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North Queensland 2018
  • Rob and Pam T
  • Rob and Pam T

North Queensland 2018

This trip will start from Capricornia and take us North. We plan to make it as far as Hope Vale. Part of this trip will be an entertainment event. Read more
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  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Step off to the Gulf

    August 24, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Lakeland is the T road to the gulf. Turn here for adventure! This seems to be a "must do" for many travellers. Age seems no barrier as some of the travellers are well into retirement.

    The road from here heads on to Cooktown, or turns to the north for the Cape York experience. For many, a once in a lifetime trip, while others keep coming back. Quite easy as far as Laura being bitumen. After that the polydent is required. A bone shaking, denture rattling corrugated hell road. And that's when it is good!

    Not content with the relentless corrugations, some detour to the telegraph road. Here is the domain of well heeled adventurers with rigs that include all the mod kits you can imagine. The basic track is able to be driven by many four wheel drives with care. Steep climbs and difficult crossings are all part of the trip. People craving even more adventure and adrenaline pumping action will take one of the many detours that leave the main track. Hard work and recovery are everyday features.

    People who get broken down or stuck will need to send a message back to the recovery specialists. This is a very costly option so preparation is paramount.

    Even towing a purpose built 4WD off road trailer is a handicap so most here will opt to camp in tents. The main track these days though will abound with many off road trailers and some quite large off road vans. There are countless stories of the damage done by the unending corrugations. Even simple box trailers have been seen with the springs hammered the wrong way curve or leaves broken completely.

    Anyone thinking of this trip should ignore the stories about standard cars making the return trip and be well prepared with appropriate vehicles and proper safety and first aid gear. Even with the huge numbers of people travelling this road it would be a good idea to include a sat phone or personal beacon in the kit.

    The small caravan park is where may people stop a night then leave their normal van before embarking on the trip. The local fuel station can top up your fuel tanks and jerry's while a meal in the pub is popular. Returns will be able to wash off the dust from the trip, but washing the car is at a cost due to the lack of water.    Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Solar Farming

    August 24, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Huge solar farm just a bit south of Laura. This is a huge installation with a lot more power than the town would ever use. Perhaps the banana farms use a fair amount of power. Cooktown would use any spare power for sure.Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Busy Greenants

    August 26, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    These guys seem to like the figs. They are very busy but not sure of the attraction. They may be preying on other insects attracted by the sap from the figs. I was told they are good to have in a vegetable garden to keep the other insects under control. They do bite though and one should avoid contact.Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Gatz balancing rocks.

    August 28, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We were driving along and noticed an alien city in miniature. It was a bit of a drive on then a bit further back to make turns but we managed to get to the site for a reasonable look.

    Balancing rocks are not new. In fact this exhibit is likely not new but probably evolves over time. Visitors have balanced hundreds of rock towers in this area to make a very eye catching display.

    Another reason for this site is many conviently size and round shaped rocks.    Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Cairns lagoon

    August 29, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    It appears every town now has to have a lagoon. Where I come from a lagoon is a muddy, reedy pool of semi stagnant water with a stinky muddy bottom. Never have I seen a clear weed free chlorinated man-made creation that would qualify to be called or thought of as a lagoon.

     The posh call these things infinity pools but even that stretches the imagination a little. Infinity here is the muddy basin out to the sea that originally was a mangrove swamp. The more it costs the better. The tourists seem to like it though. There were lots of people there even in this relatively cool weather.

    Of course these days you need to be connected no matter what. Telstra has kindly jumped in with dozens of free wifi spots every few dozens of meters. Not sure who pays for all this but the bill will be high.

    On the brighter side though, if you have children this would be a major godsend. You can drop in here with a gallon of sunscreen and let them enjoy a great time in the pool.    Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Copperlode Dam - Lake Morris

    August 30, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    The picnic area is outstanding. There is quite a slow winding steep drive in. Definitely not suitable for vans. Fortunately we left ours behind for this visit to Cairns. Here are great views over the dam, walking tracks and information boards with the details of the dam.Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Cascade Falls - Cairns

    August 30, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    A 1.5k walk is rewarded with nice falls along the creek. There are many young people here swimming in the chilly water. The walk up to the main falls is along a road used to access the Cairns water intake. This water has been released from Copperlode dam way up above.Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Cattana Wetlands

    August 30, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    The local council here purchased this area to protect remnant vegetation. Volunteers have worked with council to make this outstanding wetlands area.

    Three lakes have been formed and good paths provided. Lots of information on signs along the walks.Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Birds on Baron

    August 31, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    One nice place to stay around Mareeba is just a few kilometers to the north. Birds on Barron is a former tobacco farm. All these farm licences to grow tobacco were bought up by a government buy back many years ago.

    As you drive around though there are many farms that still have the tall 2 story drying sheds. Now these are repurposed and still look the same from the outside. This place is now a farmstay with some camping and basic amenities. The owners have also setup some motel style units.

    Wildlife is quite plentiful along the river a few hundred meters away. During the day one might be visited by the pedestrian galah. Pretty Boy can't fly but wanders around wherever he likes, sometimes visiting a guest for a while. He has a lot of attitude and does bite if one annoys him too much.

    An old Emu does the rounds sometimes. He can come and go wherever he likes and has lived here for years. Today he is wandering near our camp pecking out fresh shoots, seeds and unlucky grubs.

    Frizzle the rooster is another character. Some fancy breed who just seems a bit odd here. He wanders around announcing himself with a high pitched soprano crowing effort.

    There are several dogs. Pearl is a Smithfield cross and happy to meet and greet.

    There are lots of doves about keeping a lookout on the power wires. A couple of bower birds makings many nests. They move the shells from one to another searching for the perfectly placed and most tastefully decorated bower. Soon a mate will select a nest and the courting will commence.

    During the night one may hear a crunching sound and walking noise. This is only one or two friendly horses. They are happy for a hug and scratch around their ears. The short sweet grass in the orchard attracts them during the night.

    The sounds of the bush mostly drown out the engines droning away at nearby farms working at preparing for another crop.

    At the end of the day nature provides a sometimes spectacular sunset. Some days with no cloud, the sun disappears quite quickly. Other days the red light disappears slowly, fading from the glorious painted cloud formations. Other times a heavy horizon capping cloud will form massive red shafts of light searching upward for a cloud to light up.    Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Mount Hypipamee

    September 1, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    I have visited this spot a few times. The first time was many years ago and it would be unusual to see another person. Today ovely national park was quite bust y with people like us stopping for a lunch break or hiking to the crater or the Falls.

    It is quite a hike to the falls but the crater is fairly easy. New sealed paths make it possible for wheelchair access as well. The path of around 1k each way to the falls though is a but rougher and not sealed. A decent level of fitness is certainly a good idea for these sort of walks.

    The water in the crater is 70m below the viewing platform and then is another 60 or so meters to the bottom. This is an old volcanic crater. In common with many of these type of volcanic craters, the water has an almost constant temperature. It remains at 17.2 to 17.6 all year around. This constant temperature is perfect for the ancient duckweed that floats on the surface and the various lifeforms on the roots and all the way to the bottom.

    It was sad to see a group throwing rocks in. Even though it would seem harmless, if many people do this the effects may cause harm to the delicate ecosystem in the crater. I would like to see some information posted on this.    Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Birdwatching

    September 3, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We have found a nice spot where a lot of birds come to drink. There are many Double Barred finches, wattle birds, noisy miners and Kurrawong. There are small Honeyeater but we are not sure exactly which they are. Some similar ones are only 1-2cm differing in size. We surprised a heron as we got here but he decided to head away for a while.

    We may see other birds as the after on advances since they all seem to have different time slots to the Waterhole. The whole idea here is to remain very still and quiet so the birds will ignore us.    Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    The No. 1 Dam

    September 4, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    This morning an early morning hike back to the same dam we visited yesterday afternoon. There are a lot of the same suspects visiting for an early drink of water but quite a few other birds as well. Pam fist spotted an emerald Dove. This shy bird is very difficult to spot and even harder to get a photo.

    Sitting quietly here they are not worried about us at all. Many are sitting in a tree just 5-6 meters away from me. Sometimes Pam is unaware that small birds are very close above her. It is so quiet here I can easily hear the flutter of wings as the birds enter and leave the drinking area.

    Several fallen branches make a perfect spot to perch and lean down for that clear chilly water. This spot has been active ever visit we have made.

    To visit this area, you must be a guest at the station. In the last two years amenities have been installed and sites prepared for powered caravan stays as well as tent and non powered camps.

    Part of the experience is the nightly dining. For a very reasonable price guests can join in for pizza night, roast night or several other catered meals. If you do plan to come here though, make sure you book. Sites for both powered and unpowered are strictly limited. The meals each evening are also limited. Only the first 20 bookings are going to participate each night. There are 30 seats for pizza night and a great night is had by all.

    The walks around the dams are quite easy on gentle inclines. If you walk to this dam and back you will have covered just over 3 kilometers. The track are all mowed and clear. It is not advised to leave the tracks but the owner can suggest some more advanced and longer walks. If you decide to leave the property good preparation and advising someone where you intend to go is very smart. Some visitors do head to Undara lava tubes or 40 mile scrub.

    While on the main tracks here you will have Telstra 3G service. No other carrier can be used. If you go elsewhere you may not have phone service.

    It is very easy to get disoriented in the bush, especially if you get an overcast day. It is always a smart move to make use of maps, compass or more recently to have Google satelite maps cached. This will help you know where you are.    Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Three Rivers Hotel - Greenvale

    September 5, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    In 2015 we motored into Greenvale quite late in the afternoon. For some daft reason the caravan park felt compelled to photocopy our drivers licence prattled on about it being a legal reguirement. I was very unimpressed. The trouble was it was getting a bit late to move on.

    The Three Rivers Hotel though was another story. They pay homage to Slim Dusty and Stan Costa. Arguably these two bloke are Australian country music. They wrote and sang a so G about life around Greenvale and the importance of the hotel. The song is worth a listen if you have not heard it. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8KWPg6My594#

    Greenvale is the base of nickel mining and of course beef cattle grazing. It a long drive from there to anywhere.

    Our welcome to the hotel was great and we decided to have a meal there as well. This time though we were planning to get a little further down the line.    Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Bluewater Springs

    September 6, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    About a hundred or so kilometres north of Charters towers is the first roadhouse stop before you reach the mining town of Greenvale.

    Roadhouses are becoming a but scarcer now due to the massive distance modern cars can travel on one tank of fuel. (Even though towing a caravan we are still on the fill from Mareeba and will fill up at Charters). Many passenger cars now can go close to a thousand kilometers on a single tank.

    We had done a longer than average day of driving and decided to break here for the night. We could have gone on but there really was no need. This place turned out to be a nice stop.

    The shower was hot and the walk down to the creek well worth the 100m walk. There were lots of birds including a large family of apostle birds with their characteristic happy chatter. This is why they are also widely known as happy jacks.

    We could hear peewee and magpies as well as an occasional plaintiff crow. The next morning we were to awake to a full symphony of birdlife.

    Birds here are pretty much spoilt for choice with the still running creek so our usual stakeout of a watering hole was not productive. Many birds just flew past on their way to another part of the creek.

    One of the unusual sights was a flowering thistle. It always amazes me that some of the most unlikely plants have such delicate and beautiful flowers. It's a hard country so these flowers are a lot of effort for a plant to get noticed by an insect or bee so pollination ensures the seeds are fertile and ready for the next few millimeters of rain.    Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Fletcher Creek Camp Area

    September 6, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We have stopped here before for a rest stop and a walk before heading elsewhere. We are now quite close to Charters towers and will visit there to shop on our way to our next planned camp at Burdekin dam.

    On our other stop and a couple of drive bys this spot seemed to be just too busy and filled with up to 200 vehicles mainly stopping for the night. This time I think we are later in the season and the numbers are quite fewer. There are 3 camping areas with the area we are in running quite a way along the small running creek. The main area with fa ilities is not so close to the creek but there are quite a few tracks.

    We are thinking that we might stay two nights so that we can enjoy a whole day here while it is not so busy.

    Setting up was a bit interesting. The Black soil has cracked deep down into the depths of the subsoil. A tent peg hammered laboriously into a block of rock hard soil finally chattered the block and came loose. I finally found a crack that was only 15cm deep and hammered my long peg in. It seems to be holding for now but I might need to use a longer sand peg it it does come loose.

    Along the creek there are quite a few birds. The lorikeets are enjoying the flowering tree not far from our camp. They are often noisy and often bicker and chase others away. A blue winged Kookaburra has set up a vigil just away from the creek in a shady spot and the pale headed Rosella has visited. The twitches part of the team is busy taking photos.

    A bit later we walked a few hundred meters up the creek to take a look. The area is quite picturesque with a few water birds. Probably later in the day there will be many more smaller birds coming in for a drink before they head off to roost for the night.

    Some of the vans in the upper campground seem as if they might be planning to stay awhile. Long hoses lead into the clear creek and back up to a pump. That is connected to the van water inlet. It is permissible to camp here for up to 4 weeks in any two month period. I suspect Fletcher Creek has been a popular camping ground long before the mass travelling public found it.    Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Why we don't camp near big trees.

    September 6, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Obviously it is not possible to camp in the creek. Trees behave the same whether they a few near a creek or not though. These trees do not have a huge tap root and rely on roots to hold them up. When they come down they re eal how little I'd s holding them upright.

    Other trees common in Australia tend to drop huge branches as they mature. There does not need to be wind. They just let go and drop. I call those self pruning trees. It is best not to be under them when they do.

    When going to a camp there is often no indication that branches have fallen. Ones that fall are quickly used by campers for firewood. If you look up though it is possible to see where branches have broken away from the tree.

    Only a lot of experience can allow some idea where a tree could fall or where limbs might drop. If not certain, park your van well away.    Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Dalrymple National Park

    September 8, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    This morning was our last at Fletcher's Creek. After packing up we decided to take a drive to the national park for a look.

    There are 4 great camp sites that need to be booked online. The dy use area is downstream of the Fletcher Creek Camp. This is a lovely area with the water bubbling over a series of rapids

    Back over behind this area is the Burdekin River. This time of year the water snakes from side to side along the very wide gravel River bed. It was around 200m wide at the point we could look across giving some indication of the massive flow of water that would be seen during the floods.    Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Charters Towers.

    September 8, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We have come into Charters for supplies and fuel. Just sitting nearby to the memorial and the hospital.

    We have been here before and Charters Towers is well worth a visit. Mining history abounds and the more recent longhorn cattle is interesting. The nighttime ghost tour was an unexpected highlight last visit.

    A drive up Tower hill is a good view over the town. Unfortunately, not with a caravan in tow, so not today. We are about to head to our next destination.    Read more

  • Rob and Pam TNorth Queensland 2018Traveler

    Imperial Hotel - Ravenswood

    September 8, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Ravenswood is a bit of history from a mining past. There is a new mine but I suspect tourism is becoming more important. There are a lot of mining things to see but the buildings are impressive. It is easy to imagine this as a bustling town in the past.

    This is the Imperial hotel today.    Read more

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