We revisit some favourite places......

and find some new ones.  We woke to another lovely morning but there was no time to sit around as it was time for us to hit the road again.  We stopped for a final coffee at the Mareeba Heritage Museum and then we were on our way.  

Our last drive through the tablelands was a pleasant one with all localities enjoying a fine sunny day.  We stopped at Ravenshoe for a loo break before continuing on to Archer Creek Rest Area where we stayed overnight.   

Leaving Archer Creek the next morning we made our way along the Savannah Way  passing Innot Hot Springs, Mt Garnet and Mt Surprise.  The road has shrunk to a one lane bitumen road for much of the drive but the sides are smooth so it’s not too bad if you have to get over.  

After stopping along the way in a gravel pit for coffee we continued on to Georgetown where we stopped for lunch in the park. After lunch we drove the 21 km on to Cumberland Chimney where we stayed for a few days.  After the lovely green landscapes of the tablelands for the last few weeks it seems very dry out here.  The area around the waterhole is certainly the driest we have seen it.

Bill got up with the birds today and had a walk around the waterhole.  Lots of water birds feeding early.  The many Magpie Geese this year make the waterhole look very busy.  Later in the morning we went and spent a couple of hours in the shelter just watching life on and around the billabong.  We met some lovely people as they came in for a look or to set up camp.  

The next day was again spent with the birds at Cumberland Chimney.  We met more nice folk at the shelter and whiled away the afternoon just watching life on the wing.

During the afternoon the local policeman, based at Forsayth, did a drive through as he had done the day before.  He stopped and had a chat with us for a while.  He has just bought a caravan and he and Bill exchanged stories of van salesmen.  A lovely bloke and a nice change of pace for a while.  During our stay these Rufous Throated Honeyeaters were very active in the trees around our camp.

We woke early and got packed and ready to roll so as to miss the heat of the day.  Yes, heat!  At last we have found some warmer weather.  It is very much warmer out this way and very much drier as well.  For the first time this trip it is well over 30 deg.

After three lovely days here it was time to move on so we drove the 140 km to Croydon where we stayed the night in the Caravan Park.  Washed our clothes, our hair and us so now we are ready to go feral again for a few days.  

I love the new artwork at the entrance to town.  And that evening we luxuriated in air conditioning until it cooled down a bit.  35 deg was a bit of a shock to the system!

Another early morning as we packed up to leave Croydon but not before enjoying a coffee at the General Store.  It is such a joy to find a good coffee out in the middle of nowhere.  As we drove past the pub back to the main road I noticed a painted water tank in the beer garden.  We stopped and I took the picture before heading off.  

The quintessential Aussie bushman and his dog made a nice scene as did the drover on the other side of the tank.

We drove on towards Normanton but stopped about 28 km short to stay for a couple of nights at Leichhardt Lagoon.  This is a lovely campground separated from the working station and manned by caretakers.  

The lagoon is teeming with bird life, mainly water birds, and we enjoyed just sitting and watching them for the rest of the day trying to stay in the shade as the temperature climbed to 37 deg.  No air con here!  

Sunsets are another reason people stop here and we joined some of the other campers to watch.  It was lovely though not as spectacular as some we have seen.

Bill got up early the next morning to see the birds.  The Brolgas and the Black Necked Stork (Jabiru) were working the edge and made it easier to get photos of them.

It was a much cooler morning but the wind was terrible and as a result the dust was flying everywhere.  We heard on the news that there were dust storms right through Central and Western Queensland.  Another feature of this property is Ferdinand the Bull.  He likes to swim in the Lagoon eating the waterlilies.  Each day the caretaker has to chase him off.  I didn't see him in action but Bill caught him on his early morning walk.

As the day wore on the wind eased a bit so we were able to enjoy the great outdoors again during the afternoon.  We enjoyed another nice sunset and a drink with Chris, Bill, Denise and Bill.  We had met them all at Cumberland Chimney and then again here.  

The next morning we packed up and drove into Normanton where we had a coffee before we headed down the long bumpy road to Burke and Wills Roadhouse where we stayed the night in their campground.  I loved the mural on the wall of the beer garden.

We treated ourselves to breakfast the next morning at Burke and Wills Roadhouse.  The bacon and eggs were delicious and then it was time to drive on to Julia Creek.

The Wills Development Rd was very similar to yesterday’s Burke Development Rd.  A mix of single lane bitumen with plenty of two lane sections thrown in to allow for passing.  I must say that I was very grateful that the 4 trailer road train coming towards us was on one of the wider parts of the road.  It was fully loaded with cattle.

We stopped a bit later to make coffee and then set off again with about an hour to go.  Just 20 mins down the road we saw something on the side of the road.  As we got closer we saw it was an overturned car and caravan.  A man and lady were just standing there looking at it.

We stopped to see if we could help.  The lady driving had lost control on the gravel edge about 20 mins earlier.  Of course there was no signal at all where we were but straight after we stopped another cattle truck stopped, checked how we all were and said they would call it in as soon as they got a signal.

We met a few other lovely people who stopped to offer assistance but there was really nothing to do other than wait.  Both of them were obviously in shock but seemed to be coping at the moment.  I’m sure it will all hit later today.

We waited with Sabrina and Peter until the ambulance arrived and we sincerely hope they will be alright and that both the insurances pay out on the car and van.  I imagine both will be a write off.  

Once we said goodbye we continued on to Julia Creek and came across a large mob of cattle being mustered along the road.  The guys on the buggy led us through and we continued on.

Arriving in Julia Creek we had a walk through town and then made our way to their fabulous RV free camp just out of town.  We settled in for a quiet afternoon here.  The weather continues to be windy so a lot of dust is still blowing around making the great outdoors not so pleasant to be in at the moment.  The temperature is in the mid 20’s again as we have moved south and the nights are under 10 deg again.  Our warm spell didn’t last too long!  Bills not happy!

We left Julia Creek the next morning but not before we checked out the new cafe in town.  Corrine’s Place was lovely and the coffee excellent.  Let’s hope they are still there when we visit next time.

We drove into Cloncurry where we did some shopping and bought fuel before stopping for lunch at Chinaman Creek Dam.  

After we finished we continued on stopping for the day at Mary Kathleen free camp where we are going to stay for a couple of nights.  Mary Kathleen, was a uranium mining town, about halfway way between Mount  Isa.  It is now a ghost town with an abandoned mine and no buildings.

My research tells me that The Mary Kathleen uranium discovery was made by Clem Walton and Norm McConachy in 1954, and named after McConachy's wife.  The exploration and mining rights were sold to Rio Tinto in 1955 who formed Mary Kathleen Uranium Ltd to develop a mine and service town.  

It was officially opened in October 1958 by The Right Honorable Robert Gordon Menzies and the then Qld Premier, The Honorable G.E.R. Nicklin, and today the commemorative plaque is the only thing still standing.  

The ore was mined by the open-cut method and processed on site. The town, six km away, was built around a shallow valley with a post office, cinema, sports ovals, a school, banks and a community store. By 1963 the major supply contract signed with the UK Atomic Energy Authority had been satisfied ahead of schedule, and large reserves of ore lay at grass. Consequently, the works were closed down. New supply contracts with Japanese, German and American power utilities prompted a re-opening in 1974, with Mary Kathleen's second life extended to 1982 when reserves were finally exhausted. The site was rehabilitated, and most of the buildings sold and removed. The site became well known for fossicking and gem-stone collecting, and now is favourite free camp for the many travellers that pass this way.  

The town layout is still visible and concrete pads on each block give you an idea of how suburban it must have looked.  

After months of camping in dirt and dry grass it seemed quite luxurious to camp on a concrete pad.  During the afternoon we drove out to see the mine.  It certainly is a dramatic sight after a rough ride and a bit of a walk to get there.  The colour of the water is just amazing.

We left bright and early on Saturday morning as we wanted to arrive nice and early at our next stop just down the road.

We camped at Clem Walton Park beside the beautiful Corella River.  Having been here before we know how quickly these spots fill up when someone leaves.  We were very lucky and found a lovely spot just 15 mins after it had been vacated.  In fact we passed the van on the way in.  And so here we stay for a few days enjoying this lovely place.

It’s quite amazing how fast the days go when you’re just sitting enjoying the river, the birds and the delightful weather that we have at the moment.  The reflections on the river that afternoon show what a perfect place this to spend a few days.  One afternoon this Juvenile Nankeen Night Heron had us in stitches as he played with this stick.  Not sure what he was doing but he really tried to beat it up.

On Monday morning we dragged ourselves away from the river and drove into Mount Isa to pick up supplies so we could enjoy our idyllic camp for the rest of the week.  We did the shopping, had a delicious lunch at the Coffee Club, caught up with all things digital (as there was no signal at the river) then drove back home to relax once more.  These sculptured horses seem to be a new addition to the town since we were here last.

The next day was very windy but lovely in the sun.  The full on fight mid stream by two Darters was one of the highlights of our day.

We continued to relax by the river for the next couple of days.  Lots of books were read, puzzles done and birds watched.  The next afternoon we took a walk to the dam wall and   found a lovely tranquil pool at the base but as it’s all fenced off we couldn’t get to the top to see the dam.  The rest of the day was spent watching the beautiful birds and the monitors sunning themselves in the sun.

Finally our time beside the river has come to an end and we must pack up and head into Mount Isa.  As you approach the city the large Chimney and the mine certainly dominate the skyline.  

We booked into a Caravan Park for the night as I had lots of washing to do.  Next was the shopping as we were stocking up for the next couple of weeks as we head away from civilisation for a while.  We had lunch at a fabulous cafe called the Xtra Mile.  Great coffee and the food was pretty good too.  

And so now all is ready for us to head off again tomorrow, stay tuned and see where we end up next.

until next time.......

Looking around the Tablelands........

A lovely sunny morning to start our day.  Bill joined Linda and a tour group for Billy tea and Damper.  After the washing was done we drove into Mareeba to check out the information centre.  Bill wants to see if they would be interested in taking some of his cards.  They were and we took them back during the afternoon.  We’ll see how they go up here.  The rest of the day was spent quietly at home enjoying the birds.

Just like home Saturday is market day for many places across the country.  This morning  we drove to Yungaburra to check out their market.  Leanne, our friend from next door, has a stall there so we were interested to see her and what else was around.  Polka Dots and Paisley was busy when we got there and I even got to sell a baby headband while I watched the stall for her.

We enjoyed looking around and I bought a pretty Ulysses Butterfly print, some metal straws and some Beeswax wraps.  We met some lovely people and Bill has some new ideas for when we return home.

Once the market was finished we had some lunch at the Whistle Stop Cafe and then returned home to relax for the rest of the afternoon.  Sunday was spent in the same manner relaxing at home.

Waking on Monday morning we decided that today would be the day we found our Southern Cassowary.  We packed lunch and set off early for the drive down to Etty Bay.

We stopped in Malanda and had coffee at the Bakery.  Across the road I found this lovely mural in the supermarket car park.  From here we continued our long drive down the range enjoying the scenery as we went.  

As we drove around the last bend into the beach we passed the usual ‘Recent Cassowary Crossing’ sign and not far on Bill stopped the car and said ‘look’.  Right there in front of us was a Cassowary quietly feeding on the edge of the road.

There were a number of people on the other side of the road taking pictures.  Bill backed up a little, parked the car and took some pictures through the windscreen.  He got out then and crossed the road and for about 20 mins was able to get some great photos of this very unique bird.  

My pictures are from my phone through the window as I didn’t want to spook it though I think it was quite comfortable with it’s audience.  Needless to say mine are not here.  And so my mythical bird is a myth no longer.  Our long drive was well and truly worth the effort.

Driving on we parked at the beach and spent another couple of hours there.  We never saw the adult bird again but did see a couple of adolescents wandering around.  The second one was almost as unconcerned with an audience as the adult.  

After lunch at the beach we decided that we would return home via Cairns and so had a drive along the Bruce Hwy and then back up the Kuranda Range.  It was a long day but we are thrilled with the pictures we got and so glad that we have finally seen this beautiful bird.  

After our big day out yesterday we decided a quiet day at home was what we needed, we had coffee with Linda and then I helped her with all the washing from the accommodation.

We spent another quiet day at home and Bill took me down to have a look at the camp sites by the river.  The first time I have ever been down there. The Barron River looked lovely and Bill stayed down there for a while to see what birds he could find.  The Straw Necked Ibis was happy to oblige.

Later in the evening we met Marg, Gary, Jarrad and Anika for dinner at the Gateway Hotel in Mareeba.  It was great to see them all again.

On waking the next morning we decided we would try our luck at finding the Lumholtz Tree Kangaroo.  They are said to be found around Malanda Falls.  We drove down and had a walk around the falls but had no luck.  The people in the information centre had told us that the most reliable place to see them was at Nerada Tea Estate at the visitors centre.

What a lovely place it was.  Tea planted as far as the eye could see.  With the distant mountains it is usually a very picturesque scene.  Today though there there was a huge black storm cloud coming across the mountain so we headed inside the cafe before it rained.  

Inside one of the girls saw the camera and told Bill that a Mother and Baby were just outside in the tree tops and to get pics first before they moved.   We went back and found them and got some wonderful photos.  We got back inside just before the rain hit and enjoyed a tasty Devonshire Tea.  We learnt that the tea gardens have been on this sight since the 1950’s when Dr Allan Maruff, a migrant from India,  bought the land and planted seedlings found at an old failed tea plantation (near Mossman) dating back to the 1880’s.  His first harvest was from 32 hectares of tea.

Throughout the years there have been many changes of ownership and today Nerada Tea is the largest producer of Australian-grown tea in the world. In 15 years, the Nerada Tea range has grown from five products to 85, extending its range from black tea to green tea, white tea and a range of infusions.  The Nerada plantation is now home to more than 360 hectares of tea and delivers 6.6 million kilos of fresh tea leaves to the Nerada Tea processing factory every year. That’s more than 1.5 million kilos of black tea per year.  I’m guessing that’s an awful lot of cups of tea!

Before we left we had another look for the Tree Kangaroos and got some more pictures of them together.  They certainly are very cute and so agile in the tree tops.

We returned home and got ready to go out for dinner with Linda, Gracyn, Sam and Leanne.  We had a great night out at the Mareeba Leagues Club, a delicious meal and I won not one of the raffle prizes but two.  A meat tray and a breakfast tray so it’s breakfast for us all on Sunday morning.

After our visit to the tea plantation yesterday we decided that today we would check out a coffee plantation.  We drove the 15 km or so out to Skybury Coffee and enjoyed a good coffee and another lovely, though cloudy, view from the veranda.  

We learnt that coffee was first grown in Tropical North Queensland from 1880 to 1926.  The early plantations, situated from Mission Beach in the south to Cooktown in the north, supplied nearly 40% of Australia’s coffee and won awards in Europe for excellent quality of the coffee.  The first of the modern commercial coffee plantations was planted in 1981 and now Mareeba continues to be Australia’s coffee growing capital with over a dozen plantations in the region, growing more than 70% of the total Australian Crop.  Guess we are going to have to try some of the others too.

Back in town we dodged the rain, yes it’s been raining on and off for a couple of days, and picked up some shopping before returning home to while away the afternoon under the awning.

The first Saturday of each month is market day in Atherton so we drove over to have a look.  Following the directions from the website we arrived to find an empty park.

We checked at the information centre and was told a different place.  We stopped at Gallery 5, a lovely cafe, for a coffee before going on.  I loved the Historic artwork on the walls. Outside was cool, wet and thoroughly miserable but we were here so off we went in search of the market.  We found it but didn’t stop.  Just three stalls selling veggies and no one there.  Hopefully they went home soon too.

Back at home the grey morning had developed into a grey drizzling day so an afternoon inside was the only option.  Hopefully the weather will improve soon.

It continued to rain throughout the night and into Sunday morning but it wasn’t going to stop us enjoying breakfast on the deck at Leanne’s place.  The cute little White Lipped Green Tree Frog joined us at the table.  It was time to get into the great breakfast tray I had won the other night.  Leanne and Bill cooked up a storm while Linda and I took care of table service and dishes and we all enjoyed a delicious breakfast.  Back at home we didn’t need to eat for the rest of the day and spent the day out of the wind and drizzle.  Where oh where has the nice weather gone?

The rain seemed to have stopped the next morning and so we decided to head over to Yungaburra and Lake Eacham.  Unfortunately no one had told the weather gods not to rain and it continued to drizzle on that side of the tablelands.  We drove out to the lake but decided it was too damp and dark for photos.  

On the way out however Bill found a patch of grass in the sun and so we pulled up there and enjoyed an hour or so with the many birds that came and went.  The Yellow Boatbill and the Pied Monarch were two of the birds we saw while there.

Finally we turned for home stopping for a late lunch at the Malanda Bakery on the way.  We found this interesting mosaic Totem Poles in the park as we walked back to the car.  Back at home the sun had shone most of the day though a few clouds had come over later.  

Tuesday was a day of girl talk as I visited Yahni and had my hair cut.  It was so nice to feel human again.  Bill picked me up and we had lunch in town and then he delivered me to Leanne’s place where I was going to learn how to make little bags for our market stall.  

Bill drove to Mt Molloy and spent a couple of hours with the camera and found some lovely birds during the afternoon.  The Spangled Drongos played happily among the flowers.

Of course he got to visit our favorite cafe without me but he did bring home two of their tasty Feta and Sweet Potato muffins which we enjoyed with salad for dinner.

We woke to a little more sun this morning and after checking the Cairns forecast we decided to drive down and have a look at the Esplanade and see what birds we could find.

As we drove down the range we disappeared into the cloud and it started to rain.  Absolutely not what we were expecting.  We continued on hoping that it would be clear at the bottom.  Dark grey skies met us and continued all day with a few patches of drizzle.  

We decided that we would walk along the beautiful Esplanade anyway and I found a couple of new sculpture pieces I hadn’t seen before.  The Dancer and The Diver look pretty good with the mudflats in the background though until I saw the pictures I couldn’t quite make out what they were.

As we walked along the boardwalk we could see that the tide was on its way in so the birds would be a bit closer soon.

Not far along Bill found a Beach Stone Curlew and was able to get some great pictures of it.  Always said to be here this was the first time we had seen one.

A bit further on he stopped and the curlew was right up close so a few more photos were taken.  We continued walking along and as we came into the edge of the shopping area we stopped for lunch.

Here we found a shop full of all sorts of art, bags, t shirts, pictures and cards made by Sobrane, the street artist who has painted the Tungamah Silos.  Her work was fabulous but as I’ve spent more than I should have this year I left it there.

After lunch we began our walk back to the car and now the tide was well in.  Lots of birds were very close and made great subjects for Bill to capture.  

The Eastern Curlew catching and eating a rather large crab was a highlight and I can’t imagine how it could swallow the large wriggly thing.

Just as we were approaching the car the sun came out for the first time today and at last the cloud had lifted off the mountains.  Back in the car we made our way back up the range and arrived home to find the sun had shone for most of the day.  A winner for the solar panels but a shame it hadn’t been quite so accommodating where we were.

Bill spent the rest of the afternoon and evening culling and editing the hundreds of photos he had taken as well as playing with the Juvenile Pied Butcher Bird which comes to visit us each day.

At last we woke to a clear blue sky here in Mareeba.  The forecast is for mostly sunny so we’ll wait and see what happens.  It is getting a little warmer at last.

We decided we would drive out to see Dimbulah the next day.  We had been going to go are far as Chillagoe but decided as we had left a bit late in the morning that Dimbulah would do.

Once there we had a quick look around and other than the quirky Camp 64, a cafe/ museum, there wasn’t much else to see.  We enjoyed a coffee in the garden and were quite amused when it was time to go to the loo.  The sign on the door stating Thomas Crapper and Company said it all.

Inside we found more posters and mentions of this famous man including a photo of his Great Grand Nephew David Crapper from when he visited here in 2015.  I can still remember the night we were playing Trivial Pursuit with friends, sometime in the ‘80’s, and the question came up - Who invented the first flush toilet!  Of course we all thought the answer - Thomas Crapper - was a huge joke.  It wasn’t!

After leaving Dimbulah we drove back into Mareeba and went out to Jaques Coffee Plantation.   I wonder if this is Jaque greeting us at the door.  The Jaques family have a long history growing coffee in Australia, they developed the worlds first mechanical coffee harvester and after many trials and tribulations the 3rd generation growers now grow the perfect coffee in a Plantation consisting of 85,000 Arabica Coffee trees on rich soils.  We certainly enjoyed our lunch and delicious coffee here.

Back at home we had a quiet afternoon before heading out with Leanne for dinner at the Leagues Club.  No prizes tonight but the Jack Daniel Pork Ribs were delicious.

A great night and so sorry that Rod is working away and missing out on all the fun.

Friday morning was almost a repeat of yesterday and so we decided to go and do the Waterfall Circuit starting at Millaa Millaa.  These most picturesque falls are Queensland Heritage Listed and have been attracting visitors for over a century so I thought it was high time we visited them.  

A quick stop in Malanda for coffee and then our next stop was at Millaa Millaa Falls.  It is said that these falls are the most photographed falls in Queensland and you can certainly see why once there.There was a bus load of young tourists enjoying a swim but we managed to get some photos without to many people in them.  Our next stop was to Zillie Falls and we found them very different from the others.  It was hard to get a great shot from the viewing platform.  There was an unformed bush track down to the bottom but it looked very steep and slippery so we didn’t go down.

The third and final waterfall was Elinjaa Falls and we did walk down the long steep steps to the bottom.  Very different from Millaa Millaa but still beautiful and worth the walk.  Bill got a little closer than I did as you can see.  After we climbed back up the stairs we continued on to Mungali Creek Dairy, NQ’s only Biodynamic Dairy, where we shared a delicious Ploughman’s platter for lunch.  Another very colourfully painted cow greeted us at the entrance.  

Leaving the rest of the falls for another day we drove home via Mt Hypipamee National Park where Bill enjoyed a couple of hours with the many birds that came in to visit us.

We had thoroughly enjoyed our day and we hope the beautiful weather continues for the next few days before it is time for us to leave this lovely part of the world.  Driving around over the last few weeks the views have been simply stunning.

This Saturday was Mareeba Market Day so we left early and went to have a look.  It was a medium sized market with much more fresh fruit and vegetables than the others.  We had a walk around and left with a few goodies to have with coffee later.  A quiet afternoon and evening at home finished the day.  It was good to see the little Double Barred Finches as they came to drink at the leaking sprinkler head.

On Sunday morning we drove back to Cairns to have a look at The Monster Market.  This Art and Craft Market joins forces with a Succulent Market and a Swap Meet at the Show Grounds.

We found some lovely work that we hadn’t seen at some of the other places and enjoyed talking to Leanne and some of the other stall holders.  

After we left we had a walk around Cairns and wandered through Rusty’s Market in the city centre.   A little like Queen Vic or South Melbourne it was almost closing as we walked through.  Lots of people still buying last minute bargains though.

Back at home we caught up with Linda before she headed off to Laura for a couple of days.  

A very early start saw us up and out at 7.45 am.  The arctic blast down south was affecting the weather here and it was a very chilly 8 deg.  We were off to get a new windscreen fitted. 

On our way back from Innisfail a couple of weeks ago we were hit by a rock from a passing car.  The tiny chip started to travel the next day before we could get it fixed.  Let’s hope it’s the only one this year.

While it got fitted we had breakfast at a local cafe.  Once we picked it up we went to Coles and shopped in readiness to leave tomorrow.  

Back at home we both did what we could before heading next door to say farewell to Leanne.  She had invited us over and we enjoyed a final afternoon on the deck and a delicious lunch.  Thanks so much for your wonderful hospitality.  It’s been lovely to catch up again.

So after a fabulous five weeks or so exploring this lovely part of Far North Queensland it is time to say goodbye again and begin our journey south.   Which way we go is still a bit of a mystery so you will have to stay tuned to see.

until next time........