Towards Gulf Country.

Over recent weeks we have been taking particular notice of the age of vehicles towing caravans during our travels. Without doubt our 1992 Landcruiser has been the oldest by a number of years. Four wheel drive tow vehicles outnumber sedans and station wagons by about 7 to 1, and even higher in the remote areas.

True to form we ammended our tentative plan to stay at Georgetown and pressed on following the Gulf Developmental Road westwards to another free camping area, Gilbert River, about 70km further on. The number of travellers utilising these areas continues to amaze us, as on previous trips we had often been the only ones at some spots. Now it is almost a case of arrive by 2:30pm or so - or miss out.

Saturday (28/6) saw us arrive at Normanton about 1:00pm, re-fuelled with diesel and gas (surprised to find gas available in this very remote town), then a counter lunch and a cool one at the "Purple Pub". Yes, it really is painted purple which makes it stand out like the preverbial in the blistering sun. Then turn south onto the Burke Developmental Road. The word highway is not in the Far North Queensland vocabulary, although these roads are excellent for some distance then atrocious for a similar distance before returning to excellent and so on.
One facet of this Gulf Country is that there are generally 3 or 4 "rest areas" between the quite sparce civilizations, 150 to 250km is quite common. Another "rest area", curiously called "Bang Bang" situated halfway between Normanton and Burke & Wills Roadhouse was our overnighter for Saturday. Here we met a number of like travellers and ended up sitting around a huge campfire (in singlet, shorts and thongs) discussing a variety of subjects until quite late in the night. As the fire died down we were able to witness the absolute magnificence of a 360 degree star studded sky.
What a privilege it is to be able to sit and gaze at such a spectacular galaxy. There is no doubt the stars are so much brighter when viewed from a very very remote location with no lights for possibly hundreds of kilometres, as is the case at these remote road-side camps which Gail and I are enjoying immensely.

Having a generator with us enables us to run the fridge and freezer etc for a few hours on 240 volts which gives the batteries a spell and also enables them to recharge. Generally we only run the generator for a couple of hours until it gets dark, then the caravan battery takes over for lighting, radio etc. All travellers seem to abide by the unwritten law, "no generators after dark" which makes for a very peacefull experience and the abilty to take in the sights and sounds of the bush as it settles down for the night.
One interesting aspect of our campfire last night was that apparently it drove very large grasshoppers into a frenzy and we were all subjected to high speed bombardment for about an hour after dark.
It is now 5pm Sunday and we have been settled at our overnight stop, (our 7th consecative night at free rest areas) halfway between Burke and Wills Roadhouse and Cloncurry for about 3 hours. In that time we have done a load of hand washing, hung it out to dry, set up the satelite dish and watched the last 3 quarters of the Melbourne - Brisbane Lions AFL match, which Melbourne won. (only their 2nd win for the year). Because neither phone nor TV signals are available here, other campers constantly come over to ask us how we are getting footy results etc.

Must go now, it's Happy Hour again.
Regards to eveyone,
Kevin and Gail
For those interested read our blog at
www.2008wanderings.blogspot.com
or a small sample of photos at:
www.picasaweb.google.com.au/kevinh005/2008trip

Heading West

On our last day in Cairns we visited the Cazaly Club, and as the name implies (for those AFL followers at least) this is a club fostering junior AFL football in Queensland. We watched the Sydney Swans defeat Melbourne on their giant screen, while sampling a Qld beer (or 2) from the Barrasi Bar.
On departing Cairns we drove up the mountain range to Kuranda, then on to Atherton, a total distance for the day of 90km. Settled in at a great free camping area at Rocky Creek War Memorial park, which is about 12km north of Atherton and near the small settlement of Tolga.
This is a very popular area with a maximum stay of 72 hours. On our first night there we counted a total of 22 vans and motorhomes. This goes to show that more and more travellers are choosing to stay at these "freebies", what with the current cost of fuel and the high prices that some caravan parks are asking.
The next day we secured our van, packed a picnic lunch and took off just with the Landcruiser to explore the Atherton tablelands area and in particular the "Waterfall Circuit".
We visited a cheese and chocolate factory, met a group of four very interesting Brazilian guys who were travelling in a rented motorhome throughout Eastern Australia. We were able to pass on a few tips and suggestions, for which they were very grateful. The next day we had intended to drive to Lake Tinaroo, however we awoke to a very cold and miserable day - and yes, drizzling RAIN. At least that's what we thought it was - it has been so long since we last had any ongoing precipitation... Consequenty changed arrangements saw us paying a visit to a fantastic woodwork and craft shop just down the road in Tolga. This is one of the best we have ever visited, as apart from the very high standard of the displayed woodwork and the unusual nature of most of the work we were also allowed to roam in the woodwork workshop and talkn with the tradesmen. As it was now mid-day we decided that we would "up camp" and move west to Ravenshoe. This is only about 65km, however we felt that by m!
oving further inland we may escape the rain. Our next camp was at Archer Creek on the Kennedy Hwy. about 12km west of Ravenshoe. Another very popular area, with around 20 odd here on our first of 2 planned nights. Left the van the next morning and drove back into Ravenshoe to make some phone calls and stock up in preparation for our continued progress into the remote western region of Far North Queensland. At the time of writing this blog (Thur 26/6) I have just counted 18 new vans and motorhomes parked here for an overnight (or longer) stop. By staying for 2 nights we are able to catch up on maintenance chores and Gail has just cooked a piece of corned beef on the open fire. I queried whether she had intended it to be "smoked" as there seemed to more smoke than fire. We have just heard that the annual rodeo is on at Georgetown over the weekend, so we may make that our stop for tomorrow night. Only about 120km, so our "short hops" continue for the moment. In fact we just wo!
rked out on the computer that since leaving home we have only averaged
90 km per day travel. It certainly makes for a more relaxed trip. At this rate expectto see us in 2010.... just kidding.
Regards to all and keep those emails coming.
"kevinh@pocketmail.com" or "windmill67@bigpond.com"

Kevin and Gail.

Our week in Cairns.

As previously mentioned we have arrived in Cairns. After careful consideration Gail & I decided to take the plunge and convert our Internet provider and method of accessing the Internet. We have changed over to Bigpond, which allows us to connect with virtually no additional monthly costs.

Our new Wireless Broadband modem will allow us to connect to the Internet at fast broadband speeds wherever we have a reasonable phone signal.

Unfortunately we experienced a number of major obstacles in our attempts to self-install this new device. Countless phone calls to Bigpond technical support over 3 or 4 days failed to rectify all of the problems. We are pleased to say however that Gail and I eventually managed to resolve those outstanding problems without outside assistance, simply by sitting down and talking through all the changes together. We are a formidable team!

 

Aside from all this frustration we did manage to take in Cairns and environs with a number of day trips and picnic lunches.

Perhaps the highlight of this was our day trip further north to Daintree Village, The Daintree River and Cape Tribulation. The round trip distance for this day out was about 340km’s, so it was a very full day. Our first stop was Daintree Village where we visited a very interesting timber museum and craft shoppe which had some magnificent high quality wood-turning. Also beautiful folk-art type paintings on all manner of implements including chain saw bars, circular saw discs, hand saws etc.

 

We next went to the Daintree River Ferry crossing where we boarded for a two hour boat trip on the river. The boat is constructed like a series of train carriages coupled together with small concealed outboard motors at each end to control this long “snake-like” vessel. We were able to see and come close to eight crocodiles in total plus a huge assortment of tropical birds and plants. Following the boat trip we went on a self-guided boardwalk “tour” on private property through a “wet tropics” mangrove area.

This whole outing was quite amazing. On our return journey to Cairns we passed through Mossman and Port Douglas, the latter being very trendy and expensive – similar in a way to Noosa.

 

Another day we drove to Lake Morris and the Copperlode Dam. This is about 20 km’s from where we are staying, but only 4km’s to the turn-off. The remaining 16km’s are mostly uphill and winding. It feels like it is about 10km as the crow flies but 6km straight up. Our GPS told us that we were at an altitude of 5,780 metres, consequently the panoramic views of Cairns settled below are truly magnificent. Lake Morris is the water supply area for all of Cairns and it is huge. The turbo in the Landcruiser really excelled on the steep winding road as I never shifted below third gear the whole time, even though some bends were extreme hairpins.

 

Another outing was for a swim and sun-bake at the “Lagoon” on the Cairns foreshore. This is a beautifully landscaped area with a massive man-made lagoon as the central feature. The weather was ideal for this planned activity (eat your heart out NSW), but one small problem. On arrival and after finding a parking spot we walked to the area only to find it completely fenced off for so called “maintenance”. It looked more like a major rebuild and was running two months behind schedule. So, no swim….

 

We still have another day here in Cairns before we depart and head west via the Atherton Tablelands.

 

Until next time…….

 

Gail & Kevin.

Babinda and Cairns.

After leaving Lucinda we travelled approx 180km to just north of Inisfail, to a small township called Babinda. We have stayed here previously at one of the best free camping areas we have encountered in our travels over the years.The camping area is situated about 200 metres of the Bruce Hwy and within 5 minutes walk of the small township. There is a very large relatively flat grassed area beside a nice little creek, a toilet block serviced daily and a cold shower if required. By providing this level of free 48 hour camping they are encouraging business into their small community. As an example, we countered 16 different on our first night there, then 22 on the next 2 nights. Yes, we stayed 3 nights and not two as the local ranger's attitude is very lenient if you do the right thing.
An interesting aspect of these free areas is that you tend to meet people much easier than in the typical caravan park. We palled up with 3 or 4 different couples, but in particular with a young couple from Narooma who are travelling for 3 to 4 months with two children aged about 8 and eleven years. Their daily school work takes place each morning, leaving the afternoons free. Understandably "Happy Hour" each afternoon was an interesting time which we shared with those around us.
Everyone down south has been complaining about the never ending rain, but we have had very little and what we have had has ben mainly limited to overnight.
Monday morning we moved on and tok up residence for a week at "Cool Waters" caravan park in Cairns. On this trip we have made the decision to visit and stay at different places if possible. This park is lovely, we have a very large, shady site adjacent to a creek where there are turtles and fish.
Our plan is to use Cairns as a base and do day trips during the coming week, to such places as Daintree and Cape Tribulation.
Kevin and Gail.
For those interested see:
www.2008wanderings.blogspot.com

We have Wireless

Yes folks,

We now have Wireless Broadband in the caravan, so look forward to some holiday photos in the not too distant future.

Kevin and Gail.

PLEASE NOTE”

windmill67@bigpond.com is now our preferred email address,

however kevihh@pocketmail.com is still valid.

Meeting up with old friends.

Well unfortunately snorkelling never took place on Magnetic Island due to extremely bad algae in the entire area. We enjoyed a lovely pub dinner overlooking Horseshoe Bay and a most magnificent sunset. We returned to Townsville Saturday afternoon on the vehicle ferry, then on to Bluewater Caravan Park where we had left the caravan. Here we met up with Brian and Joan, caravanning friends for many years. Understandably the next 3 days were taken up with a lot of catching up over many cuppa's.
They are heading south, so we went our separate ways on Tuesday morning. We travelled north to Ingham, then out to Lucinda on the coast. Lucinda's main claim to fame is for the sugar loading facility. A sugar conveying jetty extends 5.7km (yes 5.7km) out to sea with an offshore loading facility. The conveying jetty follows the curvature of the earth and is the longest of its kind in the world. Good fishing is supposedly possible from the adjoining service jetty, but not for us. - say no more. However almost every camper in the caravan park has a boat of some sort and they seem to do very well in the Hinchenbrook channel and offshore. Tempting as it may have been, I resisted the urge to put the Zodiac inflatable in, having seen the signs posted at regular intervals along the beach and boat ramps in the many inlets, warning of the danger of crocodiles. Fish and chips from the corner store will have to suffice. Lucinda which is 27km from Ingham, boasts little more than the suga!
r loading facility, a small corner store which sells more fishing gear than anything else and the caravan park. The majority of caravanners here come from all over the country and spend 4 to 5 months here - hence the many tinnies and assorted small boats.
Lucinda is considered to be the southern gateway to Hinchenbrook Island and sits at the southern end of the Hinchenbrook Channel.
Tomorrow we move on after 3 delightful days here.
Kevin and Gail.

Magnetic Island.

Sunday and Monday we spent exploring in and around Townsville, referred to as the Capital Of The North. Mount Cootharinga, known better as Castle Hill is one of the better known landmarks of Townsville and one of the most distinctive natural features on the Queensland coast, and is an imposing backdrop to the heart of Townsville.
Tuesday morning we locked up the caravan, leaving it for 4 days while we soak up some luxury at a timeshare resort on Magnetic Island.
The island is adjacent to Townsville just off the coast, with regular ferries covering the 8km trip in 20 minutes for the passenger ferry and 40 mins for the vehicle ferry. Although Magnetic only has about 20km of road, we elected to take the Landcruiser over as this allowed us to take food etc. which we had in the fridge and freezer. We also have our push bikes and snorkelling gear etc. so don't have to lug those about. The trip across was great on the 9am vehicle ferry, dead calm water due to the proximity of the Barrier Reef and the many islands scattered about. After disembarking we drove around the Island to get our bearings, then checked into our accomodation for the next 4 nights, "Island Palms" on the waterfront at Nelly Bay. This is a magnificent timeshare resort and dare we say almost as good as Boambee Bay on a smaller scale - there are 12 units. Set in a very lush tropical setting with palms and frangipani. Some of the best beaches and most picturesque bays in Qu!
eensland are found on the island, with the more secluded ones accessible by walking track or boat. More than half the island is national park, its huge granite boulders and towering hoop pines dominate the mountainous skyline, the rugged natural beauty, a haven for wildlife such as koalas, rock wallabies and a wide variety of tropical birdlife. There are 4 small communities on the island; Horseshoe Bay, Arcadia, Nelly Bay and Picnic Bay.
We were up bright and early Wed to go on a walk to The Forts - a 3km walk. It begins as an ungraded road and winds its way along a ridge with great views above Arthur and Florence Bays. On the way up there are two gun emplacements, left over from 1939-42, plus quite a few building foundations such as; observation tower, command post, mess kitchen and sleeping quarters. We climbed all the way to the highest point (385m), the Command Post, which is still in use for navigation lights, where a panoramic view of 360 degrees is experienced.
Mid afternoon I went fishing for 3 hours from the jetty at the old ferry facility at Picnic Bay. Caught 8 smallish ones - enough for a feed.
In between times we have been swimming in the resort pool and walking around Nelly Bay area where the new ferry terminal is located.
We are going snorkelling later today.
Kevin and Gail.

Ulysses Grand Parade.

Saturday morning, and the entire showgrounds tent city was up and about very early. Assembly for the motor cycle grand parade commences at 7:00am, with planned move-off at 9:00am. Organisinng 3,000 plus bikes into an orderly group takes quite a lot of time and effort. On this ocassion the parade route of approx 10km's circles the Townsville CBD then proceeds along 3 major roads to the finish point at a sporting complex in an outer suburb. Under the control of Police escorts, the entire parade was broken up into 6 groups with a 5 minute gap between each group to allow other traffic to cross major intersections. Each of these major intersections was under the control of traffic police, with the lights switched to flashing yellow. The locals came out in force along the route to wave and cheer the riders along. I was able to "hitch" a ride as a pillion on a BMW 1200 LT (a very luxurious touring bike) with a Ulysses friend. A very enjoyable experience which gave me the freedom to!
take photos and video. Gail drove to the end point of the parade and parked on the edge of the road where she watched the entire parade pass by. I was in the second last group, so by the time we had parked the bike Gail had seen the entire 3,000 plus bikes.
We watched some of the presentations, then had a coffee before driving to the Entertainment Centre where I was attending the actual AGM. Interesting to note that only about 400 of the gathered Ulyssians actually attend the AGM meeting. This is the case each year, consequently this group are known as the "faithfull 400".
While the meeting was taking place Gail took her book into the coffee shop at the Casino next door, where she pal'd up with another "Ulysses AGM Widow". They had a great time chatting and found that they had a lot in common such as Forestville Scouts, as they used to live in Starkey St.
I had packed up my camping gear except for the tent prior to the ride,so we dropped back into the showgrounds and collected it on the way back to the caravan. Sunday morning I went back and packed up the tent and said good-bye to new friends I had made during the course of my stay at the showgrounds.

Kevin and Gail.