Thursday 10^th August Forsayth

Today was our tour to Cobbold Gorge; we woke with the sun, and soon after 7am drove back into Forsayth, and parked opposite the pub / general store; had breakfast in the van; went and chatted to others until we got on the bus to Cobbold at 9.30am.

The trip took an hour, over a gravel road which was very corrugated in parts; I was very happy not to be taking our vehicle over it. Though there were quite a few other vehicles, including some road trains carrying what looked like gravel.

10.30 at Cobbold Village. Lunch at 12.00, leave on the gorge tour at 1.30. So we began with a 4½ km (return) walk up to Russell's Lookout. Not a greatly interesting walk, but it warmed us up for a swim in their nice infinity pool overlooking the billabong. We ate our buffet lunch (mostly salads, and very nice) in our bathers in the sun, then went over to one of their campground's amenities blocks and had a shower and washed our hair.

At 1.30, we were milling around outside reception with perhaps 70 other people, 95% of whom looked like they were older than us; we we organised into four buses and drove the 10 minutes to the shelter at the gorge.

The gorge, in an area of sandstone, was discovered only in 1992, Which sounds unbelievable until you see how narrow it is; looking over the sandstone at the top it is almost invisible, and to only other access is by boat from the waterhole at the bottom.

Our group of twelve, plus guide, walked down to the pontoon bridge and got into one of the narrow electric powered boats, and set off up the gorge. A very narrow gorge, in places only just wide enough for the boat; Freshwater crocodiles on the bank and in the water, and lots of fish. Up to the far end, where the boat (with motors at both ends) simply reversed its way back to the pontoon. We alighted and went on a walk up to the top of the gorge and across its glass-bottomed bridge, and back to the shelter; and back to the village; and an hour back to Forsayth.

It was well worth seeing and I'm glad we just did a day trip by bus, rather then driving out and staying in their campground – from where you still need to go on a tour if you want to see the gorge.

The Savannahlander train (which we've tried twice before to go on, and failed both times) had come in; so we went and had a look at it. Then to a barbecue dinner at the pub, and drove back to Charleston Dam Recreation area.

We'd driven back from Cobbold past the Forsayth caravan park – full, crowded, and with overflow into the back of the pub. But at Charleston Dam tonight, we have it all to ourselves!

Friday 11^th August Gravel Pit – end of 43km gravel road

We were visited last night by some cattle, which I heard but Alison didn't; in the morning we found they'd visited the gardens here as well, putting deep hoof prints through them and eating flowers.

Two couples came in the morning for a breakfast overlooking the dam. They were very interested to see inside the van (they'd seen it parked in Forsayth yesterday) so we gave them a tour.

Today, there was a lot of gravel road driving – 8km en route to Einesleigh, and 43km beyond. Alison began the driving – I'd thought this would minimise the gravel section for her – but in the end she did more gravel than I did. We drive “to conditions” on gravel roads, which for us today was, on average, ~ 20km/hr. Some people just blast along. Some people's cars break down – we did see one taken away on a tray truck this afternoon, towing the caravan the broken-down car had been towing.

But the road to Einesleigh was mostly fine, and was quite scenic with curves and ups and downs. We parked in Einesleigh (well, outside the pub – there's not a lot of town apart from that), had a look at the nearby Copperfield Gorge from the top (a basalt gorge, very different to yesterday's sandstone one.)

We went to the pub to try to support the local economy, but their coffee machine was broken so we couldn't. So we made coffee at home. While we were there the Savannahlander train, which had left Forsayth an hour before we did, arrived. It appears that it is not very speedy.

There was a lot of water in the gorge, and you could walk down to a sandy beach; so off we went. It was quiet there, so we had an impromptu swim; it was very pleasant. As we dried off in the sun Alison went looking for rocks. She came back with a lot, a couple of which had had to be dislodged with an iron ingot she found.

Then, it was time to drive. An hour to do the first 20km, when we stopped to have lunch; another hour, and just before getting to the bitumen main road we found an expansive gravel pit with one caravan already in it. So here we are for the night.

Saturday 12^th August Archer Creek

Today was our booking to see Undara lava tubes, on a tour at 10.30. We had a nice relaxed morning, drove into Mt. Surprise, ½ hour away; we walked around the tiny town but saw no reason to do anything more, so continued the ½ hour + to Undara, getting there ~10.00 am. It is a very big place with a very big caravan park, as well as cabins and glamping tents; we found our way to the Day Visitor parking area a little uphill from reception.

There was time to buy a coffee before the tour left. I'd thought the lava tubes were on their property, but they are in the National Park adjacent; we began with a 10 minute bus ride in the the area, in a group of 20 people. Then went down through the shorter Matsuki tunnel, then through the much longer Wind Tunnel. They were certainly very impressive, and the guide (Tracy) was knowledgeable.

By 12.30 we were back at the village; we went and ate lunch in the van. And then – what? This was the last place we had in mind to see. We looked at maps and Alison marked out a sort of vague itinerary for the rest of the trip.

But – there is a swimming pool here, and showers... we drove the van over to fill its water tank, then went down for a swim. A nice little swim, though of course the pool was nowhere near Cobbold's infinity pool; just a nice more ordinary pool. We went and had a shower and washed our hair, before buying a last coffee from their (understaffed – getting staff here is a problem) bar. And then drove out.

But not far. We'd decided to go on a walk, to Flat Rock and Circle View, next to 100 mile swamp, near the road out. We tried, and failed, to find the spot where the walking trail crossed the road; so we walked down a 4WD track instead and picked it up. It was a good walk around the edge of the swamp to a large rocky outcrop with views. Then back to the van, and out. It was, by now, getting close to 5.00 pm; our plan was a rest area just short of Ravenshoe, 130km away. So we drove.

Really, it was cutting it too fine. We arrived just before it had become too dark, to find the rest area very full; and with some signs advising of a Lion's Club Market there on Sunday morning. So we are in a not-so-flat spot, very near the road. The moral of the story is to not leave it so late!

We put the windscreen shield on (for the second time this trip), and ate dinner.

Sunday 13^th August Innisfail Quarry

The lions rose early; they were there at the rest area before dawn. There were some lights, vehicles moving, voices; dawn came on, and soon after we “jumped” when there was a rap at our window.

We gave up and got up. When we drove out, at 6.40am, there were lots of vehicles and display tents set up, and numbered sites on the ground. We left them to it.

It was only ~25km to Ravenshoe; before we got there we found a turnoff to Millstream Falls, so we went there for breakfast down a 2km potholed gravel road. With water in the potholes! This is different country to where we have been for weeks. It was lovely site for breakfast, and had we not been so late last night we may have come on here and not read the “No Camping” signs. We walked down to the falls (reputedly the widest in Australia) before carrying on to Ravenshoe, the highest town in Queensland.

It was quite a nice town; but it was still early. We had a walk around town and through their park near the river, and back via the train station with historic steam train / caravan park. And on, via a very scenic / windy / narrow / hilly road, “unsuitable for caravans”, to Millaa Millaa. It certainly was scenic; and everything was Derwent Green, so different to yesterday; and I was glad the few oncoming cars happened to be in sections where passing was possible.

A nice coffee in Millaa Millaa, and a look at some of the pieces of the >1,000 year old Karri Pine tree they have there. Enormous.

But it was cool up there, at altitude; we headed down the Palmerston Highway towards Innisfail. There were many sections of very steep descent, needing low gear. When we got to Henrietta Creek, in Palmerston National Park, we stopped. It was midday by now; we went on an 8km walk to Silver and Nagoya Falls; therough damp, humid tropical rainforest, on a muddy track. The difference from our walk yesterday at Undara was incredible!

Back for lunch, and we wondered where to next? We drove down towards Innisfail, looking for a spot for the night; I tried a couple of side roads with no luck. We were getting close to town, when Alison said “where's a quarry when you need one?” As she said it, there was a signpost to “Innisfail Quarry 1.5km”. There we went, past sugar cane on one side and bananas on the other, and we've stopped just outside the quarry gate. It's quiet and scenic, and warmer down here as well.

Monday 14^th August Hull Heads

While it was a reasonable spot for the night – there was noise at 3am from the gates being opened, a B-double truck driving out, and the gates closed again; then, at ~ 6.30 am, the quarry opened properly – gates open and trucks driving in and out. Although no-one worried about us being there at all, it didn't make for a restful morning.

So we were off at 8am, after a cup of tea. We drove into Innesfail and, as usual, looked for tourist info. We didn't find it, so we went and found a parking spot down by the marina, and went for a walk. It is a very art deco town, rebuilt after a cyclone in 1918. Even the Bunings is in an art deco building! Eventually, after breakfast out in a cafe, we found the tourist info – little more than a cupboard, unmanned, in the shire offices. But at least we could obtain a map of the town there.

The town centre is quite small. We walked around it all, went to the supermarket (bigger than anything we've seen since Katherine) and, eventually, decided we'd seen enough. So off we went, down the Bruce Highway south, past lots of canefields and some banana plantations. We turned off to go down to the coast at Bingil Bay, where we stopped and had lunch, and a walk on the beach; then continued through Mission Beach. This has gone much more up-market since we were here 30 years ago; it reminded me of Noosa a bit.

We were vaguely looking for somewhere to spend the night. We didn't find anything at all; this part of the world doesn't lend itself to secluded spots at all. Cane farms and pristine houses. We returned to the highway, drove past Tully, and down the road to Tully Heads and Hull Heads. Hull Heads had a recommended caravan park, and that's where we've come. It's a very nice spot, managed by the coastguard; not crowded, and with grass underfoot! The only problem is the possibility of sandflies, which Alison is very susceptible to.

(Though we took precautions and they were not a problem – we think.)

Tuesday 15^th August Balgal Beach

We slept very well, with nothing to disturb us, at last. Had a hot shower in the morning, filled up with water, and decided to move on. So it was back out to the highway, and south for ¾ hour to Cardwell.

We remember Cardwell from when we walked on Hinchinbrook Island, perhaps 20 years ago. It had changed enormously. It was a little rural town; now it is much bigger and much glitzier; at least four cafes, and a street full of motorhomes (like us) and caravans. A large marina was being built when we were last here, with significant local opposition; it was wrecked by Cyclone Yasi, and its harbour has silted up, and it is in receivership. The receivers are refusing to release money to allow the harbour to be dredged. But the town is much bigger now!

We walked out the pier. Alison spotted some stingrays (her speciality) swimming about, and then we saw a dugong! I've never seen one before, and though the water was murky and you could see it only when it surfaced, there's no doubt that's what it was.

We had a coffee; Alison found a copy of the Brisbane “Courier Mail” to read. After we'd nearly finished it I discovered that it was a month old! We're not very up-to-date with the news. We proceeded on. A stop at the Cardwell Range lookout, and then down into the next large town, Ingham. We went to some op shops and supermarket, then down to the Tyto Wetlands for lunch. A very nice area with lawns, a big lake with waterlilies and masses of turtles, and an outdoor stage as well.

Then it was on again, towards Townsville, looking for a spot for the night. The first option was near Rollingstone, but it didn't look so attractive to us. So Alison directed us down to Balgal Beach, where we got one of the last spots in the RV area here. Right on the beach, and a very nice spot.

We had a walk on the beach; it was low tide and the sand very expansive. Very scenic, with mountains behind.

Wednesday 16^th August Charters Towers

We drove the 50km south to Townsville wondering where to go next. We'd intended to down the coast to Mackay, but... it's quite crowded and we don't like it so much. In to Townsville, to Tourist information; finding that Townsville is huge, probably bigger than Darwin. We drove in a long way through suburbs and industrial areas, finally getting to the middle of town; where the tourist information is, but parking.... it was all pay parking; we found a McDonalds and parked there, walking up to tourist information. The man there was very helpful, and he cemented our choice to head inland from here.

We walked back to the van. Time for a coffee; and as we'd parked at McDonald's, the moral thing to do was to ger a coffee there. So we did; but on finding that we were “seniors” they refused to take any payment for it! Very nice of them, though we did try to pay.

We went to a shopping centre on the way out of town to refuel and restock, then drove out towards Charters Towers. A stop halfway along along, then into town there. It is an old gold-rush town with lovely old buildings and a lot of history, bigger than I'd expected but very accessible. Nothing like Townsville.

We tried one caravan park – full – and ended up at the second one, Dalrymple. But with no complaints, because it is very nice. We put on a load of washing, ate lunch in the camp kitchen near our site; and then, at 5pm, set off on our bikes into town. It was an easy ride, of 2.2km; we continued on, up a (very steep at times) walking track up Towers Hill. This overlooks town and is the site of a lot of relics from WW2.

The sun set while we were up there; we rode back down, through town, and home. Made our dinner over in the camp kitchen, which, unlike almost every other caravan park this trip, was a social place. There were lots of other people over there and a lot of chat – maybe helped by having a large-screen TV there showing the Matildas soccer World Cup semi-final against England. Which Australia lost.

We like this town and have decided to spend two nights here, which is, for us, unusual.