It's reunion time again......

and we were looking forward to a fun few days in warm Tropical North Queensland.  Last nights pre reunion dinner had been fun and a great start to a long weekend of food, fun and friends.  Oh and one more thing - freezing weather!  Townsville, and in fact, the whole of North Queensland was in the grip of a cold spell that seemed to have no end in sight.  Friday saw Townsville record its coldest day in 74 years with the temperature not moving over 16 deg.  The rain that came to town as we arrived continued to fall making it a thoroughly miserable day all round.  What a shock for the many southerners who were flying in to party.

Bill and I enjoyed the morning with Sandy and Pat, spent the afternoon dodging the rain as we shopped for items for van maintenance and that night enjoyed a fabulous night with everyone at the Australian Hotel.  A great night was had by all as we all caught up with everyone's stories since we met last time.

On Saturday morning we met for breakfast at No 51 and enjoyed lots of laughs over the huge plates of bacon, eggs and of course Coffee.  The sun was shining too and after breakfast we all went our own way to spend the day exploring Townsville.  

Cheryl and Shane spent the day with us and we had a look around The Strand before driving up to Castle Hill.  Just Metres short of a mountain the views from here are pretty special and we walked to two of the lookouts for a fabulous 360 deg look at Townsville, Magnetic Island and the surrounding area.

From here we drove out to Bowling Green National Park were we had a look at Alligator Creek.  Just south of Townsville this lovely park has a number of walk tracks though they seemed to be closed for maintenance today.  Just one short track took you down to a pretty nice swimming hole and we all enjoyed the walk and the view.

Back at home we relaxed for a short while before heading out to The Yacht Club where we all met for dinner and once again a fabulous night was had by all.  With the rain gone we dined outside on the deck and loved the gorgeous sunset.  

About now I could tell lots of stories about what went down but that old adage 'what happens on reunions stays on reunions' kicks in so you will just have to use your imagination.  

The next morning we all met at Sandy and Pat's place for a fabulous barbecue breakfast and another fun and fine morning was enjoyed by all.  It's at this point that we usually say farewell again and head for home but with most people not leaving until the next day it was decided that one more dinner was needed to round out the weekend.  We all met for dinner again that night at the Victoria Hotel and the 'post reunion' party was as successful as the pre reunion and the reunion itself.  I don't think we will need to eat again or drink again for the next week or two.

So once again the 25 Frogs Reunion was a resounding success and we have to say a huge thanks to Pat and Sandy O'Reilly for all the planning and fine tuning that went in to making the weekend the success it was.  I know everyone had a great time.

On Monday the rain returned just as Bill, with Pats help, did some jobs on the van.  I caught up on some chores and washing (hoping it would dry).  Sandy cooked a fabulous dinner and we enjoyed it with Graeme and Karin who were staying on for a few extra days.  The next day we prepared everything in readiness to leave the next morning and after another lovely dinner with Pat and Sandy said goodbye and thank you for a fabulous few days with them.

We left on Wednesday morning and drove on to Ingham where we were going to camp at Tyto Wetlands for a couple of days with the birds.  On arrival we discovered the camping area closed due to all the rain having flooded the grounds.  Other camps in the area were waterlogged and closed too but the girl at the Visitor Centre told us of a campground at the Ashton Hotel in Long Pocket 23 km away.  We went to see and stayed for three nights as we waited for the weather to change.

The old hotel is one of a growing network of country pubs offering free or cheap sites out the back for travellers.  Popping in for a drink or a meal helps keep them in business and is a great way to meet the locals and fellow travelers.  We did both and met a lovely young French girl travelling around the country for a year.  Layla was on her own but seemed quite happy and confident to travel this way.

The next morning we woke to slate grey skies and more rain but decided to drive into Ingham to try the wetlands anyway.  We had a coffee on arrival but with the rain still falling decided it would be a waste of time and returned home for a quiet day in.  Thank goodness for puzzle books and online jigsaws!

The next day saw the sun poke through the clouds and so we went into sightseeing mode as we drove up to Wallaman Falls in Girrigun National Park.  These falls are said to be the longest single drop falls in Australia and at a height of 268 Metres are pretty spectacular.  

There are a number of walks here the longest being the 2km walk to the bottom of the falls.  We didn't do this but did do the short walk to the gorge lookout.  While walking through the park we saw the brilliant blue Ulysses butterflies on the red bottlebrush.  There were so many of them and just as many people with cameras aimed to try for the perfect picture.  Of course Bill was front and centre.

After lunch Bill returned to the wetlands to see what he could find and I stayed home catching up on chores and all things Rhossietalk.  The sun shone during the afternoon making the view from the porch look so much nicer.  We were camped beside fields of Sugar Cane most of which was ready for harvest though because of all the rain it was too wet to strip.  The sugar mills had closed down until it dries out and they were not expecting to start work again for another couple of weeks.  

Everywhere we drove we saw the cane trains all ready to load but no work yet.  Apparently it was going to wipe thousands and thousands of $ from the growers income.  So while the farmers elsewhere are rejoicing because the rain continues to fall the cane growers are just wanting it to stop.

The next morning the sun was shining again and it was time for us to move on again.  We drove into Ingham and did a bit of shopping before heading up the road towards Innisfail.  Just before Cardwell we found Five Mile Creek and drove in to have a look.  This lovely picnic spot started life as a meatworks built by the Cardwell Meat and Preserving in 1895 and closed in 1902.   It is now a fabulous swimming hole which locals and visitors love.  We walked down for a look but were not tempted to join the kids as they all said it was cold in.  Didn't seem to stop them though!

Leaving them enjoy their swim we were going to head inland and see if we could catch up with Nancye and Bob, our friends from Perth, who were staying in Malanda but didn't want to drive up in one day.  So where to stay.  We consulted wiki camps and came up with another pub camp at Garradunga a few km past Innisfail.

Right in the middle of sugar cane and banana plantations this tiny town seems to consist of just the pub but with just one site left it was full of life.  We settled in to the last site and enjoyed our possie beside the chook pen, thankfully no roosters, and the rusted hull of a large boat.  We decided that it may have been 'the ark' so we would be fine it the rain started again.  A couple of drinks before dinner paid our 'fees' and we met some our fellow campers.  It was a fun few hours.

The next morning we were interested to see that the Sugar Cane harvest had begun here.  Some trains were full and ready to go while others were being loaded as the big 'slashing' machine did its job.

We made our way up to Malanda in the Tablelands stopping along the way at Millaa Millaa to have a quick look at this little town.  In the local park we found this statue commemorating Christie Palmerston and his Aboriginal companion, Pompo who travelled with him with five years. 

 

In 1882 he was the first European to find and make a feasible track through 90 km of continuous rainforest between Innisfail and Herberton.  The Palmerston Hwy on which we were travelling closely follows the original track.  He was also the first European to scale Bartle Frere which at 1622 Metres is Queensland's highest mountain.

Soon after we arrived in Malanda and camped beside Nancye and Bob in the Malanda Falls Caravan Park.  We had a wonderful afternoon with them firstly visiting the beautiful Malanda Falls next to the park.  This small waterfall and swimming pool is often known as the beginning of the waterfall circuit here.  There are 13 waterfalls in the area but we might have to leave most of them until next time.  

We then drove out to Wongabel State Forest where we were thrilled to find our first Victoria's Rifle Bird high above us in the forest.  Sorry no pics as he flew off before Bill could get a good photo.

Back at home Bob lit the campfire and we spent the next few hours catching up on each other's travels since we last saw each other.  With drinks, nibbles and good friends it was a lovely way to spend the evening.  

We said goodbye to Nancye and Bob the next morning as they were moving on and we were staying to have a look around the tablelands.  Last year when we were here the weather was appalling and many of the places the birds were missed as they didn't like the rain.  So with the sun shining we were hoping for lots of pictures of the birds of this area.

The morning started well as the Eastern Whipbird came to visit us at home and Bill got this gorgeous photo.  The Spotted Catbird came visiting too but Bill is not so pleased with that one.  Maybe he will come back tomorrow.   After a trip to the Visitor Centre we left armed with maps and directions to where we may be successful.

Our first stop was The Bromfield Swamp.  A beautiful view of this swamp which lies in an old volcanic crater which is said to have formed around 7 million years ago.  Unfortunately the lookout is too far away to be able to see many birds but well worth a look anyway. 

Our next stop was Mount Hypipamee National Park were we walked down to see our second waterfall.  Dinner Falls is a series of drops cascading from the head waters of the Barron River which makes its way through world heritage rainforest to the world heritage reef.  

Bill went in search of the Golden Bowerbird known to be here but although he found its very intricate bower the bird remained elusive.  Perhaps we'll try again tomorrow.

After lunch we drove to Lake Eacham in Crater Lakes National Park.  This volcanic lake is said to have been formed 12,000 years ago and fringed with rainforest is a spectacular place to visit.  We did the 3 km circuit walk and really enjoyed seeing the lake, fish and Sawback turtles in the crystal clear water.  Not too many birds came to play though.

We spent the next day between Mount Hypipamee National Park looking for the elusive Golden Bowerbird again and Wongabel State Forest where we did the 2.2 km walk.  No luck with bird but we enjoyed the walk through the forest.  We stopped for a short while at Hasties Swamp where we found it swarming with Magpie Geese and Whistling Ducks.

We returned home to relax under the awning after first stopping in town to take a few pictures, one of the lovely old Malanda Hotel, reputed to be the largest timber hotel in Australia.  

We enjoyed our few days here and just like last year found the Atherton Tablelands to be a truly lovely area to spend some time in.

The next morning after the Spotted Catbird came to visit we packed up and left this very nice little park.  We drove the short distance to Mareeba where we stopped and camped for a couple of days at 'Birds on Barron'.  This is a large property owned by a lovely young couple who have opened it up to travellers for a small fee per night.  We enjoyed the friendly horses and the resident emu that visited each afternoon as we camped among the fruit trees.  

Bill found a few Bush Stone Curlews as he walked along the river banks during each afternoon.  

So it's from a very tranquil Mareeba that we'll leave you this time while we consult the maps and see where to head to next.  Somewhere north, still in search of the sun, of that you can be sure but stay tuned and see where we come to you from next time

until then........

Julia Creek to Townsville........

Washing done, check.  A long hot shower, check.  Hair washed, check.  It's time to be free again and so we left Cloncurry and this time headed east toward Townsville where we need to be in two weeks for this years 25 Frogs reunion.

Our first stop along the way was at Julia Creek where we had heard about their great free camp and Monday night dinners.  Wow, what a great job the locals are doing here encouraging the grey nomads and travellers to stay awhile and enjoy the little town.

This RV camp is set up on the edge of town on the banks of Julia Creek.  You register with the camp hosts for a period up to a 96 hour maximum stay but if you still want to hang around after that you can book into the caravan park for $15 per night.  There were lots of people here but plenty of room for all and once again we found a quiet spot to call home.  We stayed for the four days.

On Monday night the caravan park puts on a $10 dinner.  A bus, driven by the mayor, (a lovely young lady) picks us up from the camp and drives us the five minutes up the road.  Last night there were over 100 people there!  Dinner is provided by a different group each week and last night it was the kindergarten and pre school who cooked and reaped the benefits of our $$.  Two casseroles with rice for dinner and a desert was pretty tasty and all the better for not having to cook it ourselves.  What a great way to raise funds for the many local groups and lovely for us to meet fellowtravellers around their fabulous camp fire. 

During our few days here we walked into town each day to pick up groceries and to check out the highlights of Julia Creek.  I loved the Mosaic Chair in the park which was created by many locals ranging in age from 4 to 90's.  A true community effort.

The Duncan McIntyre Heritage Centre was good to have a wander through with lots of stories and memorbelia from The McKinlay Shire and Julia Creek.  

Julia Creek is home to the Julia Creek Dunnart, a little mouse size marsupial which was thought to be extinct until a small colony were found here some years ago.  The visitor information centre has lots of information about these little creatures and you can see these little guys be fed twice a day.  We went along one day and enjoyed learning all about this cute little Australian marsupial.

Julia Creek sits in the centre of The Great Artesian Basin and you can also learn all about this incredible body of water at the visitor centre too.  The fountain is engraved with Banjo Paterson's verse 'Song of the Artesian Water'.   Most houses here do not have hot water systems as the water is hot when it comes to the surface.  Many have water tanks not to catch the rain but to let the water cool down in.  

Soon our four days were up and it was time to continue our journey towards Townsville.  We hit the road and about an hour later decided to stop for coffee at a little place wiki camps had listed as 'gravel pit billabong'.  We found the spot and drove in to find we were the only people here so after our coffee we decided we would stay for the day and night.  Another beautiful waterfront address!

We enjoyed the afternoon in the sunshine, yes it's getting a little warmer, and Bill was kept busy with the many birds that were around.  These Black Breasted Buzzards were beautiful flying overhead as they looked for dinner.  

The next morning we left and drove another hour into Richmond where we found another RV camp site.  Not so good as Julia Creek but all we needed and so we set up quickly and then had a walk around town.

Richmond is a smaller town than Julia Creek but seems to be just as friendly.  Together with Winton and Hughenden, Richmond is part of the Australian Dinosaur Trail and just out of town are the fossil pits where you can have a dig around to see what you can find.  We will leave that for another time but today enjoyed seeing 'the Kronosaurus' marine reptile outside the visitor centre.  Apparently the full skeleton of this creature was found at Amy Downs by Ralph Thomas in 1926.  Said to be around 112 millions years old the skeleton is now on display in an American museum.  I don't think I'd like to meet one of these while swimming!

We had a wander through the Heritage Centre, still a work in progress, looked at the beautiful Anzac Memorial in the Lions Park and walked to Lake Fred Triton.  

This stack of rocks caught my eye as we returned and we discovered that the rocks are a unique feature of Richmond.  These spherical rocks are called moonrocks and come in a variety of sizes, some of which have fossilized remains in their cores.  They also feature in many gardens as well as the Lions Park here.  This stack of moonrocks is a monument to commemorate the completion of the bitumen sealing of the highway in 1976.

The next day we made our way to Hughenden another little town with a great affiliation with dinosaurs after the first fossil was found in 1865.  'Mutt' the Muttaburrasaurus stands proudly as you enter town just waiting for budding photographers to show up and snap him.  We did of course!

In the main street we found the Federation Rotunda made from two 20' windmills brought from a local property.  These are dated 1912 and 1916 and is certainly a novel use for them now.  

We followed the sculpture trail along the street seeing, Darby the dinosaur, Leanneosaur the Queensland Pterosaur and the large Ammonite sculpture and finally stopped at the Ernest Henry Bridge crossing The Flinders River.  This river is Queenslands longest extending 1004 km and flowing into the Gulf of Carpentaria.  There was not a drop of water to be seen in it today.

Other attractions around Hughenden are further afield and the four National Parks are somewhere we want to come back to and explore another time.  Porcupine Gorge in particular sounds wonderful.

Still too early to stop for the night we jumped back in the car and made a way 50 or so km along the highway to the tiny town of Prairie where we camped in the back of The Prairie Hotel.

With a population of just 50, Prairie was once a main horse change centre for Cobb and Co coaches.  The pub is another outback gem and we enjoyed another evening with fellow travellers over a fabulous meal and a drink or two.  

Not too far down the road the next morning we stopped for morning tea at another 'gravel pit' and decided once more to set up for the day and night.  Lots of Grevilleas and birds here and wide open spaces away from the road made for a lovely spot to while away the day and play with the many honeyeaters who spent the day with us.

The next morning we made our way into Charters Towers and found a home in one of the caravan parks there.  Once the washing was done we shopped in town as supplies were getting low and back at home we chilled out under the awning with Allan and Bron who we met at Prairie.  

The next day we drove up to the lookout and enjoyed learning more about this former gold mining town.  Just 13 km out of town we had a look at Burdekin Weir, the source of the towns water supply.  The water was running over the spillway and was great to see a river flowing our first for a number of days.

We also found a memorial tree stump to the explorer Leichhardt.  This replica replaces the original which now sits under water since the weir was built.

We left the next day and made our way in Townsville arriving at our kerbside location just after lunch.  Pat and Sandy welcomed us once more and we enjoyed the afternoon on the veranda catching up.  That evening we had dinner at the hotel over the road with them, Alan, Shane and Cheryl who had flown in that day for the reunion.  You could say this was the pre reunion party and a good time was had by all.  And so for now we'll hit the sack and be ready to enjoy the next few days in reunion mode.

Until then .......

Looking round Longreach and travelling north........

We arrived at the campground in Longreach and were amazed by the number of vans here.  Once again this is a campground set up by the town and for the grand sum of $3 per night you can join the masses and stay a while.  We paid for three nights and set about making ourselves comfortable.  Not quite the peaceful river front address we were imagining but with so many of the roads closed by the heavy rain we were lucky to have this.

The camp is beside the Thomson River and many of the people are here to fish as well as to see all that Longreach has to offer.  We had a walk down to the river and while we found found a lot of fisher folk we did not see too many with fish.

Longreach is known as 'the heart of the Queensland outback' and surrounded as it by vast arid plains and outback stations it is easy to see why.  It is also home to a large number of attractions all set to separate the tourist from their dollars and we joined the many others happy to oblige.

We decided that while we were here we wanted to have a look at the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame and so drove down on Saturday morning to see The Outback Stockman's Show first.  Wow, what an amazing place.  We enjoyed the show which is meant to educate and showcase the skills of the stockman and his animals.  Lachie Cossor, a third generation breaker, (from Yackandandah) is the featured stockman.  Together with his horses, sheep, dogs and Jigsaw the BIG Brahman, (there is 1100 kg of beef in this docile beast) he keeps you entertained and enlightened.  Lots of laughs were had as he talked and sang his way through the next hour or so.

After the show we decided that there was just too much too see all in one day and so picked up a pass for the next day and headed home for lunch.  We returned later in the afternoon and had a look at the Hugh Sawrey Art Gallery showcasing outback artists.

Taking a break from all things Stockmen we crossed the road to have a look at The Qantas Jumbo.  This Boeing 747 together with a 707 and a DC3 stand in front of the Qantas Founders Museum.  We did not go in this time but will leave that for the next time we pass this way.

The next morning we returned to The Hall of Fame and continued our look at all things Stockmen.  The stories of Australia are shared through a number of galleries which include Discovery, Pioneers, Outback Properties, Life in the Outback and Stockmen.  The Royal Flying Doctor Service display is a very popular attraction as well.  I really can't tell you which area I enjoyed most, it was all so well done and the many interactive displays really add an extra element.  I must say picking up a handset in the telecommunications display brought a smile to my face when the cranky voice on the other end said 'can't get this bastard phone to work'.  Seems like there have been issues from day one!

A new exhibit this year celebrates the contribution of indigenous stockmen and there are a collection of videos you can watch and hear as many people tell their story.  All very well done and two days were not really enough, you could easily lose a week in there if time permitted.

Back at home we got sorted in readiness to leave the next morning.  It had been a nice break but it was time to keep moving northward.  While the sun had shone for two days it was still freezing at night and long sleeves and jeans were still the dress of the day.  Where is this warm weather we are seeking?

Another feature of this campground are the resident roosters.  Apparently the five that were here last year have become fourteen and whilst they are very handsome chaps they are not what you want under your awning in the morning.  As they were this morning!

The next morning saw us pull out of camp and into Longreach, fill up with water and shop before hitting the road again and heading up to Winton.  Just out of the town we stopped for the night at Long Waterhole and while it was a nice place to stop for the night we were soon tucked up inside with the heater on.  The nights continue to be under 5 deg and though the days are getting sunnier they are not much warmer yet.  We are still in jeans and jumpers!

The next morning we made our way into town and found the Courthouse where we had to cast our vote in the upcoming election.  With that done we had a look at the Banjo Paterson sculpture in the Main Street.  The Heritage listed Corfield and Fitzmaurice building takes centre stage and certainly stands out.

A couple of blocks away we found Arno's wall.  This two metre high wall has evolved over the years.  Built by a quirky local it is made from rock from Opaltown and studded with whatever seems to be lying around.  There is even a kitchen sink!  

A few blocks away on the edge of town we found The Musical Fence.  This unusual attraction gives us all a chance to let the hidden muso in us out for a short while.  Bill almost mastered the fence but I think he made a better drummer.  No, he's not bringing them home with him.

We drove on stopping for lunch at a series of rock formations which wiki camps called The Pinnacle.  I couldn't find any information at all to know if this is the real name but it certainly stood out on the otherwise flat landscape.

Our next stop was just up the road in McKinlay.  This little town and it's hotel became famous as Walkabout Creek in the Crocodile Dundee movies.  The hotel was renamed and it is a fun place to stop  and check out The Never Never Tour Company where the old truck is still parked out the front.  

It was the 30 year anniversary of the movie this year and apparently Walkabout Creek Hotel was the place to be.  Shame we were a few months late but we still enjoyed a hot shower, a nice meal and a glass of red with many other fellow travellers.

The next day we drove on to Cloncurry where we stopped to look at Mary Kathleen Memorial Park.  The visitors centre is here and an outdoor display featuring historic mining, rail and farm equipment.  There is also a bronze plaque commemorating Burke and Wills who together with their companions King and Gray were the first known Europeans to come to this area in 1861 on their ill fated expedition to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

We drove a few km out of town to have lunch at Chinaman Creek Dam, an absolutely beautiful spot on a sunny day.  Bill found some birds to play with while I made lunch.  The view across the dam with Mt Leviathan centre stage was lovely too but we had to keep moving, no camping allowed here.

Just 50 km up the road we followed the signs to Corella Dam and Clem Walton Reserve.  Camping was allowed here and we were going to take a break for a few days if we could find a spot.  The first place at the dam was like surburbia and didn't look appealing at all so we followed the directions to the reserve itself and found our own little piece of paradise beside the Corella River.  

We stayed here for four days and really enjoyed just chilling out with the birds.  Lots and lots of budgies nesting in the white gums beside the river.  

Cockatiels by the dozen looking for nesting sites in the same trees.  Rainbow Bee Eaters and Sacred Kingfishers, Red Wing Parrots, Pelicans, Herons and a pair of Whistling Kites building a nest all kept Bill and his camera busy for most of the time.  

One of the days we drove the 70 km into Mount Isa to have a look around this iconic mining town.  On the drive from Cloncurry to Mount Isa the landscape changes dramatically from the vast flat grazing land to the red rocky hills synonymous with mining.

While there we drove up to the Lookout where the view over Mount Isa Mines on one side and the growing town on the other is pretty special.

Back on the ground we checked out 'The Outback at Isa', The Miner sculpture and the shopping precinct.  Of course no matter where you were you could always see the 270m smoke stack towering over the town.

Back at the river Bill also practiced his camp fire skills as he lit a fire and cooked two of the nights.  I think I could get used to this.  We left on Sunday morning and made our way back into Cloncurry where we spent the day in one of the caravan parks to wash the clothes and the hair.  Back into the wild again tomorrow.

until next time........