my kids or my dogs, you won't need a lawyer"; implying that murder would ensue!
The caretaker's house was not inviting, being surrounded by litter and filth. We proceeded onto the main homestead, having not found a sole in the next house along the track. At the homestead we met the station owner's wife, who booked us in for one night and advised us where to camp. It turned out that the caretaker was her son and his wife.
It transpired that they needed a teacher. Would I do it? No pay, an expectation that Peter would work around the farm and that I would work in the hours not teaching. And all for free accommodation at the caretaker's house. No wonder the last teacher left!!
We did try fossicking here for gold, but it was very hot and fly ridden, so we didn't reall enjoy the experience. All we found were rusty pieces of wire, bullet casings and old tins!

Lorella Springs - Cape Crawford, Barkly Homestead, Mt Isa and West Leichardt Station

Yes I have been very slack. No blog for weeks. So making reparations for lack of diligence.
After Lorella Springs we went back for one night to Cape Crawford and managed to avoid the beligerant manager. We had thought to go to limen National Park as there are several camoing places within the park. The weather was very hot at 37celcius and land very dry with no waterholes left. So we thought this would be best left for another adventure soon after the end of the rains.
A short side trip into Currimine Reservation area was worth viewing.

The land cruiser had been booked for a service in Mt Isa, so we then did a few long days of driving to get there in time for the service.
An overnight stop at Barkly Homestead, along the Barkly Highway before arriving in Mt Isa. Lunch of steak, salad and chips at the Overlander Hotel for $12 with a two dollar voucher for the pokies. Peter won $6 with his token so a lovely lunch for very little!!!
Again we stayed at the Discovery Park in Little West Street where they have ensuite bathroom units attached to most sites. A little bit of luxury after using donkey water heaters or swimming holes at Lorella Springs.
The car was due at 8.00 am for its 100,000 klms service. Fortunately most places of interest are within walking distance of the service centre. So a leisurely breakfast at a nearby recommended cafe before spending the day in the Information Centre, where there is a book exchange and comfortable seating.
A serious shop for food, beer and wine before heading off to West Leichardt Station for the night, a distance of approximately 35klms.
Here we met a pompous ass from Kenya, with the surname O'Brien. He had lived in Kericho. His father had had a tea plantation there. He had just been back to Kenya on a holiday and gave us a 2 hour monologue of his life and what he had done on his holiday. The other people sitting round the campfire quietly sloped off to an early bed!!!

Lorella Springs Wilderness Camp

The Heartbreak Hotel is managed by an arrogant and passive aggressive fellow who told us where to camp and then came to rouse on us because we had turned off his sprinkler as we would have been drenched insude the camper had it been left on. We were then told to move elsewhere. It was further from the main road and under trees, so it was actually a better spot.

Our intention was to continue on the Alternative Savannah Highway to Roper Bar, stopping at Lorella Springs and camoing in the Limmen NP.

The grader was busy with the first part of the road, so it was great. That was the first 40 klms of 140klms to Lorella Springs. The remainder of the road was ........
#%^^^%^£!

The road into the station was equally as bad.

We did however pass some beautiful water crossings and countryside.

Our first impression on reaching the homestead, was disappointment. Everyone who comes here raves about it! That was why we had wanted to come. It was hot and dusty and dry and at $20 per persin per night, expensive to stay.

We asked where we could camp. And the answer...... "Anywhere". Lorella Springs is a million acre property, stretching right down to the Gulf of Carpentaria, some 80 klms from the homestead. We had already driven 30 klms from the farm gate to the homestead.

The hot spring was running in the gully, so as soon as we found a suitable camp, leapt into the water. Not really refreshing as the water is warm, but nice to get into clean running water.

We found very few people were left staying on the prooperty. It was really the end of the tourist season. There are many tracks and roads to explore on Lorella, but before you venture forth, you must sign in at the homestead to let them know where you are going, so that someone can search for you shoukd you get into trouble.

We had been told by others that most of the waterholes and lagoons had by now dried up. The best place to visit was "Nanny's Retreat". After signing in we headed off, expecting to be able to camp somewhere nearby. Some 40 klms later, we arrived at a point where we didn't want to drive the car any further, so we parked and prepared to walk to this special place.

Tristan, the station owner's son, told us to look out for Aboriginal art under some of the rocky outledges along the path.

We walked through some wonderous rock formations, where thousands of butterflies were seeking shelter from the heat. Tantalising glimpses of deep rock pools surrounded by pandanas were along the route. Eventually we came out over some huge red rocks, baking in the sun and in the distance saw a small pool.

On closer inspection the pool had been carved by spring fed water and a small stream was making it's way down the slope into the pandanas below. The stream above the pool had created a very narrow and deep gorge, through which you could just swim. The water was cool and refreshing, so we spent some time lingering in it. Not another soul about, just us and the small fish in the water.

Our campsite for the next two days was beautifuk with running fresh water creek just below where we stayed and not another person in sight.