The Wet Tropics- FNQ

We arrived back from Cape York in Port Douglas, the well heeled resort town, which is full of Southerners escaping the winter, and of pregnant couples having their last baby free holiday. We were plastered with dirt, and made straight for the car wash to wash some of the dirt and dust off the trailer before setting up for the week in the Port. Whilst the trailer was clean the car was purposely left splattered in Cape York mud, because what's the point of doing the Cape without the badge of glory to talk about when you get back? The filthy car was definitely the object of many enquiries, and some envy, mainly from 60 year old men in caravans.

We have holidayed several times in Port Douglas and it is the antithesis of most of what we have done so far on this trip, and it did mark a kind of turning point. This was the end of corrugations and dust, the start of bitumen and soy lattes. It was also the meeting point for Tim's parents to join us on the trip, and the first time the kids had seen these grandparents in 4 months. Such was their grandparental enthusiasm they rented a 2 bedroom apartment to house Hugo and Zoe with them. Hello child free breakfast!

We did a couple of day trips from Port, to the Daintree river and to Mossman Gorge, but much of the time was spent eating, socialising, and doing chores, such as consulting physiotherapists and doctors.

Grandma and Papa John, Mossman Gorge

Rainforest walk, Mossman Gorge

Mossman Gorge

Daintree River Croc

After our very pleasant week in Port Douglas, we said goodbye to Papa John and Grandma, and headed south to Mission Beach. Mission Beach is on "The Cassowary Coast", an apt name as we did indeed have cassowaries wandering around our camp. This region of coast is beautiful, and we were treated to fabulous weather. We hired a boat and checked out Dunk Island, it's resort still closed after cyclone Yasi in 2011, the beaches absolutely spectacular. We also visited Paronella Park, a property built in the 1930's inclusive of castle, waterfall and hydroelectric station, which is now essentially a ruin.... impressive history but didn't particularly qualify for it's theme park sized entry fee.

Cassowary in camp at South Mission Beach 

Beddara Island, near Dunk

Dunk Island

Bedarra Island, near Dunk

Towing a water tank to an island, as you do....

Paronella Park

From Mission beach we continued south, firstly to stay at Tully Falls, a beautiful quiet location in the rain forest, and then to a state forest just outside of Ingham. In Tully we had planned to tour the local sugar mill, as the sugar milling season is in full swing. However the mill had broken down and our tour was cancelled. Finding ourselves at a loose end in Tully on a saturday morning, we decided to take in the local dog show..... we had run into a man and with his show Daschunds the previous day. However when we arrived at the show grounds we found the place not over run with dogs but by horses and riders decked out in western gear. In addition to the dog show there was a local camp drafting event, something none of us even knew existed, let alone experienced before. It was like stepping into a parallel universe, we looked quite out of place in our travel wear, as every single person, babies included, were decked out in jeans, boots +/- spurs, country shirt and very large hat. We watched children of 5 and 6 years rounding up cattle on horse back, as well as some amazing (for a city slicker) horse riding from the adult participants. It was fantastic to be able to experience this slice of Australian life so different from our own.

Banana country

Only in Queensland

Tully Gorge National Park

The rainfall in the Tully area is massive- 4.5m per year, with it hitting 7.9m in 1950. However just past Ingham, on route to Townsville the landscape suddenly changes to dry and parched- the "wet tropics" is suddenly over.

Cape York

Cape York is one of the iconic road trips of Australia, once the domain of only the most hardened four wheel drivers it in now accessible to most, and we set off with my parents Annie and Ashley to tackle the 2000 km return trip in our trailer and an off road compact caravan. 

The main Peninsular Development Road goes all the way to the tip area. It is the main transportation route and has travellers and road trains aplenty. It has some bitumen sections, with more being built, but for the most part it is gravel of the most corrugated and bone jarring kind. 

From Cairns we headed over the Daintree River ferry, through the amazing rainforest of the Daintree National Park to Cape Tribulation. From here we proceeded over the Bloomfield track, a four wheel drive track of little technical challenge but amazing scenery as the road travels through more amazing rainforest before rising up mountains where you get glimpses of amazing coastline, white beaches with blue sea fringed by lush rainforest. 

Cape Tribulation

Cape Tribulation

After lunch in Cooktown we pressed on to Lakefield national park, where we camped by the Hann River. You could cast a lure directly into the river from our campsite, but we were a little unnerved when we noticed a large salt water crocodile lurking nearby. Again there was not much luck with the fishing until we tried hooks baited with salami.... with which (amongst much urging not to go too close to the water's edge) the kids caught turtles!  Nothing for dinner but they had a great time keeping them captive.

Zoe making friends at Hahn Crossing campsite

We continued our trip northwards, first overnighting at Archer River roadhouse then to Bramwell Station, where the Old Telegraph track begins. Leaving our rigs at Bramwell, we set out for a day of exploring the tele track..... except the first creek crossing was of the order of only to be attempted by the slightly insane. Ominously there is a large sign on a nearby tree which says "TOWING" with a mobile number. 

Anticipation in the air.
The start of the Old Telegraph Track at Bramwell Junction Roadhouse.

Palm Creek, the first obstacle. A lot worse than it looks trust us...

Getting into the creek in one piece was one thing but getting out the other side also required a winch. (even with a winch a group of vehicles got stuck in there the following day for over 6 hours). So we followed the other sensible people and went around, and had a great day doing some tamer creek crossings and watching the crazy people doing the crazy stuff. 

Gunshot Creek, Old Telegraph Track.
A good way to break stuff on your car.
(Thats not us...)

From Bramwell we continued north ..... we had booked a nights camping at Eliot Falls which is located on the Northern section of the Telegraph track. After stopping for a great swim at Fruit Bat Falls we went towards Eliot Falls but on reaching the final creek crossing we had some reservations...... the water was more than a metre deep and cars which were coming across were opening up their doors to let the water pour out of their cars. Not only did we not want a car full of water, we were also towing the trailer, which as well as making the crossing more difficult contains all of our possessions! So again, we went around, and decided to camp at a very pleasant little bush camping area on the track to the north. When we arrived in the northern tip area we saw many people drying out their car carpet and removing the seats from their cars in an attempt to dry them out. So whilst losing cred as hardened adventurers by again taking "the chicken track" our car does not smell and our possessions are dry. 

Creek crossing at Sam's Creek, Old Telegraph Track

Eliot Falls

Eliot Falls

Eliot Falls

Fruit Bat Falls

Pitcher Plant

Fruit Bat Falls

Beautiful woodland on the way to Eliot Falls

From here we headed across the Jardine River ferry to the"tip" area. We set up camp for a few nights and the following day travelled to the northern most point for the obligatory selfie with the sign. 

Crossing the Jardine River

All south from here...

Stunning coastal scenery of the Northern Peninsula Area

Stunning coastal scenery of the Northern Peninsula Area

We went on a day trip to Thursday Island, the administration centre for the Torres Straight Islands and the Tip area before turning around and heading towards the South. 

Thursday Island

Thursday Island

The tip area has a feral wildlife problem we've not seen this as yet- there are a large population of wild horses who daily would roam through the campsite, going through all the rubbish bins and trashing people's campsites. They have the capacity to make significantly more mess than the usual campsite pests, crows and dingos.

On the trip back we spent a couple of days in the remote Oyala Thumotang National Park. A mere 90km off the road, this place is famed for birds and we were hoping to site the elusive Palm Cockatoo here. We rocked up to the campsite, walked under a tree and the first bird we see.... Palm Cockatoo! 

Camp at Oyala Thumotang National Park

Camp at Oyala Thumotang National Park

Camp at Oyala Thumotang National Park

The Cape is a bogan wonderland. There is challenging four wheel driving, great bush camping, the opportunity to purchase truly revolting souvenir fishing shirts and plenty of fellow bogans letting it all hang out. Unfortunately not all visitors to the area treat the place with the respect it deserves. Rubbish and (human) waste left in bush camping sites is becoming a huge problem. Whilst we were camped on the tele track there was a beautiful swimming hole fed by a pristine creek a short walk away from the camp, but unfortunately hundreds of people felt they needed to carve their initials into the rock walls surrounding the area. Some areas have had to be closed due to the impact that visitors are having. This is the sad side to our trip to the tip and hopefully visitors in the future will start to behave in a more sustainable way.

The Gulf of Carpentaria

From Katherine we travelled south on the Stuart Highway to Mataranka. Close to here there are a couple of thermal springs where we spent a few nights. Bitter Springs was by far the highlight- a crystal clear stream which runs through a natural water way at about 32 degrees. You float down stream on your noodle (or inflated wine cask bladder), through woodland, and get out at the other end. Then repeat if desired. The kids had a great time and spent plenty of time snorkelling. 

Crystal clear and warm waters of Bitter Springs

From Mataranka we turned left and headed east on the Savannah Way. We stayed on this path for 2,139 km to Cairns, with detours to King Ash Bay, Lorella Springs, Lawn Hill National Park and Karumba. It's been a busy couple of weeks.

Some of the highlights and lowlights of this section of our journey:

-feeling like a complete remote travel amateur by not stocking up when on the highway and assuming one could get supplies in Roper Bar. One could get said supplies but the freshest milk available was already 7 days past it's use by date! We drank it anyway.

-Hugo landing this Queenie on a lure in Limmen National Park. Limmen NP is flat, dusty, with plenty of rivers for fishing. It contains a rough 338km section of the Savannah way going through it. The domain of fisher people. Not recommended for cycling, a memo which a disgruntled group of older people on bikes failed to get..... we came across them about 5km off the bitumen coming from Borroloola. They asked us "is it like this the whole way?" Yes mate, this is a pretty good section. It gets worse. For 330km. "well we're in the shit then" was his reply. I suspect they didn't complete their intended journey. 

Towns River, Limmen National Park

Hugo landing a Queenie on the Towns River, Limmen National Park

-Hanging with the fisher people in King Ash Bay. We stopped at KAB for a night as an alternative to staying in Borroloola. As we pulled up in the unpowered camping area, aptly named "Gennie Flats", we were slightly apprehensive about the beer swilling young people we had camped next to. People come from all over to camp here for weeks or months at a time and go fishing. The campers here were the friendliest, most generous people we have come across yet..... one couple lent Tim their boat 10 minutes after first meeting, and the young guys next door took Hugo out on his boat with him. The fishing however is a bit rubbish this season and we caught nothing.

View from our campsite at King Ash Bay Fishing Club, on the McArthur River.
No swimming here... lots of big crocs and sharks.

-In Lorella Springs we lost the plug to the kitchen sink and around the same time we lost our Mojo. Suddenly I desperately wanted to be at home, sitting on the couch, drinking tea from a china cup. I'd completely had enough of latches, zips and catches, acrylic wine glasses and melamine plates. Of doing the dishes and cooking and living in dust. Of showering in thongs and walking to the toilet in the middle of the night. The kids mirrored my despair. Tim had to hold the ship together. Eventually, things got better. Happy hour helped. 

-Also in Lorella Springs we visited this fantastic swamp..... but we never did find the plug.

Flying Fox Billabong, Lorella Springs Station.  

Flying Fox Billabong, Lorella Springs Station. The last 2 years it has been completely dry.

Monarch Rock, Lorella Springs Station

Some of the 1 million acres of Lorella Springs Station

Crocodile Billabong, Lorella Springs Station

--Spectacular green waters and gorge of Boojamulla (Lawn Hill Gorge) National Park

Lawn Hill Gorge

Indarri Falls, Lawn Hill Gorge

Lawn Hill Gorge

Hike to Indarri Falls, Lawn Hill National Park

Camp at Adels Grove

-The lava tubes of Undara Volcano.....huge underground tunnels left by lava flows from a volcanic eruption 190 million years ago

Lave tube, Undara National Park

Undara was our last stop before getting to Cairns where suddenly everything is different. Dusty bush has suddenly been replaced by lush rainforest and, after not seeing hardly a cloud for 3 months it is overcast and actually raining! The last time we saw rain we were in South Australia. Wide open flat roads and tiny towns are replaced by shopping centres, and traffic. Another difference is we now have company- my parents have joined us again for our assault on Cape York. 

Hugo and Zoe training the Archer fish in Lawn Hill.