The "Thick Black Line. An Odyssey" in 2017 separated my 32 year career in IT from a new career as a psychotherapist and gave me a taste for travel! Read more
  • Day 98

    Through Emerald to Sapphire

    June 20, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Another big driving day. Once I winkled myself away from my overnight spot I carried on down the Gordon Development Road, over the Tropic of Capricorn, to Emerald then another 50 km W to the gem fields of Sapphire. More of that later!Read more

  • Day 97

    Adventure down the Gregory Highway

    June 19, 2017 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    I've been pondering how I want to head south. Last night I still had 1400 km (870 miles) to Brisbane taking the most direct route down the Bruce Highway which follows the coast. It's the most popular tourist route. But my heart yearns for the outback, for kangaroos and emus (though I did see my first live kanga yesterday near Mission Beach - hoorah!)

    So I have decided to take the more inland route, and have just arrived in Charters Towers, 204 km from my site last night, where I pick up the Gregory Highway. It's a well-used road, so I'm not doing anything risky, but it's about 470 km (292 miles) to Emerald which is the next town. There are basic pull-offs to stay overnight, so it feels more adventurous 😎

    Once I get to Emerald I'll decide whether to head more directly towards the coast or, if this is as much fun as I hope, carry on on the inland route. I think most of the traffic will be heading north as Aussies head away from the winter cold.

    Update
    The drive down the Gregory Developmental Road was all I hoped - beautiful bush all the way, hardly any traffic and most of it heading N against me. Joyous 😎
    I found my overnight spot - a pull-in off the road called The Old Dump, so I wasn't expecting anything glamorous, but I got everything I'd hoped for - space, feeling connected with the red dust, then a lovely dark night sky and the Milky Way.
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  • Day 96

    Seen one!

    June 18, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    I can't believe it - I'm so pleased! As far as my trip goes, this is the icing on the cake.

    I'd heard there were cassowary at Etty Bay so I worked it into my route today. It turns out that it's a very pretty place with a lovely swimming beach. My plan was to have lunch there but went for a nose around first.

    I was just lining up to take a pic of yet another info board about cassowary when ... a cassowary walked past behind it!! I couldn't believe my luck, I've been trying so hard to find one, but there are no guarantees so I'd been managing my disappointment too.
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  • Day 95

    Platypus!!

    June 17, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Well that wasn't so hard! I went to the
    Australian Platypus Park outside Tarzali, had a very informative little tour, then waited. That's all it look. They have 10-12 platypus living wild in their lake, so sooner or later one will appear - a real, live peculiar little creature. Fab! I really never expected to see one in the wild.

    When I finally tore myself away I did a local tourist drive calling in at 3 very lovely waterfalls, all roughly the same height because they are in the same ancient lava flow.

    Nice relaxed day. I need to get my skates on now and head south!

    Hey sis, some Q&A for you:

    Q: What do you call a cat that's got into difficulties playing ice hockey?
    A: A puck-filled flatty puss

    Q: What do you call a cat that has dined hansomely on a water bird?
    A: A duck-filled fatty puss

    With thanks and eternal love to E.G.Power Esq.
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  • Day 94

    Port Douglas to the Atherton Tablelands

    June 16, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Had it been warmer with clear skies I would have headed south on the coast road, which is supposed to have stunning views, but it was wet and cold with poor visibility so I took an inland route to this area, known as the Atherton Tablelands which is a giant volcanic (😆) plateau. It's cooler up here, with lots of waterfalls, some volcanic features, very fertile, and ...platypus. I can't cross my fingers enough!

    I'm staying near Herberton which is known for its historic village, but it could be known for the Spy and Camera Museum 😎 which is a proper enthusiasts place - quirky and stuffed full of cameras ranging in size from one used to map Australia to a KGB buttonhole spy camera. Never expected that!
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  • Day 93

    The Great Barrier Reef

    June 15, 2017 ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    Why did I come to Port Douglas? To get a reef trip 😎
    I could wait until I'm further south but Tropical Cyclone Debbie caused a lot of damage down there, so today was the day.

    I went for a full day trip with Wavelength to the outer reef - that's 90 mins each way and 3 snorkels. The great thing that's different about Wavelength is they have marine biologists on board who give a couple of entertaining and informative talks during the day. Just fab!

    I'll do even more pics when I have more power and better internet, whenever that is!
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  • Day 92

    To Port Douglas

    June 14, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    I winkled myself out of bed at 6:30 and hit the road up to Cape Tribulation, and the end of the tarmac, for beakfast. An excellent plan, though the part where I was rewarded with a cassowary sighting didn't work out.

    Having got as far north as I could I worked my way back down the Daintree Forest (UNESCO world heritage site) back to the ferry. Without a doubt the highlight was spotting a Boyd's forest dragon (uncommon). Another case of 'how did I do that?'

    I'll add photos when I get some bandwidth.
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  • Day 91

    Mossman Gorge and Daintree

    June 13, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    I headed up to the Daintree area today, which is essentially the ancient (world heritage) rainforest on the other side of the mountains to where I was yesterday, 'where rainforest meets reef'. I stopped off for an unexpectedly arduous walk at Mossman Gorge, then drove round to take the chain ferry across the Daintree River. The only other access to this area is to come down directly from the north (Cooktown area) by 4WD. I heard someone doing that yesterday got stuck in a creek crossing and their 4WD went up in flames. That's why I went the long way round!

    So now I'm well and truly in cassowary country. So frustrating to hear people saying 'oh yes they're everywhere' when I've seen nothing. On the other hand you never really know what people have seem - a couple I bumped into again at Mossman said they'd seen a lot, but what they saw were only 12" tall ... hmm, seems unlikely 🤔
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  • Day 90

    Mount Carbine via Split Rock (nr Laura)

    June 12, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    I've taken the next step this evening, staying at Mount Carbine unpowered - so van-wise the same as if I stopped in the bush... I'm working towards it.

    What a spot this is! There are any number of birds, by which I mean at least 100, squawking their evening squawks (pink cockatoos and a flock of things that fly fast - some sort a parakeet I think, but I have no signal so can't look them up), and the sun is about an hour away from slipping behind the hills. To top it all, after quite a long drive today, I've cracked open the mango wine as a little aperitif 🙄 The woman at the mango winery recommended chicken or seafood. I have crackers and cream cheese 😎

    Today I left Cooktown and rather than heading directly south took a detour (S then NW) to the Aboriginal paintings at Split Rock just outside Laura. I'm very glad I did because it was another beautiful drive. Part was quite agricultural then it all turned bush again. At one point, on the left were fields full of wheat or some cereal in those big rolls, and on the right a banana plantation. Bit of a crazy mix!

    Seeing the paintings, which are a steep clamber up a well made path, reconneced me with my Heading Bush trip back in April. There wasn't much information but I imagine they were teaching caves. No pics of the art because the Aboriginal people ask that none are taken.

    Roadkill count (fresh): 11 kanga, 2 wild pigs
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  • Day 89

    Cooktown re-enactment

    June 11, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Today was the annual reenactment in Cooktown of the first encounter between the Guuyu Yimithirr nation and the crew if HMB Endeavour. They aim to tell the story from both perspectives, which results in a richer account. I'd say there were a couple of thousand people watching. It's an accident I'm here just now ... a very happy accident.

    The word kangaroo comes from the language here (and that period of encounter) ... gangurru.
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