Reset search
Far North Queensland & BeyondFar North Queensland & Beyond
SatelliteEdit route

Far North Queensland & Beyond

May - September 2023
4 months Long Service and Annual Leave 2023 Read more
  • 50footprints
  • 1countries
  • 117days
  • 452photos
  • 0videos
  • 9.4kkilometers
Follow Calendar Share Bucket list
Date ascending
  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond

    Getting ready to leave

    May 7, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    On previous trips, we have kept an on-line blog diary, which has meant that friends and family could follow our travels. At the end of the trip, we were able to print the diary into a book.
    Unfortunately, the blog site we used, ‘Travelpod’ has shut down and we have been searching for a similar site for this trip. We think we have found a suitable site, ‘Find Penguins’, and hope it is easy to use. We will find out…….

    Pre trip preparation.
    We have been looking forward to this trip for a long time. Lots of thoughts, ideas, preparations with the both the car and caravan, before we headed on our way.
    We will be away for 4 months, using L/S Leave and A/Leave and want to make things as comfortable as possible.
    We love travelling in the outback, and free camping, and are fully set up for off-grid camping.
    We have a 2022 Goldstream Panther Off-Road pop top, towed with a 2016 Ford Ranger.
    On our last trip on the Oodnadatta Track in 2022, we were legal but borderline with weights for car and caravan, but this trip we will also be taking the roof top tinny and boat motor.
    We have added a couple of solar panels to the roof of the caravan and an extra lithium battery under the bed in the caravan, so thought it best to do a suspension upgrade on the Ranger (GVM & GCM), which allowed us to carry extra weight and be within legal limits.
    The suspension and shockers were changed on the car to an engineered standard, which enabled us to carry more weight in the car and as a total package of car and caravan.
    We installed a super slim lithium battery behind the back passenger seat of the car, plus a DC-to-DC charger, which will now enable us to run a Waeco fridge in the back seat to keep drinks and food cold.
    In the caravan, we had to relocate the diesel heater under the bed to make way for the extra battery. Because of this, there is no storage under the bed as the area is filled with batteries, air conditioner, diesel heater, inverter, and electronics. The only thing we store under the bed is the TV, which has seldom been used, and the soda stream.
    We also brought a 250-watt portable solar panel to help top-up the solar charge if we needed it, which we carry in the back of the car.
    On the Oodnadatta Track trip, we got bogged in muddy ground on our first night of our trip away, and had to use our recovery gear to get ourselves out, using the winch on the car and a pair of maxtrax. This time we have added to our recovery gear an extra set of maxtrax.
    Although we are mostly happy with the caravan, there is a fault with the design of the ensuite door because it fell off on the first day of the Oodnadatta Track trip, and also in our previous Goldstream caravan the ensuite door fell off, even before we drove off the bitumen! This time we have removed the ensuite door and have replaced it with a curtain, which is much lighter and will not end up on the floor, or tied to the bed the entire trip as before.
    As the caravan is a pop-top, there is not a lot of storage, and it has minimal overhead storage, so we needed to think carefully about what we take, and only pack items that are compact and light-weight.
    About a dozen pre-cooked meals were frozen prior to leaving, and the freezer and fridge was stocked so we would not need to do a shop until we got to Cairns or beyond.
    Our last caravan had a 3-way fridge, but this caravan has a compressor fridge, which relies solely on electricity power (battery) to run. It is supposed to be more reliable in warmer climates, so we will test that out. This also makes us less reliant on our gas bottles.
    For cooking in the caravan, we have a 4-burner gas hob and grill, a portable induction hotplate and a butane cooker for outside cooking. We also like to cook on a campfire when we have one.
    As we were leaving home when it was quite cold, we needed to pack some warm clothes and bedding, but while in QLD we should only need light clothes.
    Final touches to the van to make it homely, were cushions for the bed, some small pot plants, a couple of storage pockets, a macrame hat holder, and a rug for the floor.
    We are ready to go.    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    Day 5

    On the road

    May 12, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We are planning on being away for 16 weeks, departing on 8th May, allowing a week to get close to Cairns. We have a booking at Crystal Cascades Caravan Park in Cairns on 18th May for one week. Apart from staying with Emma-Jean and Jason at Curraghmore Station, we have no other set plans. We would like to explore Cooktown and FNQ, then maybe head west to Karumba, Borroloola, King Ash Bay, Nhulunbuy and Gove in East Arnhem Land and possibly even make it to Darwin, in the NT. The rest of the trip may result in tossing a coin as to direction of travel. We both need to be back at work the first week in September.
    We left home and travelled via Kyabram and had lunch with Corrie and Barry, as we would be away for Corrie’s birthday on the 25th May.
    Night one was spent at Weiss Beach on the Murray River near Tocumwal. We have not been to the Murray since the flooding earlier this year, so were curious to see if there were any changes. There was still a large sandy beach area, but the level of sand had built up and there was a lot of long grass. Not much debris around and no firewood. One other camper further down the beach, so it was very quiet. After a long day on the road, we had an early night. It was a bit chilly, so we put the diesel heater on to keep warm in the van, and certainly needed the extra doona on the bed.
    Night two was on the Bogan Weir, at Peak Hill (7kms west), south of Dubbo. Another cold night where the temperature dropped down to .5 degrees, but we were warm inside, and slept with 2 doona's and an extra blanket. There were about a dozen other vans in the campsite.
    We like to free camp and usually find reasonable sites by using Camps Australia 11 book, and WikiCamps and HipCamps, which are online apps. The problem sometimes with the online camps guide is that without internet reception, we cannot access photos, reviews, or information, so we need to do some quick research while driving through towns or re-fuelling.
    We are fully self-contained to stay off-grid and love the freedom of camping where we want to with minimal neighbours. Some ‘free camps’ have limits on the number of hours/days you can camp there, but we are not sure who monitors this as we have seen some sites that look like there are semi-permanent campers who have not moved for some time.
    As we are driving north through Coonabarabran and Moree, we notice more and more pieces of raw cotton on the side of the road, as we are driving through cotton farming areas.
    The next campsite we have selected is the Tareelaroi Weir, about 25kms east of Moree. Unfortunately, the Camps GPS directed us to the wrong side of the river, so we backtracked about 15kms to get to the campsite. The grass was very long, but we found a clearing near the Weir Regulator and set up for the night. No one else around. Before it got dark, we walked a short distance, but the grass was too long to walk far, and saw a black wild piglet run through the grass probably following mamma pig, which we did not see. Another early night, another very cold night.
    Thursday 11th May, we were woken early by workmen arriving to work on the regulator at the Weir. We weren’t in their way, and they didn’t bother us. Breakfast, then hit the road by 8.30am, driving over the QLD border and refuelled at Goondiwindi. The Leichhardt Highway was very bumpy with lots of roadworks, which we have found on most of the highways on the trip so far. The Newell Highway was extremely bad and bumpy. We figured that the amount of time we slowed or stopped for roadworks probably cost us maybe half a day in travel.
    Night 4, Friday 12th May, we spent at Gil Weir, on the Condamine River south of Miles. Apparently, you can only camp for 24 hours, but some people were set up quite comfortably for longer than that. The site had garbage bins, a boat ramp, and a drop toilet. We rarely use the facilities as we have our own onboard, and always take our rubbish (and some more) with us.
    We thought we would test the off-road capabilities of the caravan, (joking) so took a ‘short cut’ of 132kms on the Fitzroy Development Road between Leichhardt Highway and the Dawson Highway, coming out at Bauhinia. We have travelled on many development roads before but this was the worst. It started okay with bitumen and did have a few bitumen strips, but there was lots of sand, corrugations, and rough sections. Before hitting this road, we switched on the dust suppression fan which pressurises the van, keeping the dust out. Very happy to report that when we arrived at the other end, there was no dust in the caravan. Definitely worth the cost and a marriage saver! We have used it before on the Oodnadatta Track and was very happy with it. However, when we opened the door, we did find 4 screws on the floor of the van, but can happily report that we found where they came from! The snip on the shower door broke but we had a spare. Apart from that, happy campers!
    Campsite for the night was south-east of Springsure, called Staircase Range, which was not the easiest or best site we have stayed at, but was fine for the night. The camp was in a gully, and the track in was overgrown. The highway was only about 150mt away and was a bit noisy at first but quietened at night. We were the only ones there.
    We have a small 3kg washing machine in the caravan, which only uses about 20 lts of water and about 15 minutes to run a cycle, so we did some washing and hung it out to dry, dinner, then an early night.    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    Day 7

    Emerald Qld to Townsville Qld

    May 14, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Saturday 13th May, drove into Emerald where we filled two of the water tanks on the van at the Showgrounds (the third water tank had not been touched yet), we refueled, and our next night was at Macrossan Park outside Charters Towers. There were lots of campers and vans there, some down on the sandflats next to the river, which was flowing with quite a bit of water. You could gauge the force of the water when in flood by the angle of the trees. Plenty of space for everyone and not crowded at all. Apparently a very popular free camp.
    We have 3 x 95lt water tanks under the van, plus a greywater holding tank. Some campgrounds and National Parks do not want you to drop your greywater (shower and sink water) on the ground and require campers to contain their grey water. We have used the greywater tank a few times, when needed and then drop the water after leaving the campground.
    We are very conservative with water usage, having short showers and washing up dishes on a small amount of water. Most towns have taps that will allow you to fill up your water tanks, but on previous trips we have come across a couple of places where we have had to buy water in the outback usually where water is scarce.
    The nights are getting warmer, and we are now finding that we are only using our light doona at night.
    Sunday 14th May we drove the shortest travel day yet, from Macrossan Park to Townsville, about 130kms.
    With no internet to do our research, we headed to Townsville before selecting a site and had to backtrack about 30kms on the road we had just travelled. Reviews were great and it sounded very welcoming. The name was ‘Lazy Acres Mango Farm’, on the Woodstock-Giru Road, on a 40acre mango farm with a creek running at the back of the property. Estelle, the owner said she had been there since 1971 and was originally from Melbourne. She was very welcoming and we had a great chat. It was only $10 a night to camp under her mango trees, and was very quiet. There was one other couple camped there, Phil and Christine and later that night we shared a campfire and had some laughs and drinks with them.
    We originally paid for 2 nights, but we did say to Estelle that we may stay longer, which we did, eventually staying for 4 nights. First paid camping for the trip. Cost for 4 nights: $40.    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    1
    Day 11

    Townsville

    May 18, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Monday 15th May, left early and planned to spend the day on Magnetic Island. We took the toilet canister with us, looking for a dump point, which we eventually found after driving around Townsville and suburbs for 30-40 minutes. Our GPS directed us to one site in a shopping centre, which was non-existent, then we finally found a dump point at Lake Ross Dam.
    Back in town, we parked the car in an 8-hour parking bay, then took the Magnetic Island ferry for the 20-minute ride to Magnetic Island. Cost of the ferry was $34 return each.
    We were really looking forward to exploring the island, snorkeling and relaxing, but when we got off the ferry, we were disappointed that there was no information desk or anyone to advise. Most people headed for the bus, which we did not find out until later, was cash only. We could not find anywhere how much the bus cost. (The next day we went to the Information Centre in Townsville and were told it was $4.80 for the bus). After wandering around for a little while, we decided to hire a car, but most of the cars were already out. We managed to hire a little Hyundai Tucson, which allowed us the freedom to come and go, stop as we liked, and to keep our bags in the car instead of carrying them everywhere. Were also disappointed that we could not snorkel as we were advised that there were still stingers around. We explored, went to the bays, had lunch and a walk on the pier then returned the car and waited for the ferry. The hire car cost $100, and cost of fuel for the day was $8, and we maybe only did 20kms on the island. It was probably not the cheapest way to explore the island. Best advice would be to book ahead for a hire car and get a cheaper deal. We had a nice day, and it was good not to have to drive and tow the van, but, but probably would not go to Magnetic Island again.
    Tuesday 16th May, we planned to explore Townsville, so first stop was the Information Centre. The lady was very helpful and gave us a map with lot of things to do and see. Unfortunately, the Aquarium had closed as it was being re-built. The Military Museum was not open on Tuesdays. Castle Hill access road was closed so we could not go to the lookout. Just our luck! We did walk along the Strand, found a nice place for lunch at the Longboard Café, then picked up some supplies on the way home.
    We have been camped for 3 days under the shade of mango trees, so have had minimal sun for solar recharging, so when we got back, we set up the portable solar panels, but it clouded over and then it started to rain, so we ran the car for about an hour, just to give the batteries a boost.
    Estelle asked us to get some groceries for her while in town, so took them over to her which she was most grateful for. Theo took a front wheel of her 1947 grey Fergie tractor so she could take into town to be repaired. Brought some free-range eggs from her for $6, and she gave us some mandarins from her tree which were huge. They were the biggest and sweetest mandarins we have tasted. It was so lovely of her, and she was very grateful for Theo helping her with the wheel and us getting her parmesan cheese while in town.
    While we were out, a travelling bus/motor home arrived in the camp area. We spoke to the owners, Tony and Jade for a while, and they have been travelling and working on stations in the outback. They brought the Greyhound bus and gutted and renovated it completely, and have been driving it around for 15 years, working as they go, mainly on outback stations. Behind it they tow an older Land Cruiser ute.
    We took our chairs over and had a beer with them until it got dark.
    We left our chairs out under the awning while we were out today, and some green ants decided to take up home on Theo’s chair, so he had to get rid of them before he could sit down and relax. I said it was Karma because yesterday he was poking a green ant’s nest on Magnetic Island and I said he will regret doing that! LOL.
    Wednesday, and our last day in Townsville, so we drove to Ingham to see Wallaman Falls, about 50kms outside Ingham. The falls are the largest single drop waterfall in Australia, with the height of the falls 269 mts, and the pool depth 20mt. To get to the top of the waterfalls, we had to drive 27kms on a very, very windy steep road. From the carpark at the top of the falls, there was a walking track to the base of the falls which was another 4kms (which we did not do). We took in the sights from the top, then we drove back down the steep windy road. I hate driving on windy mountain roads, and did suffer a little anxiety and sweaty palms, but luckily Theo is an excellent driver.
    Being gluttons for punishment, we found another lookout on the way back home, just out of Townsville, called Mt Stuart Lookout. Again, another steep and windy road, again more anxiety and sweaty palms for the front seat passenger. I will think twice before we do another lookout!
    Happy to say that I calmed my nerves with a drink or two when we got back to the van.    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    Day 11

    Arrived in Cairns

    May 18, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Thursday 18th May – A long drive on a pretty boring road today, stopped at Cardwell for lunch and a walk along the pier, then back in the car continuing on to Cairns.
    Arrived at Crystal Cascades Caravan Park and set up camp. Barry and Bec came over to meet us, as they had a cabin for the night before moving on to Port Douglas. We sat around having some drinks, before arranging for the courtesy bus from the local hotel, ‘The Red Beret’ to come and pick us up so we could have a counter tea. Poor Bec was so tired, she fell asleep at the table, so after dinner we caught the courtesy bus back and had an early night.
    The caravan park at Crystals Cascades was chosen as it was close to where Emma-Jean was living at the time she sent out the birthday party invitations, but she has now moved to a property 2 hours north-west of Cairns. We still decided to base ourselves here as it was a quiet caravan park.
    Kim and Josh and the kids arrive tomorrow for a week. The caravan park is about 20minutes from Cairns, nice and quiet and we be out and about during the day. Loretta and Ron, Brooke, Nic and Hayley and Ollie arrive tomorrow and they are staying in Cairns, so we plan to meet them for dinner Friday night.
    Friday 19th May, we had a quiet day, catching up on washing etc. Kim and family arrived about 3pm and had an early night while we drove into Cairns to have dinner with the Burrows family at the RSL. After dinner, we walked along the foreshore, and enjoyed the balmy night walking amongst the trees that looked magical with coloured fairy lights. Another drink before saying goodnight and we would see them tomorrow at Curraghmore Station for Emma’s birthday.    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    Day 13

    Emma's 30th birthday

    May 20, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Saturday 20th May. Headed off about 9am to drive to the airport to pick up Scott arriving from Melbourne. His plane was delayed disembarking, then we were finally on the road, stopping at Mareeba, then arriving at the Station about midday.
    Curraghmore Station is about 150,000 acres, 40kms long and 60kms wide. The station is a 2 hour drive north-east from Cairns, or an hour west from Port Douglas on the Mulligan Highway about 10 minutes past Mt Carbine. Two rivers run through the property, the Mitchell and the McLeod River, and also Campbell Creek and Desailly Creek.
    The Station appears to be a non-working cattle station. There are some cattle on the property that do not belong to the owner and are agisted. There are also some ‘clean skins’ that are not tagged, that belong to whoever’s property they are on. Nice green grass around the station homestead which is watered by bore water. The water for cooking is from a rainwater tank.
    We were greeted by 6 dogs (2 belonging to the property owner, and 2 of Emma’s, with 2 foster dogs). The owner of the property, Adam Kazel was also at the property, but left after an hour or so.
    Some visitors arrived early and, and more arrived as the afternoon wore on, all here to celebrate Emma-Jean’s 30th birthday. 18 family members travelled from Victoria to Far North Queensland for the event.
    Soon after we arrived, Barry took us on a buggy ride to check out some of the campsites along the river to see which one was best suited for when we came to stay next week. We chose Site No. 6, with river frontage, open space for solar and a good turning circle.
    We had a lovely afternoon, celebrating Emma’s birthday and meeting up with family who had travelled so far from home. Emma looked lovely, she had decorated and had balloons and fairy lights. A fire was lit in the firepit, and we did appreciate it when it got cooler later in the evening. Cheese platters, then dinner was brought out about 6ish, as the spit had been cooking all day. After the birthday cake, 12 of us left in 3 cars heading back to Cairns. Others stayed on to continue partying.
    There was a fire alert due to a burn off in the area, and we passed through some burning embers and smoke on the side of the road shortly after leaving the Station. The rest of the drive home was not too bad, but I really hate the windy roads driving down the Kuranda Range. Surprisingly there were quite a few cars on the road. So glad to get down the windy hill and back home and have a cuppa before bed.    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    1
    Day 14

    Cairns and about

    May 21, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Sunday morning, and we had a bit of a sleep-in and a lazy morning, went to the Crystal Cascades with Kim and family and the kids paddled in the river in the rockpools of Freshwater Creek. Walked past (quite close) to a sleeping amethystine python on the riverbank, which we didn’t see until Theo brought it to our attention.
    The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing, before meeting up with the Burrows family, Nathan, Jane, Barry, Bec, Kim, Josh and kids for dinner and drinks in Cairns, as some of the families were heading back to Melbourne the next day.
    During dinner we received a message from Emma that they were at Mareeba Hospital with Billie who had fallen off the motorbike and had possibly broken her arm. As some of the group were going to Fitzroy Island on the ferry the next day, we were not sure if they would be able to come with us.
    Monday 22nd May, we met down by the ferry, and were surprised to learn that Jason and Emma would be coming to Fitzroy Island, but they were waiting on Billie to be picked up as she had indeed broken her arm, and had a slab cast on it and would not be coming with us. Unfortunately, Billie’s lift did not arrive in time, and they had to catch the later 1.30pm ferry to the island, meeting us there. The ferry ride to the Island was very rough, and several people were seasick including poor Taleah.
    The beach on Fitzroy Island is made up predominately broken coral, with small sections of sand, and is difficult to walk on as it is so rough. Thongs or water shoes are recommended. The rough seas had stirred up the water, making visibility very poor for snorkeling but this did not stop most of the group venturing out. Hayden loved snorkeling and Theo had seen a turtle so took him out further where the visibility was a bit better, however the turtle had gone by the time they got back there. As usual, Theo was the first one in and the last one to leave the water, as he thoroughly enjoys snorkeling. We caught the 5pm ferry home completely exhausted after a big couple of days and had an early night.
    Tuesday 23rd had a quiet day, driving to Kuranda (up the windy Kuranda Range again), and spent some time at the Butterfly House, then walked around the shops but were disappointed to find most shops and markets were closed. We found out later that Mondays and Tuesdays are not a good time to visit Kuranda. Twelve years ago, was the last time we visited Kuranda, and we remember a vibrant, alternative hippy feel to the town. Nothing like that today.

    Wednesday 24th. We woke to rain in the morning, (it had been raining all night), and then went into Cairns and met up with Peter and Christine for lunch. Theo used to work with Peter until he moved to Cairns about 18 months ago.
    After lunch we had a quiet afternoon. Kim and Josh and the kids had booked an excursion to go ‘Tubing’ at Gordonvale, then went to Paronella Park for the day. When they got back, Hayden was very excited to tell us all about his day, including a detailed description of Paronella Park and its history, which was very impressive.

    Thursday 25th. We all headed to Port Douglas for the day. Kim had arranged to have dinner at Chilli’s Bar at 5pm and meet up with Emma-Jean and Jason, and the kids were excited to see the cane toad racing. We saw the cane toad racing at the old venue at the Iron Bar in the main street about 15 years ago, and it was unique and fun, and we had a good time. Seeing it for the second time, the jokes were old, and the venue was not as good. The new venue is a couple of blocks back and the only cover is some shade sails, as it was an outdoor venue. It was drizzling when we got there, so did get a bit wet at first. However, Hayden loved it and was enthralled by the toads and the atmosphere.
    When we arrived at Port Douglas, it was lunchtime, we were hungry and sat at a bar and had a bowl of prawns (memories of previous visits to Port Douglas), walked past St Mary’s By The Sea, the little church by the inlet, and the Sugar Wharf, and we then walked out to the Point, where we used to sit and watch the returning boats, but today was quiet and there were no boats coming in. The weather was nice and warm, but the sea was choppy, as it was the end of the wet season. The best time to visit Port Douglas is July/August /September when water visibility is much better for trips to the islands or reef for snorkeling etc.    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    Day 21

    Carraghmore Station camping

    May 28, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Friday 26th May. Our last day in Cairns.
    We are moving on today, but before leaving Cairns, we had booked the car in for two new front tyres and a wheel alignment in the morning. While packing up the van, Theo washed down the solar panels on the roof, and we discovered that the overhanging tree we were parked under for the past 8 days had allowed green ants to drop onto or climb onto the roof of our van. There where hundreds of ants on the pop-top section. Luckily, they had no access to the inside of the van, but it still took a bit of spraying, brushing, cleaning to get rid of them. We then parked up the van as we had arranged to leave the caravan at the Caravan Park while in town, getting the tyres.
    Kim and Josh and the kids were flying back to Melbourne at 3.30pm. After dropping off our car at Tyrepower, we met up with them at the Ferris Wheel on the Esplanade. The day was sunny and perfect. The kids enjoyed swimming in the Lagoon before we said our goodbyes as we had to pick up the car and then return to the Caravan Park to hitch up the caravan and head once again over the Kuranda Range. The car towed the caravan up the Range with relative ease and the road was getting more familiar as we had now done this trip several times.

    We arrived at Curraghmore Station about 5pm, set up the van on the McLeod River on camp site No. 6, which is about 3kms from the homestead. We then joined Emma and Jason for a drink around the fire before going back to the van.
    Saturday 27th May, we sat in the shallow river enjoying a drink and the peace and solitude for a couple of hours. Emma and Jason were joining us for dinner, so we lit the fire so we could cook in the camp oven. Cooked a yummy beef stew in the camp oven for dinner and a nice night chatting and drinking by the fire under the stars.
    Sunday 28th May. There are about 30 campsites on the property all on river frontages. Emma took us to some other campsites so we could see if we preferred another site, but we decided that the site we are on was most suited for us. It was reasonably flat, and not too steep access for the caravan. It was also clear enough to turn around. Had enough sunlight so we could boost up our solar, it had river access, and it was close to the homestead.
    The track between the homestead had some narrow, dusty, bull-dust sections, a creek crossing, some corrugations and 3 gates to open and close. We laughingly named the person opening and closing the gates, the ‘gate bitch’, and that person ended up with very dusty and dirty feet! Luckily for Theo, I volunteered to drive, which meant he was ‘gate bitch’!    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    Day 22

    Curraghmore Station, Daintree

    May 29, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Monday 29th May, we had arranged a fishing day on the Daintree River with Emma and Jason. We set the alarm (what is an alarm, we are on holidays....) and left about 6.45am for the drive to the Daintree River, just out of Mossman. We emptied the back seat of our car so we could take passengers, and towed Jase’s 21’ centre console fishing boat to the boat ramp, as Jase does not have a tow vehicle at the time being.

    After launching, we headed upstream as far as the Daintree Village, where the water was calm, and then downstream, where the water was choppier, dropping the line and casting lures hoping for a nibble.
    We had a lovely day cruising, but unfortunately only one fish was caught (by Jason, a small Mangrove Jack which he threw back.) It was a bit disappointing, as they catch fish all the time (that is Jason’s business – Topwater Fishing Charters/Adventure North Sportfishing Safaris), but the fish were all hiding today. Regardless, it was a lovely couple of hours cruising and croc spotting on the Daintree River.
    This is a World Heritage area, where the Daintree Rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef. We cruised to the mouth of the river, where it meets the Coral Sea, but it was too choppy to go any further. If the weather was nicer and the river and sea not so choppy, we may have gone out to Double Island which was only about 15 minutes offshore. There's always next time.

    We saw about a dozen crocs, but the scariest one was the first one we saw, a large croc which was only a couple of metres from the boat. We saw it submerge, disturbing the mud, then leaving a mud trail where it went underneath the boat. It happened too quickly to take a photo.
    Jase is leaving tomorrow to spend 10 days fishing with some mates at Cape York, so we will stay camping at the Station until he returns, to keep Emma company, although she is very confident and comfortable staying at the homestead with her dogs. She has campers coming and going and doing bookings and payments, then checking sites are left clean etc. before new campers arrive.

    We may do a run to Mareeba about an hour away to replenish stocks. We have enough solar so we can recharge every day, and the river water is clean enough that we can pump it into one of the van water tanks.

    We have 3 water tanks, two still have good town water which we have not touched. When tank number 3 is empty, we pump water from flowing river through a filter and use that water for washing dishes, showering etc. We have also been using it in the kettle, through a second filter, and it tastes fine and have had no ill effects using it for the past 2 weeks. City mindset that water needs to come out of a tap or a bottle!

    Tuesday 30th, had a great night’s sleep, and a leisurely breakfast watching the river flow by. In the morning Theo spotted a small freshwater croc swimming upstream. By the time he got his camera, it was out of sight. We did a couple of small housekeeping jobs, catching up on diary entries, downloading photos etc. As we have no internet on our campsite, we log on the Station's WiFi when we go there.

    Camping here is so relaxing, we do a few chores in the morning, then sit and watch the river flow by. I am not sure where the day goes, as we are just winding down and chilling out. Sometimes we take our chairs and sit in the shallows of the river, having a drink, enjoying the peace and solitude. At dusk, the cockatoos squawk and fly overhead, the kookaburra’s laugh in the distance, the solar fairy lights come on under the caravan awning and we light the campfire and sit by the fire and cook dinner. After dinner, we head indoors, shower then download photos, read, play cards etc. Repeat the next day.

    The days all blend in together, we have been here for two weeks, and sometimes we forget what day of the week it is. The caravan requires minimal housework, and once the bed is made and breakfast is done, we sit outside and enjoy the serenity.

    As Jason is still away, we spend most evenings with Emma, either at the homestead or she drives the buggy out to our camp. We sit around the fire, enjoying a drink and talking for hours. It has been lovely sharing time with her, and I think she has appreciated the company. Sometimes the owner visits and stays at the homestead, and she spends time at our camp as an escape from him. There are ongoing issues with him, and unless these issues are sorted out, we don’t believe that Emma and Jason will stay long here caretaking.    Read more

  • TravelerFar North Queensland & Beyond
    Day 34

    Station life

    June 10, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    While we have been at the Station, we have been driving back and forward to the homestead and the dusty tracks has covered the car in such thick dust that the original colour is barely visible. In Mareeba, we took the car through the carwash, and it sparkled, but by the time we got back to camp, it was covered in dust again.
    Although fast flowing, we have not seen any fish in the McLeod River, other than small ones, as it is too shallow where we are camped.
    However, there are red claw, which are similar to freshwater crays or yabbies, and only come out at night. Theo and Emma have had fun wading in the river in the dark with torchlights searching for the little red eyes that glow when light is shone on them. The red claw can move quickly, so you do have to be fast on your feet to catch them. We have enjoyed red claw for an entrée and have also had them as an after-dinner snack basted in garlic butter. A very tasty bush tucker meal, but a bit messy to peel. We have heard of other campers on other campsites that have caught up to 25 easily by hand in one night, but where they were camped, the riverbank was steeper and had overhanging branches where they like to hide.
    To get from our camp to the homestead, we pass through 3 stock gates which need to be opened and closed, past a dam, and through a creek crossing. In the past 2 weeks we have noticed that the creek is drying out and we are no longer driving through water. Pretty sure the creek will be dry by the time we leave.
    We like to slow down while passing the dam, and sometimes stop to watch the wildlife. Apart from the many cows, there are bush pigs which run off into the bush, some brolgas, cockatoos, galahs, parrots and many different types of birds, ducks and also wallabies. There are apparently lots of dingoes around but we have only seen one. Also have seen some cane toads around the homestead and near the river.
    When we arrive at the homestead, we are greeted by the station’s 6 horses that like to stay near the main gate or the house. They are stock horses but have not been used for a while as it is not a working cattle station, although the owner has big ideas to expand the cattle side of things and upgrade the house and infrastructure. He has owned the property since 2017, but he has fingers in other joint ventures with his family. They have several restaurants in The Rocks and Circular Quay. (Google his name for an interesting read!)
    We do a firewood run every so often and pick up wood on the ground to take back to camp. Most of our cooking has been on the campfire, which we light about 3pm. Sometimes it is a bit windy until the sun goes down, then we sit closer to the fire and cook dinner on the coals. Apart from one or two bites, there are no insects or flies, although I still spray the insect repellent out of habit.
    About 20 minutes from the homestead is Cooktown Crossing, a large river where both the Mitchell and the McLeod Rivers have combined. Curraghmore Station has some paid camping on the side of the crossing, but there is also some free camping on the other side of the river, which we have been told is on crown land and listed in the Camps 11 book and other free camping sites. That side of the river is on Brooklyn Station, the adjoining property, and they don’t seem to worry about campers on their land.
    Emma and Theo fished at Cooktown Crossing, but all Theo caught was a tangled web on the bait caster. He wore his ‘El Questro’ singlet, but in the photo, clever Emma had photoshopped it to read ‘El Nofisho’. It was so funny, because he did not notice it until people started commenting on his post.
    Back at camp, we cleared some long grass and put the hammock up between two trees. It was relaxing gently swaying and watching the river flow by. We have a lot of time to relax, and we decided to take a ‘funny photo’ which involved both of us sitting in the hammock, back to the camera, topless looking out to the river, using the tripod and Bluetooth.
    The photo shot was tasteful and fine, but the funniest part was when I tried to get out of the hammock. I am so uncoordinated. I was laughing so hard that I was not aware that Theo was clicking away still taking photos. Cheeky boy. My legs were heading east and west and the rest was heading south. Goes without saying that those photos have been deleted!
    We have travelled about 18 years on outback roads and have never had any windscreen issues, but on this trip, we received one crack and two stone chips on the windscreen, all on the driver’s side while driving on the perfectly sealed Mulligan Highway. Lucky for us we have windscreen replacement on our vehicle insurance. We do not plan to replace it until we need to or have finished driving on unsealed roads, however we have done a temporary patch and hope that it will stop the cracks spreading.    Read more

  • 2024© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Support
  • Legal notice
  • English