Mareeba – Ravenswood (July 13 – July 20 2012)

Mareeba to Ravenswood

For the next week or so, we’ve been cruising around the Atherton Tableland and surrounds and then we will be heading south to Ravenswood to catch up with our mates, the “Gleeful Gleesons”…..

There has been 3 birthdays in the family this past week…..

Friday 13 July 2012 – Memorial Park south of Mareeba

Friday was my nephew Jack’s 18^th birthday – happy birthday my darling!!! 

Sorry we couldn’t be there to celebrate with you. Hope you lived up to the family reputation – and partied hard… You’ve probably got a few more hairs on your upper lip now too!!!! Hee hee

Little Jack is now a MAN!!!!

War Memorial Park

I woke up out of the blue at 2am this morning, with a TIC in my hair just above my forehead…  Thanks Jed!!!  It must have jumped onto me when I was cuddling him yesterday arvo.  I have to say that I didn’t feel a thing at the time.  But for 2 days after, it felt like someone had hit me with a rock….. (Now I’m in the Tic Club with you Michael) haha

Malanda

We did the waterfall route around Millaa Millaa, Malanda. the Dinner Falls and the Crater Lake.  They’re all very lovely and inviting to swim – but too cold for us oldies – lots of teenagers were in for a dip though. 

Malanda Falls

Millaa Millaa Falls

The Crater

 

Saturday 14 July - War Museum and Rodeo.  

Before going to the rodeo we went to the War Museum and had a look at their collection of war memorabilia.  It was awesome.  Heaps of old planes and tanks and all sorts of war things - well worth the visit.  

Then to the Rodeo - firstly, we had a browse down side-show alley, watched a few events (woodchop, electronic bull), then grabbed a bite to eat and headed off to the arena for the days’ events.  I got goose bumps watching the rodeo horses.  They are so well trained – they are awesome to watch. I enjoyed the horses more than the rodeo events.  I can’t believe they even had an event for the Under 8s in Poddy Calf riding.  You should have seen how cute and brave (but grownup) these kids were.  Can you imagine a City Kid doing this!!!!! I don’t think so….

Under 8s

Bucking Broncs

 

I hadn’t been to a rodeo since the one we had a the Point 16 or so years ago… It was a really fun day.

This bull had had enough!!!

Sunday 15 July 2012 – Chillagoe Caves

It was my darling Joe’s birthday.  Hope you had a great time at Surfers my beautiful boy… I luv you…………

Happy Birthday my darling

There are 3 tours of the caves each day, the first one being at 9am.  Where we were staying we were 2hrs away, so we had planned leaving around 9ish and catching the 11am and 1:30 tours.  Of course, the Storz were late as usual (Roy is worse than any woman I’ve ever met when it comes to talking).  He was so enthralled in a conversation with our Lotus neighbours that I had to hurry him up, needless to say we missed the 11am tour, but not to worry, it gave us more time to look around the little town. 

Balancing Rock 

Firstly, we went to the Balancing Rock and then to a privately owned collection of Fords (vehicles).  An old guy by the name of Tom Prior has the most amazing collection of every kind of Ford you can imagine and he took great pride in telling us all about them and how they all still run.  (He actually demonstrated on 3 of them, - starting them up - including an early T Model).  I’m sure he lives for his visitors, showing off his collection….

Tom Prior - T Model Ford

Then off to the local pub for lunch before meeting out at the Royal Arch Cave for a ranger guided tour.

The caves were fantastic, and the Ranger did a wonderful job considering what we had to deal with!!  (There should be a law introduced - that children under 6 should be banned from public tours…… )

Unfortunately we got stuck in a group with a BRAT of a kid that grizzled and winged and cried for the whole duration of the 1 ¾ hour tour.  If I could have walked out, I would have, it was so testing.  I’m sure that the parents of the Brat would have gone outside if they could have, but when you’re down in the bowles of the earth, unfortunately you can’t just go outside when you like and so we were all stuck with it. 

This kid would not be a candidate for the Poddy Calf event!!!

Can you believe that the mother gave the little so and so a lollypop afterwards – Unbelievable!!  rewarding the thing for its bad behaviour!!!!  Bloody hell!!!

I take my hat off to the poor Ranger – he was very patient!!

Monday 16 July 2012 - Archer Creek

The weather has turned cold – eeekkk I hate the cold  - Didn’t we came north to escape it!!!

Archer Creek

We said goodbye to our neighbours with the Lotus and headed off for Archer Ck just south of Ravenshoe. 

We travelled through the Misty Mountains (they really live up to their name) – the visability was down to only a few meters.  It was beautiful and surreal… We passed a Wind Farm and it was soooo eerie seeing these great structures looming out of the mist just meters away – but only just visible through the thick mist….

Wind Farm

Ravenshoe is the highest town in Queensland and what a lovely little town it is. 

Misty Mountain alright

 

Tuesday 17 July 2012 – Ravenshoe and the waterfalls

Today is Oki’s 2^nd birthday.  Happy birthday my darling little girl. (Oki is Joe’s beloved hound!!!)  July is the month for birthdays!!!!

Oki

Millstream Falls

Waterfalls, waterfalls, waterfalls…. We did the Millstream, Little Millstream and Tully Falls then Innott Hot Springs and had scones and jam at Herberton.  I think we’ve seen all the waterfalls we need to see for a while.  They are all very beautiful.

Tully Falls - vanished!!!

Pretty bazaar, when we arrived at the Tully Falls – it was so misty that all we could see from the lookout was mist.  Ha ha   Oh Well!! There’s plenty more to see…..

Wednesday – Friday  18^th July – 20^th July 2012 – Archer Ck – Fletcher Ck

We headed off from Archer Ck heading south again, stopping at Fletcher Ck on our way to Ravenswood by Friday.

Fletcher Creek

I can’t believe how Roy attracts people to talk to.  While I’m in the van typing this…. I look out the window and there’s 2 families talking to him.  One, in their van, obviously on their way out, but stopping for a talk…. What do they talk about!! Ha ha

Bloody hell!!!  Each morning I wake up and when I look in the mirror, I feel more and more like Morticia (Adams Family)!!  I don’t quite know how to deal with this little problem for the moment – ho hum what will I do ….  You’ll have to stay tuned to find out…..

But - then I have a real coffee with my new coffee machine and that puts the smile back on my dial…..  (I’m not allowed to have a cuppa until 8:30 though, so that we don’t upset any neighbours with the gennie noise) – worth waiting for.

Gleeful Gleesons – are you ready !!  Here we come…….  I hope you’re going to greet us with some nice sunny and warm weather – it was 11 degrees here this morning eeeeek…..

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To be continued....

Weipa - Cairns - Mareeba (July 3 – July 12 2012)

Weipa Sunset

Weipa Van Park

Weipa

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Tuesday 3 July 2012 – Archer River Roadhouse

We left lovely Weipa and set off to explore the eastern side of  Cape York.  Firstly, to Lockhart River, another typical aboriginal community (with bars on everything and trashed everything).  You just want to have a look and keep going…  It amazes me how many dogs live in these places, they’re seen sleeping on every corner.

The road in was so terrible it was very slow going -  (who cares, we have all the time in the world now!!! Ha ha).  It took us 1 ¾ hrs to do 120 kms. 

Then we went on to the renowned Chili Beach.  I have to say that I was not very impressed.  The palm trees and pandanus palms all looked like they had some sort of disease.  Mind you it was blowing a howling S’easter and it was bleak and overcast – so would have looked much nicer on a better day I’m sure – still, I was pretty disappointed.

Next we visited Portland Roads, which was lovely but because the weather was so bleak we drove back to Archer River Roadhouse and stayed the night there.

Chili Beach

Portland Roads

Wednesday 4 July 2012 – Musgrave Roadhouse

This f…. mattress is so uncomfortable – I’m over it – I’m lacking sleep and it was bloody freezing last night to boot!!!  Not happy!!!  When we woke though, we found we were surrounded by cows and horses… how country! – this brightened things up!!! – the mattress forgotten for the moment…. We had to move our stove away from one horse so he wouldn’t burn his nose - he was so inquisitive he stuck his muzzle right into the billy.

Archer River

Archer River Roadhouse

Headed east again, this time to have a look at Port Stewart, which is a little fishing village set amongst the mangroves.  Very crocy looking!!  Looks like the community consists of weekenders who come up for the weekends to fish – no township as such.

We arrived at Musgrave by lunchtime and had our pick of the spots.  It was empty then, but by the end of the day it was chockers. 

State of Origin nite – so we joined the crowd at the roadhouse bar .  I’m not really a footy fan, so during the first half I wandered back to our camp to listen to music, while Roy saw the game through at the bar.  Go the Blues!!!  Oops – Qld won by 1……  next time..

Dust Dust Dust!!!

Thursday 5 July 2012 – Cape Melville NP

Our CROC barrier

Cape Melville

Cape Melville

Heading SE again – this time through Lakefield NP.  I was impressed with a camp called Kalpower Crossing, a campground right on the Marrett River.  We got talking to a couple of young guys from Cairns who came up for the weekend to catch Barra in the weir there.  They told us of a (secret) place a few Ks down the track on the other side of the weir –which was on our way to Cape Melville anyway, where we could set up camp and catch barra.  We were eager to give it a go on our return from the Cape.

Wow!!!!  The road into Cape Melville would have to be the worst road we’ve been on so far.  Good on you National Parks…..  The 120km trek to Cape Melville consists of 70km on aboriginal land, which was passable, but when you reached to border into National Park the road turned to mush….  It took us 2 ½ hours to travel the remaining 50km.  Very Very Slow going!!!!

We finally got there to find that there was only about 4-5 other camps in the whole place, so we opted to set up nearish to them.  The croc thing is always at the back of your mind – mine anyway.  (scaredy cats, yes we are!!)….    It was quite breezy when we first set up camp – but as the night progressed so did the breeze, until I’m sure it actually turned into a mini cyclone.  I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say the wind would have got up to around 172km/h (it seemed like it anyway!!).  Needless to say we didn’t get very much sleep.  I was very impressed with our brave little tent for standing up to it  (a 30 sec OzTent), a great little tent.  By 5am (and both of us wide awake) we had had enough and decided to pack up, in the pitch black and head back along that terrible road again.

On the way - we did try our luck for barra at that secret spot, but it was the wrong time of day and we were eager to head for home. Our van (Bed) beckons!!.  We just stayed long enough to boil the billy and have a couple of casts.  Home is calling – only a few hours away……. So the last little bit of our CAPE journey was down the fast lane….. 

Bed Sweet Bed !!!!!

Lakefield NP

Our secret BARRA spot

Lakefield NP

When we got to Lakeland where the van was being stored, the first thing I did was to have a shower and wash to red dirt off me and then all the clothes and linen went into the washing machines.  Our camping adventure was fun, but I know I’ve had my quota of red dirt and tenting and that bloody air mattress to last me for quite a while – give me our caravan and innerspring anyday!!!!  Pussy maybe – I don’t care I like my creature comforts in my later years!!

Lakefield NP

Kalpower Crossing

Lakefield NP

Marrett River

Lakefield NP

Friday – Sunday 6 –8 July 2012 – Lakeland – Tinaroo Dam

We didn’t really have a plan from here – so opted for Tinaroo Dam on the tablelands.  We stayed 2 nights at the caravan park there and it rained the whole time.  It’s raining all along the coast apparently, so we’re not the only ones copping it. 

We spent the day on Saturday at Kuranda – doing the markets, gorge etc and in the afternoon, we went for a drive around the circumference of Tinaroo Dam.

We found some great camp spots along the circuit of the dam but the signs say that you have to pre-book etc (NP) and there are bollards everywhere.  One sign said that it’s not suitable for caravans.  There are a couple of sites on the waterfront though, that don’t have bollards and they have fire rings!!!! We will have to investigate this further, because we would much rather have camped there, then in a caravan park….. If possible, we may stay there when we go back up to the tableland.

Someone said that if you want to get a job with National Parks, a pre-request is that you have to know how to put in bollards.  Ha ha

There’s still much to see – but we’re going to go down to Cairns for a few days and then come back up to finish looking around the tableland and hopefully incorporate the Mareeba Rodeo next weekend….  We’ll see.

The weather for the past few days has been dismal and is supposed to continue until next Thursday….

Barron Falls

Camping along Tinaroo Dam

Curtain Fig - Yungaburra

Monday and Wednesday 9-11 July 2012 – Lake Placid Van Park, Cairns

What a great park – they even move your van into place for you with their own tractor… Saves a lot of drama!!  We’re always limited with caravan parks because of Jeddy – but this one is great!!!  Pitty about the weather.  Drizzle.

I can’t wait to have a look around here – I used to live here 33 years ago and am keen to see it again and the changes that have taken place. 

All the area around Kamerunga Road used to be canefields and are now houses, shopping centres and highways… what a disappointment but that’s progress isn’t it – I should have known that it wouldn’t have been the same.  I did get glimpses of the past though – and there are some canefield left yet. (for how long is the question – very sad!).

Roy was talking to a fellow vanner here at Lake Placid and he said that he stayed at that camp spot we saw on the waterfront at Tinaroo Dam.  He said he stayed for a couple of days in his van.   So we are going to find out more about that and maybe stay there down the track – time permitting that is!! 

Beautiful Cairns Canefields

Guess what we bought in Cairns – couldn’t stand going without my morning coffee any longer – so we bought a cheap coffee machine for the van…… yeay, how spoilt!!

Lake Placid Van Park

Jed's creature comfort

Cairns Esplanade

I chipped my front tooth last nite on Roy’s chops…. Will have to look for a dentist now… bugger.

Thursday 12 July 2012

We checked into a free camp at Memorial Park just south of Mareeba and will stay here for a couple of days ….  Believe it or not – the weather is fine and sunny – just as they predicted – My God!!!

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To be continued....