Last leg of an epic journey

OK, so the title is just a touch dramatic.

The last part of our adventure together has been more like typical annual leave than the "free spirit adventure" we've enjoyed for the rest of our time away. We've had a nice week or so, starting with time on the Gold Coast catching up with Jo-Ann, one of Jane's long term mates, followed by a couple of days in the later day "real Byron" (Suffolk Park, near Byron, really laid back for a Caravan Park/location),


then two nights at Red Rock CVP (another laid back location, this time near Coffs Harbour)









and a night at Diamond Head in the National Park.


What we had planned was to spend a final few days relaxing at Myall River but that plan turned sadly sour when our beautiful Cattle Dog Toby suddenly fell ill and had to be euthanatized (yep, not a happy end to the journey). So we dashed home in the hope of not having him go before we could say goodbye but it wasn't to be.








So back to when it all started .... we were so looking forward to this adventure and sometimes the anticipation is the best part .... but not this time. We have loved our entire time away together. 
  

             







We're now back to our normal life, for a few years at least. We have enjoyed a special experience together in which we've met some wonderful people, seen just a small part of this amazing country and appreciated just how good it is to be alive and healthy.


As we settle back in at home (which by the way is a pretty damn good life anyway), we can now confidently look forward to a future that will include at least a few months each year hooking up our box on wheels and heading out to be a road block on the highway of life. Perhaps John's nickname (pothole ... always in the road) will become a reality as we wobble along some of the byways of this wonderful country.  We hope you've enjoyed keeping up with our journey. our next major one will be as grey (ie experienced) nomads some time into the future.

Cheers,
John & Jane

Lesson of the week

 Too many to list, but the overwhelming one is

"get out there and enjoy your life, you're a long time dead"

Qld mid coast trek

We've been away from civilisation (well, 3G) for a while and so have a bit to catch you up on.

After leaving Airlie Beach and it's pretty surrounds (in particular Cape Gloucester/Hydeaway Bay) behind us, we took the advice of Mick (the guy living out of his car/swag) and found Boulder Creek. Yes, it's a different place to The Boulders of a little while ago. This is another really pretty location which is made available and kept mowed by a generous cane grower (apparently an ex US Lawyer who has had a sizeable "tree change" in life). Another local who lost his son in a car accident nearby this location lobbied and had a built toilet and has kept it clean/maintained for over 15 years along with a picnic area as part of a monument to his son. Wonderful and sad all at once!

The creek had pristine water which was spring fed only a few hundred metres before the campsite, so we had no shortage of water!

One of the peculiar joys of this camp was the local dog Rex - the photo looks like there is mist around however it's an angel's halo. He is a brilliant natured dog - other campers had heard of the place when they were 500km away because of Rex. His poor owner is most upset as she has to send her husband or children down every night to collect him as he loves camp life so much, he returns every morning. He gives a hearty and welcoming bark to every new arrival and we had the joy of him crying at the front door until we got up and paid him plenty of attention.

This camp is a good base for exploring Finch Hatton Gorge and also the general area through to Eungella.

This photo gives some idea of the might of a river in flood. The tree is massive and was ripped out and travelled a considerable distance crashing into and through large boulders, coming to rest after destroying the small stepping stone path to it's right.

There were also several waterholes that at a warmer time of year would be extremely inviting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We had been told about a free camp right at Carmila Beach which is between Mackay and Rockhampton. We didn't like our chances but headed there in hope of getting in and low and behold, folks were just departing from the pick of the sites. So we settled in for some serious relaxing for a few days. With the beach 14 steps from the door of the van and the next nearest camping site around 20m away, we were in heaven!

 

Yep, this was the view we arrived to!

There were a fair few optimists (fishermen) however their hopes went largely unrewarded. The exception was this bloke (seated) who did ok. Problem for him ... the tide goes out a long way and when he was still in the same posi on the beach 3 hours later and the tide was out some 500m, it was a giveaway that he'd also probably enjoyed a few ales and the sun a little too much!

Sun rise in paradise!!

We again packed up to continue our "smorgasbord" experience of life on the road, this time making a one night stop at a location only 4km off a "highway" that no one we had met to date believed existed. Lake Victoria is a joy compared to many places and especially a road side camp. We got to meet three couples (2 brothers, one sister, together with spouses, all early to late 70's and having a ball) who were escaping the cold of Braidwood and Yass. With 30+ metres of caravan "5th wheeler" living area between them, as well as gazebos and all manner of gadgets, they were intending to stay put until a promise of bearable weather at home.

Next day, we stopped for a wee break at a rest stop and ran into a couple we'd been camped next to at Rollingstone. He pointed to debris caught in a tree some 5 metres or so above ground level where they had floated to during the floods. A short distance along the road, a huge branch was wedged into another tree at a similar height. Note to selves (as if we weren't already fully aware) .... no camping in Qld valleys when there are flood warnings!

Cania Gorge was yet another word of mouth recommendation. There is a peaceful caravan park and another different and equally enjoyable set of walks through the gorge. We were lucky that on our long day's walk (3.5 hours), we met a couple at the start and walked with them for the full gorge walks. She was only in her 70's, he was about to become an OBE (over bloody eighty). We mostly kept up, only having to get them to slow down a few times (only joking, but did they get along well!).  This photo of The Overhang definitely does not do the beauty of the gorge justice.



On to Borumba Deer Farm. It was ok, with only a few sites being used and we found a very quiet spot down by the river to settle. Jane made her first "on the road" fire which was a ripper. Again the power of a river in flood was highly evident. For those caught in the floods, it would have been terrifying.


 

We were thinking the location was "only ok" until the morning when we had four deer grazing around the van. Whilst they wouldn't' t let us touch them, they came to within a couple of metres.

 

So now we are on to the "tourist park" section of the trip with at least the next week in parks. Four nights in Caloundra were very relaxing, walking on the beach, watching whales (mother and baby) and doing day trips. The stop at Caloundra was, to date, and probably forever will be, officially our shortest day's drive on the "black top". We had to move sites as we'd only booked two days, so we bid our neighbours farewell and moved 200m to the other side of the park!

 

The northern side of Caloundra around Dicky Beach has managed to avoid the high rise developments and remains a lovely place to holiday. This photo is of nearby Currimundi Lake

The view from the headland near Point Cartwright back towards Caloundra is also not too shabby.

 

We've not had a single day's rain for weeks and appreciate why folks make their way north for winter. We've had all the benefits of a bit of rain in the days before we arrived without the inconveniences. How lucky are we for this and everything else!

Lesson of the week

 You can't over rate sunshine .... but much more time doing this and we'd both look like our hides had been tanned.  

Beaches .... sometimes

We made our way to Rollingstone which is a little town consisting of a general store and a pub in the middle of nowhere around 5km from a pristine beach (Balgal Beach). We managed to score another classically great site at a freecamp (Bushy Parker Park). The local Council does a highly commendable job of keeping the war memorial and surrounding grounds looking brilliant.



The edge of the park has a pleasant creek and swimming hole to enjoy.










This was one of the highly sought after camping areas for nomads. One morning it was almost empty when we went out for the day, when we returned it was chockers. New arrivals were stalking sites two mornings waiting for others to leave, with the earliest arrival being before 7.30am!

The local copper made a visit to warn everyone that low lives had been busy at nearby camps overnight, cutting security chains and taking generators, solar panels, camp chairs and anything else they could presumably flog for cash. One couple found their nice new Honda generator had been replaced with an old clunker whilst they were using it .... they had noticed a short glitch in the TV show which was when the thieves swapped the power lead over.

Part of an arvo was spent supporting the local pub but listening to drunks whining about no work was too much.

We explored a couple of spots in the nearby national park. Would be great when a tad warmer and the river and swimming holes were spectacular.

The falls (Jourama) also looked great to us even through apparently they were a disappointment to a local due to the low flow.

 

Jane and another couple we've been travelling with off and on (Greg & Libby) walked ~6km from our camp site to Balgal Beach whilst John rode the bike (and went back for the car for everyone). 

 

 

 

 

 

Balgal is one of the prettiest beaches we've seen and on this gorgeous day, there was alsmost no one on it. There is also a free camp there, however you have to knock someone off and drag their van out of the way to get in, despite the 48 hour limit. So we enjoyed a fair bit of the day here and then headed back to Rollingstone for happy hour with others we'd camped with weeks earlier.




Our next stop was Blue Water Creek which is a creative name for a brown dribble (at the moment at least). Once again, Council does an outstanding job of presenting a large park and making it available for travellers to stay at. We didn't need to pack lunch or anything, given it was a short distance down the road from Rollingstone. But it meant we were a little closer to Townsville where we wanted to spend a day and also we'd otherwise exceed the permitted max 48 hour stay at Rollingstone.




The short jump into Townsville had us spending most of the day at the waterfront (The Strand) which is the highlight of the town. It's a well thought out and balanced tourist area, blending a small number of cafes etc with lush gardens and playgrounds. 

There is also a "rock pool" which is a large salt water pool right beside the ocean. No stingers which must make it a huge attraction on hot days. It was closed for maintenance however we could imagine it packed.

We walked around the CBD for a while then headed up to the lookout (Castle Hill). This is a seriously steep climb, by road it's 2.9km long. There were many more folks running/walking/riding bikes up and down it than cars however we're not that fit.






Our second day at Blue Water was the "hang around and do nothing" day and we worked damn hard to do nothing much beyond talking with others about the special places in Australia they had been to. This included meeting our oldest travellers so far. She is 84 and he is 89 and they have been travelling for 3-4 months pa since 1979. Pretty inspiring couple.

As Blue Water was another 48 hour max stay, we packed up and journeyed the ~4 hours to Airlie Beach for a couple of days. With no nearby freecamps and having decided we really wanted to see this place, we booked in to one of the tourist parks. An afternoon was spent wandering around the town, lazing by the beach pools (which are operated by Council for anyone to use and would put many "resort pools" to shame).

We considered whether to book a day out on a boat for the next day (Sat) but realised there are so many amazing locations within a short drive of Airlie and we'd not seen any of them, so we decided to save our coin and go explore one of the gems we'd been told about. It's the Dingo Beach and Hideaway Bay area. John finally got out the inflatable kayak he bought from other travellers ~7 weeks ago and managed to get around without looking too silly.

We put some of the "saved coin" into lunch at Montes Resort at Hideaway Bay. Lovely spot, amazing water colours which don't come up in these photos but included the light blue through to deep aqua hues. All in all, a very pleasant day, all the more so as showers were expected.

Another chapter ends, with us moving on tomorrow for a camp away from the water for a night or two before we hope we can get into one of the highly sought after ones below Mackay.

Just a reminder - thanks to Bonne, you can now subscribe by email if you wish so you will get an alert when we put out any updates.

Lesson of the week

 

Photos don't lie although you don't have to post the embarrassing ones
 ..... John, loose some weight!!

Last of the rainforests

We packed up and set off looking for a new home for a night. Friends had told us of a good spot beside the highway however we'd also heard of another very special one nearby there "but you won't get in, it's in such demand". So we figured what the hell, we'd give the impossible a go and try for "The Boulders" campsite. We could always head back to the other by the highway if need be. It was an inspired decision, as we duly arrived at The Boulders and had a choice of 3 campsites. We set up, went to the nearby picnic area and were again taken with the natural beauty of this area. Rainforest, waterfalls and great swimming spots (only European backpackers thought it warm enough to brave).



 Next morning, we started our journey to Paronella Park via Josephine Falls.

 Once again, the spectacular sights are not being done justice by photos!!

 On to Paronella Park which is marketed as "one man's dream" but we worked out fairly early on was more "one man's manic obsession". This bloke spent 19 years of his life building all sorts of impressive structures, gardens etc beside a magnificent waterfall, only to drop down dead a few years later. Seems the property was a little cursed for his family, however the current owner was an astute business man and is reaping the rewards ($millions pa). Half his luck for having the courage to give it a go. He seems half mad which just goes to show anyone can make a go of things.

  

 

We spent around 4 hours there between the daytime guided tour and wandering on our own and then headed back at 8pm for a night tour as well before bedding down at the on-site campground well satisfied it had been a terrific day.

The next morning, we headed south and after an exhausting 10 minute (9km) drive, stopped at a rest area beside Liverpool Creek. We haven't planned these sorts of stops with much thought, expecting to spend a night if it's no good or maybe two if it is. In spite of regular drizzle and at times heavy downpours, we stayed in this lovely spot for 3 nights. Great set of campers around us including a couple we met at Paronella (Greg & Libby), the mad Swiss bloke and his Rottweiler Ripley,

 a Pom who the system apparently accepts is chronically unemployable (but a really fun guy ... he lives full time in a swag, covered by a beach shelter and tarp, has an eskie and a ute and that's about it .... what an uncomplicated life) and another couple who have sold up and are on the road full time. Happy hours grew longer and louder, with 8 couples at our final night. The photo below was the warm up before others joined in.

 

 

 

There was also the hermit who hid out in her campervan the entire time, only emerging to empty a bucket once a day. Apparently it took our departure for her to emerge as a happy butterfly (brought to life by a large number of drinks according to the others).

Whilst we are 2/3rd's of our way through this particular journey, you can now subscribe to any updates so you get them automatically (courtesy of an amazing member of our family, the wonderful Bonnie, one half of the very important "McB" team). At the top right hand side on the blog there's now a spot for people to put in their email address and have our blog sent to them. Bonnie has also added a gadget down the very bottom for people with Google plus so they can subscribe too. We hope one or both work (ie that John hasn't somehow "optimised them") and that you enjoy the last few updates from this jaunt.

Lesson of the week

Many folks are happy whether they have lots or nothing. Some are also miserable! We seem to be mainly meeting the former thankfully!

FNQ including The Daintree

We ended up staying two nights at Rifle Creek (Mt Molloy at the northern end of the Atherton Tablelands). How can you knock back a camp area where the toilet paper doesn’t get nicked! Ended up yacking with Central Coasters (Hamlyn Terrace & Green Point) for the arvo. But all great things ..... so we made an early start, on the road by 7.30am which is a new record and one we hope to not beat..... ever....

So on to the extravagant part of the holiday. We arrived early at the Daintree River ferry and got to drag our granny flat along a most amazing rainforest road to Cape Tribulation campground. We arrived way too early and yet the relaxed staff were happy to get us onto our site straight away.
 

By pure luck, we had the best site in the campground – double length and the back half of the site next to us so we spread right out and settled in to some serious relaxing. Just as well, as the rain rained, the wind blew a gale on the beach, but that was 10m away and the foliage of the rainforest was so dense, it virtually stopped the wind reaching us. When the sun came out, we walked for miles up the beach, along board walks built by the good National Park folks and sat around some more.

  

 

Once we’d had enough seeing the rainforest near us, we headed off and spent the next couple of days exploring the other accessible parts north of the ferry. Everywhere is a smorgasbord of lush green and running water. 
  

Ok, so there was also a fair bit of grey skies that leaked regularly too.

On one of our journeys, we had the rare privilege of seeing a Cassowary as it meandered along the side of the road. It was uplifting to get to see one roaming free. They have no road sense at all and no fear of traffic, not a good combination for long term survival nearby roads! Receding rainforest is of course the major contributor for their decline numbers though (less than 1,200 in the wild). As we drove towards where it casually wandered off into the foliage on the side of the road, it had already completely disappeared which is another reason so few people get to see them. They blend in completely with the surrounding rainforest.
 
 

Cape Trib campground put on wood fired oven pizza’s which we couldn’t resist. Not much base, not much topping but what a lot of flavour and surprisingly filling. Jane found the two VB’s she scoffed added to that feeling of “elegant sufficiency” which is code for “way too much” and we headed off to bed. Have we mentioned how rough it is camping in the bush on a queen size inner spring mattress?

After three nights, lots of rainforest walks and an overall brilliant experience, we packed up for the long (<1 hour) journey to Wonga Beach where we are booked into a great little caravan park for a week with Emmy, a friend who has come up from Sydney. The park is owned/operated by Cairns Council with an on-site caretaker who really makes the place somewhere you want to holiday to. She treats everyone as special and nothing is too much trouble. Council was looking to terminate her tenure, however that’s been delayed as they realised they don’t have the right to (it is demerging back into two Councils and the park is located in the “other half). People have booked in year after year and this year was booked out as the “farewell CC” year. So we only got in because of a cancellation. 

We had a day trip to Cairns including the Botanical Gardens (well worth seeing) and also galleries including the one Emmy’s cousin is Director of (also well worth seeing). Got back late and missed happy hour!

  

Next day was out on the reef. This is our second time snorkelling on the reef and this time was as incredible as the first. We got to go to Opal Reef which apparently is rarely visited due to it being sensitive and yet one of the most interesting. The commute was a bit rough, with John spending the entire journey both ways hanging on to the supports in the centre of the boat and trying to not look green around the gills. We missed happy hour again.

A half day at Mossman Gorge was another surprise experience. Free entry ($6 for the bus if you didn’t want to walk a few km’s each way) and a superb and very affordable lunch. This place is another “must do”. Got back for happy hour which seemed to go on until shortly before kick-off then into the serious business of cane toad and cockroach bashing. At least we weren’t disgraced in game three. 
 

 We awoke to a sunny day and so changed our plans and headed back to the Daintree to spend the best part of the day at the Daintree Discovery Centre and nearby Jindalba Rainforest. The Discovery Centre cost $32 admission each and was money well spent, with walkways throughout this privately owned property varying from ground level to a suspended section through to a 27m tower. It also included a self guided audio system, which added another dimension. These gave such different perspectives of a rainforest. The couple who conceived this and built it from scratch had such vision.



 A late lunch and it was time to make our way back “home”, arriving in time to again participate in happy hour. The celebrations were on in earnest as today had been the Wonga Nut Festival (something the caretaker “CC” and her late husband conceived a number of years ago and has run every year since). There were numerous awards, so in spite of the many people participating, the vast majority won some category or another. Whilst we hadn’t been here for the festival, we were again warmly welcomed even though they knew from last night that we are Blues supporters. Usually groups that get together like these folks get very clicky however these guys all work hard to ensure everyone settles in and has a good laugh. 

Next morning, we figured a cruise on the Daintree River to view crocs was in order, so drove the few km's and booked onto an electric boat cruise (quiet, no fumes, unfortunately also vey few crocs). It was a pleasant way to spend an hour or so all the same.

Saturday we awoke to seriously blue skies. We made the short trek into Mossman for local markets and to stock up in preparation for hitting the road tomorrow. We then came back and walked the beach.

Suddenly, it was happy hour again ..... the (mainly) retiree’s who have abandoned their homes to escape the southern winter have a ball every night and tonight was no exception. We found out our site was not booked for the next two nights so jumped at the opportunity to stay on. Hard partying at 5pm is becoming second nature!

Sunday was "markets day" including Port Douglas and Kuranda. We fortunately managed to spend very little whilst having a really nice time.

Monday was a day of rest. well until the obligatory 5pm happy hour which only extended until 7.30pm tonight. CC had headed into Mossman to collect goodies for Xmas in July celebrations tomorrow night which we'll unfortunately miss and so is  not in the photo. The happiest folks happen to be at our (far) end of the table ... seriously true.....








To finish this rambling, we had to include a photo of a wonderful character, Jimmy Bull ... not sure if the surname is his or just something he lives up to, but he makes a lot of people smile every day.  

Lesson of the week

Nomads who are choosing to live are having a bloody good time of it!!